Shared apartments, spare rooms and roommates in Parma

This city attracts many young people who want to live in Italy for a season, but who prefer a quieter environment than big cities like Rome or Milan. Furthermore, Parma is known for its delicious gastronomy! Surely you have heard about the Parmigiano reggiano, the crude di Parma and the wine of the region.

If you live in a shared flat in Parma and one of your roommates is local, you will not only be able to immerse yourself in the culture, but you will be able to taste the local dishes first-hand. Italians tend to give a lot of importance to food and they like to share their gastronomy.

Advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in Parma 

Here are some of the prominent pros and cons of living in shared flats in the Italian city:

Advantages of sharing a flat in Parma

• Many of the available shared flats are located in the centre of the city or inconvenient neighbourhoods for students, such as Oltretorrente or Montanara.

• Saving on your room rent will allow you to have more money available from your budget to invest in different fun plans and trips to nearby places, such as Cinqueterre, Bologna or Milan.

Disadvantages of sharing a flat in Parma 

• Pay attention to what each room includes since in some cases they do not have sheets or a duvet cover. You have the option to bring one from home or buy it once you arrive in the city.

• In some cases, the owners want the people who live in their apartment in Parma to be of the same sex, especially in the case of women. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on what you prefer.

Erasmus App for your exchange programme in Parma 

One way to make planning your exchange easier is to download some of the Erasmus+ Apps that are available. These Apps not only serve to access different procedures that you have to do, such as requesting the exchange or filling in the Learning Agreement, but also give access to a large amount of information about the city and tips from other students. One of the tips, for example, is that you take advantage of Parma's location to travel as much as you can since you have several nearby airports and there is a good train connection.

How to meet people in Parma

The following are some of the ways you have to meet people in the Italian city:

Student associations in Parma 

The ESN ASSI Parma is the preferred association for young internationals. In it, you will not only receive help on different aspects of your arrival in the city, but you will also be able to integrate easily and meet other students by joining the activities that are organized.

Facebook groups for Erasmus in Parma 

The most active Facebook group for Erasmus in Parma is the ESN group. In this group, you will be able to view all the events and activities that are planned, which you can join with your friends or meet other young people. Some of these events are international festivals with games and typical food, sports days or bowling nights, excursions to places like Naples, Mantova or Sabbioneta, among others.

WhatsApp groups for Erasmus in Parma

Joining WhatsApp groups is a simple way to meet students who have similar interests as you since by accessing most of them you will have the possibility to answer a questionnaire about your characteristics. 

Tips for living in a shared apartment in Parma

Here are some suggestions for living in shared flats in the Italian city:

• It is an ideal city for cycling. You can use it to transport you from one point to another and also make excursions around the city and its surroundings.

• Nightlife revolves more around the aperitif than the parties. Most of the time the parties are held in student flats, so you have to agree on gatherings in your apartment with your roommates so as not to disturb each other.

• Keep in mind that the residence halls of the University of Parma campus are far from the city and the bus service does not work very well at night.

Frequently asked questions about sharing a flat in Parma

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