Florence or Rome?
 

I'm a U.S. college student and have decided that I'm going to study abroad for a semester in either Florence or Rome. It's a lot of money to consider and I really want to be in a city I will enjoy fully. I'm interested in the arts, history, Italian culture, nightlife, open-mindedness (homosexuality, diversity), etc... I want a city that always has something new for me to do, is relatively clean, and will give me ample access to other Italian attractions/ European cities to travel to on the weekends. Friendly and accomodating locals would also be great! I would appreciate any suggestions you have regarding which city I should study in... thanks!

For a semester I would choose Florence. It's a smaller city with a big university, and you won't have the feeling of "being lonely" as much as in Rome. And probably it will be a little cheaper than Rome and lots of options for low cost airlines at Pisa Airport, which is near Florence. Anyway, they are less than 2 hours by train :))

Rome is about 10 times the size of Florence (4 million people vs. 400,000). It has much more to see and do than Florence.

It has arts, history, Italian culture, nightlife, open-mindedness (including a large gay community).

Rome also seems (to me, anyway) to have a higher percentage of locals vs. tourists. Florence felt like it was about 1/4 tourists when I visited recently.

Rome is a major transportation hub and has many connections to other cities in Italy and the rest of Europe.

So...I guess my vote is for Rome.

Is there a reason that you are looking at Firenze and Roma and not at other Italian cities? Perugia and Torino have important universities (as do many Padova, Venezia and other Italian cities).

Even if you have narrowed your choice down to Firenze or Roma, or have had them narrowed for you by a sponsoring institution, I think you need to do, on your own, more reserarch into the history and cultural and educational offerings of each city to decide which will be the more rewarding experience.

Roma is still in many ways dominated by its imperial past, as well as being the seat of the international Catholic Church. Firenze is dominated by its Renaissance past, and today's tourist industry, as well as being the capital of Tuscany, which is a very distinctive region of Italia.

What will be the focus of your studies during your semester in Italia?

Thanks for the replies... Rome and Florence are the only two cities my home Uni (University of Wyoming = very little opportunities for Italian studies) recognizes... I'd actually be at the outreach program for Richmond University from London so I wouldn't be in the large Italian universities. I'm a Pre-International Law major... but also love pscyhology and international studies.

The cities both sound great... it's really hard to make a decision!

I'll be there during the Spring semester... anything special go on in either city during these times?

Are Florence and Rome close to one another by rail?

Both cities would be good, but if you are looking for more nightlife and excitement I would choose Rome. As noted above, its much, much larger and has a lot more going on. I may be biased because I love Rome so much, but I think that you will find more to do in Rome. From there its an easy 1.5 hour train ride to Florence so you could visit often.

Tracy

If you are studying the law, how can you not go to Roma?

I would suggest Rome over Florence. I think it has more to offer you, and like other said, Florence is only 1.5 hours away. It is a big city, but I didn't really get that "big city" feeling from it. I also thought Rome was more charming and cleaner. Have fun!

Thanks all for further replies. I am studying law but my Italian studies will be more of a.... break for me. I just want to be somewhere new, exciting, possibly romantic (?), where I don't have to worry so much about my career but moreso just soak in the culture and experience new things.

This reminds me of something else! I've heard that Florence is easier to navigate in and that Rome is quite congested and hard to navigate through? What do you guys think?

PS. I've lived in Wyoming my entire life, in a town of about 500 people. My entire state has less than 500,000 people :)... so Florence still seems HUGE to me, ha ha.

I much prefer Rome. Florence, relatively speaking, feels touristy and provincial. Rome is huge and chaotic and dazzling. Yes, you'll be biting off much more to chew than in the smaller, more manageable Florence. But you're ready for an adventure, right?

They are both different types of cities. Both offer lots of history and great scenery. Rome is so chaotic and fastpaced but I really liked it there. Florence is a much smaller city, not as crazy, but it does get clogged with tourists. I've never stayed in Florence yet but plan to do so this fall. I think if you want a big city atmosphere stay in Rome. However, if you do stay in Florence you can visit other parts of Tuscany.

I have NEVER seen traffic like I saw in Rome (I admit that I've never traveled in Asia.) I drive the chaos which is Dallas every day and Rome makes Dallas look like...well, maybe Wyoming. Lots of cars, coming out of every artery, no matter how small, going very fast, all the time. Every trip across the street - even if the street is narrow - is an adventure. Can you handle that?

