Genoa.

ESN GEG Genova, based at the Faculty of Political Sciences, is the main hub for exchange students, running Erasmus Welcome Days, a Genoa city tour, day trips to Cinque Terre, hiking, cinema nights, volleyball and basketball tournaments, and a Tandem language exchange. Grab an ESNcard for discounts around the city. For nightlife, the historic centre's Piazza delle Erbe and Salita San Matteo draw the biggest student crowds for aperitivo and drinks, while Corso Italia's seafront bars and clubs fill up on summer nights.

• Join ESN GEG Genova for Erasmus Welcome Days, city tours and the Tandem language exchange.
• Get an ESNcard for discounts, then head to Piazza delle Erbe for aperitivo.
• Try Corso Italia's seafront bars and clubs on a warm summer evening.

Genoa is one of Italy's more affordable big cities. Budget around 700 to 950 euros a month, mostly rent. A room outside the centre averages about 530 euros, while an inexpensive restaurant meal runs around 15 euros and a cappuccino about 1.80 euros. Public transport costs 48 euros a month at full price, but an annual pass for under 26s covers the whole AMT network, urban and extraurban, for 220 euros a year, a fraction of the monthly rate.

• Budget 700 to 950 euros a month, since rent is the biggest single cost.
• Buy the under 26 annual AMT pass for 220 euros, covering urban and extraurban transport.
• Expect an inexpensive restaurant meal around 15 euros and a cappuccino under 2 euros.

Most exchange students apply for a place in one of ALiSEO's 18 residences across Genoa, which together offer around 1,000 beds in student houses, residences and apartments with shared kitchens, study rooms and laundry. Applications for paid places open online each year, typically in June, with a 500 euro deposit and monthly rents from about 260 to 330 euros depending on room type. On the private market, always view a room in person or by live video call before paying anything, and never send money by prepaid card.

• Apply online to ALiSEO in June for a residence bed, plus a 500 euro deposit.
• Expect monthly rents of 260 to 330 euros in ALiSEO housing, cheaper for doubles.
• Never send a deposit by prepaid card, and view any private room in person first.

Genoa Airport sits about 7 kilometres from the centre. The Volabus shuttle reaches Genova Porta Principe station in around 30 minutes, while the Genova Airlink train shuttle runs every 15 minutes to Sestri Ponente station for onward regional trains. Around the city, AMT runs buses, one metro line, funiculars and public lifts that climb the steep creuze between neighbourhoods. A full price monthly pass costs about 48 euros, but under 26s can buy an annual pass covering the whole network for 220 euros.

• Take the Volabus from the airport to Porta Principe station in about 30 minutes.
• Or use the Genova Airlink shuttle train to Sestri Ponente for regional connections.
• Use AMT's funiculars and public lifts to handle Genoa's steep, stepped streets.

Most exchange students study at the University of Genoa, where the International Mobility Desk handles incoming exchange applications and the Welcome Office helps with housing, tax codes and bus passes. The university enrols close to 32,000 students across five schools, with most degree courses taught in Italian, so check your faculty for any English taught options before choosing modules. For 2026/27, first semester teaching runs September to December, with exams from December to February, and second semester teaching runs February to May, with exams from June to September.

• Contact the International Mobility Desk for incoming exchange enrolment and paperwork questions.
• Check whether your courses run in Italian or English before picking your modules.
• Note exams run from December to February, then again from June to September.

Si eres ciudadano de la UE o del EEE no necesitas nada más allá de registrar tu residencia si te quedas más de 90 días. Los estudiantes de fuera de la UE casi siempre necesitan un visado de estudios tipo D gestionado en el consulado italiano antes de llegar, además de justificar matrícula, fondos y seguro médico. Lo que necesitas exactamente depende de tu nacionalidad, así que consúltalo con tu consulado con tiempo.

Una vez en Italia, los estudiantes de fuera de la UE deben solicitar el permesso di soggiorno, el permiso de residencia, en los ocho días siguientes a la llegada, usando un kit de correos y una cita en la questura de policía. Es lento y lleno de papeleo, así que lleva fotocopias de todo y cuenta con colas. La oficina de relaciones internacionales de tu universidad suele guiarte en el proceso.

• UE/EEE, sin visado; regístrate si te quedas 90+ días
• Fuera de la UE, visado de estudios tipo D en tu consulado
• Al llegar, permesso di soggiorno en 8 días

Genoese food centres on pesto alla genovese, made with local basil, and focaccia, eaten at any hour, often dunked into a cappuccino for breakfast. Farinata, a thin chickpea flour pancake, is sold hot by the slice at old town sciamadde, traditional wood fired takeaway shops, near the porticoes of Sottoripa. For fresh produce, fish and Ligurian specialities under one roof, browse the covered Mercato Orientale on Via XX Settembre, open since 1899. Aperitivo, an early evening drink with snacks, is a near daily ritual before dinner.

• Try focaccia dunked in a cappuccino for breakfast, a proper Genoese habit.
• Grab a hot slice of farinata from a sciamadda near Sottoripa.
• Shop for local produce and fish at the covered Mercato Orientale.

Student life in the old town clusters around Piazza delle Erbe and Salita San Matteo, the liveliest spots for aperitivo and craft cocktails. Sampierdarena, once an industrial district, now mixes university libraries and cafes with a more affordable, everyday feel. Castelletto, reached by lift or steep creuze, offers quieter, characterful streets with long standing local shops. For a break from the centre, Boccadasse's fishing village charm and Nervi's seafront promenade are easy weekend escapes without leaving the city.

• Base yourself near Piazza delle Erbe for the busiest student nightlife scene.
• Try Sampierdarena for cheaper rents and a university library cafe culture.
• Visit Boccadasse or Nervi's promenade for a quiet, seafront weekend break.

Genoa's rail links make weekend trips easy. Cinque Terre's Monterosso is about an hour to an hour and a half away from Genova Brignole or Porta Principe, with connecting trains onward to the other villages. Portofino takes roughly the same time: a train to Santa Margherita Ligure, then a short bus or a scenic 15 minute ferry ride. The fastest direct train reaches Milan in about 1 hour 30 minutes, and Turin in as little as 1 hour 36 minutes, both easy day trips or weekend stays.

• Take a direct train to Monterosso for Cinque Terre in about an hour.
• Reach Portofino via a train to Santa Margherita Ligure, then a ferry.
• Day trip to Milan in about 1 hour 30, or Turin in under 2 hours, by train.

Book an appointment with the International Mobility Desk or Welcome Office in your first days to sort your bus pass, tax code and any paperwork. Wear proper shoes: Genoa is built on hills, and the creuze mean plenty of steps and steep climbs, even on the way to class. Small independent shops still close for a couple of hours at lunchtime and on Sundays, while supermarkets stay open all day, every day. Pack for a proper downpour too: November alone averages 193 millimetres of rain over about 12 days.

• Visit the International Mobility Desk in your first week for your bus pass and paperwork.
• Bring comfortable shoes for Genoa's endless steps, lifts and steep creuze alleys.
• Pack a real raincoat, since November alone averages 193 millimetres of rain.