Accommodation

The accommodation the ABC Italian language and culture school arranges for its students is located at a maximum distance of 30 minutes on foot from the teaching venue in the Bay of Silence. Sestri Levante is a small town, and it is very easy to get around on foot or by bicycle.

Please note that the school only takes on the role of intermediary between the student and the landlord and cannot in any way be held responsible for the relationship between students and landlords.

Accommodation with a host family

The families we work with may have many different interests, ages, and lifestyles, as well as different rooms in which the students may be housed. 

It is important to remember that during their stay students are like a part of the family and are expected to tidy up their room as well as leave the common areas clean and tidy with the other inhabitants of the house.

The small size of Sestri Levante means that the number of family rooms is limited, so we cannot guarantee availability at all times of the year. We therefore advise those interested to apply well in advance. The accommodations available are single rooms with use of kitchen or single rooms with breakfast.

Single room with use of kitchen, in shared flat with other students, or with a family

Those who choose this option will have their own private room and will share the kitchen and bathroom with other people (other students from the school or a host family) who live in the house. We expect respect, especially for the common areas, and flexibility for good coexistence with people who may be of different cultures and/or ages.

Single room with breakfast, with a host family

For those who would prefer to have a room and breakfast and live in a flat with a family. The student will have his or her own private room and will share the bathroom with the others. Individual use of the kitchen is not allowed: a family member will be responsible for preparing breakfast, which in Italy may include tea or coffee, milk, biscuits, yoghurt, and fruit.

In case of food allergies or intolerances, please inform the family and/or the school.

Independent flats

If you prefer to be independent and have your own bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, you can choose to live in an independent flat. Again, the size, brightness and style of the flats may vary, although the price of the proposals is the same. In any case, both the recently renovated flats and the others are clean and are fully furnished and equipped, and are located within a maximum of 30 minutes walking distance from the school. 

We do not do luxury standard apartments.

Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts  

For our students, we can also contact hotels (from two to five stars) and bed and breakfasts in Sestri Levante to book a room for the chosen period of stay.

Accommodation: Important Information

Booking 

Due to the small size of Sestri Levante, we recommend that you book your accommodation at least 4 weeks before the start of your Italian language course. The accommodation office tries to satisfy the requests and needs of individual students, proposing the best available solution each time: if we are unable to find the desired accommodation, we will propose other alternatives.

Accommodation is booked for a minimum of 6 nights, from the Sunday before the course starts to the Saturday after the course ends: there are no special prices or refunds for early departures or late arrivals. 

It is possible to request an extra night on arrival and/or departure.

Cancellation of booked accommodation

A request for cancellation of accommodation must be made in writing to the school office. 

If the cancellation request is received less than one week before the start of the course, the school will retain the cost of one week's accommodation regardless of the duration of the booking. 

If the cancellation request is received less than two weeks before the start of the course, the school will retain 50% of the price of one week's accommodation. 

There is no penalty if the cancellation is made more than two weeks in advance.

Independent transfer

Sestri Levante can be easily reached by car, train, or plane. The nearest airports are Genoa and Pisa, but there are also good connections to Milan and Bergamo.

The railway station is located in the centre and is serviced by regional, interregional, and Frecce (fast trains) with the following lines: Turin-Livorno-Rome, Milan-La Spezia, La Spezia-Savona, Genoa-Bologna, Bergamo-Milan-Sestri Levante, Pisa-La Spezia-Genoa.

It is generally viable to walk to the accommodation from the station.

Please note: We ask all students to inform the school at least one week in advance of the details of their arrival in Sestri Levante.

Transfer organised by the school

If you would prefer for the school to organise the transfer from the station to your accommodation, we will arrange for someone we trust to meet you. In this case we ask you to inform the school at least one week in advance of the details of your journey: time of arrival, train number, origin, etc.

Keys

It is important not to lose your house keys: if you should do so, you may be required to pay for the replacement of the lock including specialist labour.

Room with Breakfast

If you have selected this option, you will not be allowed to use the kitchen.

Bed linen and towels

The accommodation is provided with bed linen and towels which are changed once a week. Students will find their room clean on arrival but are responsible for cleaning it during their stay. It is not permitted to move furniture or hang pictures on the walls.

Gas and electricity

Water, gas, and electricity supplies are included in the cost of the accommodation, but we ask that you limit any wastage, both out of respect for the environment and because these costs are very high in Italy. 

The standard voltage is 220V. We recommend that you bring an adapter to make sure that your electrical appliances work in Italy.