Almudena's Experience in Rome, Italy

What attracts you to living in Rome? Do you recommend it? What is it like?

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I wholeheartedly recommend living in Rome, above all for an Erasmus exchange. I don't know how the experience would be in other places, but I know that it is perfect in Rome. It's a beautiful, and lively, city, full of art and history, where they are always things to see and discover. It has fantastic weather, meaning that you can have plans every evening, and never get bored of the things you like doing.

It's chaotic, yes, like any big capital city is: it's full of both tourists and Italians alike side by side. You are never alone in the Città Eterna, but this is part of its charm. The temperatures are very good practically all year round (in my case, it snowed a couple of days, and it was great to see the city like that), although, as Spring ends and Summer arrives, you will see that the heat is stifling and there is a lot of humidity in the city. The good thing it that, when the good weather arrives, you can go to the beach with your friends by train in practically no time at all.

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What is student life like in Rome?

Rome has lots of universities, notably amongst which are Sapienza (huge university, the biggest in Europe), Tor Vergata (located in the outskirts, which is where I studied and my experience was very good) and Roma Tre. Therefore, the city is full of students, Italians as well as Erasmus. San Lorenzo and Piazza Bologna are the main student areas, with a great atmosphere. Academically, my experience was good, and it allowed me to study things that I haven't had the opportunity to study before in my city.

How much does it cost to live in Rome?

You have to bear in mind that Rome, as the capital of Italy and as an excellent tourist city, it's not particularly cheap. But, obviously, everything is cheaper in the suburbs than in the city centre. In comparison with Spain, you will see that there are a lot cheaper things and a lot more expensive things. Rent prices are high, but that's normal given it being the capital city. In my opinion, transport is quite cheap. Going out eating and shopping is more or less ok because you will see that it's cheaper in one place than another, and you will play with this according so you'll have more money left for going out and for travelling. Going to nightclubs isn't very expensive because if you arrive before a certain time with your Erasmus ID card, you can enter for free. And, if you pre-drink beforehand, you can have a really cheap night out.

How difficult was it to find accommodation? Can you give any advice?

I went to Rome with some friends during the summer to walk around the city and find an apartment. There are dozens of adverts on the faculty bulletin boards (the best ones are at Sapienza, go to those because that's where you are going to find more adverts) and in Porta Portese. Finally, we went to an estate agents and ended up living in the San Lorenzo neighbourhood, which, for me, is the best option because it's close to the city centre, in an area with parties and is also close to the university (if you go to Sapienza). My advice is to be aware that rent in Rome is not exactly cheap, it can be between 400€-550€ for an individual room and between 300€-400€ for a shared room, with bills (light, electricity, etc. ) usually added onto the cost afterwards...

The best thing is to bear in mind if you have good transport links at your disposition, it will not matter if your university is close or not.

What is Italy's food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Well, what is there to say about Italian food? Everyone loves it, right?

You will eat the best pasta, the best ice-cream and the best pizza, but, of course, there is lots more Italian cuisine that you will love.

Which places do you recommend visiting in Rome?

I recommend the following:

• The Pantheon



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• The Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre)
• Piazza Venezia
• Piazza di Spagna
• The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
• Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
• The Vatican



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• The Mausoleum of Hadrian (usally known as the Castel Sant'Angelo)
• The Roman Ghetto (and the synagogue)



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• The Theatre of Marcellus
• The Altar of the Fatherland (also known as the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II)
• Piazza della Repubblica
• The Baths of Caracalla
• The Catacombs of Rome



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• The Columns of San Lorenzo
• Piazza Navonna
• Trastevere
• The Janiculum
• The Orange Garden



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• Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
• The Parish Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo
• Trevi Fountain



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• Trajan's Market
• The Church of the Gesù
• Villa Ada
• The Parco degli Acquedotti



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• The Tiber River
• The Milvian Bridge
• The Ostia neighbourhood
• Tivoli...

And eating out in Rome? Can you name your favourite places?

In Rome, eateries that serve 'pizza al taglio' are very typical, where they have huge slices of pizzas in distinct varieties and you can buy slices by weight. There are also places where you can buy a slice up to a metre long.

I recommend that you try food at traditional eateries, those typical of Rome's neighbourhoods, that will be able to show you true Italian food. El Trastevere (we all go to the mythical Carlo Menta as it's both cheap and delicious, and is always full of Spaniards) is packed with trattorias, restaurants and great pizzerias, as well as charming cafes and ice-cream parlours. You can also find all this in San Lorenzo, although it's less tourism-driven and is more residential and student-orientated.

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Equally, you will find the best ice-creams in the world, and everyone will surely find that one flavour they love more than any other. I recommend the Gelateria Da Quinto, together with Piazza Navonna; they are delicious, very cheap and of good quality. Obviously, you cannot forget to try the most famous tiramisus in Rome at Pompi.

Which places do you recommend for nightlife in Rome?

The most essential thing is to sign up to ESN Roma ASE and SPQE - they are the Erasmus organisations and they will update you about all the parties. They usually organise parties every day of week (or almost every day). During the weekend, Pirámide-Testaccio is the most important area to be in, as well as San Lorenzo, although, in reality, you will find parties every day in this neighbourhood (it's the centre of university life), and Trastevere. Below are some recommendations of places to go:

• Akab
• Sky
• Play
• Qube
• Ametista
• Circolo degli Artisti
• Circolo degli Illuminati
• Marilyn
• Boeme
• Rising Love

Any advice you want to give to future students in Rome?

Take advantage of the experience from the very first moment to the last. If I could do my Erasmus exchange again, I would return to Rome, I would meet the same people again, do the same things and enjoy myself with the same friends. It's going to be, without a doubt, the best year of your lives. You will think that everything people tell you before going are exaggerations, but you will discover that they aren't. It's going to be an amazing experience, you are going to learn all manner of things, you are going to mature and better get to know yourself, you are going to meet people with whom you will make great memories, you are going to live in a fantastic city with a welcoming culture, in which you won't stop discovering new things every day.

Don't stop travelling, obviously. For me, the best thing to do is to get to know Italy better, every little village and city possible! Doing that is better than the craziness of taking a plane and traipsing around the whole of Europe. It's easier to travel to any European capital from your own city further away than returning to Italy again and travelling to a small, unknown, yet beautiful, area of the country.

Take advantage of getting to know Rome as a city. Don't limit yourself to just tourist attractions; take advantage of visits offered by Erasmus organisations or do them yourself. There are hundreds of things to see, and this is a luxury that not everyone can experience.

Speak Italian. You will see that, in Rome, there are hundreds and hundreds (not an exaggeration) of Spanish Erasmus students. Yes, it's great to have them there, but ideally you would return speaking Italian, not Itagnolo or simply Spanish. Take advantage of possible friendships with Italians and them showing you typical foods and customs of their country.

Make the absolute most of your experience, don't stop doing something that you might regret later. Enjoy Rome!