Genova is a beautiful and less touristic city that not as many people know about. If you want to see a genuine side of Italy while meeting people from all over the world, Genova could be the place for you. In this post I will talk about what it was like to volunteer at Ostello Bello Genova, but there will also be information for those who do not want to volunteer.
Ostello Bello is a large Hostel combined with a bar, kitchen, terrace, games room and washroom. In the evenings there are various activities to participate in where you get the chance to get to know other people. The hostel is centrally located and is about 3 minutes away from the nearest train station – and a variety of beautiful day trips! The work is easy, you get free meals and if you’re lucky, a drink or two 😉
I’m going through:
– The Hostel
– The Volunteer Work
– Activities
– Briefly About The Area Around Ostello Bello Genova (and means of transport).
Tip: if you want to find something in particular press ctrl F and search for your word.
The Hostel
Note: When you come to Ostello Bello as a guest, you use an app to access different locations. As a volunteer, you use codes instead.
Dormitory – Let’s talk about Ostello Bello and its different spaces. When you first arrive at the hostel, you get a bed in a room shared with others. In my dormitory there were six beds. If you are a girl, you get it reserved for a girls dorm. Under the bed is a large drawer where you can lock your belongings. Me and another volunteer-girl got beds in a loft that was a bit more separated from the other girls. We also got bigger boxes than the others who were there temporarily. The dormitories have access to a toilet, shower and hairdryer. You can also borrow towels, shower gel, shampoo and thicker bed sheets in the reception. Overall the room was clean and fresh. Every day at eleven the cleaners came and cleaned. My only complaint was that the beds were hard, some people like it. I got used to it.
The kitchen and The Terrace – On Ostello Bello’s first floor there is a kitchen. It has three stoves and three sinks, plenty of utensils and free food. There are, among other things, different kinds of pasta, eggs, potatoes, onions, general vegetables, spices, oils, tea, cans of peas, corn and beans. There are also two refrigerators where you can put your food with a note on it. People also leave leftovers here.
The room is large with many tables and chairs. At the far end, in a hidden corner of the room, there are toilets, a sofa, and in front of it a bookshelf. Unfortunately only with Italian books, but good for those who can or want to learn italian. Next to the kitchen is a terrace. The terrace is framed by green plants which makes the balcony togheter with deckchairs, swings and small tables very cosy. In the corner there is also a small ship made of wood for the children to play in. Overall a very nice place to just relax, play a tune, eat, write, or read in.
Laundry room – On the same floor as the kitchen is a laundry room. Don’t make the same mistake I did the first time I was going to wash my laundry. If you are a volunteer worker, you do not have to pay to do laundry. You just go down to the reception and ask for the tokens (small coins). In the laundry room there is also an ironing board, a large zinc, and various other things that are usually found in a laundry room.
The bar – Ostello Bello is also known for its bar. If you go past the reception you will come to the bar which is open 24 hours a day. Many people sit here to work or study on their computers. It is a public place where many local people go for many different reasons. When the evening comes, the big screen is pulled down and the football is turned on. If you want to continue studying or working, you can just move over to the blue dining room next door. As is usually thecase, it is free apart from certain activity evenings. Breakfast is also served in the blue room – Read below for more information about food at the hostel. The bar also has a piano, guitar and ukulele if you miss your instruments from home and are brave enough to play in front of others.
Games room and Gym – If you go down one floor below the bar, you will find a gym and a games room. Which is free to use whenever you want.
Volunteer work – What it means and what is included
In order to volunteer, you must be at Ostello Bello for at least two weeks. As a volunteer, you work 5 hours 5 days a week. During the time I worked there, I often worked the shifts 19:30-00:30 (7 pm – 12:30 am) or 20:30-01:30. (8:30 pm – 1:30 am) This can change due to the season or the hostels needs. I worked in May 2024. The evening sessions at Bello meant that you could easily go out and explore the city or take a day trip without stress. If you work with a project remotely, it’s also a good deal. The downside was that you weren’t as accessible to the roommates you got to know and wanted to go out with at night. In the end I found a good mix where I had gotten to know some local or regular people for my time and then got to know others while I was doing my volunteer work. The late shifts also meant that it was more difficult to get up early in the morning, but it is not impossible if you want. It’s all about balance.
