Can teens book accommodation in France on their own?

[cordeliavorkosigan]

We have a 16yo dd who will turn 17 on an upcoming trip to France (long haul, we don't live in the UK). There is a group of about 5 of them, all 16 and 17. Can they book into hostels, airbnb, or hotels on their own without an over 18 present? If your teens have travelled around Europe on their own, how has this all worked?

No idea about accommodation but think about letters of permission for travel. Dd went at 18yo with a 17yo friend and they were stopped coming back to England, separated and questioned about whether dd was trafficking her friend.

My understanding is that at a minimum, parents need to do the reservation and give a written authorization and copies of passports if not present when booking in as a minor cannot sign a booking contract. If a French 17 year old is leaving France, they have to have a written authorization from a parent with a copy of id but not sure if it applies to minors coming in...

https://www.hotel-les-grenettes.com/en/seagreen-tips/at-what-age-can-one-book-a-hotel-room/

Thanks! Very useful. We can easily do signed letters, good idea to have a copy of the parents' ID to show it's not just any random letter (at least to show that to some small extent). Any experiences much appreciated.