PREPARATION FOR YOUR TRIP

Travel documents, visas

Citizens of the European Union do not need a visa to enter Italy, but they will need an ID document or a passport to visit. Citizens of non-EU countries must check the conditions of entrance into Italy at their nearest Italian Consulate or Italian Embassy. If you need a visa for more than 90 days, you must get a "type D" visa. The school will provide you with the necessary certificates for your visa application, once you have payed for the total cost of the cost, as well as the enrollment tax. Finances The currency in Italy is the Euro.
When it is necessary to exchange large amounts of money, it is generally better to wait until you are in Italy. In any case, we advise you to bring enough money with you to pay for your first expenses and purchases in Milan. We advise not exchanging money at exchange offices, because of the high commission charges. The best exchange rates can be found in banks. Traveller's cheques and credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere.
You can withdraw money at bancomat cash machines (ATMS), if you have a card which is linked to the main international circuits (Bancomat, Postamat, EC; Circus, Plus, Maestro, etc.). Cash is only able to be withdrawn in Euros. Do not forget that there may be a daily limit for withdrawals from bancomat machines.

Finance
The basic unit of Italian currency is the Euro.
When exchanging large amounts of money it is usually better to wait until you arrive in Italy. However, you should also bring cash for the first few days (for the taxi, for purchasing small things, etc.). Avoid changing your money in change offices because of high commission rates; you will receive the best exchange rate at the bank.
Traveller’s Cheques and Credit Cards are accepted almost everywhere. You can receive money at Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), if you have an ATM card linked to an international network (Bancomat, Postamat, EC, Cirrus, Plus, Maestro, etc.).

Insurance and conditions

Our students are insured during their journey to and from school (one hour before the start of lessons, and one hour after the end of lessons), during the lessons and during extra curricular activities.
Students are not insured outside of the school (in accommodation or during their free time). They are not insured against illness, accidents, theft, or loss of personal objects, nor at school or in accommodation. For this reason, we recommend getting private insurance. During your stay in Italy, you must be personally insured against illness and accidents.
EU citizens will receive free medical care in Italy if they bring with them their Europen Health Card (EHIC), which can be obtained at their local health service, in their home country.
Non-EU students must therefore enquire with their local/national authorities in their home country, to find out whether they are insured during their stay abroad.
If they are not covered by any insurance, they must obtain insurance for their stay in Italy. In addition, students must inform themselves about our conditions of participation and cancellation, as well as cancellation in the event that they cannot attend the course, they cannot finish it or they are absent for long periods. Contact your agent, or the school, for more information.

TRAVELLING AND TRANSFER SERVICE

Travel by train
Milan  is  well  connected  to  France,  Germany  and  Switzerland. The Main Railway Station“Milano Centrale” is connected with all the major cities of Europe. There are several day and night Eurocity connections to Italy. People under 26 receive special discounts. Reservations should be made as early as possible as trains to Italy are often crowded, especially in summer.

Travel by car
We recommend to contact your automobile club for infor-mation and maps regarding getting to Milan.

Milan  can  easily  be  reached  by  car  using  three  different  highways:  A1  (connecting  Milan  with  Rome  and Switzerland),A4 (connecting Milan with Turin and Venice), A7 (connecting Milan with Genoa). On italian highways a toll fee has to be paid. Gasoline stations are open 24 hours a day. Elsewhere the opening hours are as follows: 7:30 am to 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
Outside of this timetable there are self service stations available where you can pay with 5, 10 or 20 Euro notes with credit card. All throughout Milan there are many garages and paid parking spaces. Ask for cheaper weekly andmonthly fees.

Two garages we recommend:

• Garage Vono, via Giovenale 7, Tel. 028373421 - every day: 06:00 am - 01:00 am
• Garage Gorizia, viale Gorizia 14/16, Tel. 0258106398 open 24 hours/day

Should you park your car on the street, please consult the streetsigns or ask your landlord on which night the weekly street cleaning takes places in your area (pulizia della strada). On that night you will have to park your car elsewhere, as all cars parkedi n the area are removed and fined by the police.

We recommend to ask for the green insurance card at your automobile club and advise you not to leave any articles of value or radios in your car (insurance against theft)

Travel by plane

Milan has two international airports: “Linate” and “Malpensa”. It is also well connected to the international airport of Bergamo “Orio al Serio”.

