Advice from Students:
These are not officially endorsed by the University, the department, or the program. Students have offered this advice based on their personal experience.
THINGS TO BRING (besides the obvious):
A journal (to write something in briefly each day) – it can be a tedious process while you do it, but you’ll be so glad when you’re able to read about your experiences and thoughts during the trip
Notebook or two for class note taking
Engineering / graph paper for Boothby’s structures course (you’ll see why!)
Crystal Light Packets to flavor the water (it’s definitely drinkable, but I just didn’t really like the taste!
Duffle bag (if you roll it up and bring it in your suitcase on the way over, you can use it for the North/South trips and also to fill it up with gifts to take home at the end)
Peanut butter / Ranch dressing, etc. – The Italian food is great and it’s great to experience the culture, but after a month or so people were dying for some good ‘ole American staples
An extra pillow case (they give you clean sheets)
A swim suit
An extra towel for trips to the beach or to use as an extra shower towel
An extra pair of flip flops (for the shower!)
Some warm clothes- don’t forget that it’s not all 90 degree weather the whole time! The beginning of the trip was a little chilly!
Contact info of family and friends to call them or send postcards
A couple of converters/adapters if you plan on having multiple electronics
Small alarm clock because your phone probably won’t get service, and you won’t be able to view the time- I brought an alarm clock, but was stupid and plugged it in without using an adapter so it burnt out before I got to use it! Don’t make that mistake!
Calling card (you can buy them there, but it would be nice to have one before you arrive)
SUGGESTIONS:
Taking a taxi from the airport is the most convenient- if you’re careful not to be ripped off, it’s not too expensive—otherwise, the train system in Italy is fabulous!!
Take advantage and see more of the country! (we went to Sorrento/Capri after the South Trip and stopped in Milan on the way to Lake Como for the North Trip)
Plan in groups for the sidetrips – it’s easier if you get a smaller group, though, than EVERYONE taking the same trains and going to the same hotels, etc.
Great trips throughout Italy include:
Sperlonga – It’s a beach about 1 ½ hours from Rome (by train and then by bus) It’s a great day trip!
Lake Como (great for boating on the lake and hiking in the Alps—BEAUTIFUL!) We stayed at Residence Gelsi and they were reallllly nice and it was pretty inexpensive. The train will most likely stop in Milan on the way to Lake Como, so it might be worth spending some time in that city (4 of us checked our bags into a storage room at the train station and spent the afternoon shopping and sightseeing).
Cinque Terra- (great for hiking) It’s a series of small villages on 5 hills
Sorrento / Capri – We stayed in Sorrento because it was cheaper and took the ferry to Capri. Try to get a boat tour of some kind! (we did it with a private company because then it was just for us!) Walk to the top and check out the high-end shopping and the beautiful views down. 1 day in Capri seemed like plenty.
(RyanAir is a European airline that is great way to travel throughout Italy or to other countries.)
When in Rome, carry around a copy of your passport at all times (keep the original in your room somewhere safe).
When travelling outside of Rome, be sure to have your passport—hostiles/hotels/etc will require you to show it. Also important to note that some places require you to pay depending on the number of people and not the number of rooms you’ll need. Therefore, it’s technically illegal to buy a 4-bed room and only show 4 passports and then have any extra people in the room. A lot of this is because hotels/hostiles are required to report the people staying at their establishments. You are considered being their illegally if your presence there is not reported. Truthfully, we got around this rule by sneaking people in, but it’s just something to keep in mind that you will be taking a risk!
When looking for cheap places to stay when travelling, check out hostelworld.com. Places with ratings at about 80% or higher should be nice and safe enough to stay in!
If you anticipate doing a lot of traveling, look into getting a rail pass. It may save you money in the long run. And, on most trains, there is no difference between the seats for 1st and 2nd class, so make sure that you buy the cheapest tickets!
Make sure someone in the group knows exactly where you’re heading (hotel name, location, phone number, etc). We had a couple instances where everyone was counting on everyone else to have brought this information.
Try to get a momento from each place you’ve visited. Even if it’s just a postcard, it’s nice to have something to remember your trip by!
Definitely set up a Skype account. What I did was put $10 on my account while in the States and bought a headset w/ mic. It’s really cheap so I didn’t have to add very much more to my account later on. It’s a great way to keep in contact with home. Places like Piazza Navona have only 1 phone per floor, so it can be difficult sometimes to get a chance to use that phone. Skype is also free from computer to computer, so if your parents also get a headset, they can talk to you through the internet for free- the only issue is you’d have to coordinate the times to talk with them.
