<p>I’m going to be studying in London for a year in a study abroad program and I really really want to go to Italy and see Rome and Venice. So, I want to go there during either my spring/easter/winter break. Can I travel to Italy without applying for visa? Since I have a visa for study in London? Or should I make special arrangements for travelling in Italy like maybe going to a European travel agency or something?
Also, maybe it’s a stupid question- I intend to travel only by train through Europe and Italy- is that possible and would that bring down the cost of travel?
Any input and advice is welcome. Thanks!</p>
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<p>Those ought to keep you busy for a while
jgfi</p>
<p>You don’t need a visa from Italy to go on a tourist-type visit on spring break. You can travel all over western Europe without stopping at borders and showing passports or visas - just like driving around the US.</p>
<p>My suggestion is not to travel to Italy over Easter. Easter is hugh travel time in Italy and things are crowded and prices tend to be higher. That being said, Easter in Florence is an experience you would never forget.</p>
<p>You could actually get to Italy from London by train (using the Chunnel) but it’d cost you a lot. There are pretty cheap airline fares in Europe now so it should be much cheaper and quicker to fly. Once in Italy you could take trains.</p>
<p>Both Rome and Venice are well worth a visit IMO.</p>
<p>Train service in much of Western Europe is terrific, but it’s not necessarily cheap. For longer distances especially, airfares are surprisingly affordable and often much cheaper (not to mention faster) than the train. If you’re going to be in the UK and plan to take a short trip to Italy, it’s probably cheapest to fly to Italy and take the train within Italy.</p>
<p>Thanks! This helped a ton! </p>
<p>Apart from easter, what time of the year would be best for a visit?</p>
<p>Hands down, fall is the best time to visit Italy.It is less crowded, cheap, great weather, and has fabulous seasonal cuisine. While in England, do what the Brits do and travel via Ryan Air. Flights are so cheap, as long as you take a very small bag, that long weekend jaunts to Florence, Rome, or Venice are very doable. In no way do you need to plan these trips ahead of time. Wait till you are settled and get the lay of the land.</p>
<p>We often went to Italy for long weekends in May that coincided with Germany holidays. It was a nice time to visit - nice weather and not too crowded.</p>
<p>The advice to fly to Italy on a low-cost carrier is good. Trains (and busses) are very affordable within Italy, but it would cost quite a bit to get to Italy from London by train.</p>
<p>If you’ll be in London for the entire year, I hope you’ll do some other travelling! Long weekend trips don’t have to be expensive. Ryan Air has good prices to many European cities, especially if you watch for special fares and travel with a friend to keep room costs down. The airports are sometimes rather out of the way, but there is generally some kind of cheap shuttle bus. Some of the easy ones to fly in to and be able to get around with local public transport include Madrid, Barcelona (Girona), Pisa, and Riga. Even those like Frankfurt-Hahn, that seem to be out in the middle of nowhere, have decent shuttle bus connections (from Hahn to the city of Frankfurt, for example, or Luxembourg City).</p>
<p>Brussels is especially nice at Christmas time. You can get there from London via Eurostar, and from there you can go to Paris, Amsterdam, or Cologne on Thalys. Both rail lines have frequent specials, and the Belgian national rail system is a real bargain - you can get a 10-trip ticket for around 45 euro (student fare). You just keep the ticket and write the starting and ending stations on the ticket on the date you travel, and it is valid every day on SNCB 2nd class. The 10-trip ticket can also be shared by a group of travellers on the same trip, and come to think of it, I think the Eurostar price includes a forward journey on any SNCB train from Brussels to another Belgian station as well.</p>
<p>You could consider a rail pass:</p>
<p>[Eurail</a> Passes | Official EuRail Website - Travel by Train Across Europe](<a href=“http://www.eurail.com/]Eurail”>http://www.eurail.com/)</p>
<p>We found that if you are living there it is cheaper and more flexible to just keep an eye on special deals then to have a Eurorail pass. Often times you can pick up last minute deals on Ryan Air or the trains that make a trip really affordable. Trenitalia in particular often has great last minute deals.</p>
<p>yes you can…have a blast!! My daughter was in Wales and traveled to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and Germany, France and Ireland. She managed to do some of those countries on long weekends…“ryan air” was super cheap…and once in europe, the rails were the way to go. She went everwhere she had hoped to, and at a certain point, we told her we had to sort of “cut back”…lol, that didnt stop her! I even managed to go see her in Wales for a week…spent some time in London. As an Irish woman, I really longed to go back there, but not enough time!! Anyway, my kids were there when the dollar was dog do do…lol, things are diff this year. I am sure you will find great deals everywhere! Don’t forget alot of her friends will be spread out all over Europe for their semester abroad…and with some careful planning, they can work out ways to visit (without paying, lol)</p>
<p>It seems that most points have already been covered so I’ll just say: fly. Don’t buy a rail pass unless you’re going to travel non-stop for a month. Traveling by rail within Italy is relatively cheap so you could always fly to Venice and out of Rome. The train ride between the two is a pretty long way though…You can always stop in Florence for a day to break the trip up!</p>
<p>Highly recommend stopping in Florence, “la piu bella citta della monde”. It is a fabulous city – the art is non-stop, it is easy to get around, the food is fabulous, especially the street food, a good place for a student budget to get the very best of Italy.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great advice! Here are the places I’m planning to visit:Florence,
Rome,Venice, Paris and Switzerland. Are there any amazing festivals, fairs and parades that anyone managed to catch that I should know about?</p>
<p>My suggestion is do not avoid crowded holidays and festivals, if you want to really absorb the culture. There is a reason why it’s crowded–it’s an amazing, wonderful event. What you want to avoid are crowds of Americans. You want to be places where the “natives” are on vacation. Some incredible festivals would be: Las Fallas, Valencia, Spain in March. Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) in Seville or some smaller Spanish Village. Madrid on New Years Eve. Biarritz, France during the Basque Festival, usually mid-July. Of course, San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain in July. The Palio in Siena, Italy, takes place twice, once in July, once in August. Feast of St. James anywhere in northern Spain (July 25) but I specifically recommend Puente la Reina. I would search the internet for special festivals in whatever country you might visit. If you do go anywhere during a special festival, make sure to get your lodging reservations way in advance. You’ll pay a premium, but it’s worth it if you like to be immersed in the revelry. Of course, most of your travel will be at times when it’s not crowded, and that’s lovely. But do pick a few special events, and you won’t regret it. More suggestions: Carnaval in Venice in February. Bastille Day in Paris. Rome at Christmas.</p>
<p>Try this site for great airfares within Europe. Enjoy your time there!</p>
<p>[Budget</a> Airlines / No-Frills Airlines - Low Cost Flights to Europe](<a href=“http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/budget/]Budget”>Budget, Low Cost and Long Haul Airlines from UK)</p>
<p>D did Study Abroad in Spain and Germany. She travelled a LOT! Ryan Air ($40-$80 fares)-don’t take anything but carry-ons, because checked luggage prices are VERY high. She also joined Couch Surfing and stayed for free. Have a great time!</p>
<p>If Florence is on your itinerary I’d suggest going in eaither the early fall or mid-Spring. Summers can be a bit mild. Daytime highs were 40 celcius when I was there a couple years back. It was also overrun with American tourists (like me), who you’ll want to avoid, and American students, who you’ll find there year-round anyway. I’ll second Bastille Day in Paris. Lots of fun and one of the best fireworks displays you’ll ever see. Just find a viewing area away from the Champs de Mars, away from the crowds and requisite pickpockets.</p>