In this episode of the Worldschooling Q&A podcast, Astrid and Clint make the case for why Italy might just be the most approachable European destination for worldschooling families, and they answer the question: how do we do worldschooling in Italy?

Worldschooling Q&A Podcast - Episode 30

Hosts: Astrid & Clint, creators of The Wandering Daughter

Title: Episode 30: How Do I Worldschool in Italy?

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Worldschooling podcast episode summary

Italy might just be the most approachable European destination, and in this episode, we make the case for why. We answer the question: how do we do worldschooling in Italy?

We start with the logistics. Italy is larger and more geographically diverse than most people expect: the Italian Alps in the north are a different world from the Mediterranean south. When we visited in 2019, we flew into Rome and traveled north, spending the heart of our trip in the Parma countryside.

During our podcast episode, we cover Schengen zone rules (90 days in, 90 out), the ease of entry for US and Canadian passport holders and how much English is spoken. On getting around: we praise driving in Italy, since it's the same side of the road as the US, the scenery is beautiful, and traffic laws are very similar, while flagging the need to watch speed limits and pedestrian-only zones. Trains and discount buses are options, though we also share a hard-won lesson about a seven-hour highway layover on a budget coach.

The centerpiece of the episode is our time in the Parma region, and it's a compelling argument for basing a family outside the major tourist cities. We rented a 600-year-old stone farmhouse with vineyards, a pizza oven, and champagne grapes growing in the pergola, for roughly $1,100 USD per month.

From there, we explored a remarkable series of small food museums, each dedicated to a different food like ham, cheese, sausage, tomatoes, and wine, each in a different village within about 20 miles. The cheese museum led us to visit a working Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy, where we watched the full cheese-making process from milk to massive aging wheels. We prepped the kids by watching a TED-Ed video on cheese-making beforehand, giving them context that made the visit land.

History and art are woven throughout the episode. Clint, a former art major, describes the Sistine Chapel and the Hall of Statues in Rome with genuine awe. We recommend the double-decker bus tour as an underrated way to get oriented in a new city: low-key, relaxing, and great for kids.

In Venice, we used Macaco Tours for a kid-friendly scavenger hunt centered on the Doge's Palace, a format that kept the kids engaged while still delivering real historical content. And Milan earns its own mention as an architectural beauty, though Clint admits with some regret that Florence, just a short drive from where we were staying, didn't make the itinerary this trip.

The episode also touches on a few harder moments. Italy was the first country in our travels where we experienced overt racial hostility: men making mocking remarks on the street directed at Astrid as an Indonesian woman. We address it honestly: it was jarring, it was real, and it would not have happened to a white traveler. We note that immigration politics in certain parts of Italy, particularly attitudes toward Filipino and Southeast Asian communities, provided some context, though it doesn't overshadow what was otherwise an extraordinary trip.

Getting started with worldschooling in Italy: logistics and getting around

Italy is one of the easier European countries to visit for worldschooling families from the US and Canada. Understanding the basics before you go will help you get the most out of your time there.

Visas, language, and currency

Italy is part of the Schengen Zone, which means US and Canadian passport holders can visit for up to 90 days without a visa. After those 90 days, there is a mandatory 90-day waiting period before returning to any Schengen country. That said, 90 days gives a worldschooling family a lot of room to explore. English is increasingly spoken in tourist areas, though smaller towns may require a few Italian phrases. We found that knowing some Spanish helped, since our very first taxi driver in Rome spoke Spanish but not English. Cards are widely accepted, though it is worth keeping some cash on hand for smaller cafes and villages.

Getting around Italy

For worldschooling in Italy, having a car makes a big difference, especially if you plan to base yourself in the countryside. We drove through the Parma region and into the Alps, and the scenery alone made every drive worthwhile. Just be mindful of speed cameras and pedestrian-only zones in city centers, as fines can add up quickly. Trains are a solid option for longer stretches, and we took the train from Rome to Milan. Budget buses can work for crossing borders, but read the fine print on transfers. We once spent seven hours waiting at a highway bus stop because of an overlooked connection.

Where to stay when worldschooling in Italy

One of the most overlooked aspects of worldschooling in Italy is how affordable and memorable the accommodation options can be, particularly outside the major cities.

The case for countryside living

Basing ourselves outside of Parma rather than in Rome or Venice changed the entire experience. We rented a 600-year-old stone farmhouse on a family-owned property, surrounded by vineyards and champagne grapes. With a pizza oven, a cottage kitchen, and mountain views at sunset, it became the kind of home base that is hard to find in a city. The cost was roughly $1,100 USD per month for a three-bedroom house, which made it one of the most affordable stays of our entire four years of travel. Outside of major tourist hubs, grocery shopping and local cafes are genuinely reasonable. We were rolling fresh pasta at home and buying charcuterie for next to nothing.

Agriturismo and digital nomad options

Italy also offers a lodging category called agriturismo, which are farm stays that combine accommodation with agricultural experiences. We did not get to try one this trip, but we saw many in the Parma countryside and it is something we hope to do when we return. It is worth knowing that Italy is also actively courting digital nomads, including a program where the government offers stipends for remote workers to live and work in small villages while sharing skills with local residents.

