| Travel Tips & Famous Travel Quotes |
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WHEN TO GET TO ARBA:
1. You may arrive at the villa anytime after 6 pm on Fridays or Saturdays or anytime on Sundays. (Please let me know when.) You may choose to arrive on Sunday but there are only one or two buses direct into Arba from Udine on Sundays. They leave at about noon and 7:00 p.m. 2) Rental cars and taxi cabs are a possibility. Cars can be rented in Venice or any major city. Our cab driver, "Tonino" can pick you up at the Airport, Pordenone, Maniago or Udine. If you'd like to request Tonino, please make arrangements with me a few weeks in advance.
HOW TO FLY TO ITALY:
1. Book a major airline flight with the lowest fare to anywhere in Italy or near Italy; France, Germany, Austria, Holland, England, Switzerland, etc. Have that airlines put you on a connecting flight immediately to Venice, Marco Polo Airport. This is the cheapest and easiest way, since the airlines can usually give you a very cheap deal on a connecting flight within Europe. Fares may be fifty to one hundred dollars cheaper to travel during the week, Mondays to Thursdays, both ways. Round trip airfares to Italy run as low as $700- $1000, depending on the season.
2. You may get the names and numbers of other students coming on the program with you so that you can make travel arrangements together for your convenience. *Very importantly, this will drastically cut down on your travel time. You can then share a cab, either from the Venice Airport or Pordenone to Arba. This would cut your travel time in half, at least. The aiport is about an hour's drive to Arba. The town of Pordenone is about half an hour drive from Arba. |
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3. Book your flight so you can do more extensive traveling at the beginning or end of your trip. Allow some time in your plane's arrival and/or departure schedule to travel. You may fly into Rome, getting a connecting flight from Rome to Venice upon arrival, but no connecting flight on your return. This way you can take the train to see Rome on your return. These are great ways to save money and use your travel time wisely. I'd recommend the traveling after the program ends because you'll be rested and better able to get along in Italy. *The train from Venice to Rome should be an all nighter, if you dont take the more expensive Express. Or if you flew into Milan, the train from Venice to Milan is about 4 hours.
4. You may want to spend a night or two in Venice when you arrive. It's an amazing city! Trains leave from Venice to Udine about every hour.
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HOW TO GET TO ARBA: from Marco Polo Airport or any train station in Europe
1. If you come straight to Arba from the Marco Polo Airport, buy a bus ticket to Mestre. Do this only if it is before 4 pm. Get on a bus to Mestre, the train station just outside of the airport. It is a short, cheap bus ride. If it is after 4 pm don't attempt to get to Arba because you may miss the last bus to Arba from Udine. Go straight to Venice and just consider it a lucky break that you get to stay in beautiful Venice for the night. Hotel information can be found at the train station as always.
2. Once you are at any train station, buy a train ticket to Udine. It should be fairly inexpensive; about ten dollars. Udine is the largest city in Friuli, the region of Italy in which Arba is in. Don't forget to stamp your train ticket in a little machine near the train tracks. It is required and you may have to pay a penalty if you don't. You will see people stamping their train tickets, which displays the date and time. Take the train to Udine.
3. Get off at the train station in Udine. Cross the street, take a right, walk about two blocks and you will see the bus station on your left. It is very easy to get from the train to the bus station in Udine since they are almost right across the street from each other. Once you are at the bus station in Udine, look on a display wall near the booths. It will show all of the towns and cities the buses go to, in alphabetical order. This should be Friday or Saturday, so there will be several times that the bus goes directly to Arba. Buy a ticket from one of the ticket people behind the glass booths. It should be cheap; less than five dollars. Ask for the track number of the bus, then go there before that time. Everything usually runs on schedule. |
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4. If you arrive in Udine well before 3:00 p.m., visit Udine. You have plenty of time before the 5:00 p.m. arrival time. Have a relaxing lunch, or sight see in the main piazza. It is about a 15 minute walk. This beautiful square has a famous sundial clocktower across from impressive statues. Sit in the piazza and have a drink, the view is magificent. Be sure to be back at the bus station by 3:00. There should be a bus leaving at 3:20 p.m., putting you into Arba by 4:30. The next one is an hour later, putting you into Arba by 5:30 p.m.. The next bus is two hours later putting you into Arba at 7:30 p.m.. The last bus is at 7:20 putting you into Arba at 8:30 p.m.. * Buy a phone card for 10,000 lire or about $7 at any tobacco shop/bar. Call me to tell me which bus you are taking and when you will arrive in Arba.
5. Tell the bus driver that you want to go to Arba and to let you know when you are there. Sit near him so there is no confusion. In about forty five minutes, you should arrive in Arba. Congratulations! * Sometimes there is an immediate bus change half way to Arba from Udine, in a beautiful town called Spilimbergo. Ask the bus driver about this. If you stop in a town about a half an hour from Udine and everybody seems to be getting off the bus, follow them to the next bus! It should be right there.
6. Arba is a tiny little town and you will get off the bus in the main square. If you told me when you were arriving, I should be there in the square to meet you. If not, the villa is right down the street. It is your first left if you head towards Tesis, the next town, away from the mountains. Take a left on Via Umberto. The entire walk should take you no more than five minutes. Do not walk away from the main square for more than five-ten minutes or you've gone too far.
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* If there is a problem, call me on my cell phone at the numbers and addresses on my business card. If you are calling my Italian cell phone at any time, from anywhere, you may hear a recording. This is an Italian "secretary" , telling you that I can not answer the phone and to leave a message. Please wait for her to finish speaking and leave a message after the tone. Begin talking and leave me a detailed message as to where you are, and when you will arrive in Italy or Arba. To make sure you have dialed correctly, call and leave the message again, with the date and time of your arrival in Arba. If you have made a correct international or domestic call, I should receive it. When dialing Arba from the U.S., please ask an operator about prefixes and country codes before the number. When dialing in Italy, the phone number first requires a "0".
