Florence, Italy.

[acekieffer]

So I'm thinking of studying abroad in Florence next spring.

I was just wondering, if you've been there or have visited there, what have your experiences been like?

what kind of shops are there?

what is living there like?

is it hard to get around without knowing any or very little italian?

etc.

thanks.

Ace.

[C0C0]

it'll be easy to get around without knowing much italian...i wasn't in florence for much long and in addition i went during ferragosto so it was pretty much empty during that time...

[swisloc]

  acekieffer said:

I was just wondering, if you've been there or have visited there, what have your experiences been like?

what kind of shops are there?

what is living there like?

is it hard to get around without knowing any or very little italian?

i lived there for six months while studying. I loved it, especially in the winter/early spring when there is not so many tourists. keep in mind that although Florence is probably second to Rome in terms of sheer number of tourists, it is concentrated in the very small city center and mostly along the path between Palazzo Vechio/Uffizi and Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) and Bapdistry and across the Ponte Vechio to Palazzo Pitti. This is only a small part of the overall city, and there are plenty of quiet piazzas even during tourist season.

Are you staying in an apartment? If so, keep in mind that apartments in Italy are not really the same as you'd expect in the states. Often they are just part of a families house, or even, in some case, share common space with the family. This can be very unsettling as you can imagine. I would look for places north of the city center, just outside of the "Vialle" (the major ring road that surrounds the center) if you have options, as there are more of the quiet neighborhood type areas around there.

I think the shopping is overrated. but that is based more on personal tastes in clothes than overall quality of merch. florence is widely known for leather, but because of this it is very easy to get crappy leather passed off as quality from local shops.

florence is also great because you have easy access to amazing tuscan towns like Siena, Pienza, Lucca, San Giminiano, etc... plus Emiglia Romano/Bologna (the state known for the best food in the country) are only a short train ride away.

lastly, i spoke almost no italian when i left, to the point that i was barely able to buy the right train ticket from milan to florence after flying over, but in six months i could carry on a conversation on the street. you'll learn fast, so don't let it stop you.

EDIT: one of the biggest differences is nothing being open on Sunday (i mean almost literally nothing, except restaurants for lunch) and everything stopping on weekdays for two hours for siesta. it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it makes a difference.

[acekieffer]

Thanks for the responses so far.

I'm hoping to stay in a dorm of some sort but we'll see.

I plan on going spring 2008, so like this time next year.

anyone know what the weather is like over there around this time? late winter/spring..

Ace.

[swisloc]

  acekieffer said:

Thanks for the responses so far.

I'm hoping to stay in a dorm of some sort but we'll see.

I plan on going spring 2008, so like this time next year.

anyone know what the weather is like over there around this time? late winter/spring..

Ace.

until about march it is in the high single digits (celcius, so think mid to high 40's farenheit) then it gets warmer, mid to high teens in celcius in the spring. If you are from maryland, the weather is probably pretty similar, if not a bit warmer in florence.