Italy for four months!

Perugia is not really a little town, it's a fair-sized city and has good train/bus connections for the rest of Italy. France or the Czech Republic are fairly distant, so you would probably visit them before or after your program of study (just guessing). You need to be clear about traveling in Europe beyond the dates of your student visa - your study-abroad program will be able to help with that.

I am assuming you're a college student doing a semester? My son and a lot of his friends did a semester either in Italy or Spain, and the schools offered side trips. When they went on side trips they were usually bused. The trips he took solo or with a friend he used the train.

First: Learn a little Italian before you go! Buy Rick Steve's guidebook "Europe through the back door" for an overview and DO read it! You may also want to pick up the Italy guidebook as well. Google RoninRome.com It's the best website ever for all things Rome! There are even Facebook pages for Italy info.

There are different etiquette rules in Europe. Always greet the shopkeepers when you enter with a buonjourno, and a grazie when you leave. Do not touch the merchandise. If you would like to try something on, ask and they will give it to you, but no touching otherwise! (We Americans are touchers). If you are asking a French person a question, start with "please." This is another difference.

Do not put your purse on an empty chair in a café. Do not hang it on the back of your chair. Keep it on the floor between your feet or in your lap. Keep a very close eye on your iPhone if you're bringing one.

Here are some blogs for you to look at written by the young!:
survivinginitaly.com
girlinflorence.com
Elizabethminchilliinrome.com
Parlafood.com

These have great pointers on what to wear (no flip flops or t-shirts!) where to go, food, etc.!

You'll be making a lifetime of memories, Lucky You!!

Yes I am a college student taking an aboard trip! Thank you guys for the tips! I will look at those websites!

Katie,

What a wonderful adventure! Rick Steves' son, Andy, leads trips geared toward students studying abroad. The website is: http://www.wsaeurope.com/. While I have never been on one of Andy's tours, I can only assume they are great! Here is a page on the site with information about Andy: http://www.wsaeurope.com/andys-corner/.

Sharon

Hi Katie
What a great opportunity. When my son was in college, he spent a semester in Berlin. His school schedule allowed for long weekends almost every weekend. He and friends traveled most weekends with the inexpensive airlines, stayed in hostels and generally had a great semester. He went to England, Budapest, Stockholm to mention a few places. There were also planned trips through the school program to Munich for Oktoberfest and other places. It would be easy to take advantage of the great bargains in air and train transportation through Europe. Have a wonderful time.

• If you have any Fridays or Mondays off it will make it much easier to travel on weekends! They are still very short trips, but at least you have one full day plus some time on your arrival and departure days. I did many trips like these when I studied abroad a few years ago. Packed up a backpack and went to Cologne, Thessaloniki Greece, Bratislava Slovakia, and Palermo all on weekend trips with Ryanair. I did a longer trip over Thanksgiving Break to Istanbul. Short weekend trips certainly don't give you a lot of time in the cities, and people on these boards tend to learn toward longer stays - but they are doable and worth it in my opinion.
• I also traveled before and after my abroad, but remember that you'll have all your luggage with you at that point so traveling gets a little heavier. Not to discourage you from doing it - just keep it in mind.
• France (depending on where you're going) and Czech Republic are far from Italy so your best bet is to take a budget airline. Skyscanner.com is a great way to search for flights. I flew out of Rome or Pisa for my budget airline flights. To travel around many parts of Italy, however, train is a great method. Check trenitalia.com for prices and routes.
• As someone mentioned - Perugia's not a little town, it's a city. Nice place though. If you happen to be there in October, you'll hit the Euro Chocolate Festival! Lots of vendors, some free samples...there are crowds of course but it's fun. (Edit: sorry - noticed you said in the spring. Well, if you ever make it back to Perugia in the fall check it out)
• One thing I'd mention is that while you should definitely explore Europe, do some trips around Italy too! I was so glad I went to Sicily - otherwise the furthest south I had been was Rome, and Sicily is so different culturally/architecturally, etc. Take a day or weekend trip to the coast. Take trips to Florence, Rome, Venice, etc. Day trips to some of the other Umbrian and Tuscan towns.
• Your cost of living shouldn't be too different, especially in a city like Perugia. It will fluctuate a little depending on the exchange rate. Use your debit card to pull out cash. Italy is a pretty cash-based society, they don't use credit cards much except for larger purchases. I enjoyed shopping and paying for things that way. Grocery stores are great places to break larger bills you might get from the ATM. Also on money and paying - there are also little dishes at gelateria counters, grocery stores, etc, that you use to pass your cash (you set it down, they take it and then put your change back in the dish) instead of doing it hand to hand. That was something I wasn't used to at first. Also - always take your receipt! It's not like in the US where you say "no thanks" to your coffee receipt. It has to do with the Guardia di Finanza, but just trust me, take your receipt or they look at you funny, haha.

"people on these boards tend to learn toward longer stays"
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That doesn't apply when you're living in Europe. Only when you're paying so much to get there from here on a vacation. Not visiting other places when you're living there would be foolish imo.
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To add to donna's info on saying hello, goodbye, thank you when in France, learn those phrases in French. Don't just start speaking to a French person in English. The French are wonderful, but they appreciate good manners.
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For transportation to France, train or budget airline. You can check train schedules at bahn.de

The Facebook page is: An Affair With Italy. Various people post on there and many of them are very talented photographers! The previous poster was correct about speaking French to French people. My French is VERY limited, but when I have a question I begin with, excuse me, please, do you know........in my awful French, and I've always had the nicest responses.

Susan,
What I meant was that most people like to spend more than 2 nights in a city when planning any type of itinerary (living in Europe or traveling from North America to different cities around Europe). I was just trying to tell Katie that while flying out Friday morning and flying back Sunday night may not give you a lot of time in a city, it's worth it! I agree with you that it would be foolish not to travel around while you live in Europe. A short trip to Prague may be better than no trip, and if that's how she feels she should go for it.

What a great experience this will be! Be sure to check your Perugia school schedule for a spring break. My daughter did a spring-semester abroad (in England) years ago, and they had a 3-week break. She and her roommates bought Eurail passes and stayed in hostels and had a great time, going as far as Rome.

By the way, they all ran out of money in Switzerland; I had sent an "emergency" debit card with my daughter, but another girl had to have money wired to her via Western Union at several stops. So make sure you and your parents have a plan for unexpected expenses.