Travel Arrangements

Air Travel to Italy

Students are responsible for making their own international travel arrangements as well as those for any subsequent travel in Europe. International travel arrangements should be made as early as possible.

Tips for Booking Travel:

• Many airlines and travel agencies offer attractive round-trip air fares. For example, STA Travel at www.sta.com caters to student travel.  
• The major air carriers offer flights to Florence, Italy, usually routed through an airport-hub city in Europe (Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Rome, or Milan).
• When booking your flight, it is sometimes possible to arrange a short layover in the hub city at no extra charge (should you be interested in visiting that city for a day or two).
• Be somewhat cautious about using discount air carriers. If you miss a flight in your sequence, you will not necessarily be given a ticket for a later flight on another airline. There are also more stringent luggage weight limitations on low-cost carriers. You could end up paying several hundred dollars extra.
  
• Carlson Wagon-lit, a Spokane travel agency, uses Pacific Gateway, a wholesaler, for Northwest tickets that are usually a bit lower than what you can find yourself on-line. Be aware that although wholesale tickets are more reasonable, they often do not permit changes, or can be expensive to change should you need to alter travel dates.
• Be conscious of the time of your return flight to the U.S. Departures often occur in the early morning, necessitating spending the night at or near the airport unless you want to shell out for a cost-prohibitive cab ride from central Florence.
• In some cases, it may be slightly cheaper to fly into one of Italy's major cities (Rome or Milan) and than take a train or commuter flight to Florence. Alitalia often has cheap flights for travel within Italy (requiring purchase of one ticket to Italy and a second ticket between Rome and Florence or between Milan and Florence).

• It is relatively painless to travel by train from Rome or Milan to Florence. Rome is probably a better choice to spend a few days before the program begins. You can check bags for up to two weeks at the airport or the train stations.

Travel within Italy and Europe

Destinations in Italy and other European countries are readily accessible by train, commuter air service, and other forms of public transportation.

Travel Tips within Europe:

• You may consider purchasing the appropriate rail passes if you plan to travel in Europe before, or after the Florence Summer Law Program.
• It is generally not recommended to purchase a Eurail Pass for use during program dates, as you will not have enough time to get the most out of your pass.
• Explore travel options with a travel agent or check out one of the many rail pass web sites such as www.eurail.on.ca; www.raileurope.com; and www.railpass.com.
• Rail passes must be purchased in the United States prior to departure for Europe. Student discounts are often available, particularly for students under 26 years of age.
• A number of low-cost air carriers operate intra-European flights out of Rome, Pisa, and Bologna. Two of the leading low-cost European air carriers are www.ryanair.com and www.easyjet.com.