La Dolce Vita

Italy is bursting at the seams with culture, from Roman ruins to renaissance artists it is impossible to visit this beautiful country without diving directly into its culture. As a result it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and is also one of the most commonly written about in travel magazines and sunday supplements. I could fill you in on the stunning Basilica's I saw or I could describe the electric atmosphere of Venice and the understated beauty of Verona. However you've probably read it all before and the cultural aspect of my Inter-rail trip was only partly responsible for making it unforgettable, the rest came down to the hostels we stayed in and of course, the people we met. 

I had notions of what a hostel might be like - dorm rooms full of snoring teenagers, shower blocks and canteen style breakfast rooms. To an extent I was right - each hostel had dorms, showers and a breakfast room but the similarities ended there. In reality hostels are incredibly individual, each one is different from the last in clientele, atmosphere, and, unfortunately, cleanliness. Not only that, but part of the charm of each hostel is the way its atmosphere fits in completely with the character of its location, a lot can be learnt about a place by the hostels found there. 

We started our trip with a pit stop in Turin, an industrial town known for car manufacturing and winter olympics and not a whole lot else. The hostel here was huge and impeccably clean, everything had a smooth, modern surface and absolutely zero character - just like the car factories full of robots that inhabit this city. We felt like we could be anywhere in the world and not a single one of my 600 photographs was taken in Turin.

The next stop was Como, unbelievably picturesque Como. As we arrived at this family run hostel we were greeted like long lost friends by a textbook stereotypical Italian "Mamma". Ostello Villa Olmo is laid back, almost horizontal, and full of really lovely people. As you walk into the reception slash dining room your eyes are immediately drawn to a wall covered with postcards and drawings from previous visitors and this hostel was my absolute favourite for atmosphere, charm and comfort.

I think its fair to say that this lake side town is beautiful enough to merit the photographic binge that I had there. 

From one beauty to the next, we moved on to Verona. Verona has more character than the rest of Italy combined, everywhere you look there is another 16th century villa or Roman amphitheatre (ok so there's only one amphitheatre but it is huge and built from pink marble so it dominates the city centre). As you walk around the stunning city you can't help but feel like you are walking around a film set, "fair verona" doesn't even begin to cover it. In-keeping with this theme, the hostel we stayed in (Villa Francescati) is a converted 16th century garden estate just over the river, bursting with character and with people too. As much as we liked the hostel here, a lot of our sentences during our stay in Verona began with "when we are millionaires" as it seems that the best way to 'do' Verona is with a very large budget for a boutique hotel in the centre and copious shopping trips and opera outings. Whatever budget you are on, Verona has a magical and very romantic atmosphere - tale of star crossed lovers anyone?

Juliette's tiny balcony

Piazza Bra - surrounding the famous open air opera house

24 hours in Verona then we skipped off to Padua, university town since the dawn of time and the atmosphere to match. Our hostel was shabby but clean and friendly and the girl in our room was an art history student who gave us great advice about Venice. This was one of the best sides to staying in hostels; not only do you meet great people but they'll often reel off as many tips and recommendations as they can think of for a few of your own tips in return of course. We found Padua just as friendly as the hostel and although we didn't spend much time actually in Padua the feel of a university town was a great comfort to us as we were surrounded by young people. 

We visited venice from Padua, having heard that the humidity in Venice makes it nearly impossible to sleep comfortably, not to mention the thought of how many euros you are spending not to sleep in this ferociously expensive city. I think Hannah would agree that this made our visits to venice that much more relaxed and enjoyable as those swarms of tourists need to be taken in small doses. Although hoards of people were only found in the huge piazza's - dive down one of many side streets and the crowds disperse, leaving you to enjoy this city which becomes on big bold and beautiful tourist attraction in the summer months. 

Our gondola driver grabbing a beer from the local pub during our (free!) gondola ride - highlight of our time in Venice

Following a magic but manic time in venice we took a time out in Tuscany. We stayed with H's parents in their holiday villa in the mountains whilst we took a break from cities, hostels and shower blocks. This few days was stunning and so relaxing, giving us the perfect opportunity to rev up for Roma. 

3 days of culture in the countryside and we found ourselves on a train to Rome, our last stop in Italia, unfortunately for just 2 days. They say a lifetime isn't long enough for Rome and I completely agree, having spent two days flying around the city trying desperately to squeeze in one fascinating place, or fabulous meal after another. "Hotel Beautiful" was certainly not my favourite hostel of the trip - it was a place to crash out and nothing more. Initially we were worried about a hostel in the seedier part of town "Termini" and I certainly wouldn't recommend it, except that we were about 45 seconds walk from the immense airport-like station Roma Termini, which is very convenient for catching a train at silly o clock on the last morning. 

Aside from the noisy but fine hostel, Rome itself was magical. It is in fact a lot like London as it is full of stunning architecture with an incredible, monumental history and meanwhile it is a fully functioning modern city. We saw stunning sights and awe-inspiring buildings but the absolute highlight of our visit to Rome was the best pizza I've ever had. Lonely Planet calls it the best pizza in Rome and as far as I'm concerned that makes it the best in Italy. Pizzeria da Baffetto is a bustling trattoria, where people were still queuing outside at half 10 at night hoping to be squeezed onto a table with other strangers just to save time. The pizza was indescribable and perfect. It was a perfect combination of finding this place by accident, when we were tired and starving combined with a truly Roman Pizzeria experience that I highly recommend to anyone who is heading to Rome. 

Trevi Fountain

Picturesque and buzzing Trastevere is the ideal place to spend your evenings in Roma

I think it's clear that hosteling around Italy was a truly fantastic experience and all I can say to sum up is now I've tasted "La Dolce Vita" of laid back and friendly Italia, I can't imagine a better lifestyle. 

Hostel Recommendations

Ostello Villa Olmo (Como) - http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Como---Villa-Olmo-031065.en.htm

 - This is the only hostel in Como but it really is fantastic, it is a lovely lakeside walk into the centre of town and they do huge and delicious meals for only 10 euros, I highly recommend this place.

Villa Francescati (Verona) - tel 045 59 03 60 ostellionline.org

- This hostel is in a really cool villa with lots of character but I'd take earplugs as the traffic outside is noisy.

Ostello Citta di Padova (Padua) - ostellopadova.it

About half an hours walk through the city centre to the station, but it is a nice walk and the hostel is easy to find, friendly and clean.

Beehive hostel (Rome) - www.the-beehive.com 

This is not where we stayed but we were too late to book here as it is very popular, it has fantastic reviews and looks like a great place to stay. 

I also highly recommend the Lonely Planet guide to Italy - it is very easy to use and helpful for accommodation options and restaurant suggestions as well as history about the various sights. I became dangerously attached to my copy during our trip!