Culture Wars in Rome: All Things Practical
For Accepted Students for 2009:
- Keep 7:00 - 8:00 pm on 3 Sundays free: We have class!
March 15: 700-800 PM in ECCR 151 (ECCR = Engineering Center Classroom)
April 19: 700-800 PM in ECCR 139
April 26: 700-800 PM in ECCR 139
- Be sure you have a valid passport. If you do not, get one now. No need to worry about a visa.
- Make your travel plans such that you arrive in Rome no later than May 13. (To arrive in Rome on the 13th, you must leave the USA no later than May 12.)
- No guests during the program!
- There are two international airports in Rome. Either will work. The main one is Leonardo da Vinci at Fiumicino (Roma). There is a good train connection from there to the center of the city. The minor airport is Ciampino; it is used mostly for flights arriving from within Europe on budget airlines. It is slightly less convenient but is certainly manageable.
- You will be free to fly out of Rome, or begin your travels in Italy, any time in the morning of May 26. (Flights that leave Rome before 10:00 am probably require taking a cab; otherwise the train should do the trick. Plan to be at the airport at least two hours before your flight. Don’t cut it close!)
- If you want to arrive in Rome before the 13th, or stay in Rome the 26th or later, you can book a hostel or, for a few dollars more, try to book a room in our convent. (For hostels, try http://www.hostels.com or other similar services. For the convent, the email address is santasofia@tiscalinet.it, or santannasrm@yahoo.it. Mention that you are part of the University of Colorado group. The price for a single will be higher than for a double or triple. If the convent does not understand your English email, let me know and I’ll be happy to try to help.)
If you want to try to meet a Culture Wars Classmate (electronically or otherwise), try this webpage: http://culturewarsinrome.pbwiki.com/Travel-Plans
- You might just say, for example, "Hey, I'm fired up about Rome and want to fly over on May 12 and stay about a week after the program. I don't have my ticket yet. Does anyone want to talk about getting tickets?"
Do now:
Get a valid passport now! (Very important!)
In Feb or March, if and after you have been accepted into the program:
Get a plane ticket.
For the 2009 class, you must be in Rome by noon, or 400 pm at the latest, on May 13.
This means you must leave the USA no later than May 12.
You may leave Rome the morning of May 26, but not before.
You may meet up with guests or friends the morning of May 26, but not before.
Try to stay after the program, or arrive before it, if you can: we will discuss independent travel in March.
Share your flight information so you can meet in Rome Airport: See Travel Plans on this site.
We will discuss this at our first meeting. (Establish a meeting place: The large café between Terminal B & C? (See map of airport.) Make contingency plans in case of a late flight: “I will wait until 10:30 (?) and then leave.”)
Finding and booking youth hostels: Google “Hostels in Rome”
Want to consider a Eurail Pass? See the travel agency in the UMC for help with details.
Movies: See Italian Film on this site.
Reading: The Blue Guide to Rome, pp. 9-33 plus whatever else you can in this book.
Keep passport and plane ticket in a safe place (Make this a habit!) No passport? No international flights!
In April:
Make copies of passport’s main page: for your family, yourself, and Wayne (if you want me to keep a copy for you).
Copy of travel itinerary to Study Abroad
Record credit card info (acc’t numbers, phone numbers or web site for lost card, pins) and leave with reliable people. Memorize pin numbers (by number, not letter).
Notify credit card companies (bring 2 cards!) of your travel plans
(Debit cards tend to have lower transaction fees.)
Make a list of contact numbers: Wayne: probably 333-882-7831 Priscilla: probably 340-964-9558, your family, Study Abroad, convent,
Suore di Santa Anna,
Piazza Madonna dei Monti, 3
00184 Roma T: 06.485.778
Get enough of any prescription medicine you might need. Get your allergy medications! Also bring any over the counter medicines as brands differ in Europe (and Americans tend to prefer American Advil). Leave medicines packed in their original bottles/containers.
Prep family on possible need to wire money or relay credit card/passport info
Tell any nervous relatives you will email them late on day 1: since there is an 8 hour time difference, they may not hear from you until May 16.
If you want to rent a cell phone, Google can help.
Get Euro? Wells Fargo Bank: 1242 Pearl St., between 13th and B’way. There is an international desk that has a separate line from the other tellers. But you can also get Euro at Bancomat or “Cambio” in Rome Airport.
Consider making your cell phone usable in Europe. Even if you do not use it often, it is an added safety feature.
In May:
Packing: (Pack Light!): comfy shoes (running shoes and good sandals are better than flipflops), very light jacket, bathing suit, towel. Shorts are not permitted in many churches, so bring sundresses, pants, and/or capri pants. Bring a light scarf for coverning shoulders when entering churches. (Rome has stores and laundromats, so you need not bring *EVERYTHING*!). Camera, pens and a good tablet (not too small!), alarm clock, prescription drugs. Woolite packets (if you will do a little laundry in sinks). American sun block. Hand sanitizer (if you value cleanliness.) Earplugs: useful on plane but also in convent. Put clear ID on checked luggage. Be able to describe your bag(s). If you pack light, big backpacks are more manageable than suitcases. A small bag or pack is useful for carrying textbook and notebook.
DO NOT BRING LAPTOPS! There are internet cafes, and you will be glad to have less to carry, not more!
Don't bring hair dryers: They won't work even if you have "coverter" plug. (Your cameras and MP3 players, on the other hand, should work.)
On Travel Day:
Get to airport early. Be sure your suitcases have your Rome contact information on them
Relax. Get EURO at airport?
Have a safe place for passport, ticket, money, credit cards: Make this a habit!
Sleep (or READ!) on the plane but be alert on transfers, esp in Europe!
Arrival in Rome:
Proceed toward Baggage Claim, going through “Passport Control.”
If your bags do not appear, wait patiently. If they still don’t appear, go to “lost luggage” and report them. You will need a good description, baggage claim checks, and the address and phone number of our convent.
Go through Customs (“Dogana”): It is simple and you may not realize you’ve passed!
No EURO? Get some at ATM or “Cambio” in airport.
By taxi: just outside terminal. Confirm price for Metro Cavour.
By train: across the street and up the stairs: simple, but walking required.
When in Rome:
Check into Convent.
Wayne and Priscilla will often be around convent and Piazza Madonna dei Monti.
Leave hotel key at front desk on departure from hotel
Group meetings at noon and at 4:00 pm. Consult handouts.
Get to know the neighborhood. Call or email home.
We will discuss Italian phones, phone stations, phone cards, internet cafes.
Postpone visits by friends and relatives until May 26.
Lost? Find the Colosseo, the Cavour Metro stop, Pza. Madonna dei Monti
Trouble? Call Wayne: probably 333-882-7831 Priscilla: probably 340-964-9558
Class: Attendance, alertness, notes, punctuality
Museum, church visits & field trips:
No shorts, short skirts, or sleeveless blouses, on church days (or bring a “light wrap”).
Life in the convent: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
The strict midnight curfew. What to do if you arrive back at the hotel after midnight.
No visitors at the hotel: any visitors should come after the program has ended.
What meals are included in the program fee? 6 Dinners
Rules regarding alcohol on program sponsored events (including meals)
(Why Wayne may become exceeding angry if you drink too much.)
Health, wellness, and insurance: Study Abroad Office can explain.
Bring your prescription drugs! Use your heads.
Safety:
Stay in the city center. Avoid deserted or seedy areas.
Pay special attention to theft near train station and on public transportation.
Emergency numbers in Italy: P. 572 of Blue Guide AIUTO!
Crossing streets: walk or waddle, don’t run!
Women and men: Are the risks not obvious?
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