One of the best-kept secrets of studying in Tuscany is how much of Italy sits within a short train ride. If your base is Arezzo, weekend trips from Arezzo can take you to Renaissance capitals, medieval hill towns, and even Rome, often for less than the price of a pizza dinner back home. This 2026 guide maps out the best weekend trips from Arezzo for international students: where to go, how to get there cheap, and how to plan like a local.
Weekend Trips from Arezzo: Why Students Have It Best
Arezzo sits on the main rail line between Florence and Rome, which makes it one of the best-connected small cities in Italy. Florence is about an hour north, Rome about two hours south, and a constellation of Tuscan and Umbrian hill towns lies within day-trip range. As a student, you also travel with two advantages: a flexible schedule that lets you leave on Friday afternoon, and discounts that cut transport and museum costs significantly.
The trick is treating travel as part of your education, not an interruption of it. Every trip builds your Italian, your independence, and your understanding of the country you chose. Start with the classics below, then let curiosity take over.
Florence: The Obvious First Trip
Florence is only about an hour from Arezzo by regional train, with tickets often under 10 euros each way. For a first weekend, keep it simple: the Duomo and its dome from the outside (climbing it is worth booking ahead), the Uffizi or the Accademia on a weekday morning when crowds thin, and the walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset for the best free view in Tuscany.
Student tip: many state museums offer reduced tickets for EU students under 25, and some are free on the first Sunday of the month. Bring your university enrollment certificate and an ID. Between sights, do as the Florentines do: a schiacciata sandwich for lunch and a long walk along the Arno instead of an expensive sit-down meal. Our guide to living in Arezzo as a student covers the home base you will be glad to return to on Sunday evening.
Siena and the Val d'Orcia
Siena is the great rival of Florence and the heart of the Tuscan countryside students dream about. The train from Arezzo takes around 90 minutes with a change, or regional buses run directly. The Piazza del Campo, the striped cathedral, and the maze of medieval streets easily fill a day, and the university quarter gives the city a young energy that pairs well with a student budget.
If you can stretch to two days, rent a bike or join a group tour into the Val d'Orcia: Pienza, Montalcino, and Montepulciano are the postcard villages of rolling hills and cypress trees. October and April are ideal, with harvest colors or spring green and far fewer tourists than summer. Pack a picnic from a Siena market instead of eating in the main square, and your wallet will thank you.
Cortona, Assisi, and Hill Town Weekends
Not every trip needs a famous name. Cortona is just 30 minutes from Arezzo by train, a hill town of Etruscan walls and sweeping views that most tourists skip. It is perfect for a slow Saturday: wander, have lunch, be back for dinner.
Assisi, in neighboring Umbria, is about 90 minutes away and one of the most moving day trips in central Italy. The Basilica of St. Francis is free to enter and genuinely awe-inspiring regardless of your beliefs. Combine it with Perugia, Umbria's lively university city, for a two-day weekend of art, chocolate, and some of the cheapest student nightlife in the region.
Rome in Two Days: Yes, It Is Possible
The high-speed and intercity trains put Rome about two hours from Arezzo, which means the capital works as a weekend trip if you plan tightly. Book intercity tickets 2-4 weeks ahead for fares as low as 15-20 euros each way. Stay in a hostel near Termini or in the Monti district, and build your two days around clusters: ancient Rome (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon) on day one, the Vatican and Trastevere on day two.
Book the Colosseum and Vatican Museums online in advance; same-day tickets often mean hours in line. Many of Rome's greatest sights are free: the Pantheon exterior, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and simply walking the historic center at night. Two focused days in Rome will teach you more about Italy than a semester of documentaries.
How to Travel Cheap as a Student in Italy
Transport is the biggest cost, so master it and everything else gets easier.
Trains: book regional smart, high-speed early
Regional trains (regionali) have fixed prices, so no advance booking is needed; just buy at the station or in the Trenitalia app. High-speed and intercity trains use dynamic pricing, so booking 2-4 weeks ahead can cut the fare in half. The CartaFRECCIA youth program and under-30 discounts are worth registering for if you travel often.
Buses and ride-sharing
FlixBus connects Arezzo to Florence, Siena, Rome, and beyond, sometimes for under 5 euros if you book early. For hill towns with poor rail links, buses are often the only public option. BlaBlaCar ride-sharing is popular among students for longer routes and a good way to practice Italian with locals.
Pair these transport tricks with our guide to student discounts in Italy to cut costs on museums, cinemas, and daily life too.
Packing and Planning Tips for Student Weekends
- Travel light: one backpack is enough for two days and keeps you agile on regional trains with no seat reservations.
- Leave Friday after class: a 3 pm departure turns a weekend into two full days. Check the last return train on Sunday before you go.
- Book hostels early: Florence and Rome hostels fill up on event weekends. A bed in a dorm often costs 20-30 euros.
- Download offline maps: hill towns have patchy signal, and roaming is not the issue; dead zones are.
- Carry your student ID: discounts are everywhere but only with proof. A photo of your enrollment certificate on your phone works in most places.
- Learn ten travel phrases: booking, asking directions, and ordering food in Italian transforms every trip. Even basic Italian earns you smiles and sometimes better service.
Weekend travel is one of the great privileges of studying abroad, and Arezzo puts you at the center of it all. Start with Florence, fall in love with the hill towns, and let Rome be the grand finale of your first semester. To begin your own Tuscan adventure, apply to UVT and make Arezzo your base for exploring Italy.