During your shift, you clean away glasses and help the bartenders with what they ask for. We used to clean the public kitchen and the terrace around 11 p.m. At 1 a.m. we brought in the chairs that were outside and after that we prepared breakfast. Which meant that we pulled out some tables, and some plates with cutlery. During your work shift, a free meal from the menu is also included and those I worked with were not usually late in offering drinks 😉 Depending on the week, you will also be responsible for some simple activities. Usually with another volunteer or worker. More information about the activities below.
Overall it was a very easy and quiet job where you spent most of your time socializing with people or doing small chores. Part of the job was to entertain people by socializing. Therefore it was very relaxed.
As a volunteer, breakfast is also included. The breakfast consists of scrambled eggs, four different croissants, coffee, (Yes, espresso is of course very popular, but there are also other options such as cappuccino.). Juice, yogurt, fruit, cereals, bread with toppings and of course focaccia. You also have free access to the kitchen, laundry room and games room as mentioned above.
Activities
Ostello Bello has many activities. This can be activities such as ping pong tournament, family dinner, bbq, sunset walk, walking stroll, bingo evening, language exchange and other activities depending on the season. These activities can be more or less days during a week.
Since you are a volunteer, you will often be involved in these activities. It’s usually not too difficult. It mostly involves you keeping score and telling the rules, but you can also participate yourself. It’s a good way to experience the hostel life. You challenge yourself and get to know many people along the way. Often the activities are very fun and rewarding, with many mixed topics of conversation with people from all over the world.
Briefly about the area around Ostello Bello Genova
Ostello Bello is a central hostel located next to Piazza Principe train station. This is an advantage for those who want to do day trips, but it also comes with sketchy neighborhoods. I don’t consider the block dangerous to walk on in the daylight, but I tried to avoid them anyway. Be aware that google maps sometimes leads you straight into the narrow alleys, then try to find a bigger main street. For me, as a woman traveling alone, it felt safer. Most of the time there is no danger, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful and to consider your own safety. Especially as a solo female traveler. During the evenings and nights, I never walked alone outside Ostello Bello Genova. I chose instead to go with people I trusted.
To get to some finer architecture, you go straight past the roundabout and through the tunnel. If you want to see a touristy area, the port of Genova is the place to go. If Google Maps misleads you (In my opinion it was not always accurate in Genova,) you can always ask for a map and a description of the road at the reception. They are very helpful. Near the hostel there are many shops and beautiful museums, and you can spend a whole day walking around the city. Believe me, it feels like it never ends! There are many different resurangers. Be sure to try some of Genova’s specialties!
As I wrote in the introduction, Genova is not the most well-known city, but I have spent 20 days in Genova and have fallen in love with the city. There is much to see and do. You can walk on big or small streets, hike, swim, shop, eat, attend courses, read history, watch football, or the wild life of the sea! The possibilities are unlimited. I did a lot of day trips. If you want to know more about day trips outside and inside of Genova, there will be a post on my page soon!
Means of transport
Genova is a big city in which you can walk very far without finding an end. All of a sudden you are standing there in pouring rain with a 60 minute walk home. If you can’t bear to walk home then it can be nice to know how to get home by bus or train. It took a few days for me to figure out apps and tickets. That’s why I want to make it easier for you!
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is a decently simple app if you’ve used transport apps before. You enter the destination you are leaving from and where you are going (be careful to write correctly, otherwise the station will not appear). The tickets must be purchased five minutes before the estimated departure. If you do not create an account on the app, you will have to enter your email, name and payment method manually, which will take a few minutes. When you have paid for the ticket, it is important that you check in. Otherwise, the trip does not apply. It is not always easy to see which station you are on. My best tip is to follow the train with Google maps, and to take a screenshot of the route and when the train will approximately arrive. You will not always have internet.
AMT Genova
AMT Genova is Genova’s bus app. Here are different tickets for different zones. It can be smart to buy a monthly ticket if you are going to be there for a longer period of time. It will be cheaper and easier. When I was in Genova, I chose to walk many times, because I had not bought this ticket. It is good for your health to walk, but it takes energy and is not as effective for seeing the city. If I were to redo the trip, I would have bought the monthly ticket.
Conclusion
Ostello Bello is the best hostel I’ve stayed at so far. It is my first volunteer and I highly recommend it. The atmosphere was good and the staff was very sweet and caring. Truly a place of treasured memories.
Ostello Bello is a chain of Hostels. Have you been to any other place? What did you think? Tell me!