Youth hostels in France

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
Just book your hostels via the links above (top right corner):
[ux]https://rail.shop/bookingcom[/ux]
[ux]https://rail.shop/hostelworld[/ux]
No hostel card required. :)
If you book via the links above, the price is for you the same, but railcc gets a little commission to continue our work. Thank you for supporting! :)
Peter :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Well...it depends: The FUAJ Hostels which belong to HI (Hostelling International) require a membership card - either you already have a HI memebership card from Germany or you can also pay for it directly at the hostel. I do ot know exactly if day memberships are still available which would be cheaper than a full one year membership - we got such a day membership a few years ago when we stayed in Le Puy en Velay.

nltrainer
Traveller
1405 comments

OUT of the few big cities there are hardly ANY private hoStels in FR, the ones that mostly show up on hostelworld/bookers/z/club.
The ''official'' YH are often quite rundown (well, more looking like never upkept since the 70ies) and still often have the old-style rules: locked out in the day, curfew by 23.00/0.00 and often big camps of noisy schoolclasses. But they are in nearly every smaller town or nearby. You CAN use the daystickers-with 6 you have gained a full years membership (I think thats 6x3eur=18 total). Also they often have now floors kept by refugees or others living on the cheap-as-can state expense.
IF you are with 2, any FR town has scores of HTLs that offer the same or even lower price as YH for 2, but of course without the kitchen etc. Many are not online or on booking.com/engines. Just peruse on the Place de la Gare.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Thanks for your advice!
As I'm travelling alone a hotel is not my first choice as I will be charged for a double room anyway :( May be I will meet other travellers or a friend will be joining me later, so then I will book double rooms in hotels as there is quite a wide choice of cheap rooms available as I see.
But as long as I'm on my own I was hoping to be able to book a bed in a dorm.

I am looking for the hostels via the links on the railcc page and if possible I will be booking via your site, Peter. :D Unfortunetely some towns are not even in the list or f.e. Rennes is, but there is no room available.

What nltrainer is mentioning is making me feel uncomfortable about staying in youth hostels in France.
I'm not looking for much comfort, a bed, a shower and a locker is all I need. but I would really like to stay safe and even get some sleep, what is what I've experienced in youth hostels in Germany and Netherlands so far.
Is it only a French thing?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I would not be that worried about the hostels in France. I have been staying in Youth Hostels in Nice and Le Puy en Velay and they were both OK and well maintained, although not at latest standard compared to hostels in Lisbon or Berlin for example (but this was back in 2009 and 2010 so...). Regular hostels in Paris were just fine, but I would recommend to pay bit more to get a bed in the better quality ones. ;)
Just check out reviews and photos on the booking sites for HI/FUAJ hostels to get a first impression.

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

Thanks :)
So I'm going to try the hostel at my first stop and see what I'll be up to later.
As I've read in the comments on some hostel pages, people are also disappointed they are not allowed to stay in the hostel during the day, which I'm not planning to do anyway. I want to be outside sightseeing during the day and only come back to sleep :)