Living and Learning in Florence: Independent Stay and Language Study

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

In particular for this Living and Learning program, we urge you to complete and submit the required forms as soon as possible. The Italian Language Proficiency Survey and Class Selection Form is required. This form must be completed and returned by email and can be found at the back of your FIRST Information Packet.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

Face masks will be required where obliged by local laws

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on September 27, 2025

Meet the group at Hotel Firenze Pitti Palace in Florence

Start of Trip:  2:00 p.m. hotel check-in; 4:30 p.m. Orientation followed by Welcome Dinner.

Getting to the site: If you have booked your airfare through Road Scholar, and are arriving on the program start date, you will receive an arrival transfer to the hotel. If you arranged your airfare independently, or are arriving prior to the program start date, you will need to arrange your own transfer. A taxi directly from the airport to the hotel will cost approximately 28 to 35 Euros, depending on the time of day and amount of luggage you have. Official taxis are white and located at the taxi rank outside of the terminal building. Avoid accepting unsolicited cab rides which may be offered inside the airport. Uber services are limited in Florence and tend to be a premium service, and therefore may be more expensive than a standard taxi service.

Getting to the site by train or bus: Florence has two major railway stations - Santa Maria Novella (West) and Campo di Marte (East).

Your trip ends on: Sunday, November 9, 2025 in Florence at Individual Apartments in Florence

End of Trip: After the Farewell Dinner the night before departure.

Getting to the airport: Please note that the transfer policy for Independent and Living and Learning programs has changed. If you have booked your airfare through Road Scholar, and are departing on the program end date, you will receive a departure transfer. If you arranged your airfare independently, or are departing on a date other than the end date, you will need to arrange your own transfer. Distances from the individual apartments to the airport will vary, but a taxi will cost approximately 25 to 30 Euros from the city center to the airport. Uber services are limited in Florence and tend to be a premium service, and therefore may be more expensive than a standard taxi service.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.