Erasmus Experience in Venice, Italy by Angela

Why did you choose to go to Venice, Italy?

The most important reason was that I wanted to learn Italian language and visit this beautiful city.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The scholarship is 4 months and 15 days. I received almost 3000 euro for this months.

What is the student lifestyle like in Venice?

You have the chance to meet a lot of cultures here. Venice and Ca'Foscari University have a lot of foreign students from all over the world, starting with Japan (for example) and ending with Australia.

I love this kind of lifestyle because I feel very relaxed here, maybe beacuse I love the water very much and Venice is on the water

I live in Giudecca which is an island and if I want to go to university the only way to get there is with "vaporetto" (the water bus, a kind of boat). This daily walk makes me feel alive.

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

I definitely recommend Venice like city and Ca'Foscari like University!

What is the food like?

Well... The food is different compared to my country but I like it very much. You have supermarkets here or if you need more diversity you can go in Mestre (is very close to Venice, is not on water this time). In Mestre you will find a very huge supermarket with a lot of stuff and the prices are accessible.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Venice?

I stay in student dorm offered by Ca'Foscari. I love it very much. But I have friends which stay in apartments, close to Venice (Mestre for example).

How much does it cost to live in Venice?

The life here is a little expensive. I heard from local people that Venice is the most expensive city from Italy. I think I spend a lot of money to buy food... To make an approximation around 600 euro monthly (is not included the accommodation). The accommodation is 280 euro per month.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

For me, beacuse I am from Romania and the language is similar, is very easy to understand Italian language. Is a little hard to speak because I don't have the vocabulary.

There are courses in English at the University. I take all the courses in English and I learn Italian in the same time. And teachers are kind and very understandable with students from other countries or fields.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Venice from your city?

I don't know what is the most economical way but the most easiest way is by airplane. The closer airport is Treviso (from Romania). You will arrive in Venice in 1 hour (I think) and you will pay 12 euros for the bus.

But, there is another airport in the center of Venice, Marco Polo is called. My home city doesn't have the Marco Polo route. A lot of friends from Germany for example have the flight on last airport mentioned.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Venice?

There are a lot of bars for students in Venice. In Campo Santa Margherita there are a few like Skilla bar. The specific drink for venetians is "spritz" a very good drink.

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

You can visit the two impressive islands: Murano and Burano. Murano is famous for glass, here you can see how they make different objects from glass. And Burano is very famous for colors. All the houses are painted in a different color (I read that it is complusory for the local people to respect the colors and not change them).

Also you can visit Lido if you like the seaside. Lido is another island close to Venice which is famous for the beach.

Basilica San Marco and the Doge's Palace is the main attraction of Venice. They have a very beautiful architecture.

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