Travel & arrival

Look for flights from your home to Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in Rome, Italy.

• No direct flights from Seattle to Rome 
• Rome Airports: Fiumicino and Ciampino – most flights into FCO
• 9 hour time difference – leave the day before 

Flights will range from $500 – $1,200 depending on your city of origin.

Good deals!

Here are some tips and websites for finding good deals on airfare.

• Scott’s Cheap Flights
• Kayak
• Google Flight
• Student Universe

If you would like to coordinate travel with your classmates, click the link below to enter your information. UW Study Abroad will not be facilitating travel arrangements, so if you enter your information on the spreadsheet, it’s up to you all to follow up and connect with each another to book travel. Please note, if you are sharing your information here, it’s public.

Spring 2024: CONNECT WITH THE GROUP

Passport

• Renew or apply for a passport as soon as possible.
• If you have a passport, verify that it is valid for at least 6 months after the end of your program.
• If it is not valid for at least 6 months after the end of your program, renew your passport

For U.S. citizens

• Learn more and renew or apply at the UW State Department website.
• The normal processing time is four to six weeks, longer during peak travel season.

For international students

• Consult your home country’s equivalent of the Department of State, or the “citizen’s services” section of your home country’s U.S. Consulate.
• Visit the embassy/consulate website of your destination country to find out your specific requirements.

For undocumented students

• • The Resources section of our website has information for undocumented students to help you navigate the study abroad process and obtain the necessary documents that you need to travel outside the U.S.

Visas

U.S passport holders

• U.S. passport holders do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen region for periods of stay up to 90 days.
• This means you cannot stay longer than 90 days in the Schengen region. Make your travel plans accordingly.
• You can also consult the U.S. Department of State website for entry requirements.

Non-U.S. passport holders

You must research whether or not you need a visa to travel to Schengen Region. You can visit the website for the Italian Consulate in San Francisco to begin your research.

This is your responsibility. UW Study Abroad and the Rome in Residence program cannot provide advice on applying for a visa. 

• A visa is a document provided by the country where you will be traveling. It gives permission for you to enter the country.
• Visa requirements vary from country to country.
• You must have a passport before you can apply for a visa.
• The country issuing a visa typically attaches various conditions of stay, such as the territory covered by the visa, dates of validity, period of stay, whether the visa is valid for more than one visit, etc.
• If you determine you need a visa, you will need to apply in person at the San Francisco Consulate. You cannot apply at another consulate unless you have a permanent address in that location.
• Visas may be paper documents that are requested and received prior to arrival, or may be a stamp that is placed in your passport upon arrival.
• Information relating to all visas may be obtained from the embassy or consulate of the country or countries in which you will travel.

More information about visas, including requesting enrollment letters and proof of insurance, is on the UW Study Abroad website.

When you arrive in Rome, you will come to the UW Rome Center to check in and get the keys to your apartment. There are several options for transport.

From the airport

Car Service: the most convenient, but expensive way to get to the UWRC is to book a car in advance only. You can book through a number of providers including AutolineRoma on Android or iPhone (€40, Discount Code: 101), MovinRome (€39), Fiumicino Taxi (€42), or MyTaxi (approximately €50). Surcharges may apply between 11 pm and 5 am.  If you tell the driver you want to go to the Hotel Campo de’ Fiori in the Piazza del Biscione, they will know where to go. The UWRC is directly across from the hotel.  Huge green double doors across from the hotel.

Shuttle Bus: this is the least expensive option from Fiumicino, Rome’s international airport, or Ciampino, a smaller airport for some European connections. Buses run about every 30 minutes and trips take between 45 minutes to 1 hour. Tickets can be purchased online at Sit Bus Shuttle (tickets purchased online cost €6 one way per person; be sure to print the e-ticket and keep it with you) or on board of the bus. The bus stop at Fiumicino Airport is located near Terminal 3, bus stop no. 1 (take right when you go out from the terminal). In Ciampino Airport, the bus stop is located near the exit from the terminal. Once at Termini, purchase a bus ticket at the newsstand outside of the station for €1.50 and take the #64 bus for €1.50 to the Corso Vittorio Emanuele/Sant’Andrea della Valle stop (9 stops), and then walk to the UWRC.

Train: the regional train from Fiumicino airport to Stazione Trastevere (7 stops) runs from 5:57 am to 11:27 pm daily, leaving every 15 to 20 minutes and costs €8. You can purchase a ticket in advance at Trenitalia.com or at the station adjacent to the airport. (There are two trains from Fiumicino, so make sure you take the train headed for Fara Sabina. The other train goes to Roma Termini, which is another option, it just takes longer). From the Trastevere train station, purchase a bus ticket at the newsstand inside the station for €1.50 and take the #8 tram in the direction of Venezia to the Arenula/Cairoli stop (8 stops), and then walk to the UWRC. Click here to see a map.  Or, you can take a taxi from the Stazione Trastevere to the UWRC, which will take only about 10 minutes.

Taxi: from Fiumicino, you can take a WHITE taxi from the taxi pick-up line. Only take a taxi from the marked taxi stand. Make sure to take a “Comune di Roma” cab, which costs a flat rate of €48 to the city center. (“Comune di Fiumicino” cabs charge €60.) These rates are applicable regardless of time of day, number of passengers, and quantity of luggage. However, note that taxi drivers frequently try to charge significantly more than the flat rate established by law, so be sure to confirm the rate before you enter the cab and have exact change to pay. Make sure that your luggage is out of the taxi before you pay the driver.

Attention: some people might come up to you after you exit Customs and ask you if you need a taxi. Say no. Do not agree to this. These are not licensed drivers. Only take an authorized taxi from the taxi stand. In addition, do not allow anyone to take your bag from you or assist you before you get to the taxi stand.

Tip: if you tell the taxi driver you want to go to the Hotel Campo de’ Fiori in the Piazza del Biscione, they will know where to go. The UWRC is directly across from the hotel. Huge green double doors across from the hotel.

Uber: there are Uber drivers in Rome, but it is often more expensive than a regular taxi.

From the train station

Train: (from another European location) you will probably arrive at the Stazione Termini and will need to travel to the UWRC using a taxi or bus.

Taxi: (From the train station) take a metered cab (especially if you have a lot of luggage) from the station to the UWRC. The cab ride should cost about €15, depending on the time of day and amount of luggage you have.

Bus: if you choose to take a bus to the UWRC, you should purchase a bus ticket (€1.50; sold at newsstands, tobacco shops, and from vending machines). From the main train station (Stazione Termini) take either bus #64 or bus #40. If taking #64, get off at the first stop on Corso Vittorio Emanuele (just past the large bus hub at Largo Argentina). If taking bus #40, get off at Largo Argentina; see above map. (If arriving at the Trastevere train station, take the #8 tram from the stop outside the station to Largo Argentina.) Please note that the #64 and #40 buses are almost always crowded and pickpockets are VERY common. Be extremely careful to guard your belongings, especially when you are standing up or when getting on and off the bus.

If you plan to come to Rome prior to the start of the program, below are a few recommendations for hotels in the vicinity of the UW Rome Center.

• Hostel Trastevere
• The Beehive
• Hotel Hiberia
• Hotel Pomezia
• B&B Domus Ester Roma
• New Generation Hostel
• Orsa Maggiore Hostel (for women only)
• Hotel Campo de’ Fiori 
• Hotel Smeraldo
• Hotel Ponte Sisto
• Air BnB – also a great and affordable resource!  Look for apartments in the Campo de’ Fiori area or Piazza Navona area and you will be close the UWRC.