Housing
Universities have a housing office or officer managing university accommodation, and can also provide information on renting student apartments, which are generally cheaper than the cost of accommodation on the private market.
Most universities in Italy do not have halls of residence.
Renting an apartment in cities and large towns will be more expensive and can range from 300 euros to 1000 euros a month, depending on the size and the area where you choose to stay.
Student accommodation will give you the option to rent a room rather than the whole apartment.
If you wish to make your own arrangements, housing for rent appears in local newspapers or you can go to a real estate agency.
These can be very helpful but they will charge a fee for finding the accommodation.
The minimum rent period is usually one year but furnished rooms in university towns are available for shorter periods.
Getting around
Public transport is usually cheap and efficient and is probably the best way to visit Italian cities, since parking, petrol and motorway tolls are quite expensive in Italy.
Generally speaking, it is usually more expensive to buy a single ticket, so it is worth your while finding out about the cost of weekly or monthly tickets for transport in your town.
Be aware that bus tickets are not sold on board and need to be purchased beforehand, usually at tobacconist's and newsstands.
All tickets must be stamped before boarding trains and underground trains or on board buses.
Bus:
All the major cities have extensive bus and tram networks but these can inevitably be slow during peak traffic hours when the towns become very congested.
Underground:
Rome, Naples and Milan have an underground network known as the Metropolitana. Rome has two lines and Milan has three lines. Naples has it also has funiculars and a commuter line.
The Metropolitana and the three Funicolari are a much faster form of travel especially at the busy times of the day.
Taxis:
Are widespread, especially in the large cities, and can be recognised by the neon sign on top.
Taxis are usually white or yellow. Fares are quite high and there are additional charges for luggage, pets, at night-time, and on public holidays.
Official taxis have taximeters which display the fare to be paid and will issue a receipt if required.
Tipping is not necessary but most people round up a euro or two.
Very few taxis accept credit cards in Italy.
Be aware of unofficial taxis that are often parked near airports and train stations.
Bicycles
Most Italian cities and towns have very intense traffic during working hours and bicycle lanes are practically non existent but buying a bicycle (new or second hand) is an option worth considering in smaller towns.
Italians do not cycle a lot in the large towns but cycling is nevertheless a major Italian sport and you will see many cyclists out on the roads enjoying the countryside at the weekends.
Living costs
Prices can vary considerably depending on where you live. All the tourist areas and the main cities, especially in the North of Italy are more expensive than smaller towns.
The approximate prices of some items are listed below (in euros):
Milk: 1.20 / Litre
Bread: 3.50 / Kilo
Butter: 1.70 / 250 gr.
Beef: 9.00 / 19.00 / Kilo
Chicken: 8.00 / 10.00 /Kilo
Rice: 1.70 / 2.50 / Kilo
Pasta: 0.80 / 1.20 /Kilo
Mineral water: 0.50 / 0.80 /Litre
Cinema: 7.50
Fast food menu: 5.50
Train ticket Milan - Rome 38.00 (Intercity train), 47.00 (Eurostar train) / one way
Rome and Milan underground ticket: 1.00 (1 journey)
Considering accommodation, food, telephone, local travel and leisure costs, students should consider a monthly budget of 1000 / 1500 euros depending on the location.
Health services
The new European Health Insurance Card is a benefit to European citizens who stay temporarily in another member state.
The Card gives access to immediate necessary care under the same conditions as nationals of that country. It will replace the paper forms such as the E111 for short stays such as holidays or E128 for study currently in use.
Students from EU countries should request the Health Insurance Card from their local health authorities but should also be aware that this Card is being introduced progressively in the different countries and may therefore still be issued an E111 or E128 under the previous system.
Non-EU citizens are requested to take out private health insurance before leaving their home country and to obtain a consular declaration of its validity for Italy. Please note that all medical treatment without coverage is very expensive.
Working in Italy
Many Italian students have some form of part time employment to help support themselves while studying. If you are a citizen of a EU member state you are eligible to work in Italy without a work permit.
All other students from outside the EU will require a work permit which is quite difficult to obtain.
The employer is required to produce a letter of employment to the Italian Police Station “Questura” but the bureaucracy can take quite a long time and your visa status may not allow you to work in Italy in any case.
Shopping
Italian towns are still full of many small specialised shops although there is a growing number of supermarkets and shopping centres appearing in and outside towns.
If you are shopping for food, find out which day is market day in your town when you can have a real Italian experience of buying your fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, cheese, groceries as well as a wide range of household products at reasonable prices.
You will no doubt enjoy buying Italian food but if you sometimes crave for food from home, large supermarkets now carry a range of non Italian food and some specialised shops exist in the cities.
If you are shopping for clothes, accessories or other articles, large towns will have department stores but most Italians still prefer to shop in small speciality stores and boutiques where they receive greater attention and a more personalised service.
