Erasmus Experience in Turin, Italy

Why did you choose to go to Turin, Italy?

I chose Turin because I've always liked Italy and the only link between my university and an Italian university was Turin. I didn't know Turin nor where in Italy it was but I discovered one of my favourite cities in Italy.

How long does the grant last? How much money do you get for help?

The Erasmus grant lasts for the months that you are studying or doing an internship. In my case the grant lasted 5 months but it only covered half of my spendings... I received 200 euros per month and that was barely enough to pay for the room, but it varies from university to university.

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What's the student environment like in Torino?

The student environment is very good, especially amongst Erasmus students. The Erasmus association is always organising trips, activities, parties, so just be sociable and go out to easily integrate in the group.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Turin to other students?

The city of Turin is a city that I personally adored. It's very big but very calm without the normal confusions of big cities. It's not a dangerous city, it has a great transport network which means you can easily get anywhere, it has great culture with lots of places to visit, green spaces to spend a nice moment. In relation to the university, it's a good one, with many study rooms and many libraries. The university has a help office for Erasmus students which helps you in any situation.

What's the country's food like?

The food in Italy is really good, many people leave with a few extra pounds!

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How did you find accommodation?

I found accommodation on the internet since there are some sites for renting rooms. However, there is also an office that helps Erasmus students to find a room, like Sportello Casa.

How are the accommodation prices? And prices in general?

Shared rooms vary between 200 and 270 euros and individual rooms cost between 300 and 250 euros depending on the situation.

What's the language like? Did you attend a language course at the University?

The language is easy to learn with practice but there are beginner's Italian courses in the University of Turin which helps learning.

What is the cheapest way to get to Turin from your city?

Ryanair and Easyjet are the cheapest air companies, flying to the main airports in Milan. From there you can get to Turin by train or by bus, taking about two hours.

Where would you recommend for a night out in Torino?

Turin is a city with lots of bars and discos to go to, like "Murazi" (set of bars and discos on the bank of the river Po). Generally Erasmus students go here. The quadrilatero also is an area of bars, and Italian students often go to "The Xo Café".

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And to eat out in Turin? Can you name your favourite places?

Like any Italian city, there are pizzerias on every corner and kebab shops. The Italian ice-creams are great and you can't forget their cappuccinos, milkshakes, chocolates.

And in terms of cultural visits?

Turin has many museums, many places to discover. Italy is a country with a good train network which facilitates visiting other cities. But it's a very big country so I would recommend only going to cities that aren't very southerly, to avoid wasting time on the train.

Do you have any advice you'd like to give future students in Turin?

Enjoy everything you can because time goes very quickly. There are so many things to see and to experience that there is never enough time.