Thorough hand washing
Wash for at least 20 - 30 seconds with enough soap (palms, back of the hand, fingertips, space between fingers, thumbs, fingernails, wrist). Touch water tap only with the elbow or a disposable towel. Dry hands thoroughly with a clean cloth. Support children and needy people if necessary.

Frequent hand washing
Wash hands when entering and leaving the youth hostel; before and after eating, going to the bathroom and after contact to other persons or surfaces.

Not touching your face
Avoid contact between hands and face. Use gloves if necessary (make sure to put be on and off correctly). 

Coughing and sneezing correctly
Cough and sneeze into your elbow or a disposable tissue. Turn away from other people, wash hands directly afterwards.

Cover up wounds
Use plasters, bandages or creams; wash hands before and after handling.

Keep distance
At least 1.5m; if not possible use a protective mask.

Take care of cleanliness
Regular cleaning of clothes and shoes, cloths and products brought with you; separate used products, e.g. in laundry bags or plastic bags. Do not use the same product as others: e.g. different cutlery, separate towels, other toys.

Treat foods hygienically
Clean thoroughly before consumption (fruit, vegetables, snacks), store packaged; stay away from other people in the dining room.

Ventilate well
Ventilate rooms regularly and several times a day, leave windows open if possible when leaving a room. Do not forget to switch off the heating.
 

Which masks may I use?
Auxiliary masks, i.e. also scarves or shawls, are sufficient.

What must be considered when wearing the mask?
Masks should always cover the mouth and nose and be tight enough to prevent constant slipping. Wash hands thoroughly before putting on and after taking off the mask and take care not to touch your face (use the side flaps). Wash the mask immediately (at least 60°C) or store it in a separate bag. Moist masks must always be replaced immediately.

When do I have to wear a mask?
When the minimum distance of 1.5m in public spaces cannot be ensured, in public transport, in the dining room (the mask may be taken off at the table) and wherever there is a sign requiring it. Please always remember to carry a mask with you. A mask obligation* for children exists only from the age of 6 or 7. 
* Due to the lack of uniform regulations, we ask you to inform yourself about regional regulations at your destination.

Corona suspected - What now?
Symptoms: Fever, shortness of breath, cough and fatigue
1. Put on disposable gloves and cover mouth and nose with a mask. Return to your room in the youth hostel immediately. Keep at least 1.5m distance from other people.
2. Contact youth hostel staff by telephone. They will inform the according health office. Wait for feedback from the youth hostel.
3. Stay calm, do not leave the room, drink a lot of water, record symptoms if necessary.
 

Youth Hostels offer shared rooms. But there are also single or double rooms. If these are available, you can sleep alone in a room or share one with your partner, but a surcharge will apply. Families can book family rooms in advance, subject to availability. All Youth Hostels have common rooms, and many also offer function rooms for courses or conferences.

Classic category
The basic category includes standard functional buildings with a common bathroom on each floor. The “Classic” category is descriptive of the functional setup of the youth hostels, designed for simple needs.

Standard category
The buildings in this category have modern furnishings and simple technical standards, which offer several recreational possibilities in the youth hostel. Some of the rooms have their own showers and toilets.

Top category
This category has the ideal conditions for a youth hostel. The majority of rooms have their own shower and toilet. The building offers a lot of room for guests, including places to meet, modern equipment and several possibilities for communal experiences and events.

Generally speaking, Youth Hostels offer all types of meals. Breakfast is included in the overnight rate. Booking full board offers particularly good value for money.

Breakfast and the evening meal are often served as buffet meals. The Youth Hostel team will be able to give you more detailed information. Upon request, they will also prepare a packed lunch for you to take along.

Of course we will try to fulfil your wishes. We have no issues with people who avoid certain foods because of their ethnic background or religion. Or because they are vegetarian and don't eat meat. Or have other dietary habits. But please, remember to let us know in good time!

Families, individual travellers and small groups can book a bed immediately online at all 400 Youth Hostels in Germany. Reservations for over 2,500 Youth Hostels around the world can be made at hihostels.com or at one of the German Youth Hostel Association's reservation agencies.

If you are travelling alone, you can also make your reservation quickly and informally by telephone, e-mail, fax or even postcard or letter. However, we strongly recommend booking in advance particularly to those who would like to spend several nights in one place, are arriving with a larger group or are travelling during the main holiday season.

