Cheap Hostels in Venice, Italy

Hosteling International (HI) (www.hihostels.com) is the premier international hosteling organization that runs a worldwide system of hostels known for being clean, safe, and affordable. They are the oldest and largest of such organizations, so it is no great surprise that they operate a large, popular hostel on Guidecca Island, a section of Venice that is easily accessible by the large, yellow ferryboats. The hostel is part of a long row of brick buildings that graces the waterfront of Guidecca. From the front door of the hostel one can gaze across the water to St. Marks Plaza and the central portion of Venice. The popular hostel has large bunk rooms, is often booked full during the spring and fall, and accepts visitors of all ages. A membership in this organization is a good idea, for anyone who will be a frequent visitor to a hostel during overseas travels. However, membership is not required to stay at an HI hostel; it merely gives you a nice discount. The Ostello Venezia
( http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels- Venice---Venezia-031001.en.htm) has a great location from where you can visit the many attractions of Venice. The most important sites, such as St. Mark's Square, the Rialto, and the Grand Canal, are across the water and require a ferry pass. A ferry pass can be purchased at almost any store and entitles you to ride on the public transportation system that services old Venice. The staff here is English-speaking, which can be a big help in this city.

A Venice Museum is the name of a popular youth hostel that is located only a few blocks from the center of the old city near St. Marks Square. It does have an age limit (40 years ), so it can be classified as a true youth hostel. Age limits for youth hostels do occur infrequently in Europe, especially when the venue is a popular resort or city such as Venice. This hostel does not have its own website, but it can be booked through a hostel booking service such as hostels.com (http://www.hostels.com/hostels/italy/a-venice-museum/30296?source=hostels comhostelnames3&gclid=CIa97_GXgJsCFRwpawodyGFDdQ) or hostelz.com.(http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/115751-A-Venice-Museum). This place is very clean and rather expensive for a hostel ($50 American), but the location is fantastic.

Also located in Venice on the island of Guidecca is the City Backpackers Hostel "Jan Palach." This small independent hostel offers private, shared, or dormitory-style rooms for the budget traveler. It is located on Guidecca Island, not too far from the HI hostel, and it is an easy boat ride on the ferry to St. Mark's Square across the water. The Cathedral of San Giorgio is just off the tip of the Guidecca Island, but you need to take the ferry, if you want to walk on the plaza or enter the church.

This is the new section of Venice, where most of the locals live. It is located on the mainland across the water from all the historic sites in old Venice. Staying in Venice Mestre is like being in modern-day Italy, but if the other hostels are full, this option might be your best bet. There are no hostels per se, but a couple of hotels offer a shared dorm room, which is what hosteling is all about. There is the Hotel Primavera in central Venice Mestre; near the train station is a new place, called the Hotel Giovannina, which offers shared rooms at 23 Euros each and private rooms at 33 Euros.

Go to Padua, a small Italian town where you can stay in a hostel, and take a 40-minute train ride into Venice proper. This interesting old Italian town offers a choice of two hostels. One is the HI hostel (http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Padova---Citt%C3%A 0-di-Padova-031082.en.htm). The other choice is a family-run hostel called the Venetian Hostel. Here is the link for Venetian hostel (http://www.venetianhostel.it/en/index.php).