Erasmus Experience in Viterbo, Italy by sowmya

Why did you choose to go to Viterbo, Italy?

I choose to come here because my university have mou with Tuscia University.

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

I am not receiving any scholarship. By the time I get my acceptance letter it's late to apply. And i might receive some travel fund in future from my host university. My parents help me to pay for my expenses.

What is the student lifestyle like in Viterbo?

Its good! There are no rules that you should stay all day in the laboratory and work. It's like whenever I finish my work, Iam free go to home.

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

Yes. Because the city is very ancient and historical. There are many places for sight seeing,lakes, parks, hot springs and castles etc., in the viterbo province.

What is the food like?

Good!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Viterbo?

No. I find the room in an apartment through my professor. And it's easy to find the room. There are some websites too, like subito.it where we can find the rental rooms in apartment for students.

How much does it cost to live in Viterbo?

It costs me 150euros per month for the room and I need to pay for the electricity, water and gas bills apart from that. Bills will come once in 2 months. The rooms normally costs 120 to 180 euros without bills.
For food I spend around 50 euros as I cook myself. Altogether I spend around 250 euros per month.

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

Yeah. It must be little easy if you know english. There will be pronunciation difference of some vowels and except that alphabets are same and there are some words similar to english. The italian language courses will be offered free for foreign students. Although I didn't join any italian course because I have already done the course till A2 level previously.

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

I travelled by flight from India. I book my ticket through make my trip app. So, I got cashback of around 7000 rupees on my flight booking. I have booked the refundable flight and round trip so that, it's easy to change the return date if needed as I came to do my master's thesis. And booking the round trip costs less than booking for one way flights.

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

Iam not a night-out kind of person. But once in a while, I go to a nearby restaurants for dinner with my friends.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Viterbo?

I have been here since 2 months now. I didn't explore much yet. So,I can't reommend any restaurant.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Yes. There are more places to visit in and around viterbo. In viterbo, there is piazza del papi which is a historical place. And there are more archaeological sites as said before. If you are nature lover, then it will be a feast for you to stay in viterbo.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Viterbo in the future?

It will be to good to come only when you have a scholarship so that you can also explore this place. Plan everything properly. Also viterbo university offers the scholarship and accomodation for international students but the application date ends by the end of september. Good luck and best wishes!!