Make your home in ‘the Capital of the Alps' and enjoy its delightful mix of modern and ancient.

When you book student accommodation in Turin with Student.com, you will get to choose from well over 100 properties. We offer cheap student housing that places students in great locations where they can explore some of the cultural and historical attractions of Italy's first capital city.

Choose from shared dormitories and private apartments for rent that are also close to the city’s universities.

If you need more information on our accommodation for students, give us a phone call or send us a message on our website’s live chat.

Turin at a glance

Turin, or Torino in Italian, is Italy's fourth-largest city. Often referred to as 'the Capital of the Alps,' it is the capital of the Piedmont region, which sits at the foot of the Alps bordering France and Switzerland.

Once a major European political centre and home to Italy's royal family, today Turin is a flourishing, industrious, and cosmopolitan city.

Home to the headquarters of automobile manufacturers Fiat, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo, it is one of Italy's main industrial centres.

But the city is way more than that. Like Italy’s current capital Rome, its former capital also has a long history, dating back to the third century.

A historical city

That rich past is evidenced by the city’s elegant squares, palaces, and historic cafés which are flanked by almost 18km of colonnaded walkways.

Turin is well known for its Baroque, Rococo, Neo-classical, and Art Nouveau architecture. Many of the city’s public squares, elegant palazzis, castles, and gardens were built between the 16th and 18th centuries.

There are a number of amusing ancient attractions throughout the city waiting to be explored. With ancient baroque and renaissance-style buildings, grand boulevards, old-fashioned tramways, and light-filled domes, the city is teeming with historical and cultural touches that will make walking its streets a feast for the eyes.

Built without a steel girder skeleton, Turin’s landmark building, The Mole Antonelliana, is the tallest unreinforced brick building in the world. A dramatic glass elevator is just one of the features that makes the symbol of Turin special. Originally constructed as a synagogue, ‘The Mole’ is now home to the National Cinema Museum, and a temple built at the top of its roof.

The Residence of the Royal House of Savoy or Palazzo Reale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Piazza Castello, the most central square in Turin, is lined with museums, theatres, cafés, shops, and elegant porticoes, and is home to a castle and two palaces (Savoy Royal Palace and Palazzo Madama).

French influence

Nestled in the Italian Alps, Turin is a romantic and beautiful place to visit, like its neighbours.

It has been called ‘the Paris of Italy.’ And when you walk through its grand boulevards taking in the beautiful and intricately designed ancient architecture, it’s easy to see why. With a French touch, Turin’s breath-taking Baroque buildings rival those of Versailles in France.

Some aspects of Turin do resemble France but in a truly Italian way. It’s like a great fusion of alpine, French, and Italian beauty wrapped into one.

Unique, offbeat, and underrated

Even with all its beauty and intrigue, Turin is still much underrated, offbeat, and a lot less touristy compared to the more popular Italian cities like Rome, Venice, and Milan.

It’s home to some of the country’s best sights, art galleries, museums, opera houses, theatres, restaurants, and piazzas that mostly only locals flock to.

This promises foreigners an easier path to discover one of Italy’s unique gems, leading to an even better student life for those studying in Turin.

Student life in Turin

Turin, being less of a tourist attraction compared to the more popular Italian cities gives students easier access to all that this interesting city has to offer.

Besides the academic prowess of its universities, the city’s rich culture, history, splendid landscape, and gastronomy also attract students from all over the world.

Entertainment and amusement

The grand piazzas are the peak of entertainment and amusement in Turin. Enjoy drinks and mouth-watering dishes and socialise with other students.

In the city centre you can find streets full of hangout spots and places full of people, such as the lively district of Quadrilatero. The historic neighbourhood features densely populated streets and lanes lined with cosy bars, shops, restaurants, and cafés.

Prestigious cafés

Speaking of cafés, Turin is home to some of the best. Enjoy a cup of coffee for a reasonable price in some of the most luxurious and historical coffee houses you have ever seen.

After over 160 years of operation, the Baratti & Milano is one of the most beautiful and prestigious chocolate shops and cafeterias in Europe. It’s still one of the most elegant meeting places in Turin.

The Caffè Mulassano is perhaps the most authentic cafe in Turin. The charming old-school Italian café, which serves coffees, rich hot chocolate, delicate sandwiches, and cakes on silver pedestals, has done a great job of preserving the aristocratic allure of the past.

With its lavish art nouveau rooms and impressive chandelier, Caffè San Carlo is one of the most beautiful cafes in Turin, while the Caffè Torino is an elegant savoy lounge in the heart of Turin (Piazza San Carlo) that has maintained its elegant charm and surreal atmosphere through time.

If you’re a chocolate or coffee lover, then you are in for a treat in Turin.

The holy grail for aperitivo, coffee and chocolate

When it comes to gastronomy, Turin is mainly known for four things – chocolate, coffee, gelato cones, and aperitivo.

The city has a long history of chocolate and is home to some of the finest chocolate in the world. The continuing love story between Turin and chocolate began as far back as 1560. That authentic passion has created specialties now known throughout the world, including the pioneering hazelnut-infused Gianduja, Ferrero Rocher, and the lovable spread Nutella. Walking through the city’s streets, you will notice a plethora of chocolatiers highlighting artisanal flavours.

