{"id":1302315,"date":"2026-09-26T18:37:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T18:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?page_id=1302315"},"modified":"2026-10-01T16:33:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T16:33:48","slug":"italy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/europe\/italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":0,"parent":1301190,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hw-hub-country","meta":{"footnotes":"","hw_hub_hero_eyebrow":"","hw_hub_hero_h1":"","hw_hub_hero_intro":"","hw_hub_hero_image":"","hw_hub_hero_overlay":"","hw_hub_hero_cta":"","hw_hub_why_title":"","hw_hub_why_body":"","hw_hub_why_link_label":"","hw_hub_why_link_url":"","hw_hub_why_cards":"","hw_hub_stats":"","hw_hub_countries_title":"","hw_hub_countries_intro":"","hw_hub_featured":"","hw_hub_regions":"","hw_hub_hostels_title":"","hw_hub_hostels_intro":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_label":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_url":"","hw_hub_hostels_source":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_type":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_id":"","hw_hub_hostels_currency":"","hw_hub_hostels_count":"","hw_hub_hostels_cache":"","hw_hub_hostels":"","hw_hub_when_title":"","hw_hub_when_intro":"","hw_hub_seasons":"","hw_hub_costs_title":"","hw_hub_costs_body":"","hw_hub_cost_rows":"","hw_hub_cost_note":"","hw_hub_money_reads":"","hw_hub_rail_title":"","hw_hub_rail_body":"","hw_hub_rail_link_label":"","hw_hub_rail_link_url":"","hw_hub_rail_image":"","hw_hub_routes":"","hw_hub_events_title":"","hw_hub_events_intro":"","hw_hub_events_source":"","hw_hub_events_continent":"","hw_hub_events_count":"","hw_hub_events_cache":"","hw_hub_events_cta_label":"","hw_hub_events_cta_url":"","hw_hub_events":"","hw_hub_events_pills":"","hw_hub_reads_intro":"","hw_hub_article_rows":"","hw_hub_show_read_time":"","hw_hub_all_title":"","hw_hub_all_body":"","hw_hub_all_cta":"","hw_hub_trips_title":"","hw_hub_trips_note":"","hw_hub_trips":"","hw_hub_faq_title":"","hw_hub_faq_note":"","hw_hub_faqs":"","hw_hub_cta_title":"","hw_hub_cta_body":"","hw_hub_cta_buttons":"","hw_hub_newsletter_title":"","hw_hub_newsletter_body":"","hw_hub_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_hub_term":"","hw_hub_scope_rows":"","hw_hub_country_hero_eyebrow":"Italy country guide","hw_hub_country_hero_h1":"Things To Do In Italy","hw_hub_country_hero_intro":"Twenty regions that argue about whether they are one country, more UNESCO sites than anywhere on earth, and dinner at nine. Expensive in the famous places, remarkably cheap two towns over.","hw_hub_country_hero_image":"1302318","hw_hub_country_hero_overlay":"light","hw_hub_country_hero_cta":"Pick a city | #cities\r\nWhat it costs | #money","hw_hub_country_stats":"20 | Regions, each its own kitchen\r\n\u20ac21 | Dorm bed, from\r\n61 | UNESCO sites, the world record\r\n7,600km | Of coastline","hw_hub_country_intro_title":"One country, twenty kitchens","hw_hub_country_intro_body":"Italy only became a country in 1861, and it has not entirely agreed to it since. The regions cook differently, speak differently and hold opinions about each other that are older than the flag. This matters for travel, because the Italy of the postcards \u2014 Rome, Florence, Venice \u2014 is one narrow slice of it, and it is the slice where you pay most and queue longest.\r\n\r\nThe north is alpine and industrial, with Milan's money and the lakes above it. The centre is the one everyone pictures: Tuscan hills, Renaissance cities, cypress trees. The south is hotter, poorer, louder and cheaper, with the best food in the country by most Italians' reckoning and a fraction of the visitors.\r\n\r\nTen days covers Rome, Florence and Venice properly with a day trip from each. Two weeks lets you drop one of them and go south instead \u2014 Naples, the Amalfi coast, or across to Sicily. If it is your second trip, skip the trio altogether and pick one region.","hw_hub_country_facts":"Language | Italian. English is common in the big cities, less so in the south\r\nCurrency | Euro (\u20ac)\r\nEmergency | 112\r\nTap water | Safe everywhere, including the street fountains in Rome\r\nTipping | Not expected. Coperto is a cover charge, not a tip\r\nCoffee | Standing at the bar costs a third of sitting down\r\nHow long to stay | Ten days minimum, two weeks to include the south\r\nBest months | April, May, September and October","hw_hub_country_cities_title":"Where to go","hw_hub_country_cities_intro":"Trains reach everywhere and the fast lines make most of this a day apart. Book Frecciarossa ahead for the cheap