I Rode Every Form of Transportation Abroad – Here’s What I Learned

By: Chloe De Smedt

“Bus 60, Piazza Venezia, Nomentana Asmara,” were the words that repeated over and over in my head during my daily commute to and from CIEE Rome. Living in a homestay, my commute looked a little different than that of some of my peers. I was placed in a small neighborhood of Rome–and while further out from school, I enjoyed the perks of a residential neighborhood such as larger grocery stores, shops, family-owned bakeries, and parks. My daily interactions on public transportation and with locals in my neighborhood shaped my experience in Rome.

Many days I had classes that started at nine in the morning, and as such, I would have to plan my commute in order to avoid the morning rush of students and workers that would pack the bus so full that it could be impossible to squeeze on. At first, taking the bus was a less than enjoyable experience but it quickly taught me a lot about how Italians communicate with one another. The longer I was in Rome, the more Italian I was learning, and that was not just from class–it was from people on public transportation. 

Aside from my daily commute on the bus, I frequently took the metro to get to class field trips. In some of my classes, nearly every week class was held on-site at a museum, park, or monument. Having lived in Washington, D.C., the metro in Rome was familiar, but like the bus, it took some adjustment to get used to the interactions with others. The more metro rides I took, the more phrases I learned from those around me, making my public transportation experience much more comfortable.

As I only had class Tuesday through Thursday, I would frequently travel outside of Rome on the weekends. Early on, I decided to purchase the 3-month unlimited Eurail pass in order to make the most use out of the trains. This allowed me the flexibility to spontaneously decide when I would go somewhere. Rome was the perfect location in Italy for visiting other cities, as it sits between Naples and Florence, and is not far from Bologna or Milan. Outside of Italy, this train pass allowed me to travel from Amsterdam to Berlin, Berlin to Prague, Budapest to Vienna and Bratislava, and Nice to Monaco without any additional costs. One of the greatest perks I learned with this pass was that it included train rides to and from the Fiumicino and Ciampino airports from the Trastevere, Tiburtina, and San Pietro stations. With the Eurail pass, in total I rode over 40 trains during the less than four months I was abroad. 

Reflecting on my time in Rome, I have realized that transportation was more than just a means of getting around cities, rather it was a lens through which I experienced Italian life, culture, and language. From early mornings on Bus 60 to spontaneous train trips across Europe on weekends, every ride contributed to a memory. What started as a necessity grew into a meaningful aspect of my study abroad experience, connecting me to new places, people, and customs that shaped my understanding of Rome and other European cities. 

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