Here are some suggestions on staying in U.S. hostels.
– Reservations are advisable for most hostels, particularly in the summer months and if you`re seeking a family room.
– The age at which children are accepted may vary from hostel to hostel;
check with individual managers. Infants may be accepted into family rooms; in general children must be 5 years of age or older to stay in the dormitories.
– Most hostels forbid smoking, although a few have designated smoking areas.
– Alcohol is forbidden in U.S. hostels.
– Sleeping bags that have been used outdoors cannot be used in U.S. hostels for health and sanitary reasons, says American Youth Hostels spokeswoman Toby Pyle. For instance, the ticks that spread Lyme disease could be carried into a hostel on sleeping bags, she said.
– Hostels generally have a ”lights out” policy around 11 p.m. or midnight (earlier in some of the rural hostels that serve mainly bicyclists or hikers) in order to ensure quiet in the dorms.
Membership
To stay in hostels you must be a member of the youth hostel federation in your country.
Membership in the American Youth Hostels (AYH) is $25 a year for adults;
members can use 5,300 hostels in 60 countries which are part of the International Youth Hostel Federation.
For information, contact the American Youth Hostels national office in Washington, D.C. Write AYH, P.O. Box 37613, Washington, D.C. 20013-7613. Call 202-783-6161. In Chicago, the AYH address is 3036 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60657; 312-327-8114.