*Be sure to carry my business card with important telephone number and address at all times! Please call me when you arrive in Europe or if you will be late coming to Arba. Always call to tell me if your plans have changed and you will be arriving later, for whatever reason.
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1. It is essential to get your passports at least six weeks before you plan to leave the country. It does take time to process.
2. Experienced travelers travel extremely lightly. Never pack more than you can easily carry with two hands. Bring light weight soft luggage that can be carried over the shoulder or on your back. Don't bring more than one suitcase that must be wheeled. Most importantly, your luggage must be arranged so that you are able to get around with it comfortably. Otherwise you're going to be stuck relying on others for a helping hand throughout Italy.
3. Pack very lightly. Do not bring anything that is not absolutely necessary. A couple pairs of shorts, pants, shirts, underwear and comfortable shoes is essential. A light weight rain jacket with a hood that can be folded up into a little ball should be brought. Bring clothes that can be layered like long sleeve button down sweaters or sweatshirts for cool days and nights. Bring sweat pants and long t shirts to sleep in. Remember that Italy is the fashion capital of the world and you will most likely end up buying clothing there. You can also pick up essentials cheaply there. After you buy all of your souveniers, you want to be able to carry your luggage back home when you return without paying porters to help you every step of the way!
4. Don't bring electrical appliances like hairdryers, curling irons, electric razors, etc. They are very heavy to carry and the electrical adapters are not very effective. Someone once told me that when they used their electrical adapter in Italy, they could blow harder than their hairdryer. There is an Italian "house" hairdryer or two upstairs that can be used by the group. |
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5. The travel book, "Let's Go Europe" or "Lets Go Italy" is highly recommendable. It is a great travel guide; full of information about pensiones, restaurants, museums, monuments, and interesting places to see. It will give you a lot of sight seeing ideas and instruct you on how to get there every step of the way.
6. Bring credit cards, travelers checks and bank cards, instead of large sums of cash to protect you if you loose your wallet or are pick pocketed. Bring important pin numbers for bank cards and credit cards to access use of bancomat machines. You can withdraw money and do banking from US accounts, with checks or bankcards. Don't bring any valuables at all. *Crime is much lower in Europe though.
7. Bring a pocket Italian/ English dictionary to get you out of communication jams. Carry it at all times!
8. Bring a travel bag purse/ belt that can be worn around your waste and any medicine, glasses, contact lenses, etc. you might need.
9. Bring a telephone calling card with pin number for calling long distances or home. Another way of dialing long distance is just buying phonecards overseas. You can also purchase a cell phone at the villa for $25 a week. Rent one early!
10. Don't forget a small camera with plenty of film! Have a great experience abroad! |
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| *Transportation all throughout Italy is very cheap. Trains and buses cost only a fraction of what it costs in the States and they are very efficient. There are also many great economic weekend trips from Arba! (Trieste, Firenze, Verona, Milan in Italy. And even border countries like Slovenia, Austria, etc.) Once in Arba, students usually end up making plans and going away for the weekend together. If you came alone, or would like the company, it's a great way to travel! |
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| Famous Quotes on Traveling... |
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To travel is to take a journey into yourself.
Dena Kaye, 20th century American writer
You lose sight of things and when you travel, everything balances out.
Daranna Gidel (b. 1948) American writer
Writing gives me an excuse to travel, and travel gives me something to write about.
Athena V. Lord (b. 1932)
American writer
The world is a book and those who stay at home, read only one page.
St. Augustine, Early Bishop of Hippo
Not traveling is like living in the Library of Congress but never taking out more than one or two books.
Marilyn Vos Savant (b. 1946) American columnist
For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travels's sake. The great affair is to move.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Scottish writer
Each journey is an experience of the past.
Robert Vetter, 20th century American anthroplogist
...to go from here to there, to travel in the most remote regions is like winding up a time machine or turning on the tape recorder that all of us carry around in our heads.
Luisa Valenzuelan (b. 1938) Argentinean writer
Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.
Lawrence Block (b. 1938) American novelist
Value the intagibles of travel- they are the treasures that are more beautiful than gold or diamonds.
Alexandra Stoddard, 20th century American writer
Traveling ...is either an escape or a discovery.
Rosie Thomas (b. 1947) English writer |
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Why, it would be being unselfish to go away and be happy for a little bit, because we would come back so much nicer. You see, after a bit everybody needs a holiday.
Mary A. Arnim (1866- 1941) English writer
Travel in the younger sort is a part of education, in the elder a part of experience.
Francis Bacon (1561- 1626) English Philosopher
All travel has it's advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own, and if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) English writer
The seasoned traveler accepts the surprises and inconveniences which are an inevitable part of any trip.
Jane Stanton Hitchcock, 20th century writer
Travel teaches toleration.
Benjamin Disraeli (1804- 18881) English statesman and writer
For every traveller who has any taste of his own, the only useful guide- book will be the one which he himself has written.
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) English writer
No one ever said traveling is easy.
Lilian Jackson Braun (b.1916) American writer
Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.
Ernest Hemmingway (1899- 1961) American writer
My own journey started long before I left, and was over before I returned.
John Steinbeck (1902- 1968) American writer |
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For myself, indeed, I know that I have traveled so much
because travel has enabled me to arrive at new,
unknown places within my own clouded self.
Lauren Van Der Post (b. 1906) South African writer
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better that it should last many years;
Be quite old when you anchor at the island,
Rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to give you riches.
Constantine Carafy (1863- 1933) Greek Poet
There is one voyage,
the first, the last, the only one.
Thomas Wolfe (1900- 1938) American writer |
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