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Located in central Italy, Florence is one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations and a great base from which to do the rest of your traveling in Italy.

Florence's hostels are located in the center of the city, near many of the museums and famous landmarks. Hostel Soggiomo Pitti, for example, is located directly across the entrance from the Palazzo Pitti Square, a famous tourist attraction that fills with visitors during the days.

There are nearly inexhaustible cultural and historical sights to see in Florence, from the clusters of museums and art galleries to the old sections of town to the statues and monuments that draw crowds of digital camera wielding sightseers to pose in front of them. But the city is also alive at night, especially in the Oltrarno district where numerous foreign students spend their nights admiring each other and trying to perfect their Italian.

Italy ranks among the most visited countries in the world, not to mention Europe, and the hostels in Florence reflect the huge commitment to tourism that drives a fair portion of the Italian economy.

Florence hostels provide very high quality rooms. Many of the accommodations for backpackers and independent travelers rival those of some hotels and offer rooms at a significantly reduced rate compared to a hotel room.

Recently there has been a trend in the hostel industry to compete with hotels by providing accommodations that are cheaper than what hotels can offer but have the desired amenities of a hotel like a private room that one can leave valuables in without worrying about them.

Florence's hostels, being one of the most traditional and established hostel destinations in Europe, are still generally full of shared rooms, shared bathrooms and the kinds of common recreational areas that foster lively backpacker banter.

You never know whom you'll meet in a youth hostel, but one of the joys of staying in Florence's hostels is meeting the different kinds of people that come through. Hostels have become more popular with every kind of traveler, not just the backpacking teenagers trying to see the world.

If those backpackers and teenagers worry you and you aren't able to book a private room, most hostels provide cabinets with locking latches in the shared rooms where you can store your things during the day. They do not, however, provide locks, so you must bring your own and remember the key.

Some hostels in Italy impose curfews, after which the staff locks up the hostel and heads home for the night. While this is not a universal practice and competition for business between hostels is making it less common, it does happen. Travelers have been locked out of their room and building with nothing but their wits to find them lodging for the night. Check with the manager or staff to find out if your hostel will be shutting its doors while you're out enjoying some live music or beverages and poke around online before you go, most hostels advertise whether or not they have a curfew or lock-out policy so you'll know if you'll be able to enjoy the day and the night.

Hostels in Italy (Florence)