Rome, Calabria, and Florence?

Question

I'll be traveling to Itay this summer to study in Calabria (san demetrio) for a month. I'm going to Rome before the program in Calabria and to Florence afterwards with a girl who is also doing the program. We'll probably be staying in hostels, sightseeing, etc. Any advice, tips, or ideas on things that we can't miss in Rome, Calabria, or Florence? Anything would be appreciated. Also, how much Italian do you need to know to get around? I know enough to buy a train ticket, ask for directions, etc but I don't think I could carry on a conversation yet (we're taking Italian classes in Calabria).

Thanks!

Answer 1

The others commented on places to see so I'll focus on the Italians.  They are such warm and friendly people.  They remind me in so many ways of the Mexicans.  If you've ever been to Mexico the natives are eager to help you.  The same I can say about the Italians.  If you say a few words in their language they almost always appreciate your effort and respond back to you in english.  Please be courteous and don't expect their culture to conform to yours.  However, please be wary of all the pickpockets and gypsies.  These include young children.  You'll find them everywhere there are tourists.  So don't have your head in the clouds and be aware of your surroundings at all times.  Have a fabulous time!

Answer 2

I'll tell you what you CAN safely miss: the entire city of Rome, packed with snotty Romans.

Florence is small enough so you won't miss anything, but don't forget to walk the Arno river sidewalk (not just cross the Ponte Vecchio, everybody does that) and stop by a really classy, and rather expensive, restaurant which name I can't recall.

Never been to Calabria, sorry.

Answer 3

You're going to love all three places, but given the tourists in Rome and Florence, I'd say you may end up enjoying Calabria the most. Here's my list of top spots in Calabria, since I'm sure others will inform you about the major cities:

Calabria: My personal favorite. Reggio is a great city to stroll through. Catanzaro is also nice. Soverato is a small town on the bay of Squillace that has some really good nightlife on some clubs on the beach. Plus, everything in Calabria is a little cheaper than the rest of Italy, so you can find some good deals.

As for knowing a lot of Italian, I think you'll be okay. My spanish was a lot stronger than my italian when I was last in Calabria and I did fine on my own. If nothing else, focus on your accent. Saying a little correctly puts you miles ahead of other tourists with a large vocab but horrible pronnuciation.

Bouno viaggio!

Answer 4

In terms of language, as long as you have the basics of Italian as you seem to be studyng, your Italian should be enough.

I would highly recommend buying the travel book Lonely Planet for Italy as it is quite accurate re the best places to visit and eat etc. If you can certainly try and spend a few days in Rome. Its a fantastic city.