Hostels Near the Florence Train Station

• Tweet

A visit to the Italian Renaissance capital of Florence is almost required when you’re planning a trip to Italy, especially if it’s your first time to Italy. (Okay, so it’s not required in the sense that someone’s going to revoke your plane ticket if you don’t certify a stay in Florence, but you know what we mean.) One of the best things about being a tourist in Florence is that, for the most part, you don’t have to deal with the hassle of figuring out yet another city’s mass transit system – the historic center of the city is so easy to navigate solely on foot that except for certain circumstances you won’t need to bother with the buses.

Another reason the compactness of Florence’s city center is a good thing is that you don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to staying right around the main train station – even if you’ve got an early departure or late arrival and you don’t want to hoof it too far to get to your train. But let’s say you’re coming into Florence just for one night after a few days in the Tuscany countryside… Or you’ve been staying at a more far-flung hostel for most of your time in the city and you really don’t want to pay for an early morning taxi just before you leave town… Or maybe you just really prefer the idea of staying within a short walk of the train station. Whatever the reason, you’ll be pleased to know that there are lots of hostels near the Florence train station for you to choose from.

(And if you decide you want to broaden your search to include places elsewhere in the city, there are plenty more hostels in Florence to choose from.)

Florence Hostels Near the Train Station

International Student House Florence

Sitting just 200 meters from the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence, the International Student House Florence is one of the closest hostels to the station – although it’s probably more accurately described as a budget B&B or guest house than a hostel. There aren’t dorm rooms, but the prices are good – and if you’re traveling with a few friends you could book (for instance) a 4-bed room and split the cost. Not all the rooms have private bathrooms, so if you want to cut your costs more ask for one with a shared bath.

The rooms at International Student House Florence are brightly painted and some show off lovely wood-beamed ceilings. Some also have air conditioning, but not all, so if this is important be sure to request that. There’s a kitchen available for guest use, and internet access is also available.

Archi Rossi Hostel

Just down the street from International Student House Florence is the Archi Rossi Hostel, one of Florence’s top hostels. It’s a hostel in the traditional sense, with primarily dorm-style rooms of varying sizes and a few private rooms available if you’d prefer that option. Additionally, this is one of those hostels that emphasizes the social atmosphere, with great common spaces – including a delightful patio and garden area that’s just spectacular for hanging out in nice weather.

Guests at Archi Rossi Hostel get free daily walking tours of the city, free breakfast, free internet access, free WiFi, and free pasta dinners (Sunday-Friday). What’s more, most of the rooms now have a computer in each room (there’s also a computer area near reception). There’s a kitchen for guest use, and an on-site restaurant open Sunday-Friday serving good and cheap eats.

Luna Rossa

Another hostel that’s not really a hostel but that still offers good prices on rooms close to the Florence train station is Luna Rossa. It’s only a couple minutes’ walk from the train station (not to mention many other major sights in Florence), and it’s more accurately described as a guesthouse than a hostel. It’s one of two properties in the city run by Marco, although this is the one that has the ping-pong table!

At Luna Rossa there are only private rooms – no dorm-style rooms – which is what makes it a guest house rather than a hostel. But the friendly vibe you’d find at a good hostel is still present. Guests get free internet access, free WiFi, free CD burning, free satellite TV (including English movies and sports), and there’s a room with some gym equipment that’s available for guest use as well. And that ping pong table? Marco challenges anyone who stays at Luna Rossa to a game – and if you beat him, the room is free.

Emerald Fields

A few minutes’ walk from the train station – and on the same road as the Accademia (which houses Michelangelo’s David statue) – is the Emerald Fields Hostel. In reality, there are two hostels operated under the umbrella of Emerald Fields, but they’re right across the street from one another – and you’ll need to check in at Emerald Fields no matter where you’re staying anyway.

At Emerald Fields Hostel, you’ll find all the things you’d expect in a good, small hostel – clean dorm rooms, comfy common areas, and nice amenities. The amenities at Emerald Fields include the usual suspects like internet access and WiFi, but the friendly folks at the reception desk can also book a skydiving trip for you if that’s something you need to do in Tuscany. Prefer to keep your feet on the ground? They’ll set you up with a 1-day bus tour of the best of Tuscany instead.

Hostel Central

Another hostel that’s a couple minutes’ walk from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station is Hostel Central – accurately named, as it’s also quite central for walking to many of the area attractions as well. This hostel has dorm-style rooms, making it a traditional hostel, and just the kind of warm and friendly atmosphere you want from a hostel. They describe their staff as “cute and cuddly,” for pete’s sake.

Guests at Hostel Central get free internet access and free WiFi (in the rooms as well as common areas), and there’s a lovely big garden that’s an excellent spot to chill out with the new friends you’ve made. The hostel has a guest kitchen, and some of the rooms even have private bathrooms (the cheaper ones have shared bathrooms). Oh, and let the staff know if it’s your birthday while you’re in town – they’ll do their best to organize a party for you.

photo by permanently scatterbrianed