Haha, wow, Rome does sound a little crazy. I'm up for an adventure and I will definitely NOT be driving while I'm in Italy.

I'm more looking at public transportation... I know Rome has a metro (but I've heard it's lacking...)! And I know that Florence has a bus system...

I know that, if I live in Rome, my apartment will be in a residential area and my school in the "central Rome area" (whether that's the actual CENTER or the historical "centre" I'm not sure- perhaps they are the same)... I was a bit worried about getting to and from home/ school with a somewhat 'lacking' public transportation system!

I've done semesters abroad and things like that in many different places and I can assure you that the school will provide you with all that you need in order to figure out how to get to and from class, whether it be by bus or metro or foot. You will also be with other students who are just as overwhelmed as you are and it is fun to figure these things out together. What is baffling for the first day or two, quickly becomes routine. I'll never forget the first time I got onto the London metro without having to check the map to see how to go. It was very exciting! Be careful crossing streets, watch your wallet closely, and you'll be fine.

Florence Florence Florence-for a student, IMO, it is the closest thing to heaven on earth. The nightlife, the fun discos, the camaraderie of meeting up with friends at bars and osteria-talking all afternoon and into the evening about politics and world affairs -all the while drinking great Tuscan red wine-walking down the ancient streets of Florence and peeking into courtyards where all manner of artisans are working on various restoration projects or otherwise creating artistic objects-the art-it is all around you.

You can walk the entire city, just as in Dante's time, in about 20 minutes-that makes it very easy to meet up with people all over-the Duomo being one of the prime meeting points in the city at night.

Daily life in Florence is NOT AT ALL like the typical hurried tourist jaunts through the Duomo, Uffizi/Accademia-it is to be savored and enjoyed like a fine wine, however cliched that may sound.

When I was there, it was rare that I would come home before 1:00am -just too much going on out there to go home and sleep. Night is when the Florentines take back their city.

And as for the courses you can take, you might be interested to know that it is Italian law that the Florentine dialect ("dialetto Fiorentino") is the standard dialect in the country the "offical Italian" spoken. Dante, the father of the Italian language, first popularized the use of the local Italian dialect over Latin in his writings (poor Dante, exiled from his beloved Florence, never able to return). That is why you'll see twice as many language schools in Florence than elsewhere. It is where the best Italian is spoken.

Rome, on the other hand, would not ever be my choice for a semester abroad, it's magnificent, yes but- difficult to manage-it's a huge city with a big city pace of life.

I'd save Rome for the weekend trips and take Florence-once you get into the city's rhythms,however, you'll probably find how very difficult it is to tear yourself away.

Rome is my guess, but I spoke to many waitresses while in Rome and they were dying to come to New York city.The nightlife in Rome shuts down around 1 or 2 a.m.As far as friendly locals I guess its all what you put into it.Considering your going there for 1 semester how bored can you get.I read in travel books one city is more opened towards gays but you are in Italy they are in general not as opened minded or progressive as in the states. As far as clean I find neither city clean, both cities are very very old. With a little luck you will meet some new friends, and wouldn't it be nice to have friends to stay in touch with.We live near Brown University in Rhode Island. The capital city would be ideal for you.GOOD LUCK,and which ever your choice you will have a great experience to look back on.

Even as a proponent of Rome, I have to admit, GirlTravel makes an excellent point. I can totally see how Florence would be more nurturing of the semester abroad experience and all that it entails. Also, the gay scene is much more accessible and friendly (less high pressure/scary) in Florence than in Rome.

Answering your question on Rome's public transportation, in addition to the Metro it has an excellent bus system. I personally do not like the metro, as its very crowded and doesn't go to a lot of the main areas, but its easy to use and more than adequate. The historic center itself is rather compact and easily walkable. The city is wonderful for exploring. There is so much to see. I've been three times and would need a lifetime to see all it has to offer. A semester abroad in Rome would be a dream come true for me.

Tracy

Guy, that's an excellent word to describe the Florence experience, "nurturing"- maybe that's why I cried on the steps of the Duomo before I left on the train to Rome, thinking rightly that I would never have a time so magical as this again-cliched as THAT may sound, but so true.

