So, you’re going to Florence to study abroad, eh? Thought about packing yet? Any idea what you’ll bring? Do you know how much that hair dryer weighs? Do you know where you’re landing and how to navigate the labyrinthine bowels of the often poorly designed airports?
Let me guess.
No.
Well, hopefully you’re not leaving in the next few hours. Even if you are, the following is the only list you need to read before stuffing those bags to the brim and stepping on board that flight.
Yeah, we know.
You’re welcome.
1. Money
It makes the world go round, even in Italy.
It used to be that traveler’s checks were the name of the game. Not so much anymore. This became particularly true when they closed the American Express office in Florence, making the cashing of said checks a bit difficult. Credit cards in Europe can also be a bit expensive. Check with your bank, but it can be around 3% on every charge. Doesn’t sound like a lot? Just wait until you buy all that Gucci, Fendi, and Prada.
The absolute easiest system I found is to use your debit card and only that. Show up with some Euros to cover your first cab and a coffee (this is a really good idea as sometimes the ATMs in airports are not so, how do you say…reliable?). You can easily request Euros from your local bank. Once you are in town, hit up an ATM and take the maximum amount out (usually about 300 Euro). The bank will charge you for the withdrawal (again, check to find out how much), but it is usually less than the 3%. For example, if you are charged $5 for every 300 Euro you take out, that is just a little over 1% depending on the current rate of Euro to dollar.
Also, credit card use in Europe is not nearly as ubiquitous as it is in the United States. If you do decide to bring a credit card, know that VISA is your safest bet. Europeans almost always carry cash for their daily small purchases. So, just take the money home and budget it for as long as you can. When you run out, go to the ATM and do it again. I did this for many years and I am pretty convinced it is the cheapest and easiest way.
Before you leave (unless you really are leaving in a few hours), talk to your bank and find out if they have a sister bank in Italy that would charge you less to make withdrawals. They may even allow you to withdraw more money each time, as was true with my bank, which means less frequent fees and fewer charges in general. Take two minutes, do the math, and save yourself some of that hard earned cash.
2. Internet
Two students using the computers at LdM's computer lab
My roommate (who wrote a blog while she was abroad) wrote mostly at home on Word and then took the files and published them at the café to save time and money. So, it just takes a little extra thought and planning. If you are lucky enough to be with Select Study Abroad, you will have access to an enormous and free Internet lab at the Istituto Lorenzo de’Medici. If not, I would budget some of those Euros for Internet time.
3. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
The flight.
If you are studying in Rome or Milan you have a pretty obvious choice when it comes to airports. Florence, however, has a few options.
The Florence airport is obviously the preferred airport.
Pros: The airport is small and easy to maneuver. Getting into the city of Florence is, obviously, by far the easiest. Taxis are plentiful and cost approximately 20 Euro.
Cons: These flights can be at less convenient times and can sometimes cost slightly more. However, the extra time, energy, and cost of train tickets from Rome or Milan (where flights may be cheaper) may not be worth it.
Pisa Airport, Galileo Galilei (PSA):
The Pisa airport is the second best option for traveling to Florence.
Pros: Pisa is another small and manageable airport. It is just a short train ride or bus ride into Florence (specifically, to the Florence train station) and many of the travelers flying into this airport are making this same journey.
Cons: The cost of a bus or train ticket can be less than taxi fare from the Florence airport, but you may not want to wait for a crowded bus or train after the long flight. Remember that you will be carrying your own luggage and there may be standing room only on full trains.
Rome Airport, Leonardo da Vinci International (Fiumicino – FCO):
Another city that is often used to get to Florence is Rome, Select’s third preferred airport.
Pros: Tickets to this airport are typically less expensive and there are more flights and more carriers available for those using miles or for those who have a preferred airline.
Cons: The trip to Florence, especially for someone who does not speak Italian and who has never traveled in Italy before, can be difficult. It involves a short train ride to the main train station in Rome to catch a second longer train to Florence (a one-way ticket can cost as much as 65 Euro).
Keep in mind when buying those tickets what time your flight arrives and departs. Trains DO NOT run 24-hours, people. Also, take note of your layovers. Make sure you have enough time to get the next flight! This is especially true of the return. Florence’s airport, bless its soul, has a bit of a bad rep for delayed flights. Just to be sure, it might be a good idea to budget some time in case you have any trouble. This is more the case for winter flights. Summer is usually A.O.K.
The magic word when it comes to train (and bus…and plane) travel is SCIOPERO.
It means strike. Learn it, live it, love it. You have no choice in Italy.
It happens often with little warning and there is nothing you can do about it.
I have come to appreciate the way it totally changes my plans. Not always for the better, but definitely for the more interesting.
Luckily, Select Study Abroad students will have little to worry about in our own personal buses. Phew.
The trains work like this. There are various different kinds: super slow local, somewhat slow regional, fast and fancy, and super fast and super fancy.
