Ready, Set, Go!
Ciao, a tutti! This past spring semester, January-May, 2024, I went on an INCREDIBLE study abroad to Sorrento, Italy! One of the reasons I picked Italy as my study abroad destination was to travel WITHIN Italy as much as I could. I mean, who wouldn’t want to!? It was a high priority of mine to take advantage of living in the country I choose and truly getting to know the area. Italy is known to have some of the nicest people, greatest works of art, major archaeological sites, delicious food, and scenic landscapes one could find in a single country. Going into the semester, I knew I was going to prioritize travel, but only had a few ideas of places I definitely wanted to go. As the semester went on this list ended up changing quite a bit! What started off as the staples, Rome, Sicily, and Lake Como, quickly became much more expansive, and I got so many recommendations from locals for places that I never would have heard about otherwise. One example is Procida! Besides traveling to Italy, I thought I would take two international trips, Greece and Ireland, but the one international trip ended up being to Germany! I am so glad that was the one I did though, I found Germany to be an incredible place to visit.
For my travels, I did combinations of long-term travel in Italy, short weekend trips, and day trips. As part of this, I got to experiment with all sorts of ways to travel, and so I had to learn the best means of traveling that was also the most cost efficient. Living in Sorrento, it was so easy to take the train to Naples, where from there I could hop on other trains for longer train-destination travel. It was also a quick bus ride to the airport to Sorrento, as well. Did you know the Naples airport even has a capsule hotel attached? This was so convenient for my flight home. I had to get up at 5AM for an early morning flight, and being able to literally just get up and go was a huge relief from stress. (If you’re flying out of Naples early, check it out! It’s BenBo Capsule Hotel.) In this blog post, I wanted to share with you all a bit about different ways to travel Italy, though many of these tips are applicable to so many places in Europe. These include some tips, what to avoid, comparing ways to reach main destinations, and general travel methods/costs. For readability, I’ve broken it down into sections based on the title - plus an extra fun one thrown in! Can you guess it? Keep reading to see.
Trains
Did you know within the next few years Sicily will be accessible to the Italic peninsula via train? There is now talk of a train line running from Reggio di Calabria into Sicily! Train travel was definitely the method I used most to travel, so it is my favorite and the one I am most comfortable with. Plus, it’s incredibly affordable. Tickets to Naples from Sorrento were only 4.60 Euros for the one and a half hour trip! I also used train travel to explore locally in towns near Sorrento. One goal I made for myself was to visit all of the towns of the Circumvesuviana train line. I also took the train to visit further destinations, like Venice and Sibari. I think my longest train ride was my trip to Venice, which was 5 and a half hours toNaples and then one and half hours from Sorrento to Naples, totalling over 7 hours of travel!
There are also several types of train lines in Italy: local lines, like the Circumvesuviana, high-speed distance trains, and regular-speed distance trains. Make sure you're on the right one for your destination! When I took a day trip from Florence to Pisa, I got on the wrong train! Instead of the hour-long high speed train, I got on the 2 and a half hour regular speed train. While every major city has a train stop, sometimes, for more remote locations, you’ll probably have to take a taxi or uber from the station. Also, sometimes it really is just more convenient and time efficient to fly, which brings up…
Planes
There is so much that can be said about plane travel! For our study abroads, all of us will take one of the most significant plane rides of our lives to get to our final study abroad destination. Let’s start by talking about the way there versus the way back! Your plane ride there should be exciting! You are in for a long travel stretch, many of us will have to travel to the airport, perhaps have a layover (I had one but knew people who had up to 3!), then get to your school, likely via bus. Fortunately, at USC many of our providers offer airport pick up services. There’s no doubt you will be feeling all sorts of emotions on the way there. It will seem like a crazy combination of excitement, nerves, and, frankly, tiredness. I was wiped at the end of my trip to Italy. As a student, it is your task to arrange your airfare to and from your destination, so keeping an eye out for flights that fit your budget and schedule early helps a lot! Also, bring some boredom busters for any flight! Bring an empty water bottle to fill up after going through security, a book, download your favorite songs, or maybe a workbook! Some other flight must-haves to make your trip more comfortable include: eye masks, earbuds, neck pillow, and any medicine you need.
