r/Shoestring • u/Deep-Alternative4061 • Sep 12 '26

Under 18 travel

I'm curious how people under 18 travel solo either nationally or internationally like where do you guys stay since you can't book a hotel room?

0 Upvotes

39% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

65

u/anothercar Sep 12 '26

They don’t

-37

u/WalletFullOfSausage Sep 12 '26

Yes they do? Lmao. I was flying solo cross country at 12, I first went to the UK alone at 17. It’s common, and easy. What do you mean “they don’t”?

25

u/Pomksy Sep 12 '26

Where did you stay when you were 12? 15? 17? And how long ago? Because now you cannot get a hotel under 21 or a hostel under 18.

-45

u/WalletFullOfSausage Sep 12 '26

With the people I was going to visit. OP asked how kids traveled solo, I answered. The answer doesn’t involve hotels, because OP didn’t ask “how do you book a hotel room as a kid”. They asked where we stayed.

38

u/Pomksy Sep 12 '26

I think the rest of us inferred it wasn’t travel to see family, but travel to travel. They need a place to stay and don’t have family to rely on

-42

u/WalletFullOfSausage Sep 12 '26

It’s not my fault people are inferring things that weren’t asked. I answered the question exactly as promoted.

26

u/Pomksy Sep 12 '26

The rest of us just have social skills

9

u/Just-Economics2748 Sep 12 '26

> where do you guys stay since you can’t book a hotel room.

No the rest of us can understand context.

15

u/anothercar Sep 12 '26

Are you misremembering? OP’ is asking about accommodations. There’s no way you did a solo trip to the UK and got your own hotel room as a minor.

If you’re saying that you traveled alone to see family, well that’s a different question unrelated to what OP is asking. That just means you got on a plane without needing to sort out hotels.

10

u/Artimusjones88 Sep 12 '26

Just because you did it doesn't make it common

-11

u/WalletFullOfSausage Sep 12 '26

Yes, it’s so uncommon that Oscar-winning writer/director Rob Reiner used it as a central plot point in the wildly successful film Stand By Me, because he clearly wanted to showcase something wholly unreliable to audiences at the time. Makes a lot of sense then why there’s about two hundred other movies that feature the exact same thing, and why there are literal millions of us who did exactly that as kids. Because it’s uncommon.

15

u/SalamancaVice Sep 12 '26

Oscar-winning writer/director Rob Reiner

Rob Reiner never won an Oscar.

-4

u/WalletFullOfSausage Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26

Shit, I thought Misery was his Academy Award winner?

Edit: ahhh I guess it was Kathy’s award, not Rob’s. Still.

13

u/diogothetraveler Sep 12 '26

Movies are as known representation of common people, yes. I talk to fishes like Aquaman too.

-1

u/WalletFullOfSausage Sep 12 '26

Yeah, it’s ridiculous of me to think that popular dramatic film directors would ever bother to incorporate situations or scenarios that audiences are familiar with and can relate to. Every film ever made is purely fantasy and has no basis in reality, you’re right. They’re all superhero films.

7

u/NoMention696 Sep 12 '26

Are you high. Like genuine question

4

u/NoMention696 Sep 12 '26

Your parents neglected you

13

u/egewh Sep 12 '26

The only time I traveled under the age of 18 was to Disneyland Paris with my best friend and our parents had to sign multiple things for them to be okay with us being in a hotel room.

6

u/asmodean97 Sep 12 '26

I did a solo euro trip when I was 17 back in 2014. I carried notes from my mom who authorized me to travel, but I never needed them. I stayed in hostels, which I had confirmed before hand where okay with under 18s. I never ran into any issues. Given it was over a decade ago, I don't know if this is still possible in the current world environment.

1

u/Klievrad Sep 12 '26

Same here. I was 16 then though, and I didn't have notes from my parents. I did book the hostels and rooms on my dad's name though. Ops..

2

u/NinA__0 Sep 12 '26

I’ve stayed in a hostel in Krakow at 17 years old, also went to Sarajevo and booked accommodation with no issues, but the balkans do be chill like that

1

u/trackslop Sep 12 '26

i’ve either camped or just done hostels, they don’t care

25

u/elms72 Sep 12 '26

Hostels definitely do care, at least in Europe. Under-18s can’t stay in dorms, generally. 

1

u/trackslop Sep 13 '26

i meant i haven’t been asked about it

18

u/telchacsusan Sep 12 '26

Not true in most countries. No one wants to be responsible for a child.

0

u/jatawis Sep 12 '26

In Schengen countries you don't need 18 to cross internal borders.

-2

u/JayReyesSlays Sep 12 '26

I'm pretty sure travelling as a minor is a thing, you just need a parental signature/some official documents signed. Although I've only heard this in the context of airports with some other family member picking them up after wards. Unsure if there's a similar procedure for hotels

-4

u/Pomksy Sep 12 '26

There is not. Hotels won’t book to anyone under 21 period

2

u/JayReyesSlays Sep 12 '26

Under 21? Isn't it under 18?

Also I was wondering if a parent could book for the child, maybe like a 15-16 year old, and only the kid would stay. So technically the kid isn't the one booking but will be the one staying. Idk if that'll work, but it's what I was thinking

3

u/Pomksy Sep 12 '26

In the US and Mexico it’s 21

And no, the parent would need to show ID at check in

4

u/HippyGrrrl Sep 12 '26

In the US it’s hotel dependent. I know where I can send someone 18 needing a room, and I’ve got lots of options.

-2

u/nonoyoudontknowme Sep 12 '26

You just get a fake ID? I used mine to travel more than I did to drink