Travel to Italy on a Budget
World Explorers is the the ideal program for adventure travelers, a gap year or traveling on a budget. You receive a private room and three daily meals in exchange of teaching English for 15 hours weekly to your host family.
The rest of the time is yours to explore as you wish!
Italy
Why visit Italy?
Are you tired of using the expression, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do?” Stop saying it and just do it! Join World Explorers in Italy and experience the country as a local. Italy is famous not only its delicious cuisine and rich history, but also for its extravagant architecture and gorgeous landscape. Italy is a long peninsula shaped like a boot, surrounded on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the east by the Adriatic. The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula’s backbone, and the Alps line its northern boundary. There are also several islands that belong to Italy, the largest and most famous being Sicily and Sardinia. It is adjacent to France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia but remains quite culturally distinct from its neighbors.
What will I do there?
Where will I live?
CHI works with trusted partners in Italy to find the best host families possible for you. We can guarantee placements near the city center in Turin. Turin is the capital city of Piedmont in northern Italy, known for its refined architecture and cuisine. There is a major university in Turin and you will find many young people hanging out in cafes. Ski trips to the Alps are also popular. Many of our host families in Turin have high school aged children. Placements may be available in other parts of Italy, but we ask that you are flexible with your location. Recent placements have been near Florence, Rome and Bologna.
Will I be able to learn Italian in Italy?
This program is ideal for Italian language learners. Immersing yourself into the culture is the best way to become fluent in Italian. You can also attend Italian classes for an additional cost. Your local coordinator can help you find an Italian language school. This is also a great way to meet other people learning Italian in Italy.
How can I fill my free time?
World Explores is an independent travel program. You need to be a self-starter to make sure you find things to do in your free while your host parents are at work and your host brothers and sisters are at school. You will have a local coordinator that can give you advice about things to do, but you are ultimately responsible to keep yourself busy. We can give you ideas about how to make friends in Italy and how you can get involved with the local community.
Will I be able to visit other parts of Italy?
Yes! You are welcome to do some traveling before, during our after your homestay program in Italy. Take a weekend trip to see the Colosseum in Rome, cruise the canals of Venice or climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Past participants have also taken advantage of visiting other European countries thanks to affordable airlines serving Italy.
Additional Opportunities
We offer an exciting opportunity to gain teaching experience in a local middle school in the Turin region through our longtime partner agency, a leader in the student exchange industry. As a Teacher’s Assistant in Italy, you will help out in an English class 15-18 hours per week. You will live with a host family near the school where you will be working. This is a wonderful hands-on opportunity for participants studying to be a teacher. It also fills your days so that you have a daily routine during your stay in Italy. The program runs twice per year, in the fall and spring semesters. The start dates are at the end of September and at the end of January.
Other fun travel programs in Italy include:
- Working at a summer camp for kids as a Camp Counselor
- Working as an Au Pair Abroad
Contact a WE customer care specialist for more information.
What is the recommended age range for World Explorers traveling to this country?
REQUIREMENTS
Be at least 18 years old
Be a high school graduate
Be flexible and adaptable to a different culture
Be respectful of your host family’s rules
Be a fluent English speaker *
Program Costs
30 days
$60
per day
- Private, comfortable room
- Three daily meals with the host family
- In-country support from start to finish
total
60 days
$45
per day
- Private, comfortable room
- Three daily meals with the host family
- In-country support from start to finish
total
90 days
$30
per day
- Private, comfortable room
- Three daily meals with the host family
- In-country support from start to finish
total
A great way to travel on a budget
Hostel
- 90-day stay
- Private hostel room
- 3 daily meals at budget local restaurants
- You will be on your own
- No in-country support, unless a guide is hired
- No U.S. support
- No one to practice the local language with
Budget Hotel
- 90-day stay
- Budget hotel room
- 3 daily meals at budget local restaurants
- You will be on your own
- No in-country support, unless a guide is hired
- No U.S. support
- No one to practice the local language with
World Explorers
- 90-day stay
- Private, clean, comfortable room
- 3 daily meals with the family
- You will make local friends
- Both in-country and U.S. support
- Company and guidance from your host family and from CHI
$2099
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