does age matter in a hostel?

[beth]

hi. i am sooooooo enjoying this website. a lot of great information here.

what i am wondering is this....... as a 38 yr female, will i feel out of place in a hostel? is there an average age? my friend and i will be traveling around england and scotland in september 2005. so far we have been looking at a b&b in london (it seems to be worth the extra expense after reading some of the reviews of certain hostels). from what i can see, the vast majority of people who stay at these hostels are alot younger.
also has anyone ever taken a wild in scotland tour? we will be going on a 7 day tour of the orkney's and the isle of skye. the tour is for people in the 20's and 30's...... am i being paranoid about being the oldest person on the trip? thanks.....

[Kim]

Oh no, 38 is far from too old. There is always a huge range in ages in hostels, don't worry about that. The only place you will find an age restriction is in the Barvaria area of Germany, they have a different sort of system. Basically, what we did (my husband and I) is research what hostels were quiet and mellow as we weren't into the party scene and it worked out well.

Maybe compare the prices of B&B's and private rooms in hostels to get an idea. You could always do a combination of both - say do 1 hostel, then splurge for a B&B.

Kim

[Libby]

I'm 34 and stayed in YHA Hostels in both Scotland and England. In most cases, I wasn't the oldest person in the room (by far!).

In Edinburgh there was a woman in her 70's from Mexico who had set out to see the world on her own.

In York there were two women in my dorm, an American in her 60's and a Brit in her 70's who got into one of the BEST arguments over the letter U I've ever heard. There was also a Canadian in her 50's for a few nights.

In London there were two older women who shared our room for a few nights as well. I thought I'd be too old myself..but I had no problems.

But as I said, I stayed in YHA hostels and they tend to go a bit older (or younger...lots of school trips but they didn't bother me)

[Rondomondo]

Like the other posters, I have stayed in hostels in Europe for several years. I'm late forties and single, and have had made some of my best travel connections in hostels. There have been times when I'm the oldest in a dorm room; other times there have been roommates older than I am.

Many hostels have private rooms that you and your travel partner can share, if you don't want to be in a dorm setting. But whether you seek new friends or a bit of privacy, you'll find a warm welcome in most hostels.

Best wishes!

[me]

often, HI's are more restrictive in many ways. independent hostels are more laid back. smaller locals in Bavaria may not have non-HI hostels, though. but in Munich, there are options. <it's odd that Bavaria restricts older folks, yet HI gives discounted membership to seniors! maybe the discount is to make up for the restrictions in Bavaira. >

or, do the non HI hostels in Bavaria have those silly age restrictions?

- d

admin said:

The only place you will find an age restriction is in the Barvaria area of Germany, they have a different sort of system.

[Carmella]

Does anyone know if over 60 yrs of age is to old for hostels. I am 63, my husband 67. We want to experience Europe as a local would, not a tourist. Any suggestions from you seasoned travelers?

[me]

Carmella, i don't think it'd be too much of a problem. HI's, except Bavaria, seem to be especially welcoming to folks in their 60's.

- d

[Carmella]

Thank you David. I was also wondering. Are these hostels easy to access or are they miles from any transportation?

[me]

some have bus/subway right outside the door. others make you walk a ways.

i've stayed in hostels with all kinds of transport availability.

- d