Padova is a proper student city built around the University of Padua, founded in 1222, where Galileo once taught. It has a beautiful medieval centre, cheap daily markets, a flat cycle-friendly layout and Venice on its doorstep. You get Veneto charm and history at far lower prices than nearby Venice, with a young, sociable population.

• Venice is just 25 to 30 minutes away by train for as little as a few euros.
• The city is flat and compact, a bike gets you everywhere.

Student life revolves around the aperitivo tradition of a spritz in Piazza delle Erbe and the bars of the old ghetto. The daily markets under the Palazzo della Ragione turn into an open-air happy hour by evening. It is one of Italy's most student-dominated cities, so the scene is young, cheap and constant.

• Join the pre-dinner spritz crowd in Piazza delle Erbe and the surrounding bars.
• Drink and snack around the old Jewish ghetto once the markets close.
• Ask the Padova group on Studcasa about the best student nights and ESN trips.

Padova is good value for the north, cheaper than Venice, Milan or Bologna, with a student-friendly cost of living. Most students sit in the lower-to-mid Italian band, especially cycling everywhere and eating from the markets. A spritz for a few euros is the cheap social staple.

• A spritz and cicchetti in Piazza delle Erbe costs only a few euros, the classic cheap night.
• Shop the daily Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta markets for cheap produce.
• Share a flat in Portello or Arcella to keep rent low.

Students concentrate in Portello, the historic student quarter by the river, plus Arcella near the station and the streets around the university buildings. Rooms go through Facebook groups, agencies and the university's housing service. Demand is high in autumn, so start early.

• Search Affitto stanze Padova studenti on Facebook and post in the Studcasa Padova group.
• Portello puts you in the student heart; Arcella is cheaper and handy for the station.
• Confirm the contract suits your residence-permit needs and check heating for winter.

Padova is flat and made for cycling, and most students get a bike straight away. The city also has a guided tram (the SIR lines) and BusItalia buses, plus frequent trains to Venice, Verona and Vicenza. Everything in the centre is within easy walking distance.

• Buy a second-hand bike, the fastest, cheapest way around the flat city.
• Use the tram and a student bus pass for longer hops across town.
• Frequent regional trains reach Venice in under half an hour.

The University of Padua (UNIPD) is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world, strong across medicine, science, engineering, psychology and the humanities, with the historic Palazzo Bo and the world's first anatomical theatre at its heart. It hosts a large Erasmus community and many English-taught degrees.

• University buildings are dotted across the centre; the Palazzo Bo is the historic core.
• The ESN section and student associations organise trips across the Veneto and beyond.

If you are an EU or EEA citizen you need nothing beyond registering your residence if you stay past 90 days. Non-EU students almost always need a national type D study visa arranged through the Italian consulate before arrival, plus proof of enrolment, funds and health insurance. Exactly what you need depends on your nationality, so check with your consulate early.

Once in Italy, non-EU students must apply for a permesso di soggiorno, the residence permit, within eight days of arrival, using a post office kit and a police questura appointment. It is slow and paperwork-heavy, so bring photocopies of everything and expect queues. Your university's international office will usually walk you through it.

• EU/EEA, no visa; register if staying 90+ days
• Non-EU, type D study visa from your consulate
• After arrival, permesso di soggiorno within 8 days

Veneto cuisine is the backdrop: bigoli pasta, baccala, risotto, sarde in saor and, above all, the spritz (with Aperol or the local Select). Cicchetti-style snacking, tramezzini sandwiches and unhurried market mornings define daily life. Coffee and ombre (small glasses of wine) punctuate the day.

• Order a spritz with an ombra of wine and tramezzini in a market bar.
• Try bigoli in salsa and baccala mantecato, Veneto staples.
• Graze the Piazza delle Erbe stalls and nearby delis for cheap lunches.

Portello is the riverside student quarter, lively and central; the historic centre around the Palazzo Bo and the piazzas is the beating heart. Arcella, over the railway, is cheaper and more residential, while the area near Prato della Valle and the Basilica of Sant'Antonio is grand and calm. All are cycle-connected.

• Portello: the student district by the river, social and central.
• Centro storico: historic, walkable and full of markets and bars.
• Arcella: cheaper and residential, a short ride from the centre.

Padova's position in the Veneto is superb. Venice is under 30 minutes by train, Vicenza 15 and Verona 40, while the thermal spas of Abano and Montegrotto in the Colli Euganei are minutes away. The Dolomites and Lake Garda are within easy reach for weekends of hiking, skiing or lakes.

• Train to Venice for the day for the price of a couple of coffees.
• Visit Vicenza's Palladian villas or Verona's arena, both a short hop away.
• Unwind in the Euganean Hills' thermal spas at Abano Terme or hike the Colli Euganei.

Get a bike on day one, it transforms life in flat Padova. Look after it, though, as bike theft is common, so invest in a solid lock. Take advantage of the cheap regional trains to Venice rather than living there, and learn some Italian for daily life beyond the university.

• Buy a bike and a heavy-duty lock; theft is the city's one real nuisance.
• Use cheap regional trains to enjoy Venice without paying its rents.
• Validate bus, tram and train tickets to avoid on-the-spot fines.