•    Malpensa  Express  is  a  train  that  connects  Malpensa  International  Airport  to  Cadorna  Railway  Station  which  is  situated  in  the  city  center  and  connected  with  lines  1  (red  one)  and  2  (green  one)  of the   metro   (underground);   price:   11   Euro;   travel time:  40  minutes.Timetable  Malpensa  -  Cadorna station:every 30 minutes from 06:45 am to 09:45 pm

http://www.malpensaexpress.it/

•    Malpensa  Shuttle  buses  connect  every  20  minutes

Malpensa Airport to the Main Railway Station of Milan; price: 7,50 Euro; travel time: 50 minutes; from 5:00am to 10:30pm. http://www.malpensashuttle.it/

•    Malpensa  Bus  Express  connects  every  30  minutes

Malpensa Airport to the main Railway Station of Mi lan; travel time: 50 minutes; from 3:45am to 00:30am; price: 5.50 Euro.

Malpensa Airport Information: 0274852200

Malpensa website www.sea-aeroportimilano.it

•    Star Fly Bus service connects Linate Airport to Main

Railway Station of Milan; price: 3 Euro; travel time: 30 minutes; from 6:05am to 23:45pm

•    ATM   City  Bus  number  73  connects  Linate  to  city center (Piazza S. Babila); price: 1 Euro; from 6:05am to 00:55am.

Linate Airport Information: 0274852200 Linate website http://www.sea-aeroportimilano.it

•    Orioshhuttle from Bergamo “Orio al Serio” Airport to

Milan Central Railway Station; price: 10 Euro; travel time: 2 hours; from 4:30am to 1:00am. http://www.orioshuttle.com/

Bergamo Airport Information:  035326323

Orio al Serio website http://www.orioaeroporto.it

Transfer to the accommodation

Upon arrival in Milan, we recommend that you take a taxi to your accommodation. Taxis are easily found at the TAXI stations in front of the airport as well as the train station.

Attention: Always use yellow or white painted taxi as they have a meter. Private taxis are likely to overcharge you.

Don’t worry if you don’t speak any Italian! It is enough just to show the address to the driver. From the main railway station there are city buses and a metro (underground) which run until midnight.

Upon request Scuola Leonardo da Vinci  offers  you  a  transfer  service  from  the  airport / railway station to your accommodation. We collaborate with an independent transport company. A driver will wait for  you  handing  a  sign  with  your  name  and  the  written SCUOLA LEONARDO DA VINCI at the airport exit or at the railway platform. For one-way prices see our current price list. Should you request a transfer, please indicate it on the enrollment form or make sure to inform us at least one week before arrival. We need exact information about your arrival day, arrival time, flight or train number.

THE SCHOOL AND LESSONS

The course center
The Leonardo da Vinci school is located in the historic centre of Milan, in a modern building a few minutes’ walk from Piazza del Duomo. The district is known for its liveliness and style, destination of foodies – thanks to countless restaurants to suit every budget –, lovers of culture attracted by theatres, bookshops, shops and two of the most important universities of the city: Università Statale and Bocconi:
Corso di Porta Vigentina, 35, building B, 2° floor
Tel: +39-02.8324.1002
Fax: +39-02.8942.5256
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Emergency phone numbers (only weekends): +39-346.2179025
Accommodation:+39-346.2179025
Transfer service: a voucher will be sent after the service has been confirmed.

The first day at school
We meet at 08:30 am at the school reception. Students with little or no knowledge of the italian language will attend their first  lesson. All other students will take a written and oral placement test, which enables our teachers to place students in the appropriate level. Between 10:30 and 11:00 am you can check class lists and timetables on the student’s message board. If you have any questions about the level assigned to you, please contact our course coordinator.

Course timetable
Intensive corse
09:00  am  -  12:15  pm  or  01:30  pm  -  04:45  pm  or
02:00 pm - 05:15 pm
There is a coffee break of 15 minutes

Individual lessons: (one or more sessions) / Intensive conversation corse
12:30 pm - 1:15 pm or 05:00 pm - 05:45 pm 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm or 05:00 pm - 06:30 pm

From the first  day of school all lessons are held only in italian. In addition to grammar exercises, our teaching method  emphasises  the  reading  and  comprehension  of spoken italian.
All  the  necessary  teaching  material  is  included  in  the course fees. We suggest you to bring your own dictionary. For homework and exercises you should calculate about one additional hour per day.