fares.","hw_hub_country_cities_live":"1","hw_hub_country_cities":"Rome | Three thousand years stacked on top of each other, and the best carbonara in the country. Busy, hot in summer, unmissable. |  | 1302576 | Rome does have everything for a perfect city break: ancient wonders like the Colosseum around every corner, authentic piazzas, incredible local food, and lively evening aperitivos. Despite its immense history, the center is effortlessly walkable and full of energy. A single weekend was enough to fall in love with its timeless charm, but nowhere near enough to see it all. I\u2019ll definitely be back! | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/rome\/24-hours-in-rome\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/rome\/3-days-in-rome\/\nFlorence | The Renaissance in a city you can cross on foot in twenty minutes. Book the Uffizi and the Accademia before you arrive. |  | 1302577 | Florence was a favorite on this visit. So much to do and see. We took a cooking class and that was a great highlight. | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/florence\/24-hours-in-florence\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/florence\/2-days-in-florence\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/florence\/3-days-in-florence\/\nVenice | Worth it despite everything you have heard, if you stay the night and walk after the day trippers leave. |  | 1302578 | A fantastic place to visit, a really interesting culture to visit, deffo recommend visiting the other islands. Beware tho, it\u2019s not an easy place to navigate if you stray off the main path! | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/venice\/24-hours-in-venice\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/venice\/2-days-in-venice\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/venice\/3-days-in-venice\/\nMilan | Fashion, aperitivo and the Duomo. The least touristy big city, and the gateway to the lakes. |  | 1302579 | Great city for shopping, eating out , culture. | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/milan\/24-hours-in-milan\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/milan\/2-days-in-milan\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/milan\/3-days-in-milan\/\nNaples | Chaotic, loud, and the best pizza and coffee in Italy. The base for Pompeii and the Amalfi coast. |  | 1302580 | Naples is a lovely destination and is like no other city ive ever been before. There are many different places to go and things to do with lots of variety and catering for all ages. | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/naples\/24-hours-in-naples\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/naples\/2-days-in-naples\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/naples\/3-days-in-naples\/\nBologna | A student city that eats better than anywhere. Porticoes, cheap trattorias and no queues. |  | 1302581 | Bologna exceeded all my high expectations. The food is amazing and the city is not that touristy. Would recommend going. | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/bologna\/24-hours-in-bologna\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/bologna\/2-days-in-bologna\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/bologna\/3-days-in-bologna\/\nTurin | The first capital: arcaded boulevards, an Egyptian museum second only to Cairo's, and the best aperitivo culture in Italy. |  | 1302582 | Turin is a gorgeous city, with lot\u2019s to do and see. I really enjoyed my weekend away. | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/turin\/24-hours-in-turin\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/turin\/2-days-in-turin\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/turin\/3-days-in-turin\/\nVerona | A Roman arena still used for opera, a walkable centre, and an hour from Venice without the crowds. |  | 1302583 | Super walkable quaint city with lots of historic sites and historic stories to explore. Things are slightly cheaper than major Italian tourist destinations with good food to offer! | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/verona\/24-hours-in-verona\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/verona\/2-days-in-verona\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/verona\/3-days-in-verona\/\nGenoa | A working port with the biggest medieval centre in Europe, cheap seafood and the Cinque Terre an hour away. |  | 1302584 | I went on the off season, so a little slower than usual. But it was still a fantastic time with lots of pretty streets and nice rocky beaches | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/genoa\/24-hours-in-genoa\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/genoa\/2-days-in-genoa\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/genoa\/3-days-in-genoa\/\nSiena | A shell-shaped square, a striped cathedral and a horse race that stops the city twice a summer. |  | 1302585 | Loved strolling the ancient streets, being on pilgrimage route, arts and architecture. Thoroughly enjoyed meeting people and learning about the contrada culture unique to Siena. | \nPalermo | Sicily's capital: Arab-Norman churches, street food markets and a chaos that people either love or flee. |  | 1302586 | There are olive and citrus trees everywhere. It is a busy place, with lots going on at night and during the day. Good food. Lots and lots and lots of souvenir shops. 45 mins from the nearest sandy beach. Easy to follow lay out. Lots of pedestrianised areas. | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/palermo\/24-hours-in-palermo\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/palermo\/2-days-in-palermo\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/palermo\/3-days-in-palermo\/\nCatania | Under Etna, built in black lava stone, with a fish market and the cheapest nightlife in Sicily. |  | 1302587 | One of the most amazing city of the Sicily, full of things to see, to live, to know and to eat! | 24 Hours=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/catania\/24-hours-in-catania\/; 2 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/catania\/2-days-in-catania\/; 3 Days=https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/solo-travel\/italy\/catania\/3-days-in-catania\/\nLecce | Baroque carved in soft limestone, in the heel of the country, and the base for the Salento beaches. |  | 1302588 | Great place, didn\u2019t know much about it before arriving but would recommend 100%! | \nMatera | Cave dwellings carved into a ravine, inhabited for 9,000 years, and a European Capital of Culture in 2019. |  | 1302589 | Matera is a great relaxed location in southern Italy. Lots of tasty regional food to try and beautiful local artisan shops to visit. Would highly recommend if you\u2019re looking for something a bit off the beaten track. | \nSorrento | The Amalfi Coast base: cliffs over the bay, ferries to Capri, and Pompeii half an hour away. |  | 1302590 | I would recommend staying in Sorrento if you want to visit different parts of the Amalfi coast as it\u2019s more affordable and there was plenty of shopping, things to do, places to eat etc. In the evenings, lots of live music, some bars, wonderful beaches and great lookout spots to catch a sunset. | ","hw_hub_country_trips_title":"What kind of trip is this?","hw_hub_country_trips_intro":"Italy suits most of them. Pick the one that sounds like your week and the page below changes to match.","hw_hub_country_trip_types":"City break | blue | city | Three or four days, one city, no train tickets to think about. | A morning at the Vatican Museums; An evening passeggiata; Aperitivo before dinner, not after | Rome's Trastevere; Florence's Oltrarno; Milan's Navigli | Rome; Florence; Milan | city-break\nCulture | purple | culture | The Renaissance, the Romans and everything in between. | The Uffizi, booked ahead; Pompeii on a weekday; The Colosseum first thing | Vatican Museums; Pompeii and Herculaneum; The Accademia | Rome; Florence; Naples | culture\nFood | sunset | local-markets | Regional cooking that changes every hundred kilometres. | Pizza in Naples, the original; A Bolognese trattoria lunch; Cicchetti crawl in Venice | Bologna's Quadrilatero; Testaccio market, Rome; Ballar\u00f2 market, Palermo | Bologna; Naples; Palermo | food\nBeach | teal | sunglasses | Coast from the Ligurian cliffs to Sicilian sand. | Swim off the rocks in Cinque Terre; The Amalfi coast bus; A beach day in Puglia | Cinque Terre; Amalfi coast; Salento beaches | Naples; Palermo | beach\nAdventure | green | backpack | The Dolomites, Etna and the coastal walks between. | Hike the Alta Via 1; Climb Etna with a guide; Walk the Path of the Gods | The Dolomites; Mount Etna; Gran Sasso | Milan; Naples | adventure\nNightlife | pink | nightclub | Aperitivo culture rather than clubs, and better for it. | Aperitivo in Milan; Piazza drinking in Rome; A summer night in Salento | Navigli, Milan; Trastevere, Rome; Bologna's university quarter | Milan; Rome; Bologna | nightlife","hw_hub_country_do_title":"Things to do in Italy","hw_hub_country_do_body":"The famous sights are genuinely worth it and genuinely oversubscribed. The Colosseum, the Uffizi, the Vatican Museums and the Accademia all need booking days ahead in season, and turning up without a ticket means either queueing for hours or paying a tout.