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- Student housing is in various apartments within 30-minute walking time of the U.W. Rome Center. Bus service is excellent.
- Apartment sizes are all different, some as small as two people, others as large as ten. Expect two and sometimes three people per bedroom.
- Apartments come furnished including a fully equipped kitchen. Household items such as towels and sheets are supplied except for a washcloth.
- You can pick up your keys starting on Monday 21 August during the Rome Center's business hours (8.00-17.00 Mon-Fri). If you arrive outside of business hours then arrange pickup with your program director to get the keys. The night of Thursday 21 September is the last in your apartment. Assume that check out will be Friday 22 September.
- You can arrive in Rome earlier than 21 August or stay after 22 September at your own expense and you will need to arrange for you own housing. Note that September weather in Italy is generally pleasant and most of the tourists have left for home. Also note that U.W. fall classes start Wed 27 September.
- You may leave luggage at the Rome Center before and after your program dates. Coordinate this with the Rome Center office in advance.
- A notary public is available at the main information counter at the HUB at specific hours (free and convenient).
- The deadline for submitting your medical report, concurrent enrollment form, resident waiver, and visa application is June 1.
- Getting a visa takes time! Your original passport will be shipped to the Italian consulate in San Francisco where it will be stamped, then returned to the IPE office and from them to you in about 30-50 days. IF YOU NEED YOUR PASSPORT FOR OTHER TRAVEL DURING THIS TIME, CHECK WITH ME EARLY!
- passport plus photocopy for emergency use and
- a pdf version located in your email folder
- approved visa document
- airline ticket
- credit/debit card (notify before leaving that you are traveling to Italy)
- camera, laptop
- books, notebooks...
- Euros are the only currency in Italy, though you may occasionally see prices in lire.
- Students can expect to spend between 500 and 1500 euros during their stay.
- ATM debit/credit cards generally work very well in most Bancomats, and the Bancomat exchange rate is better than money exchanges at banks and money exchange stores. Credit cards work well almost everywhere. But remember that card or identity theft can be a huge headache, so guard your cards and make pdf copies for your files.
- Violent crime is very rare.
- Robberies and pickpocketing are not unusual, though far less frequent than just a decade ago. The "hot spots" are train and subway stations, near crowded public sites, on buses used by tourists (number 64 is infamous) and on large streets. Pickpockets are pros, and many work with accomplices to distract you. People who look like tourists are magnets. (This applies to many other large cities in Italy and elsewhere!)
- Pay attention to narrow streets and motorbikes.
- Carry only the essentials and enough cash for the day. Passports, credit cards, etc. should be stored in a safe place - preferably in a belly pack under your clothes. Keep cameras, laptops etc out of sight. Rome Center students have had very few problems because they are wary - but not fearful - of theft.
- Insurance for valuables is not generally available once you reach Italy. If you want insurance for valuables then get it in the U.S. before you leave. In any event, document your valuables - note serial numbers, xerox purchase receipts (or keep a record of cost), etc. Note: U.S. customs may hassle you if your camera or laptop looks new, so have your receipts.
- As of 2004, each returning U.S. citizen is allowed $800 in purchases and 2 liters of alcohol (unless you're under 21) without paying duty. You may be challenged to prove the cost of more expensive items that you purchased abroad, so it's smart to keep your purchase receipts.
- Get a belly pouch for carrying documents, money, credit cards.
- The Rome Center has 14 computers in their lab, to be shared by an average of 90-100 students, plus a wireless service. There is a large demand for desktops. Academic work always takes priority over personal mail.
- Internet cafes with desktops are available thoughout Rome. However, WiFi spots (wireless service) are rare.
- Unlike the U.S., local phone calls are charged by the minute throughout Europe, about 15 cents/min for calls to fixed phones and 30 cents per minute to mobile phones. Idle chatter can be expensive.
- Public phones are available. Most operate with Italian phone cards and some take coins as well. Long-distance phone cards can also be used on public phones (buy at tabacchi shops, train stations, and elsewhere).
- Many U.S. cell phones are not compatible with European systems. Cell phone rentals are easy to find. If your phone is compatible, you can buy prepaid cards in Italy for local calls.
- Tap water is perfectly safe to drink, but it can be heavily chlorinated. No one would ever think to serve tap water to you (out of respect). Everyone uses bottled water. Ice cubes and refrigerated drinks are rare.
- Electricity is 220V (not 110V) and 50-cycle (not 60 cycle), so hair dryers, electric shavers, etc with built-in 110/220V switches are useful. You can buy a 220-110V transformer at any large hardware or drug store in the U.S. for under $50 or simply buy new small appliances in Italy.
