Don't Forget To Pack: Good walking shoes + umbrella

Best Left At Home: Heels and hairdryer

Best Eats in the Area: La Piccola Ciaccineria (pizza place recommended by my host mom) and Nice (the best gelato)

Favorite Local Activity: Hanging out in the Piazza

Where to Study: CET classrooms or Piazza del Campo

Must-Try Local Dish: Spinach ravioli with sage sauce

Best Photo Op: Top of the duomo in Florence (from the class trip there)

Your Biggest Fail: Dealing with train strikes and almost getting suck in Lake Como. Don't worry we made it back with several buses, a lot of walking, and a ferry!

Buy This: Contrada flag! This is a huge part of the culture in Siena especially around the time of the program. I also loved buying postcards from each place I visited. Cheap, cute, and memorable!

Not That: Italy has a lot of designer stores but shopping there is not worth it. I much preferred the more local stores!

Most Interesting Class: We only took one Italian class for this program.

Best Part of the Program: Exploring with the friends I made and getting to know how to navigate through the city.

Unforgettable Weekend Trips: Sorrento was an unforgettable weekend trip. We stayed in Naples because it is much more cost effective and took the train to Sorrento one day and Pompeii the other. Sorrento was gorgeous, we went on a hike to a swimming hole that opens up to the Mediterranean sea. We explored the shops, I ended up getting some limoncello (which is made in sorrento), lemon sorbet, and postcards. We got to see so much history, nature, and culture on this trip so I would definitely recommend going.

Bonus Pro Tips: Although buses take longer to get to places, I found them to be a lot more reliable than trains. I had to cancel 2 trips because of potential train strikes and ended up booking a bus ticket anyways. Host families give the best advise about places you should visit on weekends, where you should eat in Siena, or what is best to do at night with friends so definitely ask them!

 

Our 3-Minute Travel Guide series is inspired by the University of California's Education Abroad Program's (UCEAP) blog.

Explore all CGIS programs here!