Emilia-Romagna Hostels

Bologna is probably one of the nicest italian cities. Its buildings, le Due Torri, Piazza Nettuno, La chiesa de Lucca are incredible, also is the griddle of the Bolognese Sauce that all of us enjoy!!! Full of young people from all over the world, I made great friends here!!!

When in Argenta, you MUST visit the museum of water hydrolics systems, if not for its bizarre features, then at least to say hi to "Riky the Ranger" who runs the place, and offered to take me and my friend trout fishing, but because it rained, took us for lunch at his place nearby and cooked us the best Italian feast I've ever had!!! Argenta is full of character. It's extremely relaxed, and generally off the tourist trail, so you feel very much in the middle of the Italian countryside, worlds away from anywhere else! GO GO GO!!!

Rimini used to be called the Teutonic (German) BBQ, because thousands of German holiday-makers lay on the beaches and turned over like steaks. It is still the same, just more international now. You've got to pay for most beaches and the beach strip is filled with restaurants, shops, and hotels. If one likes to party and have not much space on the beach during the seasons, you might like it. The centre of Rimini is attractive.

Modena … This town is pleasant enough for a day or two (especially if you are visiting Maranello!).

Ostello di Argenta Hostel in Argenta … Yes I stayed here and it was great!!! Very warm welcome by Biju, then Indian receptionist who also makes the delicious breakfast and offers to drive you around, or to pass you on to his museum 'ranger' friends... mainly large and empty - communal kitchen, very peaceful, quiet, VERY ITALIAN, lots of birds, you feel you're in the middle of nowhere!

HI - Ravenna - Dante Hostel in Ravenna … Great place to stay. They are really generous with the breakfest. The TV room is very cosy, and the game room is nice as well. The beds are quite solid, which is good. If you go there during the low season, you can even get a room with toilet for 13.5 euro!

Jammin' Party Hostel Rimini - Ostello di Rimini in Rimini … I had an excellent four-day stay at this hostel, which is more like a cute small hotel. I reserved a bed in a dorm with bathroom, and it was only a three-bed room, spacious, modern, with individual cupboards that could be locked, and a large and very clean bathroom. I nevertheless checked the bathrooms in the hall also, which were also very clean and functional (e.g. the showers had a small space in front of the shower cubicle where you could leave clothes or a towel, and it was inside the shower room and could be locked). They even had hair-dryers near the mirror. The staff were extremely kind, friendly, unobtrusive and helpful. Curfew was at 11 p.m. but there were opening times for 10 minutes during the night (at 1 a.m., 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.). Internet was available for 1 euro per half-hour. Breakfast was light: buns, jam, coffee, tea, cornflakes and muesli, etc. All rooms have balconies with chairs provided. Overall, this is an excellent place to stay that I would recommend to…

Ostello di Bagnacavallo Hostel in Bagnacavallo … We had a family wedding in the town and we chose to stay in this hostel. It was amazing. It was clean, comfortable and well run by two lovely ladies. It was an excellent accommodation.

Quadrio Michelotti Hostel in Guastalla … It's one of the best hotels I've ever seen... a very nice hostel.

Student's Hostel Estense in Ferrara … I stayed here in February as I wanted to visit Venice during Carnevale. Venice is only one-and-a-half hours away by train. The hostel had just reopened after being closed during the winter so the staff were a little disorganised and not everything (internet, microwave) was available yet. However, the staff were very accommodating and allowed me to use their laptop computer so that I could access the internet. Rooms were very nice with bunk beds (the fancy kind) and wardrobe/lockers things. Warm blankets and ceiling artwork. Bathrooms were absolutely freezing but clean and adequate. The hostel provides a simple breakfast with warm milk for the cereal which comes out of the coffee machine but that's ok. The hostel is certainly nothing special but it is nice, clean, simple, and cheap and close enough to Venice if you don't want to deal with the expensive accommodation there. Would stay again.

HI - Bologna - Due Torri - San Sisto Hostel in Bologna … There is LITERALLY only pizza to eat. Even the grocery store's closed. So if you get to the hostel after 7, plan on pizza or nothing if you don't have anything to eat. And because of time and distance it's too late to take the bus back to town and get back. Because of transfering busses, times, distance, etc etc etc.... (took me an hour to get there).

HI - Correggio - La Rocchetta Hostel in Correggio … Correggio is not really the place to be, a small place with a few shops, ice cream parlor and one or two "restaurants." Once we came there the owner wanted us to pay extra since we made a reservation. excuse me, hell no! Once we objected we didn't have to pay the extra money anymore. You have to pay extra for a shower coin which gives you about five minutes. You want a private toilet down the stairs, better to pull you're wallet out, no thanks. The toilets not very clean. At 7 p.m. the hostel owner left the hostel, so if there is a problem, be prepared to fix it yourself. The hostel used to be a castle, but was used as a prison in the 1900s. Our room downstairs had a bolted wooden door and a little window high above (about four feet up) our room, fresh air a luxury! No kitchen or breakfast facility. The owner itself would come back the following morning at 10:30, so if you wanted to check out, leave your key in front of the office, weird! we had a awful night sleep, it was way to…

HI - Modena - San Filippo Neri Hostel in Modena … Located in a fairly nondescript area, but the proximity to the train station is a bonus (approx. 5-10 minute walk) and a 10 minute walk to the town centre. It's a very "institutional" hostel - the rooms are very basic and the common/tv room doesn't make you want to hang out there. The bathroom facilities are modern but very dirty. I don't really know why the hostel closes during the day for a few hours as there was very little evidence of any cleaning! The staff are friendly however.