If you have trouble accessing Skype or with the internet, don’t forget that you can always buy an international phone card from a Tabacchio store.
Try doing your laundry at off times- in the Navona housing, there’s only 1 washer and dryer per floor (I was also told by a past student that they can’t be run at the same time, so doing laundry could take a while—I never tried it to see if that’s true).
Get a group together to cook meals. A good idea would be to get a group of 6-8 people and get into small groups and each group would be responsible for making the meal on a certain night. It can get expensive always eating out and, with studio, it’s difficult to always have time to make dinner, so it should work well for everyone.
SEE AS MUCH OF ROME AS POSSIBLE BEFORE STUDIO GETS GOING!! I am glad that I did a lot of touring in the first week or two being there. Later, it got really hectic.
Navona is old and kind of run down, but don’t underestimate the amazing opportunity of living in such a famous, historic place. Treat it with the respect it deserves.
Do not abuse the situation and embarrass yourself or Penn State by getting ridiculously wasted. Italians have an entirely different concept of drinking and what is acceptable. I’m sure someone will make a fool of themselves, but don’t let that someone be you! Stay as quiet as possible at night (even the slightest sounds can be heard in Navona) and be really nice to the lady working in the office by the front door- you don’t want to get on her bad side!
Don’t forget about your studies, but make sure that you take time to have fun too and experience Italy. If you’re missing out on a lot of sightseeing/activities because of studio, you’re probably working too hard!! Looking back, I wish I wouldn’t have worried so much about classes. If you show a considerable effort, you should do just fine!
Always have a map with you, but don’t be afraid to wander and get yourself lost (in a group of course!) and just see where you end up! There so much to discover in this city, it’s amazing.
Enjoy the experience!! It will take adjusting, but it will be totally worth it in the end!
Tips for Backpacking through Europe
- Book Chunnel Tickets early!! You can get them fairly cheap. The Chunnel is the train that goes under The English Channel connecting London with Paris or Brussels.
- If you are visiting multiple countries the Eurail Pass is an excellent idea. Check out the Youth specials and things as well. You can get specialized passes for specific countries you are visiting. (They must be countries connected to one another.)
- If you are traveling mostly in Spain or Italy you shouldn't need a Eurail Pass. Train travel there is really cheap.
- With a Eurail pass you must still make seat reservations for all your trains typically. And we made them the day before we traveled each time. Reservations cost 3-6 Euro.
- You don’t really need to become a member of Hostel International, it doesn’t help that much. It is like the AAA of Hostels and cost about $20.
- ATMs are your best friend. It is the best way to get/exchange money. Most “money exchange” places charge a 10-12% commission! I have PNC and they charged me $3 per transaction, so I would take out several hundred Euro at a time.
- Best Hostel Booking web sites:
www.hostelworld.com
www.hostels.com - A google search will give you a good list too. But look around before you book anything. We picked hostels close to train stations typically, as long as it wasn’t far from the attractions we wanted to see. Those big backpacks get really heavy if you have to walk too far.
- For booking hostels, we did our first night in Europe a week before we left. Other than that we booked them the day before we left one city to head to the next. We were traveling at the end of the popular travel season (Sept) so hostels weren’t too crowded. If traveling May-mid July I would book hostels farther in advance. ALWAYS keep your confirmation number! And when making reservations online, if you don’t give your credit card information for a deposit, then you probably don’t have a bed reserved.
- WEAR A MONEY BELT….they are annoying as all heck, but a worthy investment. My mom made me take one, and its really the only way to ensure that all your valuables are safe. Especially when staying in Hostels.
- Don’t take American Express credit cards, most places don’t accept it. Don’t take travelers checks, unless as an emergency reserve. Businesses never really take them (even if already converted to Euros), but you can exchange it at a money changer and you will lose some money. Use a debit card.
- When booking a hostel and you have an option to be in an all female dorm room or an mixed dorm room, go for the all girls. Not only are you more comfortable changing in the room, but girls are less likely to SNORE!
- Always have your passport with you. We only needed it when on trains, but you are in big trouble if you lose it. Many hostels require your passport for check-in. I guess it is how they keep track of what people are in what country.
- Read as much as you can about what things you want to see in each city. I used the Let’s Go Western Europe and it was amazing! It is the ultimate guide for a backpacker and VERY reliable. The descriptions of Hostels, Restaurants, and Attractions were dead on. Plus they suggest a lot of good deals = saving you money.
