Pavia.

ESN Pavia, known locally as ST.E.P., was founded in 1992 by returning Erasmus students and became one of the seven founding sections of ESN Italia in 1994. It now supports around 400 exchange students a year with language Tandem sessions, EuroDinner nights, multi day trips around Italy, and the Buddy Project run jointly with the university since 2018 to match newcomers with local students. The section is also part of EC2U, a European alliance of city universities, which opens up joint events across partner cities. Its office handles day to day questions on transport, housing and settling in.

• Join ESN Pavia for Tandem language exchange, trips and EuroDinner nights.
• Get matched with a local student through the Buddy Project on arrival.
• Ask ESN Pavia's office for help with transport, housing and settling in.

Rooms in Pavia cost noticeably less than in nearby Milan. A single room averages around 309 euros a month, and a shared double comes to roughly 198 euros per bed, compared with 528 and 388 euros in Milan for the same setup. On top of rent, budget for basic utilities and groceries, since Pavia's compact size keeps most other costs modest too. Getting around town by bus costs 1.30 euros a ride, but the university's agreement with the local operator brings a full year of travel down to just 25 euros for students.

• Expect a single room around 309 euros, well below Milan's typical prices.
• Share a double room for roughly 198 euros a month per bed.
• Get the student bus pass, a full year for just 25 euros.

EDiSU Pavia, the regional right to study board, runs 12 colleges with 1,643 beds and 4 canteens across the city, open to enrolled students and to those arriving through university agreements. A single online application covers every EDiSU benefit for the year, with the 2026/27 round closing on 4 August 2026, so apply as soon as the call opens. Separately, historic merit colleges such as Borromeo, founded in 1561, and Ghislieri, from 1567, admit students by competitive entrance exam rather than through EDiSU. On the private market, Borgo Ticino and the Cravino area near the science faculties tend to offer the most affordable rooms.

• Apply online for an EDiSU college place, 1,643 beds across 12 colleges.
• Try for Borromeo or Ghislieri, historic colleges filled by entrance exam.
• Look at Borgo Ticino or Cravino for cheaper private market rooms.

Milan is just 17 minutes away on the fastest Frecciarossa services, with around 81 trains a day, or a direct S13 suburban ride that reaches eight Milan stations without a change. Around town, a dense bus network covers the whole city for 1.30 euros a ride, valid for 70 minutes, though local buses stop around midnight. Students can get a full year pass for just 25 euros through an agreement between the university and the operator. For short hops, the 24 hour Pavia in bici bike share is popular, though a used bike with a solid lock is the safer everyday choice given frequent thefts.

• Reach Milan in 17 minutes on the fastest Frecciarossa train service.
• Get the 25 euro student annual bus pass through the university.
• Use Pavia in bici for short trips, but lock any bike well.

The University of Pavia was formally established as a Studium Generale in 1361, building on teaching traditions that reach back to 825, and now enrols more than 20,000 students across 18 departments and 9 faculties, with about 1,500 new international students each year. Most degree programmes run in Italian, but exchange students can also choose from one undergraduate degree, eight master's degrees and one single cycle master's taught fully in English. The university runs its own Erasmus Programme exchanges and belongs to the Coimbra Group, the European University Association and the EC2U alliance of city universities, widening the options for a term or year abroad.

• Choose from degrees fully taught in English, including eight master's programmes.
• Join a university founded in 1361, one of Europe's oldest.
• Use the EC2U and Coimbra Group networks to widen your options abroad.

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

Local food still tells the story of the 1525 Battle of Pavia: legend says zuppa pavese, broth poured over toasted bread and a raw egg, was improvised by a peasant woman for the captured King Francis I of France at a nearby farmhouse. Rice has shaped the table here since the Sforza dukes introduced widespread cultivation in the 15th century, giving rise to dishes like risotto alla certosina, created by the Carthusian monks of the Certosa di Pavia from rice, freshwater shrimp, frogs and river fish. For something sweet, look out for Torta Paradiso and the slim, twisted Offelle di Parona biscuits, both local specialities.

• Try zuppa pavese, said to trace back to the 1525 Battle of Pavia.
• Order risotto alla certosina, a recipe from the Certosa di Pavia monks.
• Pick up Torta Paradiso or Offelle di Parona for something sweet.

Strada Nuova and Corso Cavour form the main promenade through the historic centre, lined with long running bars such as the Pozzo American Bar, open since 1983, and popular student spots like Bar del Ponte. The Ponte Coperto, a mid 14th century covered bridge rebuilt after wartime damage, leads across the Ticino to Borgo Ticino, a former fishing and washerwomen's quarter of coloured houses that keeps some of the cheapest rents in the city. Students in science faculties often settle in Cravino for its parking and bus links, while Città Giardino offers a quieter, greener alternative closer to the centre.

• Grab a drink on Strada Nuova, the historic centre's main promenade.
• Cross the Ponte Coperto into Borgo Ticino for the cheapest rents around.
• Settle in Cravino near the science faculties, or quieter Città Giardino.

Milan is the easiest big city getaway, just 17 minutes away by the fastest train with dozens of daily services. Closer still, the Certosa di Pavia sits a short hop north on the same S13 suburban line: a Carthusian monastery begun in 1396 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti as a Visconti mausoleum, with its church consecrated in 1497 and the ornate facade finished a decade later. Both make for an easy half day out without needing a car, on top of a compact city centre you can otherwise cover on foot or by bike.

• Reach Milan in 17 minutes on the fastest daily train service.
• Visit the Certosa di Pavia, a Visconti monastery begun in 1396.
• Take the S13 suburban line for an easy half day out.

Buy a secondhand bike with a solid lock rather than a new one, since bike theft is common and Pavia in bici covers only short hops. When booking trains to Milan or beyond, choose show all solutions on the Trenitalia site rather than settling for the first Frecciarossa fare shown, since slower regional trains cost far less for the same short trip. Submit the single EDiSU application as soon as it opens, since it covers every benefit for the year and the deadline falls in early August. Remember that local buses stop around midnight, so plan late nights around a taxi instead.

• Buy a used bike with a strong lock, since thefts are common.
• Check all train options on Trenitalia, not just the first Frecciarossa fare.
• Submit the EDiSU application the day it opens, before the August deadline.