Your Guide to Traveling Out of Florence
by Laura Lu
When I was initially considering each of NYU’s study abroad locations, one of the biggest cons people told me about Florence was that traveling would be difficult (aka expensive and long).
I’m here to tell you that it’s really not bad!
Here is my ultimate guide to saving money when traveling out of Florence:
1. Traveling Out of Other Airports
This is a tip you’ve most likely heard of before, but traveling out of nearby cities like Pisa or Bologna will save you a TON of money and time. The Florence airport is small, and a lot of flights will have a layover at a larger airport, like Rome. You can easily take a ~1-hour train to Pisa or Bologna for less than €10 and save $100+ on flights.
Keep in mind that there are little to no trains that run between 12 am and 6 am, so I would advise against a 7 am flight in Pisa/Bologna because you probably won’t make it.
Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights. It gives you the most affordable options, much quicker than having to sift through all flights offered on Google Flights or other search engines.
My RyanAir flight to London out of Pisa.
2. Buses
Look into visiting nearby cities by bus! I got Flixbus tickets to Nice, France for >€60 round trip, and it's been one of my favorite trips so far. The city is SO gorgeous and safe, and there are plenty of cities within the French Riviera to visit. Highlyyy recommend.
I must admit that taking buses can take way longer than a train/flight though, BUT I think it's worth the money you save. I took a Flixbus from Milan to Florence for ~€10 while a train is usually €40-€50. Definitely an option to consider if you’re traveling on a budget.
Gorgeous sunset in Nice, France.
3. Student Tour Groups
There are tour groups specifically meant for study abroad students, like SmartTrip. These companies organize private coach buses, accommodation and activities for you to purchase at a set price.
I took a weekend trip to Budapest, Vienna, and Salzburg with SmartTrip for ~€350. While I’m not sure how much this trip would have cost if I bought my travel and accommodation independently, this option saved me a lot of time when planning. The trip was very fast paced, spending ~1 day in each city. If you want to explore each city in-depth, this is probably not the option for you. But, if you just want to visit several cities within one weekend and have everything planned out for you I’d recommend it.
There are also usually discount codes available to save some money when purchasing your trip. You just have to find them :)
Budapest parliament building–highly recommended taking the river boat tour.
4. NYU-Sponsored Trips
NYU Florence hosts trips to nearby Italian cities like Milan, Naples, Dolomites, etc. almost every friday/weekend. While I’ve never been on these day-trip trips, they are completely FREE. The Florence Flyer (our weekly newsletter) comes out every Sunday, and these trips fill up fast. If you stay in Florence for a weekend, you should keep your eye out on the newsletter for upcoming trips.
Overall, travelling out of Florence isn’t bad at all! There are several ways to save money on your trips apart from the conventional flights. Happy traveling <3