Your plane ride home at the end of your semester abroad will feel significantly different from your way there. For me, this consisted of a lot of sadness, exhaustion, and some nerves about assimilating back home. USC has amazing resources for returning students on our website as well, which can be found here. Functionally, your return flight will be like your flight there, just in reverse. You will need to arrange a way to reach the airport, likely have a layover or two, and arrange a way to your place back home. One important thing to know is unlike pickup, many providers do not arrange departure transportation, and this will be your responsibility. For this, everyone in my program did different things. Some stuck around Europe to do more travel. Others went to the airport with friends and split taxis. I took the airport shuttle. If you are planning your experience with friends, to alleviate some stress, travel with them as well. If you are not, it may help to have a parent or friend to look over your flights with you. Take a breath, you’ve got this!
Of course, plane travel is likely not going to be limited to your arrival and departure flights. If you intend to travel, you will probably take a plane at some point during your time abroad. Have you heard of Ryan Air yet? Get ready, you’re about to become extremely familiar! Whether you're traveling to another country in Europe or just taking a domestic flight, sometimes planes are cheaper and more time efficient than trains and buses. When I went to Milan, my friends and I flew for these reasons; and though Sicily will soon be connected to Calabria via train, to visit Palermo I had to fly as land travel was not an option. These flights do tend to be cheap, though. Mine were almost always less than 60 euros. For these cheaper prices though, the trade-off is early morning take offs and light baggage.
Automobiles and Cars
My mom and me with our rental car
Despite being smaller in size to the US, Italy is by no means a country you can quickly road trip. It would take you about 16 hours to drive top to bottom. In general, you probably would not need a car for any major destination on the West Coast, but when visiting more remote places, or even some major places like San Marino or Matera, you would definitely need a car. While there are benefits to having a car for travel, it allows more flexibility, really consider some of the complications of having a car in a foreign country. First, you would have to go through the rental car process. Remember, most cars in Europe are manual, so if you can’t drive stick shift, this may not be a good option for you. My mom, who drove a stick shift for years when she was in high school and college, even struggled with the model car we rented in Italy. Also, Europe itself was not made for car travel. Many of the roads off of highways, especially in the old towns, are deep set cobblestone roads that are extremely narrow. Bends are sharp, so drivers cannot see pedestrians and vice versa. That means, also, even if you’re walking, you have to be on the lookout for cars all the time! And if you’re near Naples… maybe watch a YouTube video to see the kind of driving you could expect to get into - it is not for the weak!
For study abroad students, in general I would not recommend a car rental. In fact, many programs actually will have you sign waivers not to rent cars or Vespas. If you have parents coming to visit and want to rent cars, make sure they do all the steps necessary to rent a car before arriving. And don’t even get started on the Amalfi drive! Instead, take the bus.
In general, if you plan on traveling by car, do your research beforehand. Some places actually don’t have public-access car services like Taxis and Ubers. Just know before you go! Amalfi, for example, has no Ubers, only taxis and tourist buses, which do tend to be up-charged. If this does not sound appealing, bring your walking shoes! Unfortunately, when taking taxis, know and keep an eye out for some of the common Taxi scams, which are most likely to occur in major cities with Americans as the common target.
Buses
Furore taken from bus window
Buses are a fantastic tool to utilize for local travel! I took the bus for a scenic tour of the Amalfi coast, getting to and from field trips (arranged through the school and the preferred way to travel to ensure group safety), and to the airport. Fortunately, being in Sorrento, anytime I needed to get to the airport, I could take the bus direct from Sorrento the Naples airport, which I definitely thought was the most cost and time efficient way to reach it! Many city buses also have drop offs at popular tourist spots and hostels. Bus travel tends to be extremely cheap (My trip to the airport was 6 euros, the trip to Amalfi was 4), making it a good option for those on a budget. Unfortunately, buses can take longer amounts of time due to the number of stops, and if you’re prone to car sickness, the bus will be worse. One of the benefits of bus travel is their storage space, so if you are traveling with heavier luggage, this is a great option. I’ve also found I much prefer letting experienced city drivers try to navigate the roads.
Vespa
For all my friends traveling to Italy specifically, get ready to see 1:1 Vespas to car ratio! Vespas, which are the Italian compact moped, are an extremely popular way locals commute. Every day, I saw many of the office workers at my school take their Vespas right up to the front door. Unfortunately, many of us study abroaders won’t get a chance to drive one. Many study abroad partner schools will have their students sign waivers that they will not rent Vespas, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find a local who will take you on theirs! Be sure to watch for Vespas just as much as you would for a car when crossing streets! Since they are compact, drivers tend to weave in and out of traffic at high speeds and take SHARP turns.
