Ahead of spring break travel in mid- to late March, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a new warning for travelers Feb. 26 that urges "increased caution" in downtown Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
11.02.2024 - 16:47 / insider.com
Some Americans dream of moving to Italy, but it takes more than a plane ticket and spunk.
Just ask Patrizia Di Gregorio, an Italian-American who founded the international social network Expats Living in Rome. She's lived in Italy for 23 years.
"Americans want to come and don't understand that you can't just move to Italy," Gregorio, 52, told Business Insider.
Expats Living in Rome has become a lifeline for many potential and current expats navigating the sometimes confusing and arduous process of moving overseas. While the network provides resources for financial advice and immigration services, it also offers something crucial every expat needs: community. The Facebook group Expats Living in Italy, which is connected to Expats Living in Rome, has 92,800 members and counting. Daily, people post questions, offer answers, and work through problems with each other.
Gregorio told BI she noticed an uptick in expats — including Americans — interested in leaving the United States for Italy. American expats who spoke to BI pointed toward a number of factors, including political climate and the cost of retirement, but it's not a simple leap.
Gregorio shared three mistakes Americans make when moving to Italy. Take a look.
Gregorio explained that some American expats arrive in Italy without proper paperwork, including visas and other forms.
"They don't have all their paperwork, so they can't go right to city hall and apply for dual citizenship," Gregorio said.
The US Embassy & Consulates in Italy's website notes that Americans staying in Italy for more than three months are considered residents and must obtain an entrance visa before arriving.
Other forms Americans may need to complete are the permesso di soggiorno (permit of stay) and accordo di integrazione (integration agreement).
According to Gregorio, splurging on big-ticket items in Italy without proper financial planning is a bad idea. It can feel magical to relocate to a new city, but it's important to be realistic about what you can afford and how to make ends meet.
For example, Italy's Elective Residence visa is tailored for people with the financial means to support themselves autonomously.
"They rent luxury apartments and then find themselves broke," Gregorio said. "And it's like, 'Why did you rent an apartment you can't afford? Didn't you think your savings were going to go?'"
Gregorio said some Americans move to Italy and don't take the proper steps to embrace the local culture. She said they expect "everything to be just like home and then don't respond accordingly."
"An Italian guy said to me, 'When Americans come to Italy, the American owns Italy. When an Italian goes to America, Americans still own America,'" Gregorio told BI.
She added that
Ahead of spring break travel in mid- to late March, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a new warning for travelers Feb. 26 that urges "increased caution" in downtown Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
Even as we travel around the globe, it’s easy to forget that our planet is part of a much larger celestial dance. Sure, we mark the orbit of the Earth around the Sun each year, but nothing reminds us that we are part of something much bigger than the experience of watching the Moon slide in front of the Sun during a solar eclipse.
A new Terminal 6 is in the pipeline for John F. Kennedy International Airport. The $4.2 billion facility is due to open in 2026 and is expected to transform the traveling experience for millions of passengers each year.
You might have heard some rumors that American Express will significantly change 40 of its credit cards this year.
There are plenty of iconic symbols that come to mind when I think of Japan — like towering pagodas and red torii gates. But the country has also become famous for its breathtaking cherry blossoms.
JetBlue describes itself as New York’s hometown airline. Soon it will have a brand new home in the Big Apple.
Between 1932 and 2021, Air India went from being the gold standard of aviation under the Tata Group to a nationalized airline in complete disarray.
An announcement this week from American Airlines created widespread concern and confusion in the travel advisor community. Once again, as with the NDC fare roll-out, we have a half-baked, significant policy change released to the marketplace without fully thinking through the ramifications or fully communicating specifically how advisors would be impacted.
Situated between the waters of Lake Winona to the south and the finger-like channels of the Mississippi River to the north, the city of Winona, Minnesota, is best experienced outside. And while out-of-staters might assume this dynamic changes during the winter months, nothing could be further from the truth. Visitors to and locals in Winona know the joys of bundling up, grabbing a warm beverage, and communing with the season’s outdoor wonders.
When I first visited Québec City in 2013, I fell in love.
Australian airline Qantas has delayed the start of its flight from Sydney to New York — slated to be the longest flight in the world — to 2026, citing aircraft manufacturing delays.
It's a giant banking merger that would create the nation's sixth-largest bank and have potentially significant implications for your credit cards. Capital One this week said it would purchase Discover Financial Services in an all-stock deal that would be worth some $35 billion. It would create the new largest credit card issuer in the world.