Excuse me, but the notion that the Italians are not as open minded as the United States about homosexuality is hilarious!!!!!!

Italians are considerably more liberal about all things sexual -- no matter what the guy with the 2-pointed hat standing the balcony says. Even the Church is more tolerant of homosexuality privately than the Repblican party is publicly.

Also, the Roman nightlife I've experienced went on until 4am, rather than shutting down at 1 or 2.

singitkash,

You should never worry about your career. But I hope you will use your time in Italia as first and foremost an educational experience whichever city town you choose. You will be surprised at how much it will ground you, and how much it will give back to you. Rather than focus on which town is more convenient or social on a chat board, you really should read something serious about both cities. When do you hvae to decide?

My vote is Florence.

No...wait...my vote is for Rome.

Well...now wait...Florence.

I'd actually suggest speaking to others who have actually studied in Florence and Rome and getting their opinion.
Visiting a country as a tourist is a completely different experience from living there...which is a totally different experience from living there as a student. Trust me...

Which city offers more affordable meals? Is Florence a more expensive place to live in than Rome?
Which city offers more affordable accommodations?
Which university has the best programs and the better lecturers?

You know...student kind of questions.

Thanks for all of the replies, once again!

Guy, you mentioned how the gay-scene in Florence was a little more accessible/welcoming than in Rome? How so...? This is really important for me, not because I'm going to Italy searching for love, but because I would like to be in a place where I will have lots of opportunities to bond with persons like myself....!

Perhaps this new idea will change some of your minds about your opinions:

If I choose to go to Rome, I spend three weeks in Florence at language school. Following the three weeks, I move to Rome for 12 weeks (with small trips to Venice, Capri, Naples...)

If I choose Florence, I spend three weeks in Siena at language school. After moving to Florence (for 12 weeks) I will make small trips to Venice and Rome.

There are so many pro's for each city it's hard to decide! The Rome option gives me much time in Florence, but what if I find myself in Florence wishing I had chosen it to be the city I was spending 12 weeks in?

I really can adapt to any city, but the most important thing to me is immerging myself into Italian culture as well as being somewhere completely different from here.... (Wyoming, college town population 20,000)

I have time to decide (September) but now is the time to weigh the pro's and con's of the cities....!

S-I don't understand, why would you want to go to Siena for language school, and make trips into Florence? There's really nothing going on there,(Siena) - go to Dante Aligheri Language School in Florence, (considered the best-Elvis Costello even studied there) or Leonardo da Vinci-you'll have a rigorous language work out, but oh so much fun as well.

I don't really get to choose the specifics. There are two seperate programs I could participate in...

The one in Florence- I start with language school in Siena.

The one in Rome- I start with language school in Florence.

So should I give up Rome altogether for 12 weeks in Florence and 3 weeks in Siena? Or have both Florence (3 weeks) and Rome (12 weeks) with the Rome option?

Okay, with those options, I'd go with the latter.

Rome is more Gay friendly, has more diversity, more to do. Florence has some great art but I would prefer Rome for a longer stay.

I'd go with the latter, too, especially since you are likely to get better weather from fall through winter in Roma as opposed to Firenze/Siena.

GirlTravel--I don't think your recommending these language schools will help singitkash very much. He seems to be tied in to what his school is offering him.

singitkash--The bars in Florence are full of a friendly crowd composed of Italians and tourists who are all into chatting and meeting each other. The club I'm thinking of is an easy walk from anywhere in the city, and I'm guessing anyone interested in the gay scene can be found there on the nights they are open. I can also tell you (and this was many years ago) that the steps of the Duomo is a gay pick-up area, and I was the recipient of some attention there :) Of course, this is all based on my experiences alone and is not a scientific study or anything.

The bars in Rome are, understably, a more big city scene with more "attitude." Getting to them was not nearly as easy, and sometimes meant navigating more questionable neighborhoods (or such was my perception). Questionable neighborhoods are a given in a big city like Rome.

All things weighed, my personal choice would be Rome. It's just bigger with more of everything to choose from. But I'm also much older than you. GirlTravel, as I said, makes good points. But my experience tells me that you'll be mainly hanging out with students in your program, so there is a built in social network for you, even in frenetic Rome. So yes, as JAGirl says, I'm waffling (so what? we're weighing pro's and con's after all), but it's your decision, after all!

