Finding the Hostels in Milan

Milan is known neither as a budget travel destination nor a hostel hotspot. But believe it or not, there are more hostels in Milan than you'd guess. These are ideal if you’re flying in or out of Milan for your Italy vacation but don’t want to spend a fortune on a hotel the night you arrive or before you fly out, or if you want to see Milan’s sights but can’t afford the expense of a business hotel.
Most of these Milan hostels aren’t right around the corner from the Duomo - but as long as you’re within a short walk of a Milan Metro station or bus/tram stop, you’ll be able to get around the city easily and cheaply. And if you’re in Milan to see a soccer game or a concert at the famous San Siro stadium, the M5 lilac Metro line now stops right outside it at San Siro Stadio, so you can stay just about anywhere. If you’re arriving late or leaving early by train, stay near the main train station, Stazione Centrale.
>> And if you want a few more options, here are some of the budget hotels in Milan.

Hostels in Milan

Here’s a map of hostels in Milan, with the Duomo right in the middle, so you can see how far each one is from the center.

Hostels in Milan Near the Train Station

Ostello Bello Milano Centrale
Via Roberto Lepetit, Milan
This is the bigger of Ostello Bello’s two Milan hostels, a few minutes’ walk from Stazione Centrale, and it’s the one to book if you have an early train or a bus to one of the airports. It has more than 11,000 reviews on Hostelworld with an average above 9 out of 10, which tells you it’s both busy and well run.

Hostels in Milan Near the Duomo

Ostello Bello Milano Duomo
Via Medici, Milan
Ostello Bello’s first Milan hostel is about as close to the Duomo as a hostel bed in Milan gets, a short walk away in the old center. It’s sociable, with dorms and private rooms, and it fills up fast.

Hostels in Other Milan Neighborhoods

Combo Milano
Ripa di Porta Ticinese 83, 20143 Milan
Combo is in a traditional Milanese casa di ringhiera, an apartment building with balconies running around a courtyard, overlooking a park on the Navigli canals. You get private rooms and dorms (including female-only dorms), a bar and restaurant downstairs, and the canal-side bars for aperitivo right outside.

Madama Hostel & Bistrot
Via Benaco 1, Milan
Madama is in a Liberty-style building in the Porta Romana area, south of the center, and the bistro downstairs is a neighborhood hangout in its own right, with live music on some weeknights. Reception is open 24 hours.

Hi! Ostello Milano
Viale Salmoiraghi 1, 20148 Milan
This big hostel northwest of the center is the one that used to be called the Piero Rotta, for years Milan’s Hostelling International hostel. It’s near the QT8 stop on the red M1 line and not far from San Siro. It’s still operating, but guests on Hostelworld score it much lower than the others on this list, so treat it as a fallback when everything else is full.
photo at the top by Jessica Spiegel