\r\n\r\nOnce those are in the diary, the better Italy is free. Rome's neighbourhoods reward walking more than any city in Europe. Florence is small enough to wander without a plan. Venice after the last day-trip boat leaves is a different city entirely, which is the argument for staying the night \u2014 and overnight guests are exempt from the access fee Venice charges day-trippers on peak days.\r\n\r\nOutside the big three, the country empties out fast. Bologna, Genoa, Lecce and Palermo have the same architecture, the same food culture and none of the queues.","hw_hub_country_do_points":"Book ahead | Colosseum, Uffizi, Accademia, Last Supper \u2014 days, not hours\r\nFree Sundays | State museums free on the first Sunday of the month\r\nSkip the queue | Most big sites sell timed entry direct, cheaper than tour resellers\r\nDress code | Shoulders and knees covered in churches, including St Peter's","hw_hub_country_do_tag":"things-to-do","hw_hub_country_do_more":"All things to do in Italy","hw_hub_country_food_title":"Eating in Italy","hw_hub_country_food_body":"There is no Italian food, only regional food. Carbonara is Roman, rag\u00f9 is Bolognese, pizza is Neapolitan, and ordering one in the wrong city gets you a tourist version. The rule that never fails: eat what the region is known for, in that region.\r\n\r\nPrices split sharply by location rather than quality. A trattoria two streets off a main piazza charges half what the piazza does for better cooking. Anywhere with a photo menu, a tout outside or a view of a famous monument is charging for the view.\r\n\r\nCoffee has its own economics. A standing espresso is around \u20ac1.20; the same coffee at a table can be \u20ac4. Breakfast is a cornetto and a coffee, eaten standing, in about four minutes.","hw_hub_country_food_points":"Coperto | A \u20ac2\u20133 cover charge per person is normal and not a scam\r\nLunch deal | Set menus at lunch cost half the same food at dinner\r\nAperitivo | A drink with free snacks, 18:00\u201320:00, best value in Milan\r\nNever | Cappuccino after lunch. Nobody will stop you, everyone will notice","hw_hub_country_food_tag":"food","hw_hub_country_food_more":"All food guides for Italy","hw_hub_country_nightlife_title":"Going out in Italy","hw_hub_country_nightlife_body":"Italy does bars and squares rather than clubs. The evening runs on aperitivo \u2014 a drink between six and eight that comes with enough free food to replace dinner in Milan \u2014 then a long meal, then drinks in a piazza until late.\r\n\r\nMilan is the exception with a real club scene around Navigli and Porta Romana. Rome's nightlife is in Trastevere, San Lorenzo and Pigneto, all of them bar-and-street rather than dance floor. Bologna has 90,000 students and the cheapest drinks of any major Italian city.\r\n\r\nSummer moves everything outdoors and south. The coastal towns of Puglia and Sicily run beach clubs until sunrise from June to September, and the cities half empty out in August as Italians leave.","hw_hub_country_nightlife_points":"Aperitivo | \u20ac8\u201312 for a drink and a buffet. Milan does it best\r\nTiming | Dinner at 21:00, bars after 23:00, clubs from 01:00\r\nCheapest city | Bologna, by a distance\r\nAugust | Cities empty, coasts fill, many restaurants close for two weeks","hw_hub_country_nightlife_tag":"nightlife","hw_hub_country_nightlife_more":"All nightlife guides for Italy","hw_hub_country_transport_title":"Getting around Italy","hw_hub_country_transport_body":"The train does almost everything. Trenitalia and Italo run high-speed services connecting Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples in a few hours each, and booking a fortnight ahead cuts the fare substantially \u2014 the same Rome to Florence seat swings from about \u20ac20 to \u20ac50 depending on when you buy.\r\n\r\nRegional trains are slow, cheap and unreservable, which makes them the flexible option for shorter hops. Validate paper tickets in the green machines on the platform or risk a fine.\r\n\r\nCars are a liability in cities and essential in Tuscany, Puglia and Sicily. Historic centres are ZTL zones, camera-enforced, and the fines arrive by post months later. Park outside the walls and walk in.","hw_hub_country_transport_points":"High speed | Rome\u2013Florence 1h30, Rome\u2013Milan 3h, cheapest booked 2+ weeks out\r\nRegional trains | No reservation, validate before boarding\r\nZTL zones | Camera-enforced city centres. Do not drive in\r\nFerries | Naples to Capri and Sicily; book in August","hw_hub_country_transport_tag":"transport","hw_hub_country_transport_more":"All transport guides for Italy","hw_hub_country_money_title":"What Italy costs","hw_hub_country_money_body":"Italy is mid-priced for western Europe, with the caveat that the three famous cities cost noticeably more than the rest of the country. Dorms run from about \u20ac21 in Rome and Florence, less in Bologna or Naples, and more in Venice and Milan during fairs and festivals.