Florence
Italy · CAPA · Syracuse University · ISI Florence
Add photoimages/florence.jpg800 x 600
Travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise increased caution
Terrorism risk across Europe; petty theft and pickpocketing in transit hubs and tourist sites.
Visa and entry
Difficulty: Hardest Lead time: 8–12 weeks, driven by appointment availability
Same Type D national student visa as Rome, same Chicago consulate, same appointment bottleneck. Florence programs tend to have large American cohorts, which means many students competing for the same appointment slots in the same weeks.
Apply or check requirements → Italian visa portal
We are students, not immigration advisers. Requirements change and depend on your citizenship and program length. Always confirm against the official consulate site above and with CU Education Abroad.
From the team
A few things worth knowing before you get there.
- Fiorentina play at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, and tickets are far easier to get than in Rome or Milan.
- The Uffizi and Accademia need advance booking in high season. Walk-ups mean hours in line.
- Florence is small enough to cross on foot in 30 minutes — you will not need a transit pass most weeks.
- Day trips by regional train: Pisa, Siena and Bologna are all under 90 minutes.
Students recommend
Aggregated from students who studied in Florence. These lists fill in as submissions come in — nothing here is invented.
Food
Where students actually eat, not where the guidebooks send you.
No submissions yet.
Nightlife
Bars, clubs and the nights out people remembered.
No submissions yet.
Daytime spots
Parks, cafes, markets and places to work.
No submissions yet.
Attractions
What was worth the ticket price and what was not.
No submissions yet.
One email when we publish a new city guide
No spam, no sponsored posts. Unsubscribe whenever.
We are students, not an agency. Everything here comes from people who went.