Worldschooling in Italy through food, history, and art

Italy offers a natural overlap of food culture, history, and art that makes worldschooling in Italy feel less like school and more like lived experience.

The food museums of Parma

The Parma region is home to a series of small, single-subject food museums, each located in a different village within about 20 miles of each other. There is a ham museum, a cheese museum, a sausage museum, a tomato museum, a wine museum, and more. Because we stayed in the region for a full month, we were able to visit one at a time over several weeks, which also meant discovering small towns we never would have sought out otherwise. The highlight was visiting a working Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy, where we watched the full process of cheese-making from start to finish, including the aging rooms stacked high with enormous wheels. Before we went, we watched a TED-Ed video about cheese-making so the kids already had some context. It turned a cool outing into a genuinely rich learning moment.

History and art across the country

Rome is where worldschooling in Italy gets immersive in the deepest sense. Walking through the Colosseum, a building thousands of years old and still standing, is the kind of experience that simply cannot be replicated in a textbook. The Sistine Chapel and the Hall of Statues in Vatican City are extraordinary for any family, but especially meaningful for kids who have had even a little preparation. We recommend the double-decker bus tour as an easy, low-pressure way to get oriented when you first arrive in a city. In Venice, we booked a scavenger hunt through Macaco Tours, centered on the Doge's Palace. Our guide wove historical facts into the activity in a way that kept the kids engaged throughout.

Milan, the Alps, and Trento

Milan is worth a day or two for its architecture alone. Even if you do not go into every museum, just walking the streets gives families a sense of how design and culture intersect in Italian life. Near the Milan airport is Volandia, a quirky aviation museum that families with younger kids will love, with old aircraft you can walk through and a small car exhibit as well. Trento, in the Italian Alps, is stunning in a completely different way. The Alps are on a different scale than most mountain ranges, and the town itself has beautiful old castle structures with a slight German influence in both the food and the architecture.

Honest reflections on worldschooling in Italy

Worldschooling in Italy is largely a wonderful experience, and we want to be honest about the full picture.

Racial hostility and what families of color should know

Italy was the first country in our four years of travel where I personally experienced overt racial hostility. There were two incidents, one on a bus and one walking past a restaurant, where men directed mocking, racially charged remarks at me as an Indonesian woman. Clint and I want to name it directly: this would not have happened to a white traveler. We also know that there has been tension in certain parts of Italy around immigration, particularly toward Filipino and Southeast Asian communities, and that context is worth being aware of. These were isolated incidents in an otherwise wonderful trip, but families of color should go in informed rather than surprised.

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Key topics covered in this episode

Logistics of traveling to Italy

• Italy is part of the Schengen Zone, allowing up to 90 days without a visa for US and Canadian passport holders
• English is widely spoken in tourist areas, and Spanish can help in a pinch
• Card payments are common, but cash is useful in smaller towns and villages
• Driving is straightforward for US travelers, with the same side of the road and similar traffic laws

Accommodation and cost of living

• Countryside farmhouses and rural Airbnbs offer exceptional value, often well under what you would pay in a major city
• Agriturismo (farm stays) are available throughout the country and ideal for worldschooling families
• Italy has programs for digital nomads, including stipends to live and work in small villages
• Grocery shopping and local dining outside of cities like Rome and Venice is genuinely affordable

Food as a learning experience

• The Parma region has a series of small, single-subject food museums covering ham, cheese, sausage, tomatoes, wine, and more
• Visiting a working Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy offered a hands-on science lesson for the kids
• Prepping with a TED-Ed video before the cheese dairy visit helped the kids connect what they saw
• Cooking at home, including making pasta and pizza, became part of the worldschooling experience

History, art, and cultural immersion

• Rome's ancient landmarks, including the Colosseum and the Vatican, offer a full-body history lesson
• The double-decker bus tour is a low-pressure way to get oriented in a new city
• Macaco Tours in Venice offers kid-friendly, activity-based historical scavenger hunts
• Milan is an architectural highlight, and Trento in the Alps is worth the detour

Diversity and inclusion considerations

• Italy was the first country in our travels where we experienced overt racial hostility
• Families of color, particularly Southeast Asian and Filipino families, should be aware of existing tensions around immigration in some areas
• These incidents were isolated but real, and worth naming for families planning their own worldschooling in Italy trip
• Overall, Italy remains a rewarding and rich destination for worldschooling families

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:00:21 - Welcome to Worldschooling Q&A
00:01:15 - Today's Question: How Do I World School in Italy?
00:01:38 - Italy Overview: Size, Geography & Diversity
00:03:46 - Logistics: Visas, Language & Getting Around
00:08:55 - Lodging: Farmhouses, Airbnbs & Agriturismo
00:12:38 - Source of Intro Clip: The 600-Year-Old Farmhouse Near Parma
00:14:38 - Food Culture: Parma Region, Museums & Making Pasta
00:19:48 - History & Art: Rome, the Sistine Chapel & Venice
00:22:48 - Museums, Milan & Volandia
00:24:37 - The Italian Alps & Trento
00:26:24 - Outro & How to Support the Show

Further worldschooling resources

• 8 Amazing Italy Activities For Kids: Italy Itinerary For Families

Support the podcast

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