caroline

Fedora is a cafe connected to the Florence University of the Arts - American University of Florence Baking and Pastry Department. They have new pastries daily, so you can come every day and get something new! This cafe is set up for university students to study, but it is frequented by Italian families. They offer indoor and outdoor seating, perfect for any time of the year.

Address: Via Ricasoli, 21, 50122 Firenze (Fl)

Phone: +39 055 263 3155

Hours: 8:30 AM – 9:30 PM Monday-Saturday

Types of cuisine: Pastries, Pasta, Salad, Cafe, Cocktails

Webiste: https://fedoraflorence.it/?lang=en 

Instagram: @fuaflorence 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com//Fedora.firenze 

Dietary restriction accommodation: non-dairy, vegetarian 

Average price: €

Accepted payment methods: cash, card

In all honesty, the worst part of studying abroad is the overwhelming pressure to spend every moment exploring. I feel this need to travel every weekend and try new restaurants every day I'm in town. Mixed with school and other adult responsibilities, I do not always have the energy to constantly explore. Four months is such a short amount of time to familiarize myself with such a big, culturally rich region. I wanted to go to every museum and learn every piece of history, but it is simply not possible. 

Osteria Santo Spirito

Their truffle cheese gnocchi has blown up on TikTok recently, and the hype is deserved! Located in Santo Spirito, this restaurant has a wide variety of Italian dishes. This is the perfect spot to go if you have a limited amount of time in Florence.

Address: Piazza Santo Spirito, 16/R, 50125 – Firenze (FI)

Phone: +39 055 238 2383

Website: https://osteriasantospirito.it 

Hours: 12:30 – 2:30 PM, 7:30 – 10:30 PM Wednesday-Monday; closed Tuesdays

Reservations: accepted by phone

Types of cuisine: Italian cuisine

Dietary restriction accommodation: vegetarian friendly

Average price: €€

Accepted payment methods cash, credit card

Good for: groups and families 

Gelateria Artigianale La Sorbettiera

Just a minute's walk from Osteria Santo Spirito is one of Florence's best gelaterias. Made fresh every morning, this gelato has a creamy texture and a rich flavor that comes from fresh ingredients.

Address: Via Mazzetta, 9/a, 50125 – Firenze (FI)  

* second  location at: Piazza Torquato Tasso, 11r, 50124 – Firenze (FI)

Phone: +39 055 512 0336

Website: https://lasorbettiera.it

Hours: 12 – 10 PM Monday-Saturday; 11 AM – 10 PM Sunday

Instagram: @lasorbettiera

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lasorbettiera/ 

Cuisine: Gelato

Dietary restrictions: non-dairy options

Average price: €

Once you land in FCO, deplane and go to the bathroom. The train station will charge you 1 euro to use the restroom, and you most likely will not have 1 euro when you’re fresh off a plane from America. Then go pick up your luggage at baggage claim.

Then, follow the signs for The Leonardo Express, which runs directly from the airport to Roma Termini (the main train station). 

Info:

duration: 32 minutes

departs every 15 minutes

costs 14 euro

Once you arrive at Roma Termini, find a Trenitalia ticket machine or counter. 

How to use the machine: 

Choose the English option (USA or English flag)

Find trains to Firenze S. M. Novella

Choose the 96-minute option, which should cost 50 euros (these trains leave every half hour)

Follow the instructions for payment. The machines should take cash and card (tap and insert). If the machine is not taking your preferred payment method, it’s broken, and you should try another one.

Grab your ticket and put it in a safe place

Like an airport, the train station has boards announcing the platforms for departures and arrivals. Look on the departure board for your time and destination, then find the platform. 

Find your platform. When the train arrives, look for the cabin that you are in. Your ticket will have a cabin number listed that will correspond with the number on the side of the train doors. Then, find your seat, which will be listed on your ticket. Your seat assignment will have a row then number (Ex. 2F).

Extra Pillow. Invest in your comfort! You will be living in Florence for months, so make your bed comfortable.

Blanket. One of the first things I did in Florence was buy a blanket since my floor is tile; I was freezing! The blanket makes my bed feel so much cozier, and it saved me from the cold Florentine nights.

House slippers. Coming from Hawai’i, where we do not wear shoes in the house, this seems fairly obvious. Everyone in my apartment has their own house slippers that we change into to protect us from the evil tile floors.

