Finances

Ciao!

I am writing this as my first week in Florence comes to an end. I wanted to share some advice for preparing for a study abroad in Florence. Between packing, visas, credit cards, phone plans, and everything in between, I found it very stressful to navigate this! Hopefully this post will help take a load off your mind.

Cost of attendance

• Italy is a generally expensive place to study. Rent and school are on the higher end, and the Euro is stronger than the USD. Because of this, you'll end up paying more than you would at UH manoa regardless of the accommodations you choose.

• The school does plan a lot of great activities, which can help you save your money on meals and activities. You can do 3 activities a week, and they range from cooking classes, to tours of markets and other historical sites, to visiting artisans and learning about local culture.

• Groceries are quite reasonable here and can save you a lot of money. I am at a homestay, so my dinner and breakfast is included M-F. So, for weekday lunches (when I don't have an activity booked that gives me food) I pack myself a lunch.

Accessing funds:

• I would recommend a Wise or Revolut card. They allow you to convert your money at a relatively low cost (for wise, its between 0.5 and 3% depending on the method and amount). This will allow you to convert money as you need it to Euros, or any other currency you need if you travel outside the EU. You can also withdraw a certain amount of cash for free per month, something like 300 dollars for Wise (I chose Wise), which means you can avoid fees and withdraw money conveniently. You can also use it like a debit card, and its Visa, so it works pretty much everywhere.

  

  

• On that note, do not use the currency exchange counters in the city center or the bright blue ATMS on the street. They have high fees. Instead, go inside a bank to do either of these.

• Let your card company/bank know you are going to be travelling. Even so, they will likely block your card. Have a few backup options and carry cash.

• They widely accept mastercard, visa, and often AMEX (it is similar to how amex is accepted in the US). They don't have Discover. So just make sure you have at least one debit/credit card that is Visa/Mastercard

• Cash: bring about 200-300 euros, and bring some small bills too. It is good to have some 1 and 2 Euro coins on hand at all times.

Thanks for reading. Check out my other pre-departure checklist posts for information on other things to pack and plan for. Buona Giornatta, Ciao!