5 Reasons to Take Your Student Group to Italy
1. THE FOOD
Whether you base your tour in Rome, or venture forth into Venice, Florence, or parts beyond (the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, for instance), authentic Italian cuisine is incomparable. After all, it’s what Italy is known for! Pizza Margherita is the quintessential Italian staple. This single-serving ultra-thin-crust pizza (the topping known to Americans as “plain” or “cheese” pizza) is available everywhere in Italy. Expand your horizons and add other toppings, or learn how to pronounce the ingredients in Italian.
2. EASY NAVIGATION
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built with ease and convenience. It’s hard to get lost in Rome or Florence. Each city is small enough to see the sights within a full day, or an afternoon. Venice is a bit trickier, with all its identical-looking streets, alleys, waterways and bridges.
3. THE ART
From Roman frescoes to Michelangelo’s David in Firenze at the Accademia, to the statues dotting the rooftops of the Vatican, and, of course, the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Italian art is sure to impress. If your travel companion doesn’t express awe at Italy’s artwork, pinch them, they may be asleep!
4. THE ARCHITECTURE
While not as enormous as the buildings in Paris, or as quaint as that in London, Italy’s architecture does not disappoint. There’s the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Rome’s Colosseum and Forum, the Vatican itself, and dozens of bridges and basilica everywhere you look. The Spanish Steps are a popular gathering place, with magnificent views of Rome. Off the beaten path, Tuscan villas and farms, built brick-by-brick and stone-by-stone, are just one of Italy’s many architectural treasures.
5. THE PEOPLE!
I don’t think I’ve ever met an Italian I didn’t like. In Rome, natives are super-friendly, helpful and accommodating. They enjoy the opportunity to try out their English with you, and like to have you reciprocate by testing your broken Italian with them! In Florence, prepare to be impressed by local shop owners, restaurateurs and craftsmen practicing their trades in little, family-owned shops and boutiques. Venetians will laugh and help you on and off a vaparetto or gondola, and hawk their wares in the island cities of Murano, Burano and Torcello (each a short boat ride from Venice). Get ready to smile and laugh, a lot, and probably make some friends!
Travelers to Italy usually want to return to Italy, again, and again. Therefore, don’t miss the opportunity to throw your coin into the Trevi Fountain, which will all but guarantee your return.