long term stay italy

Hi, Millie.

Should we assume that you did not make the trip in 2013 when you asked the same question?

How long are you thinking about? See the earlier link for information about the maximum stay for tourists in the Schengen area of Europe.

Florence is centrally located, and fast trains can get you to other major Italian towns very fast. I'd prefer to be out in the suburbs or small towns closeby, however.

Could you elaborate on how long you'll be staying? That will have a bearing on the answers you receive.

To answer one of your questions, Florence would be a great "home base" location as it's got lots of facilities (hotels, restaurants, etc.) and good transportation links.

I have thought about this long and hard, as the prospect of becoming a semi-expat doesn't sound so far-fetched anymore, at least for 3-4 months a year like 'snowbirds' do in Florida or Texas from the cold winters of the Northeast or the Midwest.

Certainly Florence beckons because of the excellent Santa Maria Novella train station hub. One can travel anywhere in just a few hours. But reside in the historic district? Although I loved it for a week, sixteen weeks might get a little tiresome, especially if it's at any time during the heavy tourist months. Personally, if I go, it would be during the winter, non-tourist months.

I am test-driving an apartment in a Rome neighborhood next March, only for 6 days, but more importantly to get the lay of the land a little bit. Also will be spending a few days down in Sorrento, one of the few towns on the peninsula that doesn't button up for the winter.

Of course, places like Florence, Rome and even Sorrento have their own expat community that vibrantly communicate via social media and thus, become kindred spirits, even before they meet sometimes. Trying to make a fit in a small inland village might on the surface sound fabulous and chill and non-stressful, but could be extremely lonely at the same time.

Maybe the upcoming election prospects are making a lot of us think this way...

But you have to deal with the Schengen zone limit of 90 days out of 180 days. We raised that three years ago and you did not respond. So please address what you tend to do. It would help with how your questions are answered. This site works best when we have a conversation.

May I suggest that everyone read the post from RS's Laura ? It is the one right after the OP. Read it before offering any further advice.

I presume you are aware that the limit for non EU citizen is 90 days.
Of course one could apply for a long term stay visa for one of the allowed reasons (one of them is "elective residency"), however that takes time to obtain as there are numerous bureaucratic hurdles to cross, including proof of international health insurance and monthly investment/pension income.

Assuming you decide to stay somewhat less than 90 days, and assuming you only want to stay in one and one place only, Florence is certainly a perfect location, since it's centrally located for several localities to explore.

If you decide to stay in some small town way outside of Florence, I recommend you do so only if you are fluent in the Italian language, because your English language skills may not help you much in smaller towns, unless they are major tourist destinations, like Siena.

You need not stay in the historical center, where fewer and fewer Italians live nowadays and where the tourist crowds are sometimes overwhelming. There are other areas in the city that are nice and will make you feel more part of the Florentine community.

The best areas outside the center are on the Eastern half of the city, and anywhere on the surrounding hills. The western sides (Novoli, Le Piagge, Peretola, Scandicci, Isolotto) are more low income/working class.