Erasmus Experience in Florence, Italy by Lily

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Why did you choose to go to Florence, Italy?

I chose Florence because it is a small city immersed in a medieval era. You literally can walk around the entire historic centre.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I did not come here with a scholarship.

What is the student lifestyle like in Florence?

I feel like it is charming. Everyday is a day to explore, visit a museum, walk around or simply have an espresso.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Florence to other students?

I would definitely recommend the city. I feel it will provide you a unique life experience.

What is the food like?

One word, epic. Just have to watch out for the many tourist traps. Nothing is more disappointing than going to a bad restaurant.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Florence?

I visited around 5 different apartment options before settling in for one. Apartments here, in my limited experience, are either very old looking or recently remodelled.

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How much does it cost to live in Florence?

It all depends if you share housing and costs or not. In my case, I shared an apartment with another girl but we each had our own room. This is more expensive than sharing a room with another person. We each had to pay about 500 euros in rent. To that, I had to pay another 500 to 600 each month for my regular expenses (food, cellphone service, coffee, random shopping).

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

I come from a Spanish speaking nation, so Italian for me is very easy to understand. There are many institutes here where you can take courses as well as private tutors. I remember by the Santa Croce area I had found a place where I could actually get Italian classes for free! If you search you shall find anything you want!

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Florence from your city?

I come from Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras) located in central America, so for me travelling to Florence is a nightmare. The easiest way to do it is taking a direct flight from San Pedro to Madrid and then buying a ticket with a budget airline form Madrid to Florence. Another option is flying from Rome or Paris to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Tegucigalpa through Delta Airlines.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Florence?

There are many clubs in Florence so it just depends on your mood and age. Younger crowds go to Red Garter for a Karaoke night and dancing. People of all ages go to Babylon, YAB, Colle Beretto, Bamboo, Manduca or Blanco. I found that an older crowd tends to hang out in Flo. If dancing is not something you feel like doing, walking around the Arno or around the historical centre is always an amazing option.

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And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Florence?

My favourite Gelato is the cinnamon flavoured one in Edoardo's by the Duomo. Definitely the best panini is the one in Antico Vinaio. Ristorante 13 Gobbi has some very good rigatoni and Zeb has some yummy eggplant lasagna.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Visiting as many of the churches as possible, museums... mamma mia! Florence is just one amazing cultural site as a whole!

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Florence in the future?

Finding a nice spot to study can be a challenge sometimes. The Biblioteca delle Oblate is one of my favourite ones since it has a nice terrace view with a site of the Duomo. However sometimes it can get crowded. Sometimes to mix it up I would go to Il Murate.

My two final recommendations are:

1. Try and befriend a local that can help guide you through the city!
2. Every chance you get, get on a train and go explore the cities near Florence (Luca, Pisa, Montecatini, Livorno... etc). Adventure is literally a train ride away!

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