Supplementary courses
The  cultural  courses  (History  of  Art,  Cooking,  Wine, Fashion, Design etc.) can be booked upon enrollment or directly at school.
However, the enrollment should be made, at the latest, within the second day of their course. Participants will be informed about timetables of supplementary courses during the first  week.
You will receive a voucher that has to be handed in to the teacher on the first lesson.  We recommend the language and cultural course “Italy Today” and the “History of Art” only for student from the 3rd ability level on. The supplementary courses take place only if the minimum number of participants is reached.

Payment of courses
The total amount of your courses must be paid at the latest on the day of arrival. Those who already paid the full amount via cheque, bank credit card or postal money order are kindly invited to bring a copy of payment or a voucher of the travel agency in order to facilitate our administration. Only students who are able to produce proof of pay-ment will be allowed to attend their course.

Diplomas and certificates
During your stay, your progress in learning will be continuosly monitored. At the end of your studies you can request a certificate  to the school, we will issue a document with indication of the last level attended and completed.
The certificates  can be picked up at the reception the same afternoon.
The  examinations  of  the  Accademia  Italiana  di  Lingua (AIL) “Diploma Firenze” DELI (A2), DILI (B1), DILC (B1-Business),  DILS  (B2),  DALI  (C1)  and  DALC  (C1/C2 - Business) are held at our school four times a year, at the end of March, June, September and December. We offer four weeks preparation courses for the AIL exams.
Students interested in taking one of the AIL examinations should enroll at the beginning of the month of the exami-nation.

Credits
We can send transcripts to American Universities, where our courses are usually accepted as valid language credits.
For more information please contact the director of studies of our school.

National holidays
Our school is closed on national and local public holidays. Lessons are not held, not made up and not refunded.

Contacts

If you have questions or problems about your tuition, please  talk  directly  to  our  director  of  studies,  who  will  be readily available to help you. Our reception will provide information  about  student  card,  bus  tickets,  maps,  trips, restaurants, bars, discos, sporting facilities, museums, laundries, supermarkets, etc.

The reception is open from monday to friday, from 08:30 am to 06:30 pm. During this time you can collect your personal mail, faxes and e-mails

Student card
The first  day of school you will receive your personal student card. If shown, discounted rates can be obtained in various bars, restaurants,gyms, etc.

Internet  –  wi-fi area
Students can use school’s internet. In the school is present a wireless connection so students can surf the internet with their own laptop for free.

Questionnaire
As part of our general commitment to the continuous im- provement to our services, we kindly ask you to take a few minutes to complete our questionnaire. Your comments are very important for us and we greatly appreciate your time.

Leisure program
Our message board provides regular and updated informa- tion about cultural activities, exhibitions, concerts, sports, cinema and other recreational opportunities in the city and its surroundings.
Every month we hand out our own calendar of cultural events. Additionally the school organises guided visits to museums, dinners and out door excursions. The most common destinations are the famous lakes like: Como, Maggiore and Garda. Our staff in the secretary is happy to give information material such as maps, excursions, lists of sporting facilities, etc.

ACCOMODATION

The school is concerned with mantaining a high standard of private accommodation. Our staff is committed to meet applicants special needs and requirements, when possible. Generally accommodation is located in the central area within 20 up to 50 minutes by bus or metro line from the school. Our school offers two types of accommodation:  

Home-Stay
Home-stay usually involves more interaction with your hosts and offers a unique opportunity to become acquain- ted with the italian culture and way of living, but it also requires compromises between the host and the student. Your host family may include children or sometimes a per- son living alone. According to your booking, breakfast or half-board is served. Students are allowed to use the com- mon rooms and receive telephone calls.

Apartment, shared kitchen and bathroom
Living in apartment (together with other foreign or italian students, or with the landlord/landlady) requires maturity but allows the student more indipendence. Students share the facilities of the apartment including the kitchen so they can cook for themselves.
All students are advised to bring their own towels. If you have booked an accommodation without meals please be aware that in italy most shops are closed on sunday. Stu- dents are advised to bring their own food if they wish to eat at home. Whichever accommodation you choose, we kindly ask you to inform either the landlord (by phone) or the school (by phone, fax or e-mail) about your arrival at least 4 days in advance in order to facilitate your check in. An information sheet detailing the requirements of your accommodation is available at the reception. The sheet gi- ves information about rights and duties for the subtenant.