I have never been the type of person to enjoy a planned trip. I despise being told where to go or what to do; I like to be in control. That being said, sometimes a pre-planned group trip is the best option.

The main company that runs group trips that leave from Florence is smarttrips (https://www.smarttrip.it/en). Most, if not all, of the people, are study abroad students so you are guaranteed a chaotic, fun time catered towards young people. 

Pros of Planned Trips

You don’t need to stress about booking accommodations or transportation, they do it for you!

You get opportunities that you may not get if you plan your own trip. For example, I got to go rafting while I was in Croatia.

You get to party with your peers. On my Smart Trip, we had an optional booze cruise that almost everyone signed up for. We spent the day sailing around Croatian islands drinking into oblivion. It was so much fun getting to do this with people my age, which was made possible by taking an organized trip. 

Cons of Planned Trips:

You have to take a bus. The bus I took was ~17 hours (including stops) and it was awful. Although flying has its own set of cons that I won’t go into right now, I cannot stress how bad a 17-hour bus ride is the day after a booze cruise.

Limited free time. I signed up for a lot of activities, which meant I did not have much time to eat. Between rafting and the pub crawl, we had about 2 hours to acquire food, get ready to go out, and relax. On top of all of that, we found out very last minute that we needed to stock up on booze early for our booze cruise since Easter was the next day, and nowhere in Croatia would be selling alcohol. 

Ultimately, you are at the will of the tour organizers. You do not get any freedom on where you stay, sometimes even what you eat.

* please note that it was so much easier for me to pack for Greece in a small backpack than for others to pack for colder climates. Thankfully, I did not have to bring bulky sweaters or jackets.

Do Not Forget

Passport

Vaccine Card

Any daily medicine/vitamins 

Your housekeys

Lock for hostel locker

Clothes

8 pairs of socks

8 pairs of underwear

2 going-out outfits

2 pajama sets

3 pants/shorts for everyday use

1-2 jumpsuits or dresses

1 bag for laundry!!

Electronics

Laptop + charger

Portable charger + its charger

Headphones

Phone + charger

Toiletries

Toothbrush + holder

Toothpaste

Floss

Shampoo

Conditioner

Body Wash

Face Wash

Sunscreen

Q-Tips

Deodorant

Razor

Lotion

Hairbrush

Hair ties

Miscellaneous

Tote bag

Makeup

Jewelry

Sunglasses + case

Earplugs

Make a group chat with everyone the birthday celebrator is friends with and set a time

If they ask about presents, tell them to bring alcohol

Get decorations from Flying Tiger

Get a cake (I got mine from Pompi)

Pregame at your apartment with a smaller group

Meet up with everyone else at a bar or restaurant

I am truly and simply tired of flying. It’s not the act of taking a flight, I actually enjoy putting my phone in airplane mode and getting to sit for a couple hours.  What I am tired of is the transportation to and from the airport. Last February, I went to Paris on Ryanair and flew to the Paris Beauvais Airport, which is famous for having cheap flights but expensive transportation to and from. Ryanair also does not fly from Florence, so we had to take the train to Pisa Centrale, then Pisa Airport, which was actually the nicest part of this travel day. For reference, our flight from Pisa to Paris was 16 euro and the bus was 17 euro. After landing, we had to take a bus to the city center, then got a taxi to take us to our actual accommodation. 

Although it was slightly more expensive, we opted to take the train back from Paris. We got to plug in our phones, stretch out, and we had no hassle with security. I would rather take a 20-hour train than deal with another flight.

Sometimes I just need some good comfort food in the form of a delicious American-style brunch. This cafe is a hot spot for study abroad students because it provides a sense of home. The staff is incredible and the food is out of this world, you will not regret going to Rooster Cafe.

My meal of choice: chicken and waffles, sweet potato fries, and a smoothie

Via Porta Rossa, 63R, 50123 – Firenze (FI)

Tue-Sun: 9 AM – 11 PM

Tel: +39 055 264 5006

Via Sant'Egidio, 37R, 50122 – Firenze (FI)

Tue-Sun: 9 AM – 3 PM

Tel: +39 055 240 208

Website: https://roostercafefirenze.com 

Reservation: not accepted; first come first serve

Instagram: @roostercafefirenze

Types of cuisine: Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch, Cocktail, Smoothies

Dietary restriction accommodation: non-dairy options

Average price: €€

Accepted payment methods: Credit card, cash