- Even if your appliance or laptop runs on 220V, U.S. plugs will not fit into Italian sockets. You need a small adapter designed particularly for southern Europe ($3 in the U.S.).
- Consider bringing several pairs of earplugs. Romans party until late every night, and noisy garbage trucks and street-sweeping trucks arrive early every morning.
- European batteries are identical to those in the U.S. but more expensive. Digital cameras eat batteries, so seriously consider buying rechargeables and a charger that operates on both 220V and 110V line power.
- Italians are very social and love to have fun. Figure it out and get in the swing! Learn to enjoy some of the cultural differences.
- Italians are generally cheerful and helpful, though they aren't always fast to show it in tourist-inundated areas. On the other hand, customer satisfaction means very little in some larger stores and banks. Be patient or be without.
- A little Italian goes a long, long way. The gesture of trying to communicate verbally is deeply appreciated. English is widely spoken among people under 30.
- Coffee (caffe`) and meals are esteemed. Food is fresh and tasty. Avoid restaurants with lots of non-discerning tourists.
- Italians eat in "Ristoranti" (elegant & pricey), Trattorie (less formal), Osterie (informal), and Pizzerie (very informal).
- Breakfast is light (caffe + pastry). Normally lunch is the big meal (several courses), and dinners (pranzo) are late and lighter. Small stores close from noon– 4 P.M.
- All eat-in restaurants charge a cover ("coperto") for plates, silverware, and bread. Water is extra. Tips are typically 5% (e.g., 2 or 3 Eu for a 50 Eu dinner).
- Sports: soccer ("football") and basketball are national obsessions. Driving in Italy is a also very competitive sport best left to taxi drivers.
- Summer weather is hot (80-100F in the afternoon, low 70s late at night) through September and generally clear. Rain and thunderstorms are rare but truly spectacular. Light breezes are common unless you're in one of the narrower streets.
- Italians dress fashionably. Dress is informal but never sloppy. (See also below)
- Pack only light clothing: lots of drip-dry shirts, shorts, sandals, etc. and an umbrella. However...
- You cannot enter churches and more formal cultural sites in shorts, sleeveless shirts, or miniskirts. Bring proper attire -- at least one shirt with buttons and short sleeves, and long pants or a skirt below the knees.
- Save some luggage space for purchases to bring home, or bring an empty backpack or strong empty nylon bag.
- Great summer clothing and shoe sales are usually underway in mid August when we arrive.
- Bring shoes that will be comfortable on cobblestones and long city walks. Note: athletic shoes may be comfortable; however, Italians (of all ages) don't wear them. Anyone in white gym shoes is a very consipuous tourist. See Dress tips for Italy if you're concerned.
- Most stores are small and family operated. Many feature the work of true artisans. Larger stores can be found in Rome and elsewhere, usually near the outskirts of town.
- Get a good map and mark shops and places of interest. They can be difficult to rediscover.
- Free and quite good walking maps of Rome are available at scattered tourist kiosks.
- Traditional business hours are mornings and evenings with a 3-hour midday break from 1 to 4 PM. Most stores close Saturday afternoon and Sunday except where there are tourists.
- Many musea are now open most afternoons, evenings and on Sunday. Monday closings are not unusual. Churches may close to tourists during services.
- Rome almost shuts down for the summer holiday season. Many stores and restaurants close until the last week of August. Markets, grocery stores, tourist sites, and banks remain open. Traffic is light. Buses and trains maintain normal schedules.
- A small room fan ("ventilator") is a very useful purchase for summer sleeping! (Very few buildings are air conditioned.)
- Few windows have screens, so opening windows at night is an invitation to mosquitoes if you live near still water. Inexpensive plug-in insect repellent devices are common and can be purchased in Italy (as can spray repellents). Come prepared.
- Check your home insurance policy - you may be covered abroad. Note that various types of medical insurance coverage are available through UW, including emergency flights to the U.S. for care (Note - Italian medical facilities are excellent.)
- The UW Travel Office recommends that your normal shots be up to date, and that you get inoculations for hepatitis A and B.
- Student inoculation records are available from your doctor and at Hall Health. Affiliates of the UW Medical Center can get their inoculation record at Campus Health, NN256A in the Medical Center.
- Expect that the Rome Center will help with all unexpected medical problems as best they can.
- Aspirin, ibuprofen, allergy control medicines, etc. are MUCH cheaper in the U.S. They're light, so pack a modest supply. (Note: pills might cause hassles at customs, esp. in the U.S.)
- The official visa paperwork requires that you produce proof of medical insurance. Melissa Williams of UW's IPE office has written this clarification:
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