packing & General Planning

The weather in Pavia is humid and winters may be cold and rainy. In September the weather is still sunny and hot. Reliable weather forecasts are available on this web page: https://www.3bmeteo.com/meteo/pavia.

Important Items to bring in your carry-on!

• Valid passport

  • You should also make sure that the Italian immigration authorities stamp your passport at the first EU border you cross.  

• Enrollment letter stamped by the Italian Consulate 

• Your Gallagher health insurance information

  • If you have another insurance in addition to the Gallagher one, please bring those documents too.

• Change some US Dollars into Euros before you arrive. You will need to pay a 100 Euro deposit upon arrival at the residence and many taxis don't take credit cards.

• All electronics and valuables. 

  • Consider buying one or more adapters and power converters for 220 volts (if your electronics are not already "dual voltage") - European outlets are different!

• All your medication, so if your checked luggage is lost you will still have your medication. 

For more packing considerations, review the general Packing List for study abroad.

Banking

• Let your U.S. bank know that you will be in Italy/Europe for a few months.

• Contact your U.S. bank to verify if you will be billed any fees to make payments or withdraw cash in Italy.

• Check if your U.S. bank is affiliated with any Italian bank: if yes, you may benefit from lower fees when withdrawing money from their ATMs.

Health

• Contact your general practitioner if you have any medical concerns or will need prescriptions for the entirety of your study abroad semester in Italy. 

Mobile

• Start thinking if you wish to buy an Italian SIM card/e-sim or if you prefer to use an international data plan from your U.S. provider. 

• Consider how accessing phone number-based apps (e.g., Illinois accounts that required Duo Authentication) will work with an Italian phone number.

• Check if your U.S. phone is unlocked.

• Download WhatsApp - the most used messaging app in Italy!

Review the general Pre-Departure Checklist for study abroad and check out the Living in Pavia page for other important information!