Travel Categories 
Expect to find romantic Renaissance villas, fortresses and castles, enchanting ancient buildings, as well as ultra modern stylish conversions. But also faceless grey dormitories which must have looked wonderfully futuristic on architects' drawing boards during the 1960's and 70's.
Nevertheless, despite the recent boom in bed and breakfasts, holiday houses, agriturismi etc. hostels are still just about the cheapest accommodation option in Italy.
The Official Italian Youth Hostel Association in Italy is called AIG, which stands for 'Associazione Italiana Alberghi per la Gioventu'. Once a member you can stay in over 100 structures from Friuli to Sicily and enjoy discounts and concessions on Italian trains, car hire, books, museum entrance and much more. Accommodation is open to anyone holding an International Youth Hostelling membership card and you can also sign up when you arrive in your accommodation.
Anyone can become a member of the association. There are no limits to age and family rooms are available. Hostels do, however, follow general hours and tend to be closed between 10.00 and 15.30.
But we advise you to also look at the many new hostel related portals on the web. Many budget accommodatiion aimed at young people does not feature in the AIG network, and in many cases are more fun and Web2.0 if you see what we mean. Try the HostelsClub website where we found the image above from the Jammin Hostel in Rimini along the Adriatic Riviera.
Attending an Italian class or course of Italian lessons in Italy is a fun way to experience a vacation in Italy or to avoid visiting the country alone. Why not combine this with a stay in a hostel for a really low cost full Italy immersion experience.
RECOMMENDED LINKS
