Florence - Innovación FP - Ikasnova
Florence - Innovación FP
FLORENCE
PROS
- Florence is a beautiful, peaceful, and welcoming city to live in, with a pleasant climate.
- It's small and very easy to get around. Well-connected, there are good connections to other parts of the country.
- Florence is a constant work of art. One of the best places to enjoy art and architecture.
- Being a tourist area, its citizens are always willing to help tourists or foreigners.
- Many people speak English, so it's easy to get around in its quiet streets, which have a good atmosphere for young people.
CONS
- The standard of living is high; everything is quite expensive.
- There are too many tourists at certain times.
- There is a lot of poverty in the city center.
- The way they drive.
- Public transportation could be improved. The frequency and punctuality of city buses.
- Being a tourist city, you have to be careful with pickpockets.
- It's best to bring cash to buy bus tickets. There are places that don't accept card payments.
REGARDING ACCOMMODATION
"The apartment where the Erasmus students lived was decent, complete, and cozy. The downside is that you have to share a room, and of course, if you get along well with your roommate, great, but if not... you have to put up with it for three months."
"The apartment was for three people, and there were five of us. There was a frying pan for everyone, and it was horribly hot in the last days of June."
"Like everything in Florence, it was expensive."
"The apartment is well located. The living room and bathroom are large, but we only had one room, which we shared between three people, and it felt quite small. For what we paid, I expected more."
"We stayed in a student apartment and I was very comfortable."
"It was fine, but the windows were single-pane (poorly insulated), and the bed's springs were noticeable, so it was difficult to replace the mattress. The refrigerator was very small—half a shelf for each person—so I had to do my shopping every day and use a pantry shelf."
"The apartment was quite small and had several broken items."
"The apartment was for three people, and there were five of us. There was a frying pan for everyone, and it was horribly hot in the last days of June."
"Like everything in Florence, it was expensive."
"The apartment is well located. The living room and bathroom are large, but we only had one room, which we shared between three people, and it felt quite small. For what we paid, I expected more."
"We stayed in a student apartment and I was very comfortable."
"It was fine, but the windows were single-pane (poorly insulated), and the bed's springs were noticeable, so it was difficult to replace the mattress. The refrigerator was very small—half a shelf for each person—so I had to do my shopping every day and use a pantry shelf."
"The apartment was quite small and had several broken items."
IF YOU GO TO FLORENCE, YOU HAVE TO VISIT...
- Lose yourself in its streets. Take a walk along the river.
- Piazzale Michelangelo, don't miss the best viewpoint to contemplate Florence.
- Ponte Vecchio.
- The Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo's David in the Accademia Gallery in Florence.
- The Duomo (as the cathedral of Florence is popularly known), with its enormous dome and its towering bell tower that defines the city's skyline.
- The Giunti Odeon cinema-bookstore.
- Take the opportunity to explore other cities. Pisa is very close—take the opportunity to take a photo holding the tower—as are Siena, Cortona, Prato, and the Cinque Terre area, made up of five attractive villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.
A GOOD PLACE TO EAT / HAVE A DRINK IN FLORENCE IS...
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Gustapizza.
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In Gradisca, try the town center or the San Francisco café.
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Pasticceria Marchelo, on Vialle Europa.
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For sandwiches at All'Antico Vinaio, don´t miss the one called "Il Paradiso" with a pistachio cream that´s insane.
The Central Market, also known as the San Lorenzo Market. -
For a drink, "The Box" and for good food, any trattoria.
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La Bottega (in Piazza Santa Maria Novella).
TIPS IF YOU GO TO FLORENCE
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Don't forget to bring an adapter because many houses are old and have three-hole vertical plugs. Very important: you need an open mind and a willingness to meet new people.
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I recommend buying your beers at the supermarket.
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You can't miss the experience of spending three months in Florence; it's a beautiful city.
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Patience, especially at the beginning, and trying to be as independent as possible will come in handy when you return to Spain.
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Be careful with train tickets.
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Bring cash; you'll need it.
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Manage your money wisely; things outside of Spain tend to be more expensive.
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You can spend up to €300 a month on food (without eating out).
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Surround yourself with Italians to learn the language and not be embarrassed to speak it.
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Don't eat in restaurants near the cathedral.
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Beware of pickpockets. If you're a woman, don't go alone to the central market; all the Indian vendors are a bit annoying. If you're Latino, they sell many Latin American products on the first floor of the central market, but only in the morning.
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Be wary of public transportation; the scheduled arrival time is often not what you expected, and the bus can be delayed, so leave early just in case.
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Always carry water because you'll be walking a lot.
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Don't forget to bring an adapter because many houses are old and have three-hole vertical plugs.
