PCS to Vicenza Italy: 4+ Things you Should Know
As much as I love living in Vicenza, Italy and I will tell everyone and their mom to move abroad to experience a different way of life, there are just some things that absolutely throw me off and create challenges. For those planning a PCS to Vicenza, Italy, it’s important to be aware of these challenges.
People often have a romanticized vision of Italy in their mind as a tourist and I am here to shake your world, it’s a lot different. The United States Army has a whole host of resources you can utilize before you move here. However, I am here to tell you to dig a little deeper before your big PCS to Vicenza, Italy. Here are a few things I wish I knew before our big Army PCS to Vicenza, Italy!
Caserma Ederle doesn’t have on-base housing just yet
You won’t be living in traditional military housing while being stationed in Vicenza… for now. Some towers are being built on base but the project has taken quite some time to finish.
That being said you will be living among the community and the way you go about housing here is a bit different. USAG Italy has a housing department that will assist you with finding a house. Now there is government housing, but it’s typically full and then you’ll utilize a database where you can search for homes.
All this is to say that you cannot officially start your search until you are here in the country! This can be tough as you’ll be living in a hotel on base for a hot minute until you find a house.
Caserma Ederle inn
During your transition you’ll be staying at the Inn on Caserma Ederle. You’ll want to make reservations as soon as possible. Otherwise you might be staying at a hotel just off base. No worries though, the base is super close.
You should save money BEFORE your PCS to Vicenza, It’s expensive
You heard me, it’s expensive. As soon as we found out we were moving to Italy both of us talked about finances. How were we supposed to travel and see Asia while saving for our PCS to Italy?
We had to sit down and have honest discussions about becoming a one-income household. This was if I couldn’t transfer with my job, or there were no jobs available on base (more on that later)
I made it a goal to put at least $400.00 away every month until our big move
While you do get sponsors that should help out with the move to Italy, we weren’t so lucky until we got here. No one filled us in on the fact that we would need an additional car to get around and we didn’t want to be beholden to the transportation system.
No one told us just how much the used car market is here. We came from Korea where our little red Matiz was $1,000 and they sell cars right off base, it was more accessible.
No one informed us that we would need to pay road taxes on a car, every year (just one).
They also didn’t inform us of just how expensive rent was until working with the housing office. I know from living in Korea and Poland, that locals really want to maximize their profits and they will vastly inflate the price of rent once they find out your rank. I don’t blame them, there’s all sorts of nuance into this especially when locals have an average income of 1800 Euro a month. It’s hard times here.
But save your money, and start thinking about this as you accept those orders.
Start a PCS Fund
This extra money helps covers items the military likely won’t move like an RV, large boat or expenses associated with transporting your pets overseas. Plan for these expenses ahead of time to avoid resorting to a credit card on your emergency fund.
Fettucine Alfredo is NOT a thing here
In America, we have Americanized the hell out of everything. There are different versions of Italian foods in America. During your PCS to Vicenza Italy, you might be fantasizing about all the pasta you’ll be eating.
Fettucine, Garlic Bread, Chicken Parm– ask for these and you’ll be greeted with a look. A look that bores into your soul. You’ll see every part of the waitress’s soul leaving their body when you ask for certain things. Maybe you want butter on your bread, don’t ask, just go for olive oil.
Instead, Italy and most of Europe lean into fresh seasonal dishes. It’s based on the growing season. There is an art to food here in Italy, it’s a hard thing to explain but when you get here you’ll find out that pasta is an art. Aperitivo and Apericini are ways of life.
One of the best books I’ve read about this whole faucet of life in Italy, is a book by Donna Leon, “My Venice and Other Essays“.
In a particular chapter, she talks about heavy foods and light foods. What that means for Italians. I highly recommend picking this book up and reading her essay on life here in Italy. It’ll be eye-opening especially when it comes to food.
Processes are different and slow
Get used to dealing with slow processes during your PCS to Vicenza Italy. Anything from buying a car, renting a house, getting your permesso (hats off to the wonderful lady working in the processing facility) and setting up a bank account. Dealing with going out on the economy– it’s all slow.
Just trying to prepare you for what’s to come. Dealing with any type of bureaucracy is tough. I just want to add that anyone coming here without the help of the military, you are my hero for going through all of the pain points.
You may go from a two-income household to one and it’ll be hard to find a job
This was one of the hardest parts for me. I didn’t necessarily like not having a job but it allowed me to pursue this blogging and content creation route. Finally, I can lean into things I love.
The Status of Forces Agreement here in Italy is a lot different than the ones in Germany and in Korea. There’s this rumor going around that they hire 70% Italians and 30% Americans on the base. Which by the way, I completely understand. We are in their country, it would be beneficial for them to offer a job to the locals. It is also an Italian base. So a bit of a difference in rules.
This means finding a job can be tough and continuity of a job is hard to come by, but please keep an open mind and remember there are volunteer opportunities but still, I know that doesn’t help line your pockets and help support your family.
Status Of Forces Agreement?
A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country.
It’s a lot different being a tourist vs. living here
I don’t think people realize how different it is visiting versus living here in Italy. I could go on for days about the differences.
There’s no doubt some romanticism plays a part in the decision to come here and that people have when it comes to Italy. We don’t look beyond the tourist gaze and see how hard life might be for Italians and the immigrants who live here. I like to call it disneyfication of Italy. We tend to get glamourized and don’t look beyond the issues at hand. I feel like it’s important for everyone to understand that people actually live here.
I can guarantee that it’s not as glamorous as it seems for some, we need to understand this and remember during our time here, respect the locals.
The Italian Kiss is a real thing
I wrote about this in my guide to driving in Italy, it’s almost like a rite of initiation that occurs when you PCS to Vicenza Italy and yes your insurance premiums will go up (this is what I mean by saving money for things like this)
No matter how cautious you are driving around Italy, something is bound to happen. We have had more scrapes and bumps occur to our personal vehicle than I care to share.
I white knuckle the steering wheel every damn day, and yell obscenities when going through a roundabout.
There are Three Different Bases You May Have The Chance of Being Assigned At
Caserma Ederle, Del Din, and Miotto are the three locations here in Vicenza, Italy. A majority of people will be based out of Caserma Ederle but that’s not the case for some.
When you get here wait for your official assignment on where you will be to choose a house. We learned the hard way. No one informed us that we would be based out of a specific base and we chose a house on the opposite side of where my husband needs to report for work.
When you get here you will understand what I mean.
Conclusion
There is a lot more that goes into PCSing to Vicenza Italy, and I could go on about all the nuances. However, I think painting it as a fairytale will do you and your family a disservice. It’s vital to do as much research as possible so you and your family can make informed decisions and ease into life here in Italy.
Send me an email if you need to chat, or leave a comment below! Remember USAG Italy has an assortment of resources for you when you arrive in Italy. Army Community Services is there for you as well.
As always I am available at [email protected], and you can always reach me on Instagram.