The Best Hostels I've Stayed in Throughout Italy (Updated for 2026) • Anthony in Italy

I’ve stayed in about twenty hostels around Italy, from the toe to the top of the boot. These are the best hostels in Italy that I have stayed at and always recommend to others travelers.

best_hostels_italy — *Ostello Bello Florence*

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I love staying in hostels. They’re a great way to save money while traveling and meet other travelers from around the world. Hostels come in all shapes and sizes, from small ones that feel like a big house with only 1 or 2 people working at a time, to big modern hostels that are like hotels with a bit of flair and youth. I’m a fan of both kinds and everything in between.

Hostels can be hit or miss. I’ve been lucky to stay at mostly great ones, and they’re the ones I tell other travelers that I meet to also stay at. Obviously everyone has different preferences, so you can filter accordingly as you’re searching. I tend to prefer Hostelworld because they are more hostel-focused, but Booking.com has a discount program if you book frequently with them.

My Criteria

There is no perfect hostel, but my general criteria for what makes a good one is as follows:

If it’s summertime, I want air conditioning (you can take the guy out of the USA, but you can’t take USA out of the guy)
An inviting common area to hang out and meet other travelers
Clean, functional bathrooms and kitchen
Breakfast (even at extra cost if needed), where people eat in a common area. This makes it very easy to make new friends
Hostels that host events (walking tours, bingo night, bar hopping). I don’t really like bingo or any board games for that matter, but it’s just a way to get people together.
On site bar. No, I’m not an alcoholic. Bars mean socializing (and in Italy, they mean good coffee in the morning)
No more than a 20-minute walk or train/bus ride from the city center for big cities like Rome or Milan, or 10-minute walk for smaller cities like Florence or Genova.
Comfortable beds
Storage lockers
Free Wi-Fi
If I’m traveling with someone, private room options
Grocery stores nearby

The Best Hostels in Florence

Yellowsquare Florence

YellowSquare is a small hostel chain in Italy, and one of my favorites. What I like about their Florence location is how lovely the place was and how much the staff integrated with the people staying there. They offer good breakfast for extra cost, have a nice outdoor terrace, and even a small swimming pool on the roof. It’s a little outside of the city center, but still very accessible via tram and rental bike.

🎒Book your stay at YellowSquare Florence by Clicking Here

Ostello Bello Florence

Ostello Bello is a larger hostel chain in Italy, and every time I stay at one I’m always happy. Ostello Bello Florence is in a great location, near the center of Florence but off on its own quiet street. Here, they’re all about open mics, karaoke, and other fun group events designed to make you embarass yourself in the best way and above all, meet fellow travelers.

🎒Book your stay at Ostello Bello Florence by Clicking Here

The Best Hostels in Rome

YellowSquare Rome

YellowSquare Rome is my favorite hostel in Rome. Both dorm and private rooms available, close to Termini station, and a great social atmosphere. Their property is spread to both sides of the street, including the hostel rooms, bar, and co-working space. At night the bar turns into a packed social hang with DJ sets, live music, group events, and more. It’s all-to-easy to make friends, not just other travelers but also locals, or stay in your own group.

🎒Book your stay at YellowSquare Rome by Clicking Here

image of yellosquare Rome hostel bar (2 images top and bottom, top is the bar, and bottom is the basement with people playing beer pong) — *YellowSquare Rome Bar (top) and basement beer pong*

Ostello Bello Rome

As my one of my favorite hostel brands in Italy, I’m confident that I’ll be happy in any Ostello Bello. The Rome location is close to Termini station, and as expected with other Ostello Bello locations, has all the amenities you need including a great social atmosphere. It’s a bit smaller than the much larger YellowSquare. By the way, I left a white outlet adapter there once, so if you see it can you let me know? Thanks.

🎒Book your stay at Ostello Bello Rome by Clicking Here

The Beehive Rome

This is a smaller, more low-key hostel that feels a bit more like a big house. It has a great shared space and kitchen, friendly staff, and a nice, albeit small, outdoor sitting area. It’s located very close to Termini station, so right in the center of it.

🎒Book your stay at The Beehive by Clicking Here

The Best Hostel in Naples

Ostello Bello

Ostello Bello has several locations throughout Italy, and is definitely more of a modern hostel but still with some of the small hostel feel. This was the first one that I stayed at, and I was more than happy with it. Clean spaces, comfortable rooms, and a large common space with both indoor and outdoor areas. Not to mention the fully-stocked kitchen, so in theory you don’t even have to buy groceries. It’s also in a great location, positioned between the historic center of Naples and the Quartieri Spagnoli. This hostel is on the larger side.

🎒Book your stay at Ostello Bello Naples by Clicking Here

Check out my Naples Recommendations and 1-Day Itinerary.

The Best Hostels in Venice

Anda Venice

Anda is located in Mestre, which is off the main “island” of Venice. Unfortunately, there are very few hostel options in the Venice city center. However, I’ve stayed in Mestre 3 or 4 times now and the train station makes it so easy to get to Venice. The trains run frequently and until just past midnight.

Anda itself is great. It’s on the big and modern side, so there’s lots of people. But it has most of what I like. A big communal space, an on-site bar, events, public transport nearby, and a great shared kitchen.

They don’t have an on-site barista, so you’re stuck making your own coffee or buying from the espresso vending machine. Also the bottom floor turns into a public club on some nights of the week, which is great if you like DJs and dancing and that sort of thing. Bring earplugs, as you will hear this if you’re on the lower floors (but you should bring earplugs to any hostel).