Reservation and payment of accommodation
To reserve you the accommodation, we need your (or your parents’) credit card number as guarantee depo- sit. You will receive the address and price of your accom- modation about ten days before your arrival date. Please pay this amount immediately upon your arrival in Mi- lan. By paying the rent you accept the accommodation arranged. In case you would like to change accommo- dations we ask you to discuss it with our housing coor- dinator before paying the rent. Please note that we ask a deposit of 100 Euro for shared apartment accommoda- tion. The deposit must be paid in cash or by Traveller’s Cheques at arrival and will be refunded on your depar- ture, less reparation costs if needed, if the deposit it is not collected, the school will send back the amount by Internatioal Post Money order minus transfer expenses. If such deposit is not claimed within 5 days upon departure , it will be kept by the school.

ADVISES AND TIPS

Permit of stay
According to the italian laws, those students who need a visa to enter Italy or any student who intends to stay longer than 3 months must apply for a permit of stay ( permesso di soggiorno ) within eight days from their arrival in Italy. You will find the necessary documentation at the local post office or directly in the school’s secretary.
The documentation kit will only be issued if the day of arrival can be proved either with a stamp in the passport or with an airline or train ticket. Our secretary will issue a certificate of enrollment for the application and help you out throughout the entire procedure.

The closest post office to the school is: Milano 103 via Rimini 2 (on the corner with via Bordighera) tel. 028466513 open from 08:00 to 14:00.

Tax file number (Codice Fiscale)
Anybody working in Italy needs a “codice fiscale”. You will need it also for other official procedures such as ope- ning a bank account, arranging a new telephone number or receiving certain kind of medical care. If you need one, take your ID or passport to:
Tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate) n°5
via dei Missaglia 97
tel. 02893075
email. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate) n°1 via della Moscova 2
tel. 02636791
email. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Where to get information
In the center of Milan there are several tourist information centers, which give information about cultural events and happenings in the city and its surroundings. Many travel agencies also have information about train and bus timetables, guided tours in the city and sightseeing.
In IAT offices and other tourist information centers you can find two monthly publications: “Milano mese” and “Easy Milano”. These magazines have information about different kind of activities in Milan: cultural events, art exhibitions, entertainment, trade fairs, street markets, etc. More information can also be found in the local news section of the daily newspapers “La Repubblica” and “Il Corriere della Sera”.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Trains

Train fares are reasonably cheap in Italy. Despite having to pay a supplement on Euro and Intercity trains (fast trains), travelling long distances represent especially good value. A higher fee is applicable also for the “Eurostar”, on which you must reserve your seat in advance. The train ticket is only valid if you punch it at one of the yellow boxes at the beginning of the platform. There are several agencies in Milan dealing with national and international train reservations:

• CTS Corso Porta Ticinese 100, 028372674 www.cts.it
• TuViaggi viale Cassala 75, 0289422109
• SoleMania, via Giuseppe Meda 5, 0289415935 www.viaggisolemania.it

Information about FS trains: 892021 (only from Italy); www.trenitalia.com

City bus / Tram / Metro

The ATM company manages a network of buses, trams, and metros in the city and its surroundings. Single tickets are available at the “Tabacchi”-bars (distinguished by a rectangular T-sign), at the most newspaper stands (giorna- lai) and the offices of ATM.

• ATM, Galleria metropolitana M1-M3 Duomo
• ATM, metropolitana M2 Romolo
• ATM, metropolitana M1-M2 Cadorna

Autobus a lunga percorrenza
There are several which operate the long- haul buses within the Lombardia region:

• SENA, Meta Viaggi, Piazzale Cadorna, 14, 02809956 www.sena.it
• AUTOSTRADALE Viaggi, Piazza Castello, 02637901 www.autostradale.it

Taxi

Licensed taxis are painted yellow or white and have a me- ter. Private taxis operate without a meter and are likely to overcharge you. In Milan there are many different taxi stands. In the center they are located at:
Piazza della Scala / Piazza Fontana / Piazzale Cadorna / Via Gonzaga / Via Pisoni and many more.
A quick way of obtaining a taxi is by phone. The opera- tor will confirm your booking and give you the name and number of the taxi (i.e. Monaco 80) and the waiting time.