Also, expect to find Turin natives sipping coffee or hot chocolate at tables lining the squares. When it comes to hot chocolate, Bicerin is the toast of Turin. The best place to try the tasty mix of espresso, milk, and chocolate is the historic Caffè Al Bicerin.

Food in Turin is not all about tasty delights like chocolate though. You can taste the best of the best of the Piedmont region’s world-renowned wines and Italian cuisine, including truffle, agnolotti, finanziera, and bagna cauda at an affordable price in restaurants throughout the city.

But be prepared to whet your appetite in between a long uni day and your dinner date. Chances are you’ll find yourself indulging in aperitivo. As a kind of warm-up to dinner, the Italian tradition offers a buffet of small bites with an order of alcoholic beverages.

Public transportation in Turin

The means of transportation available in Turin will make student life a little easier.

You can move around the city via buses, trams, metro, taxi, or bike-sharing. The major means of transportation in Turin are buses and trams, with GTT (Gruppo Trasporti Torinese) being the major transport provider.

In case you need to escape Turin, the city is the gateway to various cities in the French Alps, the South of France and the Swiss Alps, as well as having good connection to other major Italian cities.

Where to study in Turin?

Turin is also home to some of the best higher education institutions in Italy.

According to QS World University Rankings 2022, the Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino) is the highest-ranked university in the city. The University of Turin (Università degli Studi di Torino) is the other university in Turin that is ranked in the top 500 universities in the world.

Thanks to institutions such as IAAD and IED that specialise in fashion, communication, graphics, and product design, Turin was named the World Design Capital in 2008.

Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti di Torino and the Conservatorio Statale di Musica "Giuseppe Verdi" di Torino are highly ranked universities for music and art education.

The oldest business school in the world, ESCP Europe, has a rapidly growing campus in Turin.

However, the city’s educational landscape is dominated by the two largest universities in the region:

• University of Turin (Universitá Degli Studi di Torino, UNITO)
• Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino)

So, let’s take a closer look at what they have to offer.

University of Turin

The University of Turin is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe, dating all the way back to 1404. And with 55 departments divided among 13 faculties at over 120 locations in Turin and in key areas in the Piedmont region, it’s also one of the largest.

The University of Turin (UNITO) consistently ranks among the top 20 universities in Italy, and the top 500 worldwide.

To its over 80,000 students, UNITO offers undergraduate and postgraduate Bachelor’s, Master’s, and single-cycle degrees, as well as Graduate Study courses in all disciplines, except for engineering and architecture. It also offers degree courses that are unique in Italy, such as military strategy, biotechnology, and restoration and conservation.

Although most of the courses offered by the university are taught in Italian, there’s a growing number being taught in English.

UNITO is also highly regarded for its valuable research contributions. It has a remarkable research tradition in several traditional subjects, including history, philosophy, law, economics, and medicine.

The university’s medical diagnostic, biosensoristics, and nanotechnologies research centres are amongst the best in Italy.

Polytechnic University of Turin

The Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino, PoliTO) is one of the best technical universities in Italy.

It specialises in technical education, offering a broad selection of both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering and architecture.

Rated as a top 350 university globally by QS’s 2022 World University Rankings (334th), PoliTO consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in Italy. It often finds itself in the top 5 rankings for engineering in Italy and is also among Europe’s leading universities for engineering, computer science, and technology.

The university offers internationally recognised courses, including a wide selection of English-taught programmes from undergraduate to Ph.D. level to its 35,000 students.

One of the first Italian universities to offer courses in English, reach out to foreign universities, and establish its own department for international affairs, PoliTO is internationally focused. It has one of the highest percentages of international students enrolled at any university in Italy, with about 15% of its student body coming from overseas.

Frequently asked questions about student housing in Turin

How do I apply for an off-campus student residence in Turin on Student.com?

Applying for an off-campus student residence in Turin on Student.com is easy and straightforward.

Use our website’s robust search and location features to compare properties. Once you’ve identified the property you want, go to the property page by clicking ‘View rooms’. On the property page choose your preferred room type and click ‘Book Now’ or ‘Enquire’ to begin the booking process. You’ll be asked to leave your contact details and one of our booking consultants will contact you shortly to answer any questions you may still have and the explain the next steps in the process to sign your rental agreement.

What are the different types of apartments and dormitories you offer?

We offer three different types of rooms in Turin, including shared dormitories and private apartments.

Shared Rooms provide a shared bedroom with a roommate. The bathroom and kitchen are also shared with other students.

Private Rooms provide you with a private bedroom just for you. Depending on the property, your bathroom may be either shared or private. Other facilities like the kitchen are shared with other students.

Entire Place provides you with a fully private property. You’ll have your own bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette without having to share anything with anyone. This is the perfect choice if you love to have a private space just for you!

Are bills included in the rent?

This depends on the property. Currently more than half of the properties we list in Turin have all bills included in the rent, but make sure to check on the property page to see which bills are included in the place that you’re thinking of booking.

You can also use the search filters to only see properties with bills included.

Do you list fully furnished residences?

The apartments we list in Turin are currently rented unfurnished.