Experience in Padova, Italy by Giovanni

What is it like to live in Padua? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

The city is ok, it's small but not too much, you can go where you want by bike. In the historical center there is no traffic, but if you go out you will find a lot of cars and pollution. The weather is good in spring, in autumn it can be very cloudy and wet but never too cold.

What is the student lifestyle like in Padua?

There are many students but many of them don't go out, or they just come by train and go back in the evening. For the number of students that is in Padova, I think that there are not so many activities and places to go out as you could find in another city. Probably for the Erasmus students it is better because the ESN organizes some activities and trips in nearby cities.

How much does it cost to live in Padua?

If you want a single room, the prices are usually 250/300 euro per month, for a double room about 200. A beer or a spritz can cost 3-4 euros, if you go to eat a pizza in a restaurant you will pay around 10/15 euro.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Padua? Is there any advice you can give?

You can look in the facebook groups or in the websites such as subito.it, bakeka, kijiji. There are many offers but usually the best ones are the first to be taken, you should start looking in August-beginning of September if you want to find them.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

If you want to find good food you will have to pay more

What places would you recommend visiting in Padua?

Scrovegni Chapel

Is the nightlife good in Padua? Where is good to go?

If you want to go out there are some places, like bars or clubs, even if they are very few and you can see all of them in one week. There are a lot of cities which have much more to offer, but as an Erasmus you will probably like everywhere you go.

What advice would you give future students heading to Padua?

I think that the main advantage of coming here is that you can easily travel to many cities, like Venice and Verona and others in Italy. In the Veneto area it is still the best city for students.