Erasmus Experience in Perugia, Italy

How is the city?

Perugia is a beautiful city, and above all somewhere to really live the Erasmus lifestyle. It perfectly combines the atmosphere created by all the students that live there, and the cultural ambiance that emits the history and the art of each one of its buildings.

The city is built on top of a mountain, so it is divided into recognisable levels: first of all, the upper part of the city, where you can find the old town, the universities and the area where most of the students live; and the lower part of the city, which is more residential. To move up and down through these different levels they use the "minimetro".

Is it very expensive to live in Perugia?

In general, life in Italy is expensive, or at least more expensive than it is in Valencia, where I'm from. Even so, I must say that luckily Perugia is one of the cheapest cities in the country.

The apartments that students share usually cost more than €200 per month, not including the extra costs of electricity, water, wifi, etc. (in total for me it cost between €250-260 per month). The food is a little more expensive than Valencia, especially the meat and fish. Besides, being so far from the sea, you can forget finding any fresh fish.

The most common supermarket there is Coop, in the centre there is a small one where you can find the basics, although if you have to do a bigger shop it is recommended to go to one that is a little bit further away.

When it comes to clothes, footwear and the rest, the shops in the centre tend to be expensive. The best thing to do is to travel down to the Collestrada shopping centre (by bus) in order to find the majority of shops that we have in Spain.

How can I find accommodation?

In my case, I found the flat I live in through the Internet. A lot of estate agents in the area get in contact with you through Facebook once you start joining Erasmus groups.

If you decide to look for a flat whilst you're at home, the best option is to ask for all the necessary information and loads of photos in order to make sure that they are telling you the truth. I personally have not had any problems with accommodation but I know of some people that have.

Another option that many people keep in mind is going to their destination a few weeks before starting classes and looking for a flat from there. The majority of people that do this often stay in the hostel Little Italy for those few days, this way they get to know people and it's much easier to find future flatmates.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good spots in Perugia?

In general, as you will already know, all over Italy the food is great: pasta, pizza, sweets... What more could you ask for?

Specifically in my Erasmus city, there are especially good recipes for pasta such as "alla amatriciana", any kind of pasta with truffle (very typical of the region) or the pasta "alla norcina" (my personal favourite). Also, as the city is land-locked, the cold meats in the area are really good.

Also, I would recommend trying the Torta al Testo, which is a type of "folded" pizza with different fillings. You can buy this typical dish at a very good price in Testone, a restaurant situated in the Piazza Giacomo Matteotti.

When it comes to good pizzerias there is Il Bacio, in the street Corso Vannucci, Mediterranea (which is essential when living in Perugia), in the street Piazza Danti and for cheap pizzas (to takeaway), La Botte, in Via Bontempi.

I have to mention that Perugia is famous all over the world for its chocolate. All around the factory 'La Perugina' (which you can visit), they sell Perugia's famous Baci, and there is the Eurochocolate, a festival that is celebrated every year which brings the best chocolate companies in all of Europe together. And as a friend of mine said: "you know you've chosen your Erasmus destination well when the entire city centre smells like chocolate".

Finally, in terms of eating every day, I would recommend the Mensa. This is what they call the university cafeterias (I suggest the Mensa Centrale, next to the Law Department). Being an Erasmus student you can buy a card that costs €2 and you can use it to eat every day, including Saturdays. It has a complete menu with a wide variety of dishes and desserts, for only €3 or €4. I truly believe that this is the best thing to do as an Erasmus student in Italy, I promise you that it will save you on many hungover days.

What about the nightlife?

As I said before, Perugia is very much a student town, which means there is a lot of nightlife. There are tons of halls, pubs, bars and clubs, with many different styles so you can go out any day of the week. And if not, there is always La Piazza.

The only downside that there could be, if I had to put one, is that the majority of clubs are a little bit further away from the centre, which means it takes a while to get there, but all of the clubs have a free bus service that takes you right to their door.

The clubs with the biggest Erasmus atmosphere are Cantiere 21, Velvet, and Urban. Also the pub Luna Bar Ferrari on the street Corso Vannucci is always rammed with people. If you like rock (like I do), you cannot forget the Mercoledi Rock, every Wednesday at 100dieci, I really recommend it!

And how could I not mention, the Piazza IV Novembre, the meeting point any day of the year in Perugia. Whenever it may be, you will always find the stairs in front of the fountain bustling with people drinking beer.

What is ESN?

They are the initials for Erasmus Student Network, a European organisation that is in charge of helping and organising events for Erasmus students in the welcoming cities. All the Erasmus cities have its own ESN, including some places that have more than one (depending on how big the city is). The headquarters in Perugia is basically located in the Piazza del Melo. But don't worry, from the first day you're there, they will publicise and bombard you with all of their parties, dinners and other things that they organise every day.

There is also the option of getting an ESN card, which is something that I would recommend, because besides the discounts it can give you in many places in the city, it allows you to join trips, tours and events that they organise.

When you arrive at your destination, it's a really good way to connect with other Erasmus students, go out and get to know a little more about your new city and its surroundings at the same time, as well as being a cheap way of doing it.

Is it cheap to visit other cities from Perugia?

As this city is in the centre of Italy, it's very well situated for travelling to many other places in the country. Count on the small airport that makes both national and international journeys for affordable prices, which is why it's a good idea to buy any flight to another European city at the weekends.

Also Perugia has a train station with links to the majority of Italian cities. Although it's not the cheapest way of travelling, it's probably the quickest in order to get closer to smaller cities and towns around Perugia.

Without any room for doubt, the most economic way to travel round Italy or to take part in excursions that go and come back in one day, is the Flixbus. This is the low cost bus company that goes anywhere in Europe, allowing you to go on trips for up to €3, if and when you have the available hours.

And last but not least, the best option of all to explore the region of Umbria or even Tuscany, will always be renting a car with friends and escaping for the weekend to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of these Italian regions (although I must say that the worst thing about Italy is how they drive there).

What advice would you give future Erasmus students heading to Perugia?

That they enjoy their time there to the fullest, because it flies by. What they will realise is that their Erasmus destination is the least important thing, because they will fall in love with whichever city that they live in, and above all the people that they share with and all the things that reside in the city.