\r\n\r\nThe daily damage depends mostly on how you eat. Trattoria lunch menus, market food and standing coffee keep a day to \u20ac55 or so. Sitting down for two full restaurant meals a day doubles it without improving the food much.\r\n\r\nSights are the other variable. The Colosseum, Uffizi, Vatican and Pompeii together now come to well over \u20ac80, so factor it in rather than being surprised.","hw_hub_country_money_points":"Dorm bed | From \u20ac21 in Rome, from \u20ac18 in Naples and Bologna\r\nA day, all in | \u20ac55\u201375 outside August\r\nSet lunch | \u20ac12\u201318 for two courses\r\nCity tax | \u20ac3\u20137 per night, paid at the hostel, usually cash","hw_hub_country_money_tag":"budget","hw_hub_country_money_more":"All budget guides for Italy","hw_hub_country_safety_title":"Staying safe in Italy","hw_hub_country_safety_body":"Italy is a safe country with an active pickpocket problem in a handful of specific places: the 64 and 40 buses in Rome, Termini station, Milan's metro, and the crowds around the Rialto and St Mark's in Venice. It is opportunistic rather than threatening, and it targets bags left open and phones on caf\u00e9 tables.\r\n\r\nScams are the other nuisance. Bracelet sellers near the Colosseum and Duomo, \"free\" roses, and restaurants near major sights charging by weight for fish without saying so. None are dangerous, all are avoidable by reading menus and not accepting anything handed to you.\r\n\r\nBeyond that, ordinary precautions are enough. Emergency services are on 112 with English-speaking operators, and pharmacies handle minor problems without an appointment.","hw_hub_country_safety_points":"Emergency | 112\r\nPickpocket hotspots | Rome bus 64, Termini, Milan metro, Venice crowds\r\nRestaurant check | Ask if fish is priced by weight before ordering\r\nBeaches | Never leave bags unattended in Naples or Palermo","hw_hub_country_safety_tag":"","hw_hub_country_safety_more":"","hw_hub_country_entry_title":"Entry and documents","hw_hub_country_entry_body":"Italy is in the Schengen area, so EU citizens need only an ID card. UK, US, Australian and Canadian passport holders get 90 days in any 180 across the whole Schengen zone, not per country \u2014 the most common miscalculation for anyone doing a long European trip.\r\n\r\nYour passport needs three months' validity beyond your departure date and to have been issued within the last ten years. ETIAS, the EU's pre-travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, has had its start date moved repeatedly, so check the official EU page rather than a blog before you travel.\r\n\r\nItaly requires you to be able to show ID on request, and hostels register guests with the police using your passport, which is why they always ask for it at check-in.","hw_hub_country_entry_points":"Schengen | 90 days in any 180 across the whole zone\r\nPassport validity | Three months beyond departure, issued within ten years\r\nETIAS | Start date has moved repeatedly \u2014 check the official EU site\r\nID | Carry it. Hostels register guests with the police","hw_hub_country_entry_tag":"","hw_hub_country_entry_more":"","hw_hub_country_season_title":"When to go","hw_hub_country_season_intro":"Italy has two great months at each end of summer and a difficult middle. July and August are hot, full and expensive, and August is when Italians themselves go on holiday, so cities empty and coasts fill.","hw_hub_country_season_note":"Average highs for central Italy. Milan is colder and wetter, Sicily several degrees warmer year-round.","hw_hub_country_season_rows":"January | 12 | 1 | Cheapest month. Cold in the north, mild in Sicily\r\nFebruary | 13 | 2 | Venice Carnival fills the city for a fortnight\r\nMarch | 16 | 2 | Quiet and cool. Good for cities\r\nApril | 18 | 3 | Easter lifts prices for a week, otherwise ideal\r\nMay | 23 | 4 | The best month. Warm, long days, everything open\r\nJune | 28 | 4 | Beach weather, rising prices, still bearable in cities\r\nJuly | 32 | 5 | Hot and full. Head for the coast or the Dolomites\r\nAugust | 32 | 5 | Peak prices, 35\u00b0C cities, many restaurants closed\r\nSeptember | 28 | 4 | Sea still warm, crowds thinning. The other best month\r\nOctober | 22 | 3 | Truffle season, harvest, comfortable cities\r\nNovember | 16 | 1 | Quiet and wet. Venice acqua alta is most likely\r\nDecember | 12 | 2 | Christmas markets in the north, then a holiday spike","hw_hub_country_budget_title":"What