Experience in Barcelona, Spain by hammou

What is it like to live in Barcelona? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

ohh you should probably reverse the question, what is like not to live in Barcelona, cause the first thing that a student think about when it comes to studying an Erasmus student abroad, usually they put as a first choice Barcelona, if you ask me why, i would say it is first because of the warm weather, secondly it is because of the sea, and the third thing that every student heard about Barcelona, is the most crazy and loud party that each student dream of, should i say more, yeah i can actually write lines after lines just to describe my feeling of being in that marvellous place,
first thing drove my attention in Barcelona was the beautiful combination of the ancient and the modern architect, very elegant and stunning building built by very famous architect such as Antoni Gaudí, a coffee in the Federal Café seeing Barcelona from above would take you thousands years back, let's talk about walking at night in the street of Barcelona, you don't distinguish the night from the morning, people always on the street enjoying their late meal in the evening or they look all dressed up for a party next the beach, these scenes will always remind you of being active and alive, being present and enjoying each moment of your time in Barcelona.

What is the student lifestyle like in Barcelona?

A student life style can vary from a student to another, cause each one come with a different plan, so i would here share my experience, For an Erasmus student usually teachers don't ask a lot of tasks and they are very tolerant, cause they know that the student has changed his university and even the language of study, so you don't have to worry all the time about the courses that you will take, why i am telling you this cause i met with so many student while my stay here, and they were all the time panicking about their performances and as result they never have a complete Erasmus experience, i am not telling to skip your classes or be a bad student, all i am trying to explain is to be relaxed and be sure that you will succeed at the of your term, of course if you attend the classes and do your presentations.
After completing the studying part, now i would share with you the daily life style, usually you will end up in an Erasmus flat, so that is where you are going to meet with international students, they will be your first companions before meeting with your classmate, so generally you will discover the city together and have dinner or lunch together, so try always to keep good relationship with them, cause you will have to overcome your differences and build a very soft environment where everyone of you would share his/her food, traditions and have good discussions.

How much does it cost to live in Barcelona?

mm that is the most asked question, you have to keep in mind that your budget would be devised to three part, the big part would go for the renting of your shared flat, usually the prices are between 250€ up to 500€, i really advice to take your time in finding good flatmates, cause you will be together during your Erasmus experiences, i have heard many of my friends complaining of their flatmates, some says that they are not clean, other complain about the loud music after midnight, and the list of complains goes on, so be very careful on choosing the good people to stay with.
Let's talk about the second part of your budget, it is what you will be spending for the grocery shop and your morning coffee, also if you are a smoker you will need extra more money, why would not i just share the total amount of money you will need, this my budget so keep in mind that i am not a smoker, i spend an average of 300€, i also go so often to the restaurant in the inner city, i love tasting the tacos and the very delicious Mediterranean seafood.
finally i will be detailing the last part of the budget which is automatically the third, it includes all what is shopping and traveling, now i can not really give the total amount because some of you may think it is very exaggerating, which is due to my frequent travel trips, so i spent in one month for three trips 250€ and i can tell you it is very little comparing to what i am supposed to spend if i take a luxurious trip.
i hope you have a complete idea of how much would it cost to live in Barcelona, i would not say it is expensive if you know where to shop and to spend every coins, just be smart don not buy thins from the tourist zone, because it is a rip off, try to ask your friends always for the best shop in the town and spread the words also when you find good deals.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Barcelona? Is there any advice you can give?

mmm i would not say it is difficult, because Barcelona now has the largest number of Erasmus students in Europe, so many real estate are actually built especially to receive this large number and responds to the needs in the market, as an example i would recommend using the website that deal mostly with exchange students, such as Erasmusu, because it is first of all an easy platform to find appropriate flats for six month or one year, second of all you will be able to complete some flat rooms that are still available, so i highly recommend this website, and for the flat i would always advice you to carefully choose the location, a place should always be close to your university, finally you are going for an Erasmus experience, so avoid staying with people from your country, this is very important note, stay with student from different countries who spoke different languages than you, so you will at least have the chance to learn more about the other countries, and most importantly is practicing English and why not learning your flatmates languages.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

the Spanish cuisine is a dream for many students who come to spend their erasmus here, however most of the student don not actually know that the cuisine is different from a region to another, what is good about the food in Barcelona, is the fact that most of the plate have a history of hundreds years back, i think paella is the most delicious and famous food in the capital, in every corner you find a restaurant serving this traditional Valencia original plate, i also suggest to taste Calçots and romesco sauce, it is one of the most delicious food i have ever had, usually the green onion comes to the market at the end of the winter, and you can find it in the street food small stores.

What places would you recommend visiting in Barcelona?

well let me share with you my top five place to see in Barcelona, the first one is of course La Sagrada Familia, it looks really stunning, i kept staring at the building and enjoying the small tiny details, don not just go there and do what most of the tourist do, jump in the sky to capture nice shots to post on your Instagram, so people say that you are in Barcelona, be a traveler curious to know more about the history, learn why it was built, and for how many years the construction was going, go inside and ask questions to your tour guide, that is the mindset of a real traveler, the second best place to see is Park Güell, to be honest i was really lost in the decoration of the building that most of the walls were cover with, i jumped to the highest point and enjoyed the beautiful sunset view of Barcelona, if you are going in a group try to stick to each other since the place has different streets, i suggest you to take a walk on the La Rambla street, you will really enjoy the beautiful architecture of the city, if you are also a big fan of shopping you will have so many brand stores to pick your beautiful outfit.

Is it good to eat out in Barcelona? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

definitely starting from your morning breakfast, Barcelona is very famous of the large number of coffee that you see in each corner, grab your morning capuchin-no and for a lunch i really recommend to taste the real tapas from La Tasqueta De Blai, after reading thousands of positive reviews about this place i decided to go and see why all these visitors left a happy and a positive feedback, putting the first tapas into my mouth, and at that moment i just couldn't resist any more, it was so so tasty that you can't stop ordering for more and more, the stuffs were very welcoming and nice, now you have your breakfast and lunch and it's the evening already believe me i never controlled my time in Barcelona, it goes so fast that you can never feel the time, it is a sign that life in Barcelona is different than in any other place in this planet.

Is the nightlife good in Barcelona? Where is good to go?

i had one of my greatest party in Barcelona, late in the evening take the metro south to the beach side, there you will find the party zone, most of the clubs have a free entrance, dress well and let the party began, if you are asking if it is really safe to come back late in the night, i would respond that it is since many tourist are still moving, Barcelona is active at night.

What advice would you give future students heading to Barcelona?

i would first start by saying that you have chosen the best place ever, be sure that you won't regret your choice, secondly know how to choose your friends cause they are the one who is going to make your experience unforgettable, thirdly you are living your country to another one, so please try to practice english as much as you while bring in Barcelona, and i really advice you to start learning Spanish it is such a great language that is spoken in many countries. finally Erasmus is a chance for you to get in touch with students from different countries and cultures, different ethnics and religions, interact with them, make connections, believe me you will always have a beautiful memory of your Erasmus experience if you know how to spend it.