Everyday survival in Italy: what matters most week by week
Daily student life gets easier when you manage your routine, not emergencies. In Italy, transport choices, food habits, keeping utilities in check and laundry discipline have a direct effect on your monthly budget and stress level.
- Plan by the week, not the day: set fixed times for shopping, cooking, laundry and checking bills.
- Track recurring costs: transport pass, phone plan, internet, electricity and supplies for the shared home.
- Use local patterns: every country has different cost rhythms (energy, shop discounts, public transport logic).
Laundry guide for young people: how to use the washing machine properly
Most machines use programmes such as Cotton, Synthetics, Delicates and Eco 40-60. In many student flats, drying racks are preferred over tumble dryers to cut electricity costs.
- Sort first: separate whites, dark colours and delicate fabrics. Empty pockets and close zips.
- Read the labels: follow the garment-care symbols. When in doubt, use a lower, safer temperature.
- Choose the right programme: cotton for robust everyday items, synthetics for mixed fabrics, delicates for fragile items.
- Dose the detergent correctly: too much detergent leaves residue and odours; too little cleans poorly.
- Set the spin speed: high spin for towels/jeans, low spin for delicate items.
- Unload quickly: take the clothes out right after the cycle to avoid bad smells.
- Dry properly: use the dryer only for suitable fabrics; otherwise use a rack/line and airflow.
- Clean the machine monthly: run an empty hot cycle and clean the filter/drawer to prevent mould.
Country-specific survival checklist for Italy
- Transport strategy: compare weekly/monthly passes and student discounts before paying for single rides.
- Shopping strategy: combine discount supermarkets with local markets to balance price and quality.
- Energy check: avoid standby consumption, monitor heating/cooling use and share utility rules with flatmates.
- Phone and data: choose plans based on real usage (not marketing bundles).
- Cash-flow buffer: keep a small emergency reserve for pharmacy, repairs or urgent transport.
Useful official and practical links
Driving licence and vehicle registration
How you use or obtain a driving licence depends on your situation. EU citizens: your licence is recognised in Italy; if you take up residence you can follow the registration procedure with the Motorizzazione. Non-EU: you can convert your licence only if your country has an agreement with Italy, otherwise you must retake the test. The AM licence (for mopeds) can be obtained from age 14.
Phones and SIM cards
Main operators: TIM, Vodafone, WindTre, Iliad, ho. mobile, Fastweb Mobile, Very Mobile. Prepaid SIM: ID and tax code, registration mandatory. Number portability: free, within a few working days.
Groceries and food
Common chains: Conad, Coop, Esselunga, Lidl, Eurospin, Aldi, Carrefour, etc. Neighbourhood markets are often good value for fruit and vegetables. Anti-waste apps (e.g. Too Good To Go) to rescue unsold food at a reduced price.
Emergency numbers
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| EU single emergency number | 112 |
| State Police | 113 |
| Fire brigade | 115 |
| Medical emergency | 118 |
| Coast guard | 1530 |
| Gas emergency (national network) | 800 900 999 |
Post office and pharmacy
Two basic services in everyday life: the post office (shipping, payments, SPID) and the pharmacy.
Poste Italiane
Registered mail, tracked parcels, payment slips, money orders, poste restante; counters for SPID and often residence permits. Track shipments on the website.
Pharmacy
RR (prescription), SOP, OTC medicines; generics are often cheaper. On-call pharmacy: check portals or your municipality.
Getting around Italy: urban and national transport
Understanding how transport works is one of the first things that saves you time and money. In cities the system is almost always zone-based with time tickets (usually 75–100 minutes) and weekly, monthly and annual passes. Almost all local transport companies offer discounted fares for students: always carry your enrolment certificate or university badge when setting up a pass.
- Always validate your ticket: on buses and trams a paper ticket must be stamped when boarding; on the metro it goes through the gate. Without validation the ticket is invalid and you risk a fine.
- Choose the right pass: if you use transport more than 2–3 times a day, a monthly or annual pass costs much less than single tickets.
- Use the official apps: many cities let you buy and validate your ticket directly from your smartphone, often with a simple tap of a contactless card at the gate.
