Our history

In France : 80 youth hostels welcome you ! Created at the beginning of the century, in Germany, around a generous and innovative idea : “to allow young people to discover the world by getting to know each other”, youth hostels appeared in France, under the impulse of a humanist : Marc Sangnier. Léo Lagrange, then Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, encouraged the development of the first paid vacations under the Popular Front. Thus, in France, in 1939, there were already a large number of youth hostels and in 1956, the United Federation of Youth Hostels (FUAJ) a non-profit association (law 1901).

Since its creation, the FUAJ has taken on a new dimension. Today, it has 5,000 beds and welcomes its members without age limit (individuals and groups : schoolchildren, students, works councils, clubs and associations, etc.) in more than 80 establishments, in the city, in the country, in the mountains or by the sea.

Our values

FUAJ and HI youth hostels are eco-citizens. They are built around common areas : shared rooms (mostly 1 to 5 beds), kitchen for travelers, relaxation area, coffee/bar… In 80 destinations in France and more than 2,650 worldwide, these authentic places to live are accessible to the greatest number of people, where encounters and intercultural exchanges allow those who stay there to be enriched by the differences of others. By learning from this difference, we learn to respect them.

Consult the ethical charter

We are convinced that peace is born from the encounter and intercultural dialogue between young travelers. It’s with this objective in mind, to build a culture of peace, that the HI France youth hostel network of the FUAJ network in France and Hostelling International in the world, are committed on a daily basis.

Together, let’s #buildacultureofpeace.

Our development

At the national level, FUAJ’s development strategy is based on an essential objective : the network by renovating or extending existing youth hostels and building new ones. The youth hostels have become true resource centers and an information hub open to the city, and have set up local partnerships to meet the local needs of the associations and municipalities concerned. The inclusion of establishments in a local dynamic is indeed essential for FUAJ.

As a result, the multi-functionality of facilities is now the basic principle for harmoniously combining collective and individual spaces. Today, we offer in most youth hostels group rooms with a limited capacity (4 to 6 beds) with integrated sanitary facilities and storage, as well as communal living spaces that encourage, above all, intercultural encounters.

A wide range of activities

The activities of youth hostels have also evolved and diversified. Indeed, traditionally oriented towards the international welcome of young people who travel around the world, they now offer sports activities for all those who wish to learn or improve their skills.

In order to meet the expectations of their users, the youth hostels also offer a wide range of cultural and tourist activities based on the richness of the immediate environment (courses and themed stays : gastronomy, prehistory, nature, etc.).
With your FUAJ membership card, you can also discover the world !