Oh yeah, the Siena/Florence combo is much less appealing to me than the Florence/Rome combo. And this would give you three whole weeks in Florence, plenty of time to prepare you for the crazier experience of Rome.

Rome is probably my favorite city in Europe. Although Florence has fantastic museuems, each church in Rome is a piece of art. You just can't beat the history, restaurants and buildings (Pantheon, Vatican, etc.) in Rome.

Rome! Rome! Rome!! I did a fall semester in Rome about 10 years ago when I was a junior and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Granted, I am a city person and left a unversity of 10,000 students, so we may not be in the same boat here. But Rome was absolutely amazing. And there were lots of students from small universities and small towns on my program and everyone loved it. Rome is just fantastic. Sure it is a city but it feels like home when you go home to an apartment/dorm/residence every night with your own kitchen and your own things. It isn't like being a tourist.

Don't be intimidated by the size of the city. if your program is anything like mine, you won't be doing much studying and Rome offers so much more to explore than Florence. If you want to stay out til 4am that is fine but if you want to just have a dinner and a gelato and call it a night, you can certainly do that too. Remember you are going to be away for 4 months. You want to go somewhere with tons to see and Rome has it all - ancient, medieval, Renaissance, etc. Whereas Florence is all Renaissance all the time (I'll probably be flogged for saying that but it is a bit heavy on the Renaissance).

The other major benefit (it was to me anyway) is that Rome is not crawling with other American study abroad students. Maybe that appeals to you but if I was going to Rome I didn't want to be surrounded by other Americans speaking English. In Rome I really had a chance to meet Italians and learn to speak Italian. When I visited Florence I definitely got the impression that the American students there did not get the same chance to be as integrated into Italian culture.

Don't worry about getting around in Rome. You'll figure it out quickly. Even though it is a big city, I walked most places or took the bus (the walking was a huge bonus for me since I ate like a pig the whole time and lost weight).

I can't figure out from your message who/what you are looking for but if you are a straight woman or a gay man you won't be disappointed in very attractive Italian men in both cities.

Sally-a couple of points. I think Rome has changed tremendously in the last 10 years, and not for the better, either. For the first time ever, I had a couple of encounters this past year at night that were potentially dangerous-before I would walk all over-now, no. There's just a different temperament-more hard-edged, than before. So I don't know whether S. would really have the kind of experience that you did 10 years ago.

Re Florence, I wasn't around any Americans in my class- at all-nor did I hang with them-nor did I want to. What S will mostly experience is an international crowd comprised of students from all over the world-this will be true in both cities, particularly so in Florence.

Do universities really send their students to dangerous places?

Nessun-to answer your question-there are university programs all over the world, in Central and Latin America, particularly, where qestions have been raised about the safety of students in such programs.

But I didn't say Rome was "a dangerous place" I said I've had encounters in the last year that in all my previous years of going to Rome I had never experienced at night before- in other words, fear for my safety-which is not the same as labeling a city a "dangerous place." But Rome is not the "dolce vita" place of several years ago-, no question in my mind.

Rome Rome Rome!One of my favorite places on Earth!

I've met many wonderful people here and always felt safe.Florence is beautiful,but not as appealing to me.

Really,only you can decide.I can't imagine you could go wrong either way.

Girltravel,

Since obviously many of us and millions of other tourists -- many of them solo young travelers -- go to Rome each year without incident, you'd have to describe your experiences in more detail make the rest of us understand why you think they should deter singitkash from experiencing the wonderful, safer-than-America city the rest of us experienced.

I was robbed in Barcelona twice, but I wouldn't tell a student considering studying there to go to another city based on my isolated experiences. I would just tell them to mind their wallet.

Nessun-go back up and read my post-again. I advised him to take the latter option.

Oh and Nessun-just for the record, since you seem to be extrapolating information from my post for your own argumentative purposes that isn't there-my experiences had nothing to do with pickpocketing.

Girltravel,

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. You are alluding to negative experiences that other travelers might benefit from knowing more about for their own protection. Is the some reason you can't talk about them directly? There seems to be something about them that has made you believe they couldn't happen in Firenze, so it would be helpful to know what or why.