You must have a valid passport that remains valid for at least six months beyond your return date. Passport processing can take 2–3 months, so start early. Make a photocopy of your passport and keep it with the Urbino dorm address in your suitcase.

No, a visa is not required for stays under 90 days within Schengen countries. Program dates are designed to respect this limit.

Yes. An Italian data plan is required for safety and communication with your university, GEV staff, and classmates.

GEV primarily uses WhatsApp. A pre-departure chat will be created before travel, which will later become the emergency communication channel.

No, they do not work in Italy. Use your mobile data or Wi‑Fi instead.

GEV Italy Wi‑Fi – available in classrooms, offices, and Palazzo Chiocci (passwords provided upon arrival).

EDUROAM – available in Serpentine dorms (registration instructions given upon arrival).

Pack light and practical: bring plug adapters (for 220V), a rain jacket, comfortable shoes, and all prescription medication for your stay. Keep essentials in your carry‑on. For electronics, buy hair dryers or straighteners in Italy—they’ll match the local voltage.

Weather changes a lot during the semester, so be prepared for both warm and cold days. Don’t bring too many clothes, but make sure you have a waterproof jacket and shoes. Also bring modest clothing for church visits (shoulders and legs must be covered).

Bring your smartphone and laptop, wired earbuds (3.5mm jack) for whisper units, and copies of important documents. Sheets and towels are provided, but you may bring your own if you prefer.

All international flights land at Terminal 3. Go through passport control, collect your luggage, and report missing bags immediately. If bags must be delivered later, use this address:
First Name + Last Name – UTSA Group
c/o Collegio Tridente
Via Giancarlo De Carlo 7
61029 Urbino (PU), Italy

After collecting luggage, exit Terminal 3, turn right, and walk approximately 500 feet to the bus area. Staff (Prof. Murphy, Roberta, or the GEV team) arrive around 12:00–12:30 p.m., and check‑in starts around Column 20 (or nearby columns) near the buses. Always check for updates on the pre‑departure group chat.

Message your pre‑departure WhatsApp group immediately. Staff will coordinate your arrival.

The trip takes about 4.5 hours, with a rest stop halfway.

Taxi: €60–80 from Pesaro to Urbino (confirm fare beforehand; Pesaro Taxi +39 0721 454425).

Bus: From Pesaro station, take Adriabus Linea Verde (LV) to Urbino. Buy tickets at the ticket office or nearby cafés/tobacco shops and validate them on board. Buses arrive at the Santa Lucia parking lot, from where taxis can take you to your dorm (€10–20).

If you arrive after 7:30 p.m., take a taxi to Urbino—it’s the safest option.

Students stay in:
• Palazzo Chiocci – Piazza Gherardi 7 (city center, about 15 minutes from classrooms)
• Serpentine Dorms – Via Giancarlo De Carlo (campus area, right next to classrooms, about 15 minutes from the city center)
• Hotels – some students stay in hotels located in the city center.

Rooms (single, double, or triple) include desks, closets, linens, and towels. Weekly cleaning is provided. Kitchenettes and laundry rooms are available in both dorms. The first supply of hand soap and toilet paper is always provided.

Yes. No parties, smoking, or guests. Quiet hours must be respected. Do not decorate walls with posters, stickers, etc. Keep rooms tidy; staff clean common areas weekly. Unacceptable behavior may lead to sanctions, including program and facility dismissal.

Palazzo Chiocci: Coin‑operated machines in the basement. Serpentine: App‑operated washers and dryers. Laundromats are also available in town.

It’s a refundable housing/classroom damage deposit, collected at orientation and returned at the semester’s end if no damage occurs. In case of damage, a fee may be deducted from the deposit.

GEV Office: Collegio Aquilone, Via Cappuccini 15, Urbino
Cafeteria: Tridente Building (on campus) or Mensa del Duca (city center)
Dorms: Palazzo Chiocci (city center), Serpentine (campus), hotels (city center)

Attendance is mandatory. You’ll meet staff and professors, tour the city and university, and receive a packet with safety guidelines, maps, and schedules. You’ll also sign required forms: Behavior Contract, Waiver of Liability, Housing Agreement.

Roberta Cossu Berte, Mirko Marinelli, Minerva Rotatori, and Vittorio Gamboni. Office hours: Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (closed weekends). For emergencies after hours: phone calls only (no texts).

Tridente Cafeteria (on campus) or Mensa del Duca (city center). Students receive up to 120 meals through a meal app, valid for lunch or dinner every day.

Do not send packages directly to dorms. Use the following instructions depending on your dorm:

Palazzo Chiocci dorm
For packages and online orders: if available (e.g., Amazon), choose a pickup location in the city center that is convenient for you.
For letters/postcards and for packages only if there is no pickup option:
First Name + Last Name + UTSA Group
c/o Palazzo Chiocci
Piazza Gherardi 7
61029 Urbino (PU), Italy

Serpentine dorm
First Name + Last Name – UTSA Group
c/o Collegio Tridente
Via Giancarlo De Carlo 7
61029 Urbino (PU), Italy

Hotels
Contact the hotel reception directly.

Via Bramante 28, Urbino. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Yes, via Poste Italiane. You’ll fill out customs forms and list all contents. Use your Erdis cafeteria username as “codice fiscale” if asked.

Bring about €200 in cash upon arrival. Use ATMs for withdrawals (VISA and Mastercard accepted). Notify your bank before traveling to avoid card blocks. American Express is rarely accepted.

Urbino has pharmacies, local clinics, and a hospital with specialists and an ER. Depending on the severity of your case, you decide where to go and notify your faculty professor and a GEV staff member:

• Pharmacy: For minor issues; pharmacists are trained to help and can suggest appropriate medication.
• Campus doctor: General practitioner; can only prescribe over‑the‑counter medication. Tue and Thu 4–7 p.m., free of charge.
• Guardia Medica: General doctor; can also issue prescriptions. Sun–Fri nights 8 p.m.–8 a.m., Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m. (~€20).
• Specialist: Pay upfront and seek reimbursement later (~€100–150).
• Emergency: European Emergency number: 112. Also contact your faculty professor and a GEV staff member.

Walk (~15 minutes) or take a local bus from Borgo Mercatale to campus (ticket ~€1.50; buy in advance from tobacco shops and validate on board).

Pesaro: Bus from Santa Lucia → Pesaro Station, LR (Linea Rossa) or LRF (Linea Rossa Festiva).
Fano: Line 25V (to Fano) and 25R (return).

Trains via Trenitalia.com, Italotreno.com, or Thetrainline.com. Budget flights depart from Bologna, Ancona, or Forlì airports. Check in online and print tickets to avoid extra fees.

It depends. You must check with your faculty professors in advance for safety and policy reasons.

All travel forms are managed by Dr. Murphy, Executive Director of UTSA GSC Italy.

In central Italy’s Marche region, 20 miles from the Adriatic coast. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Urbino sits 1,600 ft above sea level and has about 15,000 residents.

It was the Renaissance court of Duke Federico da Montefeltro, patron of art and education, and the birthplace of Raphael.

Its compact, walkable center, lively student life, and cultural atmosphere make it ideal for international students.

In 1506. It now hosts about 15,000 students across 10 colleges.

Architect Giancarlo De Carlo, who integrated the buildings with the natural landscape.

Expect to walk everywhere, use public transport, and adapt to slower rhythms and traditional customs. Flexibility and openness are key.

Yes! GEV organizes tours, cultural classes, and local experiences in the Montefeltro region. Reservations will be made during the first week in Urbino.