Winter and early spring suit this program well. February brings mild Mediterranean days of roughly 12 to 16 degrees Celsius, short queues at the Vatican Museums, and hotel rates at their lowest. Rain is possible but passes quickly. The professional conference calendar also falls in this window, which is what anchors the dates. Late autumn works similarly. Avoid July and August, when Rome is hot, crowded and expensive, and much of the city closes in mid-August.

Both Italy and Malta are in the Schengen Area, so one entry covers the whole program and the flight between them is treated as a domestic hop with no passport control. Passport holders from the United States, Canada and Australia do not need a visa for a short stay of this length, though ETIAS pre-travel authorization is being introduced for visa-exempt travelers and students should check its status before booking. Passports must be valid for at least three months beyond the departure date and issued within the last ten years.

Two full days at an international professional conference on blended families, with registration included in the program cost. Students attend sessions alongside practicing therapists, researchers and educators rather than sitting in a student-only track, which is the point. Expect keynotes, breakout sessions on stepfamily dynamics, co-parenting and family transition, and a great deal of informal conversation between sessions. Students should bring questions and treat it as their first professional networking event.

In Rome, on foot and by public transport using an included 72-hour city pass, which also covers entry to two sites. Rome rewards walking, and most of what students want to see sits inside a compact center. Between the countries, the group takes a short economy flight, the practical link to an island. In Malta, a coach covers the cultural immersion day, and an included transport card with travel credit handles independent trips on the island bus network.

Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, and this is checked at the door. No sleeveless tops, no shorts, no short skirts. The same rule applies at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, which also asks visitors to avoid stiletto heels because of the inlaid marble floor. A scarf or light layer in a day bag solves most of it. Photography is not permitted inside the Sistine Chapel.

A good deal, by design. Afternoons in Rome are largely open, and the included city pass makes independent exploration straightforward, whether that is the Colosseum and Forum, Trastevere in the evening, or simply walking. Malta has free time either side of the conference days. Seven breakfasts and two dinners are included, so most lunches and dinners are on students, which in Rome is less a gap than an opportunity.

Both countries use the euro and cards are accepted almost everywhere, though small cash amounts are useful for coffee bars, church donations and the occasional market stall. Tipping is modest in Italy and not obligatory: rounding up, or leaving a few euros for good service, is normal. Many Italian restaurants add a coperto, a small per-person cover charge, which is not a tip. In Malta, service is sometimes included on the bill, so students should check before adding anything.

Yes. Authentica is a sustainable education provider, and sustainability is built into how this program is designed. The program is delivered carbon neutral, with all participant's emissions offset through Authentica's Net Zero partner, including the single short flight between the two countries, which is the only practical link to an island. Rome is covered entirely on foot and by public transport rather than by chartered coach, and Malta uses public transport for independent travel. Authentica avoids single-use plastic on program, works with locally owned guides and suppliers, and is a signatory to the CANIE Accord on climate action in international education.

A dedicated Authentica Program Manager is with the group across both countries and is reachable 24x7, from the orientation and safety briefing through to the final airport transfer. The briefing covers public transport, pickpocketing hotspots around Rome's major sites and transport hubs, the airport transfer for the in-program flight, and emergency contacts. The pan-European emergency number is 112 in both countries. English-speaking medical facilities are identified in advance in Rome and in Malta, where English is an official language. Authentica carries USD 5M Commercial General Liability and USD 1M Errors and Omissions insurance, and partner institutions can be added as additional insured.