Useful tips for International students who come to study in Milan Italy:

Before you arrive

• Start to look housing asap you are accepted to an university in Milan, its never too early
  When you find something suitable, if possible visit it or ask somebody you trust to visit the flat for you
  If its something too good to be true, usually it is, to avoid scams, don’t sending big sums of money truh bank transfer, prefere paypal or credit cards
  If you don’t find anything suitable, use trusted websites like Airbnb or Booking.com to book temporary solution and when you are here, you can start to look for long term solution
  If you plan to share an apartment, try to get to know your co-renters as much as possible, before starting to live together
• Come before school starts, if you can to give yourself more time so you can get more comfortable in Milan
• Learn a little bit of Italian beforehand or plan to take classes when here, it goes a long way, our clients confirm
  Even if its only greetings (Ciao! Buongiorno / Buonasera) and thank you, that is never enough (Grazie)
• Apply for international driving license beforehand for car rentals,
  – make sure to take full coverage, when renting
  – many cars do not have automatic transmissions, so if you need one, make sure to ask for it
• Bring everything you need, sending things like medications or personal items, have to go through customs
  Its painful process that not only takes a while cost a lot
• Make sure you have debit/credit cards that works here, you can check online
  Don’t come whit only American Express, that does not work in all places
• Just in case have some euros whit you or use local airport ATM
• Don’t take too many classes so you have some free time to enjoy yourself and travel around Europe

While You’re here

• Shops/supermarkets/restaurants etc. places can be closed on Sunday afternoons and Monday mornings
• You can eat lunch at 12-1 pm, later the kitchen will be closed and places usually close around 3pm
• Aperativo 7-9 pm (similar to “happy hour”) you can order a drink and get finger food for free and use it as a dinner
• Some fixed day of the week there will be a market near you with fresh fruit
• We don’t have Uber Pop here, only Black, so more expensive in surge times, can be cheap example in the night
  As an alternative you can use “mytaxi” or “Heetch” app (they works similar way than Uber), just make sure to have some cash
• Milan is a good place to travel from, its has many fast train connections and lots of cities few hours away by flying cheap
  Better to travel in two, but when alone make sure to keep an eye on your stuff at all times!
• Exams are at end of semester, only few important tests, so constant studying
• May take longer to get things done in this culture, be proactive
• Christmas holidays Milano will be dead (after 7 december until after first week of January when school starts) and August (all august until after first week of semprember when school starts) because Italians go for an holiday for 2-4 weeks at a time, so be prepared to have plans