• Radio-Taxi: 024040 / 026969 / 021478 / 028585

BANKS AND POST OFFICES

Banks

Opening hours: Mo - Fr:8:30am - 1:30pm& 2:45pm - 4:15pm or 3:00pm - 4:00pm
The opening hours can vary slightly from one bank to the other. Generally, all banks are closed on Saturdays, Sun- days and on public holidays and close at 11:30am the day before a public holiday.
We suggest the following bank:

• Banca Popolare Commercio e Industria, via La Spezia 1, 02581741
• Banca Intesa San Paolo , viale Cassala 22,  0289400665

Post Offices

• Central post office, opening hours: Piazza Cordusio 1, 0287914446 Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 19:00; Sat: 8:30 - 19:00
• Post office closest to the school: via Rimini 2 tel. 028466513 Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 14:00; Sat: 8:30 - 12:00
• Central Station post office: Piazzale Duca d’Aosta, 026692467 Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 19:00; Sat: 8:30 - 19:00

Smaller post offices are usually open until 2pm. Letters and parcels to and from Italy are delivered by “A- priority mail”. Additionally you find the international rapid deli- very services (EMS &QuickPack) at all main post offices. Stamps can be bought at the post office as well as at the “Tabacchi”shops and “Tabacchi” Bars.

TELEPHONE CALLS, INTERNET, EMAIL AND FAX

Where to make a phone call
Public phones in Italy work with telephone cards and/or coins. Additionally, from almost all the public phones it is possible to call abroad. To call you need coins or a te- lephone card, which you can buy in post offices, in most bars and newsstands. There are also telephone offices whe- re you can pay at the end of the conversation:

• Telecom Italia, Piazzale Duca D’Aosta 1: every day 8:30 - 21:30
• Postnet Multiservice, viale Bligny 42
• Inside subway station

The country code for Italy is ‘39’:
‘Land phone’: The country code must always be followed by the «0» before the area code; ‘Mobile phone’: will ne- ver be the «0» before the number.
The yellow pages (pagine gialle) is a directory with phone numbers for shops, restaurants, car rentals, etc. It is availa- ble from reception and also in most bars.

Internet, Email and Fax
The Email address of our school can be used for receiving private emails: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please tell your friends to always mention your name in the ‘subject’- line of the emails, as this makes it a lot easier for us to notify the correct person.

Free wi-fi network in Milan:
http://info.openwifimilano.it/en/index.aspx

Faxes can be sent from stationery and copy shops. At school, you can receive faxes (without charge) and send faxes (for a fee) Our fax number is +39-02-89425256

SHOPPING A MILANO

SHOPPING IN MILAN
Milan offers a great opportunity for shopping. In general opening hours are as follows: 9:00 - 13:00 and 15:30 - 19:30; On Sunday shops are usually closed.

The department stores in the center (STANDA, UPIM, Rinascente) are open all day and often also on Sunday. The supermarkets (Sma, Pam, Esselunga, etc.) are usually open from 8:30am to 8:00pm, except Sundays. For students in apartment accommodation: We suggest that you organize your own food for the first evening as the shops are generally closed on Sunday.
Some supermarkets are opened on Sunday from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Please visit the following website in italian language www.apertodomenica.com
Some of them are:

• Carrefours Express, via Darwin 2, 028395016
• Sma, viale Tibaldi 7, 028323918
  Sma, Corso S. Gottardo 29, 0289404979
• Supermercati Pam, viale Tibaldi 35, 0289407883 Esselunga, viale Cassala 22, 0289402297

The reception has a more detailed list of supermarkets.

Laundromat
Self service washing machines and dryers can be found all over the city. Opening hours are in general from 8 am to 10 pm. Ask for our list at reception. These are some of the “Onda blu” Self Service laundromats:

• Via Savona 1
• Via Piero Della Francesca 57/c
• Via Teodosio 100

Books, newspapers and magazines:
Milan has numerous bookstores selling books in Italian and foreign languages:

• Feltrinelli, via Manzoni 12, 0276000386
• Feltrinelli, via Ugo Foscolo 1/3, 0286996897
• English Bookshop, Via Mascheroni12, 024694468
• American Bookstore, via Camperio 16, 02878920
• Hoepli, via Hoepli 5, 02864871

At larger newsstands and at the main railway station you find a big selection of international newspapers and maga- zines. The daily Italian newspapers are “La Repubblica” and “Il Corriere della Sera”. There are also numerous weekly magazines such as “Espresso”,“Panorama” or “Europeo”.
From Monday to Friday the “Secondamano” is published, a newspaper with free ads for those looking for a job, apartment, used bicycle, babysitting, etc.

Bars and Coffee shops
In most bars and coffee shops you pay lower price when consuming at the counter (al banco) as compared to sitting down (al tavolo) Some bars and coffee shops accept the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci student card, offering a straight discount or special offers. Ask for the list in our reception.

