How do you open the hood on an old vw beetle?

On earlier models with the T handle, turn the handle to the left until it stops. Lift hood... On later models with the push button... push the button. Lift hood. Unless you are talking about the hood on the front, which is actually the trunk. On earlier models, there is a release under the dash you pull. On later models, the release is in the glove box.

IF you are in fact talking about the "boot" on an older VW -- which is the trunk in the front -- there is a fun bit of trouble that lots of VW owners know about. Here it is: even though you're supposed to be able to lift the release in the glove box and then go 'round and push the boot button, that's not often the way it works in real life. In real life, you'll spend around 20 minutes running around your car trying to get this to work; it's much easier to have someone you trust lift the glove box release, then you push the boot button and lift the lid. It takes two, but it works.