your trip will cost","hw_hub_country_budget_intro":"Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, based on what Italy costs outside August.","hw_hub_country_budget_note":"Excludes intercity trains. Add \u20ac20\u201350 per high-speed leg booked in advance, or \u20ac10\u201320 on regional trains.","hw_hub_country_budget_rows":"Shoestring | 21 | 18 | 4 | 8\r\nMiddle of the road | 30 | 32 | 7 | 16\r\nComfortable | 48 | 50 | 12 | 25","hw_hub_country_budget_currency":"\u20ac","hw_hub_country_events_title":"What is on while you are there","hw_hub_country_events_intro":"Italy builds its year around these, and they are also the weeks a bed doubles in price.","hw_hub_country_events_source":"api","hw_hub_country_events_country":"italy","hw_hub_country_events_count":"8","hw_hub_country_events_cache":"24","hw_hub_country_events_cta_label":"All events in Italy","hw_hub_country_events_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/events\/europe\/italy\/","hw_hub_country_events":"Venice Carnival | February | Venice | Two weeks of masks and costume before Lent. Book beds months out. |  | \nEaster week | March or April | Rome \u00b7 Sicily | Processions nationwide and the Pope at St Peter's. Prices spike for the week. |  | \nPalio di Siena | 2 July and 16 August | Siena | A bareback horse race around the main square, over in ninety seconds. |  | \nFerragosto | 15 August | Nationwide | The peak of the Italian holiday. Cities shut, beaches overflow. |  | \nVenice Film Festival | Late August | Venice | Ten days on the Lido, and the hardest week of the year to find a bed. |  | \nTruffle season | October and November | Piedmont \u00b7 Umbria | Alba's white truffle fair, and the best month to eat in the north. |  | ","hw_hub_country_hostels_title":"Where to stay in Italy","hw_hub_country_hostels_intro":"The highest-rated hostels across the country, straight from Hostelworld. Prices and availability are live on each property page.","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_label":"All hostels in Italy","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/europe\/italy\/","hw_hub_country_hostels_source":"api","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_type":"country","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_id":"105","hw_hub_country_hostels_currency":"EUR","hw_hub_country_hostels_count":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels_cache":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels":"","hw_hub_country_faq_title":"Italy travel questions","hw_hub_country_faq_note":"The ones we get asked most.","hw_hub_country_faqs":"How many days do you need in Italy? | Ten days covers Rome, Florence and Venice with a day trip from each. Two weeks lets you swap one for the south \u2014 Naples, the Amalfi coast or Sicily \u2014 which is where the country gets cheaper and the food gets better.\r\nIs Italy expensive? | Mid-priced for western Europe, and it varies more by city than by country. Dorms from \u20ac21 in Rome and Florence, from \u20ac18 in Naples and Bologna, with Venice and Milan higher during festivals and fairs. A day runs \u20ac55 to \u20ac75 outside August.\r\nWhat is the best time to visit Italy? | May, September and October. April is good outside Easter week. July and August are hot, crowded and expensive, and in August many restaurants close while Italians take their own holiday.\r\nDo I need to book museums in advance? | Yes for the Colosseum, the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Vatican Museums and the Last Supper in Milan. All sell timed entry directly, which is cheaper than resellers, and all sell out days ahead in season.\r\nIs Italy safe? | Yes. The real risk is pickpocketing in specific places \u2014 Rome's 64 bus, Termini station, Milan's metro and the crowds in Venice \u2014 rather than anything more serious. Keep bags closed and phones off caf\u00e9 tables.\r\nCan I drive in Italian cities? | You can, but you should not. Historic centres are ZTL zones enforced by camera, and fines arrive by post months later. Park outside the walls. A car is genuinely useful in Tuscany, Puglia and Sicily.\r\nWhat is the cheapest way to travel around Italy? | Regional trains if you are flexible, high-speed if you book two weeks ahead \u2014 the same Rome to Florence seat costs about \u20ac20 booked early and \u20ac50 on the day. FlixBus undercuts both on the long legs if time matters less than money.","hw_hub_country_cta_title":"Say yes to hostels, meet the world","hw_hub_country_cta_body":"Compare hostels across Italy \u2014 live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. 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