🎒Book your stay at Anda Venice by Clicking Here

The Best Hostel in Trieste

ControVento Hostel

This hostel felt more like a big house. The staff was very friendly, there’s a big shared lounge area, and it’s within walking distance to some great restaurants and the city center. Being on the smaller side, it was easy to make friends.

While staying here, I became fast friends with a cool guy from Argentina because we had a shared interest in gypsy jazz. We ended up having a jam session with a small audience in the kitchen (as to not interrupt the guys watching the World Cup in the lounge). What a great time. Also, Trieste was a great city.

🎒Book your stay at ControVento Hostel by Clicking Here

My Favorite Hostel in Bologna

Photos I took in Bologna, Italy — the famous Two Towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, reaching into the sky, paired with a walk through Bologna’s covered porticoes with vaulted ceilings and terracotta arches leading toward the city center. — *Bologna’s towers and endless porticoes.*

Il Nosadillo Hostel

This is my go-to hostel in Bologna. It’s a smaller hostel and also feels like a big house. It has a great shared kitchen / common room, and a great free breakfast. The dorm rooms consist of both stand-alone beds as well as bunk beds, but no private rooms. It’s in a great location, being a short walk from the city center.

🎒Book your stay at Il Nosadillo Hostel by Clicking Here

My Favorite Hostel in Genoa

Photos I took in Genoa, Liguria — pastel buildings in the historic center surrounding a quiet stone street with a market canopy, and another view of a piazza filled with outdoor cafés and plants beneath dramatic clouds over the old Genova facades. — *Genoa’s pastel streets and quiet piazzas.*

Ostello Bello Genova

I absolutely love this hostel. It’s in a central location, about 2 minutes from the main train station. It has multiple common areas and a rooftop terrace. The shared kitchen is big and well equipped. To make it even better, the kitchen was stocked with ingredients like dry pasta, beans, fruit, and vegetables. So in theory, one could not need to spend any money on food while here. The ingredients were a nice touch too, considering the nearest grocery store was at least a 15 minute walk.

The hostel has a great social scene too, with a bar and lots of group events – even with locals coming by to hang out.

🎒Book your stay at Ostello Bello Genova by Clicking Here

Collage of a hostel in Genoa: the top image shows a group of people playing beer pong in a lively setting with dim blue lighting; the bottom left image features a breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, ham, and bread; the bottom right image displays a cozy bar with modern stools and a cup of coffee in the foreground. — *Ostello Bello Genova beer pong, breakfast, and bar.*

My Favorite Hostels in Palermo

Photos I took in Palermo, Sicily — a plate of local seafood I ordered with fried calamari, sardines, and caponata beside a Birra Messina on a colorful Sicilian ceramic table, plus a nearby alleyway lined with balconies, laundry, and the Sicilian flag featuring the Trinacria symbol. — *Seafood, color, and chaos — classic Palermo.*

A Casa di Amici

I have a blast every time in Palermo, and 80% of the experience in because of the people I was with. I went solo and immediately found myself in good company. Not just the other travelers, but the staff, as well as the owners of Casa di Amici were all so friendly, and there was such a familial vibe. The night I arrived, there was a birthday party for a staff member and going-away-party for a long-term guest, and it was the first time I had been at a hostel with such a strong social vibe but also a friendly, non-corporate feel. This hostel is unique because their whole staff is composed of employees, not volunteers, so it really does feel like a family.

🎒Book your stay at A Casa di Amici by Clicking Here

Ostello Bello Palermo

Ostello Bello Palermo is one of the most beautiful hostels I’ve seen in Italy. It’s got a pool, multiple rooftop terraces, and tons of open space whether you’re feeling social or just want to chill solo.

The atmosphere is great — the staff is fun, there are regular events, and the fully stocked kitchen has everything you need. It’s also in a perfect location, just a 10-minute walk from the center of Palermo. I’d stay here again in a heartbeat.

🎒Book your stay at Ostello Bello Palermo by Clicking Here

Key Takeaways

Hostels in Italy range from cozy homes to social party hubs — I’ve stayed in both.
Look for hostels with events, shared kitchens, and nearby grocery stores for the best experience.
My go-to favorites: Ostello Bello (multiple cities), YellowSquare (Florence, Rome, and Milan), and Il Nosadillo (Bologna).

Final Thoughts

Finding the right hostel can make or break your experience. Italy has some real gems — the kind of places where late-night chats, rooftop beers, and impromptu jam sessions turn strangers into lifelong travel friends.

What I’ve Learned Living Here

After staying in over 20 hostels across Italy, I’ve realized that connection is more important than comfort. Some of my most memorable moments didn’t happen at the sights — they happened over pasta in a shared kitchen or on a sweaty bar crawl with hostel friends I’ll never forget.

What’s the best booking site for hostels in Italy?

I mostly use Hostelworld — it’s built for travelers like me and has the best reviews. Booking.com is great too if you use their rewards program.

Do Italian hostels have curfews?

Most modern hostels don’t — especially the social ones I recommend. But check the details when you book.

Can I stay in hostels if I’m over 30?

Absolutely. I’m in my 30s and have met travelers in their 40s and beyond. Many hostels cater to all ages (but some have a limit – check their rules).

The Best Hostels I’ve Stayed in Throughout Italy (Updated for 2026)