- For trains, tell the types apart: the Regionali (flat-fare ticket, validate before boarding) connect nearby cities; the Intercity and high-speed trains (Trenitalia’s Frecce and Italo) require a seat reservation and are best bought in advance to save money.
TV licence (RAI) on your bill
If you have a television at home, in Italy you must pay the RAI licence fee, a tax on owning the device (not on using it). For 2026 the amount is €90 per year, charged automatically on the electricity bill of the resident household in 10 instalments of €9 from January to October. It is paid only once per registered household, even with several TVs or homes.
If you do not own any television, you do not pay it automatically: you must submit a substitute declaration of non-possession to the Agenzia delle Entrate (by 31 January for the exemption to cover the whole year). Students renting: check who holds the electricity contract before signing, because the fee follows it.
Everyday safety and the most common scams
Italy is on the whole a safe country, but in tourist cities and on crowded transport petty theft (pickpocketing) is frequent. A few precautions greatly reduce the risk.
- In crowds and on transport: keep your backpack and bag in front of you, carry your phone in closed pockets and do not leave your wallet in your back pocket.
- Documents: keep a copy (photo on your phone and the cloud) of your passport, residence permit and health card, so that reporting a loss is faster.
- Digital scams: be wary of texts or emails pretending to be your bank, the post office, the Agenzia delle Entrate or a courier and asking you to click a link or pay immediately (phishing and smishing). Public bodies never ask for passwords or codes by message.
- Rentals and online purchases: never send money or deposits before seeing the accommodation in person and signing a contract (see the Housing and Rent guide).
- Fake officers: if someone in plain clothes asks to check your cash or documents, you have the right to ask for their badge and to go to the nearest station.
Rhythms of the day: hours, habits and your first week
Adapting to local rhythms makes everything easier. In Italy many shops and offices close for the lunch break (roughly 1:00–3:30 pm), especially in small towns; supermarkets in big cities are often open all day. On Sundays many businesses are closed. At a restaurant a coperto (cover charge) may appear on the bill and a tip is not mandatory (it is appreciated but optional). Tap water is drinkable almost everywhere.
Learning Italian: practical resources
Even a few basic phrases radically change daily life, especially outside the big cities. Besides language apps, in Italy there are free or low-cost courses for foreigners at the CPIA (Provincial Centres for Adult Education), often also useful for obtaining the Italian certification required for the long-term permit (level A2). Many universities offer Italian L2 courses to their international students: ask your university’s international relations office.
Sources
- italia.it
- Basic washing-machine guide — wikihow.com
- energy.ec.europa.eu
- Driving licence — MIT — mit.gov.it
- Motorist portal — ilportaledellautomobilista.it
- AGCOM — agcom.it
- Consumer desk — AGCOM — agcom.it
- Useful numbers — Ministry of the Interior — interno.gov.it
- Poste Italiane — poste.it
- Track shipment — poste.it
- Ministero della Salute (IT) — salute.gov.it
- Ministero della Salute (IT) — salute.gov.it
- Trenitalia — trenitalia.com
- Italo — italotreno.com
- TV licence — Agenzia delle Entrate — agenziaentrate.gov.it
- Polizia di Stato — poliziadistato.it
- Arma dei Carabinieri — carabinieri.it
- CPIA — adult education — istruzione.it
Empty cities, small offices — plan ahead.
Quick reference
Intense social life, central food, shop opening hours with lunch break. North-South strong differences in costs and pace.
Transport
Mobility
Trenitalia, Italo, Flixbus. Metro Milan/Rome. Bike sharing. Expensive LTZ car.
- Trenitalia
- ATM
- IT-FR
Climate and what to pack
Cold humid north; Dry hot south. Coat and comfortable shoes for stone in the centers.
Phone and internet
Telephone
TIM, Vodafone, Iliad, Ho. eSIM available. Good campus WiFi.
Food and groceries
Different regions. Local markets. Label: cappuccino only for breakfast for purists.
Habits and settling in
Bureaucracy with counter opening hours. Original documents. Italian helps a lot outside the Erasmus bubble.