11 Weekend Trips to Take While Studying Abroad in Florence

9. Rimini

For an easy-ish trip to a beach where local Italians go, Rimini is a definitely not a place you’ve thought of, but should. Here you’ll find huge beaches with thousands of colourful lounge chairs available for rent, and they even have locker facilities where you can put your stuff safely while you all go for a swim in the sea.

The town also has some great nightlife, full of Italians and other non-American visitors during the summer months. Try to visit during La Notte Rosa, which is a huge party on the beach!

If you don’t want to be a beach bunny the entire weekend, then you cannot miss a visit to San Marino, which is actually an independent country (the fifth smallest). It sits on top of a hill/mountain, and you’ll be able to see it pretty easily from Rimini. Because it’s so high up, you might find yourself literally looking out over the clouds if you have a cloudy or foggy day. It’s incredible.

How to get there:

Get yourself a high-speed train to Bologna, then hop on a local train to Rimini, the journey will take about two hours.

Where to stay:

Jammin Hostel – major party hostel in a great location, 4 minutes from the beach. No air conditioning but has a cool bar/terrace.

Sunflower Beach Backpacker Hostel – another party hostel very close to the beach, but this one has air conditioning.

Residence Hotel Piccadilly – this is where I stayed, it’s quiet and has really reasonably-priced apartments with beach views.

Also check Airbnb for some decently-priced private rooms and apartments near the beach.

10. Munich

If you’re studying abroad in Florence in the spring or fall semester, a visit to Oktoberfest or Springfest is a MUST if you’re a beer fan. I won’t lie to you and say that they aren’t very touristy festivals, because well, they are. But, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a great time drinking huge steins of beer, singing along with German drinking songs, and eating your weight in German fare.

I recommend doing one day at Oktoberfest/Springfest (Thursday or Friday, if you can swing it, as Saturdays and Sundays are super busy), and then spending the rest of the time checking out the city. Mike’s bike tour is a great way to see tons of it, and includes a stop at a gorgeous beer garden in English Garden for some beer and food.

Munich is a great city on its own even when it’s not in party mode, so don’t be discouraged from visiting at other times of the year!

How to get there:

Because the weekends of Oktoberfest and Springfest are SO incredibly busy in Munich, it’s very hard to find affordable accommodation. I HIGHLY recommend going with Bus2alps, this is what I did and I saved a lot of money, plus their tour guides will tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about taking on this crazy weekend, so that you don’t get stuck, lost, ripped off or hurt. You can use promo code TheAbroadGuide for a 5% discount. Book this as early as possible because they usually sell out spots.

If you want to do it on your own, check StudentUniverse for student-priced flights from Pisa to Munich, Flixbus for direct buses, and RailEurope for train options.

Where to stay:

I don’t like camping, but I chose the camping option for my visit with Bus2alps for Oktoberfest. Not only was it cheaper, it was REALLY fun– the campsite is just one big party. They also offer the option to stay in a hostel.

If you’re traveling in a group, see if you can book yourself an Airbnb or apartment near a subway station that will get you to the grounds pretty easily. If you’re visiting on a weekend, you’ll want to get there as early as possible to try to get yourself a spot in one of the tents. Even though they don’t officially open until 9am, shoot for arriving by 8am the latest.

If you’re not visiting for one of the festivals, there are loads of great hostels to choose from, like Wombats and Meninger.

11. Barcelona

I loved visiting Barcelona when I studied abroad because it had everything I love– culture, the beach, good food, plus incredible night life, and this is the reason I STILL love visiting this city. Considering all of this, it’s still a relatively inexpensive city to visit. Need I say anything else?

While you’re there, hop on a food or walking tour with The Tour Guy.

How to get there:

It’s easy to fly from Pisa airport to Barcelona, and there’s usually a couple of flight options each day. Try to get a flight to Barcelona’s airport (BCN) as it’s closer than Girona, however, most cheap flights will go into Girona, and then you’ll take a bus to the city center. Check StudentUniverse for student-rate flights, and Skyscanner.

Bus2alps also offer a trip if you’d prefer to bus it to Barca, you can use promo code TheAbroadGuide for a 5% booking discount.

Where to stay:

There are LOADS of great hostels in Barcelona.

Equity Point Sea Hostel – not the most glamourous, but you can literally take your breakfast out onto the beach. This is where I stayed my first visit to Barcelona, and loved the location because not only was it on the beach but it was also walking distance to some of the biggest clubs in the city (although looking back, I’m not sure how safe it was to be walking around the city at 4 in the morning…)

Generator Barcelona – I’m a big fan of Generator Hostels. This one is in a great location and has a bar.

Urbany Hostel – Urbany’s claim to fame is its rooftop pool and terrace. It’s also located just a 10 minute walk away from where the airport buses drop off/pick up– very convenient.

For more tips for your study abroad semester in Florence, check out our Florence Study Abroad Pinterest board.