Ferries
Procida Island taken from ferry
Surprise! Travel never just has to be limited to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Living on the coast, Ferries were not an infrequent means of travel for me. While I only took ferries for day trips, some passengers I saw abroad were on the way to extensive vacations, using ferries to get to islands where they would be staying. Many ferries even have a hull for drivers to park their cars so they can drive when they reach their destination! I personally love Ferry travel, but pack your sea legs, it is not for the faint of heart! I also think of the ferry trip as a little tour in itself. I mean, you get a gorgeous view of the place you're departing from and arriving at from the water! When else will you see these places from that perspective!
I used ferry travel to explore some of the islands near me: Ischia, Procida, and Capri. I also used Ferry travel when visiting Italy with my family in 2022, where we traveled from Vietri Sul Mare to Positano and Capri. Ferry travel is easy, just make sure you book online in advance. While you can buy your tickets at the port day of, during tourist season these waits tend to be long and there is no guarantee tickets won’t be sold out. Plus, you can use that time to explore instead of waiting in line. When selecting days to take day trips via Ferry, I recommend weekends, as many Ferries only have one one drop off and pick up time and you will likely be at your destination the majority of the day.
For Venice specifically, a city known for its water travel, you will have to take Ferries if you plan to visit more than one Island. For example, to visit Murano, the island of the famous Murano glass, you will need to take a Ferry. But like I said before, Ferry travel is like a sight-seeing tour in its way! While Gondolas can cost upwards to 80 Euros a person, the water taxi will be much more affordable, sometimes as low as 2 Euros.
Walking Culture and Good old Foot Traffic
Me at Paestum
As we have all seen on Tik Tok (in which American tourists returning home desperately try to recreate), Europe has a much more prominent walking culture than the States. For the most part, individual towns and cities in Italy are extremely walkable. Every small town I visited could be walked in just 1 - 2 hours, leaving plenty of room to stop in to places and explore. Buy two pairs of good walking shoes before you go abroad, I can guarantee you will use them daily and they will be worn out by the end of the semester. I highly recommend two pairs in case one gets wet, dirty, or worn out and you need a back up. When I went to Milan, it was rainy most of the weekend, and I only had one pair of shoes… You can imagine how uncomfortable it was putting on soggy shoes every morning.
For my friends that like to look glam and wear heels, make sure they have good support! I actually hurt my knee early on in the semester because my shoes lacked good support. Heels are definitely do-able if you have good ones, but many of the roads are cobblestone, so you don’t want ones that will get stuck between the rocks. I actually opted for nicer boots when I wanted to dress up. They tend to be more walkable than heels while just as stylish.
Walking is going to be a huge part of your study abroad experience. Walking is also, in my opinion, the best way to see a city. You’d be surprised how much ground you can cover exploring by walking for an hour. In Milan, my friends and I walked everywhere, which means we got to see everything up close and personal. I also had friends who were fantastic at trip planning and found ways to scout routes in cities that would take us past every major landmark in the most time efficient way possible. Of course, anticipate time at each to admire and take pictures! By walking, my friends and I would stumble on some of the most unexpected places, like local museums, that ended up being some of our best memories of the semester.
The walking culture is one of the things I miss most about my time abroad. In my first week in Sorrento, Sant’Anna Institute hosted a 3-hour round trip hike into a neighboring town, taking us through the most scenic mountain routes. On this hike I met two of my best friends, too! Do not pass up the walking excursions! You’ll meet new friends, see the best sights, and get plenty of exercise. Plus, you’re going to be living in one of the most beautiful places in the world! Why wouldn’t you want to take it all in?
Conclusion
Studying abroad is one of the best experiences you will have, and fortunately, USC is extremely equipped to send you on your dream semester. Come visit us at the Education Abroad Office for help getting started, we’re here for anything you need help with. We are so excited to see all your adventures! Although every travel experience is different, I hope these are some tips to help you get started. And as always, for safety reasons send your itineraries to people and text people your updates. To connect with me, you can visit my personal Instagram @ellctocci or my travel page @ella_traveling_.
A presto!
Ella Tocci
University of South Carolina, BA Global Studies, 2025
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