- When getting tickets for metros/undergrounds and you know you will be traveling quite a bit that day get a Day Pass or a Multiple ride pass-saves quite a bit.
- Subways are WAY more reliable than buses.
- If you are traveling on a budget grocery stores will be your best friend. We stopped at everyone we found (stumbled upon) to stock up on food. It is SO much cheaper than restaurants. We would make sandwiches with a piece of fruit, chips and water for lunch. And we do something similar for dinner. Many hostels have stocked kitchens for you to use, and we would make easy meals like Tacos or spaghetti.
- A POCKET KNIFE IS A MUST. But leave it at the hostel if you are going to major attractions that may have security checks.
- We only ate out when it was something cultural for the country we were in. We ate tapas and sangria in Spain, Beer and Pretzels in Germany, Veal and Dumplings in Prague, etc..
- We were on a 40 Euro a day budget. We would typically spend 20 Euro on a hostel each night, and then plan what attractions/metro tickets/food we wanted with the other 20 Euro.
- Look for deals. The Louvre in Paris is free the first Sunday of each month. The Vatican Museums in Rome are free the last Sunday of each month. And the Picasso museum in Barcelona is closed on Mondays. So you have to keep these things in mind as well.
- Its cheaper if you are traveling with 3 or 4 people because you can split a hotel with a private room for the same cost as a hostel. A bit safer, and some may offer air conditioning in the summer.
- Always get hostels/hotels with breakfast included! Great start to the day. Note: European breakfasts are nothing like Americans’. Typically toast, cheese, meat, granola with yogurt/warm milk.
- Water is never free.
- Refills are not free either.
- Most people in major cities speak English, but it is difficult to find when you travel off the beaten path. Be polite and make an effort to speak in the native language. Your efforts will be appreciated.
- City Bus tours are nice if you want everything planned for you, but a bit expensive. We preferred to navigate each city on our own and experienced things we wouldn’t have otherwise.
- If you carry a backpack, put a combination lock on it.
- Hostels are quite trustworthy when you leave your backpack there. But don’t leave valuables unattended.
- When booking a plane ticket, look for multiple connections for cheaper flights. Also look for over seas airlines like Icelandic Air. Everyone I know flew some random airline and got a better deal than me. I flew British Air.
- If you can get an electronic ticket, do it. Then you don’t have to worry about losing a paper ticket in Europe.
- Walmart sells travel size toilette paper (for camping I think), also great for backpacking when public restrooms never have toilette paper.
- Baby wipes work on everything.
- Walmart also has a really great all in one voltage converter. It’s fairly compact, and doesn’t have a million pieces like some others. All of Europe uses the same two-rounded prongs. Britain is different.
- My straightening iron worked in Europe with the voltage converter, but my curling iron did not.
- Bug spray in the summer. You usually don’t have A/C, so you sleep with windows open. The worst thing is to wake up covered in bug bites.
- You can take a nap anywhere really. It is exhausting traveling every other day and sight seeing all day long. We took many naps all over the place, on park benches, in the grass, etc… Naps are amazing.
- Boys always suggest overnight trains so you don’t have to pay for a hostel. We did one and I was not a fan:
- We preferred to stay in reclining seats, rather than the cramped sleeping cabin.
- The train stopped every 30 mins all night, and when a train stops, you know it.
- Random people were getting on and off all night, so it is hard to keep an eye on your stuff.
- You don’t get a shower on a train.
- And unless you were checking into a hostel you wouldn’t have a place to store your luggage. (Although lockers and things are more common in Europe than in Britain.)
- Note: Spain and Italy celebrate a Siesta everyday from 12-3pm usually. And during that time all shops and museums typically close. It’s a long lunch break of sorts. They have 4 rush hours a day because of it.
- I lived in Rome for the Summer and traveled around Italy both on my own and with my school group to Venice, Florence, Tuscany area, Pompeii, Paestum, Verona, etc.
I backpacked for 17 days with a friend beginning and ending in London. We made a quick-paced loop around Europe: London, England -> Paris, France -> Barcelona, Spain > Geneva, Switzerland -> Munich, Germany -> Vienna, Austria -> Prague, Czech Republic (NOT INCLUDED ON EURAIL PASS, BUT EXCELLENT EXCHANGE RATE <aka> Very Cheap) -> Berlin, Germany -> Amsterdam, The Netherlands -> Brussels, Belgium -> London, England.
My favorite cities were Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam, and Dublin. Of course, I only stayed a day or two in each place.
Good Luck, Have fun, and enjoy! You will have the time of your life!