Different rates apply for junior members, families and 27plus members. In 2016, the prices for a night's stay including breakfast and bed linen ranged between € 14.90 and € 33.00. Children below the age of two are free of charge. From the age of 3 onwards, reduced rates apply for children; for more detailed information, please contact the respective Regional Association or Youth Hostel. Guests above the age of 27 pay a surcharge.

We have kept our basic rates for young people and families with children as low as possible. Older guests, on the other hand, pay a surcharge in almost all Hostels. However, there are special offers if you are travelling off season or planning a longer stay. The Regional Associations and Youth Hostels can provide you with more detail on these.

Reduced rates are available for holders of a youth group leader pass. In order to claim the reduced rates, you will be asked to produce your pass. This will give you a 10%-reduction on the costs of accommodation, bed linen and meals.

There's always a lot going on in Youth Hostels. But if one guest would like to sleep while the other wants to party, then it could be difficult for everyone to get along. That is why we have set up a couple of rules that apply to all our guests. These rules are binding. They tell you where the limits are and help avoid trouble. You will find them here.

Never. Youth Hostels are open to everyone, irrespective of age. But of course Youth Hostels are, as the name suggests, primarily an offer for young people. But also DJH members from 27 years are welcome.

Youngsters are not allowed to travel alone below the age of 14, and need their parents' consent up to the age of 18. Until then, they are still under their parents' legal supervision and parents will be made responsible if their children get into any kind of trouble or anything happens to them during their trip. This is why minors, besides their passport, should always carry their parents' written authorisation to travel alone.

Outside Germany, different rules and regulations apply. The Federal Foreign Office can provide information.

Our home page will provide you with a wealth of information on Youth Hostels, membership in the German Youth Hostel Association, class trips, family holidays, holidays for children and teenagers, individual travel and offers for groups.

The websites of the different Regional Association's service centres will provide even more information.

Our Service-Center for membership:

DJH Service-Center
Leonardo-da-Vinci-Weg 1
32760 Detmold
Germany

Phone: +49/5231 7401-0
Fax: +49/5231 7401-449
e-mail djh-service@jugendherberge.de
E-Postbrief: service@jugendherberge.epost.de

Just order the newsletter online and all the latest news will be delivered to your virtual doorstep, free of charge.

Of course there is. DJH runs a job site which keeps you updated with the latest news and informs you about the right contact person for jobs, internships and voluntary or compulsory community services.

Yes, surely. You can find more information on https://facebook.com/youthhostelsDE.

The German Youth Hostel Association - or Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk in German, DJH for short – is a non-profit organisation. It works predominantly for the benefit of young people from all over the world. It promotes mutual understanding and the peaceful co-existence, completely irrespective of a person's gender, race, religion, ideology or political party.

Youth Hostels are accommodation that is run by the German Youth Hostel Association. Meanwhile, the "Youth Hostel" brand has become so popular that others would like to call themselves Youth Hostels, too. You will recognise the original by the DJH logo, and you will only find original Youth Hostels on jugendherberge.de.

There are Youth Hostels all over Germany and many more all over the world. Different Hostels specialise in different areas. We call these specialised offers profiles. Profiles create space for learning and making experiences. Youth Hostels are family-friendly, run by professionals, and offer good value for money.

Yes! In 1909, Richard Schirrmann, a teacher, had the idea of providing cheap accommodation with the intention of granting school children from industrial cities an opportunity to discover nature. Today, the German Youth Hostel Association affords guests from all over the world an opportunity to meet and get to know each other. This way, it promotes mutual understanding among people and peoples, and peaceful co-existence. In 2009, the Youth Hostels celebrated their 100th anniversary.

Every member makes a contribution and supports our work with their membership fee. (The fee, by the way, is tax-deductable as a donation to a non-profit organisation). Of course we are always happy to receive donations above the membership fee: they help preserve Youth Hostels.

But many people in Germany also contribute by doing voluntary work for the Youth Hostel Association. They support the Youth Hostels in their region by working for local or district organisations. If you would like to know more about this: the Regional Associations will be happy to give you more information.

What does the Youth Hostel Association do with my personal data? What are they allowed to use it for and what not? The Youth Hostel Association's data protection policy provides information on this and is binding for us.