Restaurants, Pizzerias, Hang Out’s
Our reception has a list of restaurants (grouped by price category), pizzerias, trattorias and discos.

BIKE, MOTORBIKE AND CAR RENTAL

To hire a bicycle or a scooter you need your personal ID card, a credit card and/or a cash deposit for the hire company:

• A.W.S, Via Ponte Svevo 33, 0267072145
• La Bicicletteria, via S. Spaventa 1, 028461286
• Happy Rent, Via Napo Torrioni 22, 0266710176
• ADM, Via della Moscova 47, 026570049

It is usually cheaper to hire a car abroad. To rent a car in Milan, you must be over 21 and possess a driver’s licence for more than a year. You will be required to leave a credit card number or a substantial cash deposit:

• Avis, Piazza Armando Diaz 6, 0286464278
• Hertz, Via Maurizio Gonzaga 5, 02878591
• Stella Cometa, Viale D’Annunzio 23, 0289423078

SAFETY

Milan is a safe city. Nevertheless you should take note of few things. You should always mind your bags and purses, especially in buses and trains. Never go out with too much money. When walking down a street hold bags on the side of you facing the wall. This deters bag snatchers on scooters.We suggest that you make a photocopy of all personal documents and your credit card. Keep the copies separate from the originals.

DOCTORS, DENTISTS AND PHARMACIES

The school can provide a doctor at any time. Addresses
of doctors can be found in the yellow pages (paginegial- le). Look for “Medici”. The Consulates also have a list of doctors who speak your mother tongue. In emergency ca- ses (also at night and Sundays) you can call the “Guardia medica”:0234567
The first-aid service “Pronto Soccorso”is usually found in all hospitals. It is free of charge and easily accessible for anyone who suffers from an acute illness: 118
Some medical care centers:

• Ospedale Maggiore Di Milano, via F. Sforza 28, 025503501
• Ospedale Fatebenefratelli, Corso di Porta Nuova 23, 0263631
• Ospedale S. Giuseppe, via S. Vittore 12, 0286452459

Addresses of dentists can be found in the yellow pages (pagine gialle). Look for “Dentisti”. Some addresses:

• Studio Medico San Gottardo - Corso San Gottardo, 42 – 02 8323344
• Pino Marco la Corte - Via Antonio Lecchi, 9 – 02 8322272

Pharmacies
Pharmacies usually have a large selection of medicine and the pharmacists are highly qualified, also to give medical advise. Should you need medicine outside business hours, the shop window displays a list of pharmacies with emergency service in that particular district. Toll free information 800-801185.

24 hours Pharmacy:

• Stazione Centrale 026690935 - www.farmacieaperte.it

Pharmacies with extended business hours:

• Corso San Gottardo 1, 0289403433
• Corso Magenta 96, 0248006772
• Piazza Duomo 21, 02878668

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Pocket money

The amount of money spent on personal interests will vary from person to person but we think that 150 Euro per week, in addition to accommodation and food,should be enough.

Electricity
Italy uses a 220 Volts/AC system. There are different sockets for appliances of low and high volt. There is no problem for appliances with an Euro-socket. For Italian sockets adapters are usually necessary.

Local time
Italy uses Middle-European-Time (MET):
London: -1; New York: -6; Los Angeles: -9; Beijing: +7; Seoul: +8; Tokyo: +8: Sydney: +9. From the end of March to the end of October the clocks in Italy are turned ahead one hour.

Climate
Although the summers in Italy are usually quite warm, wintertime in the northern and central part can be chilly. The best weather in the cities is in spring and autumn.

(°Celsius)

Important addresses and telephone numbers:

• School Emergency phone number at arrival (Sunday):3462179025 (from abroad: +39-3462179025)
• Medical emergency (guardia medica): 0234567
• First aid (pronto soccorso):118
• Police Emergency: 112 or 113
• Traffic police (Polizia municipale): 0277271
• Towed cars, via Beccaria 19: 0277270280
• Police office for foreigners (Ufficio stranieri), via Montebello 26: 0262261

CHECK LIST

A small check list:

• Valid passport or identity card
• Visa (if necessary)
• Tickets and reservations
• Insurance documents
• Money, traveller’s cheques and credit cards
• Personal medicine
• EHIC card (for citizens from EU countries)
• Italian address given to parents, etc.
• School informed about arrival time
• Transfer requested from the school