It used to be that the slow trains were more frequent. They tended to make more stops at smaller and less popular towns and cities. In the last few years, they have come out with much nicer, faster trains that can get you from Rome to Milan in the same time most people eat lunch. The only bad thing about these new trains is that they cost quite a lot. Students used to take the 6 hour train from Rome to Florence to save the cash, but these are now really infrequent and sell out fast. If you plan to take a trip to Rome and want cheap seats, go early and get tickets. The automated machines are very easy to use.
If you take the super-fast train (called Rossa, or Freccia Rossa) you will get an assigned seat (you can even pick seats so that you and friends can sit together) and there is no need to do anything but arrive, sit, and produce your ticket when the conductor comes through. (Tip: take it out and put it on the table if you’re going to fall asleep right away.)
However, THIS IS IMPORTANT, if you take a regional train (that sometimes do and sometimes don’t assign seats) you will need to stamp your ticket before getting on the train. Those tickets are open-ended. You could use it at any time, so if you don’t stamp it, it implies that you are trying to scam the system. If the ticket guy is in a bad mood he might charge you. These stamp boxes can be found on the pillars right in front of the tracks (called binari). The stamp boxes are yellow and others will be doing it too, so DON’T FORGET!
Train schedules are also somewhat more fluid than you might expect. They get delayed easily, so just go with the flow. It will all work out. Though, always know when the last train leaves a city if you do not plan to stay the night!! And get a ticket when It small enough to park, but who can fit?!
Cars.
I like renting cars as they allow for a certain amount of freedom that trains do not. However, gas is pricey, parking is tricky, and driving stick is a necessity. You can always pay the premium for an automatic car, but that’s just more cash. I say take a bus or a train and look out the windows instead of on the road.
4. Appliances – (hair dryers, flattening/straighten irons, and other pluggable lady products).
Sadly ladies, the stories you’ve heard are true. Your industrial size hair dryer will blow the fuse and your flattening iron might not get that hot with a converter. You can use them for a while, but the change in wattage will eventually kill the things.
So here’s a tip. LEAVE THEM AT HOME. You too dudes, if you have a beard trimmer etc., just leave it.
Now, I know some of you are shocked and appalled, but wait for me to explain.
First off, you are hot no matter what.
This is especially true in Italy where, sad but true, Americans are somewhat of a “favorite” among the men. You will be seen as cute pretty much no matter what, even with (what you perceive as) super frizzed out hair. Most Italian women take cold showers and never dry their hair with a dryer or flat iron it, so you won’t be alone.
Finally, if you are really going to die without them, just buy new ones once you arrive. There are cheap versions in appliance stores that aren’t great, but will do the trick for the 1 to 4 months you are there. Your hotel/apartment building/host family/student housing will thank you for not making them constantly reboot the power.
As a cautionary tale, when I first arrived, I blew the fuse in my apartment on a Sunday and with no one to call (in JANUARY) I sat and played cards with my roommate wearing every piece of clothing I owned and every blanket wrapped around us for warmth. Happily, the power (and the heat) came back on six hours later, but it was a hard lesson to learn. Don’t risk it. Your appliances are not special.
5. Toiletries – (shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, toothpaste etc.)
Sorry to sound like a broken record but I have to say it again. Leave your toiletries at home! (NOTE: This is not true of medication of course!!) No, they do not have all the exact same toiletries in Italy, but they get pretty damn close and in some cases they exceed our products in quality. These items can mostly be found in your local grocery store (there is no such thing as CVS or Rite Aid) or in a pharmacy (imagine a fancy CVS with only products and not all the other crap). A pharmacy is where you would buy contact solution and any specialty skin products plus your run-of-the-mill medications. The people who work there are all very knowledgeable, so if you tell them your symptoms they can suggest something to help. No doctor necessary.
As a compromise, take advantage of the amazing travel-size toiletry aisle at your favorite CVS, Target, or grocery store. These smaller and lighter toiletries last longer than you think and will certainly get you through your first week or so. You can find anything from obvious products like shampoo, soap, and lotion to less obvious products like sunscreen, Band-Aids, and wrinkle remover for your clothes (a personal must-have). This will also give you time to scout out your options.
One thing you will find right away in Italy (that some love and others find trying) is that there simply is not the same quantity of options. When I go to the store, I am somewhat comforted by the two toothpaste options before me. It just makes life simpler. So, try not to be picky and just find something comparable. Remember. Your bags cannot be over a certain weight anyway!! Wouldn’t you rather have your favorite jeans than your favorite mouth wash? I would. If all else fails, as I said above, there is also an Aveda for those of you who use those products or fear trying the unknown brands.
Also, (great news for the gentlemen out there) hair gel just happens to be one of the few products they sell in bulk. While most things come in much smaller packages, gel is sold by the boatload. Enjoy!
Five more tips coming soon!
Back to the BLOG
The Train.
Second, if you are going to be traveling all over, as I hope you plan to do, you DO NOT want to have to tote those suckers around. And you won’t want to! Trust me. Learn some new hair-dos before you leave. Or better yet, make a deal that you’ll get your hair done once and be satisfied (Florence has an Aveda salon that will happily wash, dry, and straighten your hair).Related posts:
The Other Side of Rome
Day Trips Outside Florence
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