Verona.

ESN ASE Verona organises the social calendar for exchange students, from a Tuscany trip and Lake Garda day out to a trampoline park adventure, football days and treasure hunts, plus welcome days at the start of each semester. An ESNcard unlocks discounts at bars and restaurants around Veronetta, the university quarter, including student favourites for pizza and drinks. ESN also runs a buddy programme pairing incoming and outgoing students, useful for finding your feet before term starts. Veronetta itself, packed with students, is the natural base for meeting people outside class.

• Join ESN ASE Verona's Lake Garda day trip and Tuscany weekend away.
• Use your ESNcard for discounts at bars and restaurants around Veronetta.
• Get paired with a local student through ESN's buddy programme early on.

Verona costs less than Venice or Milan but a bit more than smaller Italian cities. A room outside the centre averages around 605 euros a month, an inexpensive restaurant meal costs about 16 euros, and a cappuccino is close to 2 euros. Budget around 750 to 1000 euros a month once rent, food and transport are covered. A full price monthly bus pass with ATV, the city operator, costs around 41 euros, and the 423 ESU Verona residence beds are far cheaper for those who secure one.

• Budget 750 to 1000 euros a month for rent, food and transport combined.
• Expect a room outside the centre around 605 euros, cheaper than central options.
• Apply to ESU Verona's 423 residence beds for a much cheaper option.

ESU Verona, the regional student services agency, runs 423 beds across 8 residences for students at the University of Verona, the Academy of Fine Arts and the Conservatory. Places are allocated through an annual bando, a competitive call for applications with provisional and final rankings, so apply as soon as it opens and check the ESU website for deadlines. On the private market, expect higher prices near Veronetta and the historic centre, and always view a room in person or by video call before paying any deposit.

• Apply to ESU Verona's annual bando as soon as it opens for a bed.
• Note ESU Verona covers university, Fine Arts and Conservatory students alike.
• View any private room in person or by video call before paying a deposit.

Verona Villafranca airport sits about 10 kilometres southwest of the city, connected to Verona Porta Nuova station by the ATV Aerobus 199 shuttle. Porta Nuova itself is a major junction on the Milan to Venice line, with Frecciarossa and Italo high speed trains plus regional and international EuroCity services, about a 20 minute walk or a 10 minute bus ride from the historic centre. Around town, ATV runs the urban bus network, including seasonal summer routes out to Lake Garda. A full price monthly bus pass costs around 41 euros.

• Take the ATV Aerobus 199 from the airport to Porta Nuova station.
• Walk 20 minutes or ride 10 by bus from Porta Nuova to the centre.
• Catch a seasonal ATV bus straight to Lake Garda in summer months.

The University of Verona, founded in 1982, enrols around 31,000 students across 13 departments and offers 101 degree programmes for 2026/27, 14 of them taught in languages other than Italian. Exchange students can come through Erasmus+ study or internships, Short Term Mobility, Worldwide Study or UniVerona Cooperation agreements, with a Welcome Office and an InfoChat service for practical questions. Most teaching happens at Veronetta, the humanities and social sciences campus, or Borgo Roma, home to medicine and the sciences. Check your course's language before committing, since most degrees are still taught in Italian.

• Apply through Erasmus+, Short Term Mobility or a UniVerona Cooperation agreement.
• Check your course's teaching language, since most degrees remain in Italian.
• Expect humanities classes in Veronetta and science or medicine in Borgo Roma.

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

Verona gave the world pandoro, the star shaped Christmas cake patented by baker Domenico Melegatti in 1894, still dusted with vanilla icing sugar today. The surrounding Valpolicella hills produce Amarone, a rich DOCG red made from partially dried grapes, alongside lighter Valpolicella wines worth trying with dinner. Piazza delle Erbe, the old Roman forum, has served as the city's market square for two thousand years and still gathers stalls beneath a 1368 fountain topped by the statue of Madonna Verona. Aperitivo around Veronetta or the old town is a normal way to start the evening.

• Try pandoro, Verona's own star shaped Christmas cake, dusted in vanilla sugar.
• Taste Amarone or a lighter Valpolicella red from the hills just outside town.
• Browse Piazza delle Erbe, a Roman forum turned market square since ancient times.

Veronetta, on the left bank of the Adige opposite the old town, is Verona's university quarter and the natural base for students, packed with cheap eats, bars and around 10,000 residents in a compact area. The historic centre across the river holds Piazza delle Erbe, the Arena and Juliet's House, beautiful but pricier and busier with tourists. Borgo Roma, further south, centres on the medicine and science campus and hospital, a quieter, more residential option. Whichever side of the river you choose, the centre stays walkable or a short bus ride away.

• Base yourself in Veronetta, Verona's compact university quarter across the river.
• Expect higher prices and more tourists around Piazza delle Erbe and the Arena.
• Try Borgo Roma for a quieter base near the science and medicine campus.

Verona sits on the main Milan to Venice rail line, so day trips are easy. Venice is about 1 hour 14 minutes away by direct train, and Milan around 1 hour 13 minutes, both well served by Frecciarossa and Italo high speed services. Lake Garda is even closer: Peschiera del Garda is just 13 minutes away by train, perfect for an afternoon by the water. Trento, gateway to the Dolomites, takes about 1 hour 24 minutes, making it an easy weekend in the mountains.

• Day trip to Venice or Milan, each about 1 hour 15 by train.
• Spend an afternoon at Lake Garda, just 13 minutes away from Peschiera.
• Head to Trento for a mountain weekend, about 1 hour 24 by train.

Get in touch with the Welcome Office or use the InfoChat service in your first days to sort practical questions before term starts. Base yourself in Veronetta if you can, since it puts you close to classes, ESN events and an easy walk into the historic centre. Verona's opera season fills the Arena with tourists every summer, so book ahead if you want a seat, or enjoy the atmosphere from outside for free. Confirm whether your course is taught in Italian or English well before you arrive, since most of the 101 degree programmes are still Italian only.

• Contact the Welcome Office or InfoChat early to sort practical questions.
• Book Arena opera tickets ahead, or just enjoy the atmosphere from outside.
• Confirm your course's teaching language before you arrive, since most stay in Italian.