Planning Your Trip to Venice
Important documents you will need
You must have a valid U.S. Passport to travel in Europe. Make sure you apply early. If you have any questions while in Italy, contact the U.S. Embassy in Rome, phone: 39-06-467-421 or on the web at http://www.usembassy.it
Visa and other requirements. You are also responsible for complying with all Italian and local requirements applicable to student visitors, including visa, stay permissions and health insurance. Italy requires that foreign students obtain a visa from the Italian Consulate before travel to Italy for study. The Italian Consulate in Philadelphia has jurisdiction over North Carolina. You can obtain information about the student visa requirements directly from the Italian Consulate in Philadelphia website. For additional information, see the general visa information page from the Italian Embassy website.
Venice also has a requirement that longer-term visitors obtain a "permesso di soggiorno." This can be obtained once you arrive in Venice.
U.S. State Department Advisories: The United Kingdom, Italy and Austria Consular Information Sheets can be obtained at http://travel.state.gov
You should verify that your health insurance coverage applies outside the United States. Italy requires that longer-term visitors obtain national health insurance. If necessary, this can be obtained once you arrive in Venice.
Traveling to and from Italy
You are responsible for getting to and from Venice on schedule. You should begin early (in February or March) to plan your flights and itinerary. Students in the summer program often coordinate their travel arrangements.
For your transatlantic travel, several kinds of economical flights are available. You should check with travel agents and wholesale consolidators such as:
- STA Travel: (world's largest student travel agency) Ph: (800) 777-0112
For students coming from the London program or traveling after the Venice program, continental travel by rail is the most popular. Rail travel in Europe is enjoyable, convenient, and inexpensive. Many students purchase a "Eurailpass," which offers a variety of travel options. The 15-day pass is usually sufficient for students who travel between London and Venice, or after the Venice program ends. Eurailpasses are non-refundable and non-replaceable. They should be purchased in the United States and validated on the first day of travel, with a passport as proof of identity. Complete descriptions of the Eurailpass can be obtained from most travel agents.
While in Italy
You will have weekends to travel outside of Venice. You should consider traveling with others, and always leave your itinerary at Casa Artom.
The many guide books will be invaluable in planning your trips and making reservations for accommodations. A number are available in the library at Casa Artom. These books also contain historical and background information on the major sites of interest. The "Let's Go" series, including "Let's Go Italy," are good for price-conscious travelers. "Fodors Italy" guide book is also good, but tailored to a more affluent crowd.
One important note about your travel plans: the Venetians each year have a mid-summer festival that you will not want to miss -- the Redentore Feast. (The third Saturday of July ) An enormous flotilla of Venetian watercraft, of all descriptions, makes a trek down the Grand Canal (in front of Casa Artom) to the large Giudecca Canal that ends in front of the sixteenth-century Redentore church. Tradition has it that the Venetians promised to build a church to be saved from one of the many Black Plagues that swept through Europe. The festival commemorates the end of the plague. There is dancing in the streets, singing on the canals, and around midnight an impressive fireworks show. When the party ends, the travelers make their way back home up the Grand Canal (again in front of Casa Artom).
