Create meetup in Romechevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Sweet Lab
explore Rome Guides
bar_chart Trends in Rome
LUISS: Lost in Translation?
Another angle: the "Buttitta" cultural association on via Flaminia runs a Sunday morning passeggiata for students and locals, it's a slow walk through the Villa Borghese with stops at the book stalls, and the whole point is just chatting, no agenda. People there are older and more patient than the undergrad crowd, they'll actually help you with phrasing rather than just laughing it off, and the pacing means you're never stuck in a conversation you can't escape.
For everyday practice, get a regular spot at the Al Vino Al Vino wine bar near the Piazza del Popolo tram stop, the owner, Sandro, loves exchange students and will quiz you on your order in Italian every time, it's like a free lesson disguised as a glass of wine. And if you really want to skip the awkwardness of ordering pizza, go to Pizzeria da Baffone on via della Lungara, they hand you a numbered ticket and you just point at the slice case, zero words needed, then you can practice Italian with whoever's sitting at the shared tables outside.
honestly the social scene at LUISS is way more chill than the academic rep suggests. if ur nervous about ordering pizza, start at the bar inside the main building on viale Romania, the guys there are super patient and half the time they'll just laugh with u, not at u. the real trick is to join the "Lingua e Cultura" club, they do these random Wednesday evening meetups at a place called Il Sorpasso near piazza del Popolo, it's a mix of students and locals who genuinely want to talk to exchange kids, no pressure to be fluent, they're used to broken italian and will switch to english if u look lost.
for actual friends, skip the formal orientation stuff and hit the basketball court behind the sports center on via di Villa Emiliani, there's always pickup games around 5pm and the players are a mix of LUISS kids and neighborhood guys, u don't need italian to play, just show up and someone will wave u in. after the game they usually grab beer at a little kiosk called Chiosco della Musica, and that's where the real conversations happen, broken italian and all. also, don't sleep on the "Tandem" app but use it specifically to find people who want to grab a slice at Forno Campo de' Fiori, it's a 20 min bus ride but the pizza is legit and u'll bond over the mess of eating it. awkward
Don't overthink the pizza thing, honestly. Every Roman has seen a foreigner point at the menu and say "questo" a thousand times, and the waiters at the places near campus are used to it. For real practice, skip the big student bars and head to the university's own "Talent Garden" coworking space, they host open aperitivi on Thursday evenings that pull in a mix of LUISS kids and local tech folks, way less intimidating than a packed pub.
For study buddies, the Erasmus Student Network at LUISS runs a "language tandem" board where you match with an Italian student who wants to improve their English, you grab a coffee at the Caffè Letterario in the Viale Romania area and just chat for an hour, half in each language. It's structured enough that awkward silences feel normal, but you'll both be too busy correcting each other to care. And if you want a low-stakes hangout, the park at Villa Torlonia is a ten minute walk from campus, plenty of students picnic there on sunny afternoons, you can just sit near a group and ask to join a football or frisbee game, nobody checks your Italian level before letting you play.
load 6 more replies
What are current tobacco prices for LM Blue or Chesterfield Blue?
tbh duty free at Riga is only worth it if you're buying cartons, single packs at the airport arent that much cheaper than teh tabaccai in Rome. also remember you can only bring a limited amount into the EU anyway so stockpiling has its limits
Chesterfield Blue usually runs around 5.50 to 6 euros a pack in Rome these days, though tabaccai prices are fixed by the state so it won't vary much shop to shop. Riga is generally cheaper for cigarettes but your layover time matters, if it's tight you might not have time to clear security and find a shop.
LM Blue in Rome is roughly the same ballpark, around 5.50 to 6 euros. One thing to keep in mind at Riga airport, the duty free selection isn't always great for specific brands like these, so if you're set on LM or Chesterfield you might strike out. I'd check what the actual duty free has before counting on it.