Bayonne, France

What is it like to live in Bayonne? Would you recommend it? What is it like?

It has already been 3 years since I decided to do a degree in Bayonne. Before I came, I had heard a little bit about what the town was like since I used to spend my summers in a place very close to there, San Juan De Luz, but I had never been there. Although the weather was not one of the primary factors when choosing my Erasmus location, I have to warn you that between Novemeber and May the weather was rubbish. But it did improve later on, between 20º - 25º, the sun, the beach, a temperature which after so many months of rain is much appreciated!

The town is very well linked transport wise, the local bus costs 1€ per trip (a monthly ticket costs around €16 for students for unlimited trips! ) and starts at 7am until around 8/9pm (Sundays at 8pm). You can go to the neighbouring town Biarritz (later I will tell you more about it), from the centre and there is usually a bus every 10-20 minutes. Because they are so regular, there are never any queuees and even more importantly, if you live in student residence there is a stop right outside so there is no excuse not to go to class hahaha. On the other hand, there is the 'Navette' which is the smaller, orange bus and it is free! It goes to the centre and you can even drive to university because parking is free for students (it is only a 10 minute walk from the centre but we can all be lazy sometimes! ). I think it is a good place to live, everything is quite close; like I said free parking is available for students, most people have to pay 1€ for the day or the first hour is free. Personally, I love the beaches, the architecture, the Basque region in general is amazing, and I am sure that anyone would appreciate its charm.

What is the student life like in Bayonne?

Great! The student residencies are a bit different to those in Spain (everyone has their own kitchen and the rooms are individual), but the students in the older years usually organise small meetings at the start of the course so that everyone gets to know each other and the atmosphere is more friendly. If they go well, they are normally repeated twice a month, they are quite fun and people bring their own drink and some snacks. You don't always have to go and obviously, in the three years that I have been here, there has always been an Erasmus group of students from Spain, Ireland, Artgentina etc. so it is difficult to get bored of it.

As well, the university offers French classes on Thursday evenings for Erasmus students, so you get to know each other. In fact, the majority of Erasmus are in the same residence (not everyone), there are two principal residencies 2 minutes away from each other.

Also, on the university campus you will find the 'Maison de l'étudiant' where you will find out about everything you need to know (the nurse, social welfare centre and bus hours etc. )

The university also has a sports centre where for €30 a semester, you can join various sports clubs (regardless of which campus you are on), depending on when you're available and what you like. You will find the other university campus in Anglet (next to Bayonne) which is where the science department is and the third student residence, although it is further from the centre and there might not be a good student atmosphere. Gradually, it is becoming more known and more things are going on there, but it is no comparison to the Bayonne Campus. I suppose it is more popular because there are more courses at the Bayonne Campus and it is in the centre (they even call the area 'Le Petit Bayonne'), etc.

How much does it cost to live in Bayonne?

It is pretty much the same as any town in Spain, there isn't much of a difference, even better if you budget well, you can save on things such as the rent, transport etc. In smaller supermarkets, products are slightly more expensive, so unless you have to do a quick shop, it is best to go to the larger supermarkets such as Carrefour, Leclerc or Casino.

What was it like finding accomodation in Bayonne? Can you give us some advice?

Not really, you can choose to live in student accomodation, which is usually pretty straightforward if you fill in the application on the website Crous.

At the moment there is a technical problem, but you can get to the application form nontheless. On the link above, go to the 'Dossier d'étudiant', you have from January to April to fill it out and send it along with the requeseted documentation, whether you are an international student or not. You have to follow the same process for both residencies (Bayonne and Anglet).

There is also the possibility of getting a shared flat, if you want to be closer to the university. They're quite good, for a studio, the average rent is about 400 € month including the electricity, water, etc. and as for shared flats, I suppose it depends on the area but it will roughly be the same prices. Regardless of whether you are French or not, you are eligible to receive the CAF funding too, which is a housing grant. You have to follow the steps on the website and per month of your stay, a part of your rent will be paid for. Generally, it usually covers half of your rent and in Bayonne, there is a CAF office which you can go to if you have any last minute problems.

What places would you recommend to visit in Bayonne?

San Juan De Luz and Biarritz are similar to Bayonne, they are all next to each other and its really worth going to visit them, especially the beaches and San Juan de Luz port.

What places do you recommend to go out in Bayonne?

There are two cities where you can go out: Biarritz and Bayonne, you can get to both of them by bus (the last night bus is at 00h30, except Sundays, although it can vary depending on the day of the week, but on Thursday, Friday and Saturday it is the last bus, the important days for partying hahaha). In Bayonne, we usually drink at someone's house first, we know the French start very early (19:00-20:00) and then have the famous "aperatif". After, we go to the bars in Petit Bayonne, next to the university campus, from 19:00 until 2:00, people often go from 23:30 to 00h/2:00 which is when they close. Drinks are 1. 5 € - € 2 to 2. 5 €, but do not get mad, the cups are small and the alcohol is disgusting, but we are students at the end of the day... it is what it is and there is always enough of it hahaha!

As for the music, it is usually modern and once the bars close, people tend to go to the only club in Bayonne, "Arena". Entry is 5€ including a free drink and 10€ on Fridays and Saturdays, not bad but it is nothing fancy. It is good on a Thursday because it is close to where I live (I already know there aren't many places here for partying that are as good as Spain hahaha). On Fridays and Saturdays, we usually go to Biarritz where there are bars but they are not as busy as the other one, my favorite is 'Arena' which is next to the beach! It closes at the same time, around 2:00.

There are also a lot of places where girls can get in for free (sometimes the whole night, sometimes only up until a certain time) and boys have to pay 10€ for entrance and a free drink. For a bit of everything, I recommend the 'Duplex' near the town hall or the 'Playboy' next to "Galleries LaFayette". And of course, in the summer, there is always places to go and party somewhere in the area. Finally, my favourite place to go in the summer is in Bidart and it is called 'Blue Cargo' (a small town no longer than 10 minutes away). It is outdoors so there is always a good atmosphere, maybe a little more 'posh'.

Any advice to future students going to Bayonne?

Although it may not seem that attractive, I think you can find some amazing places here. I don't think it is that different to a lot of cities in Spain and is not as bad as it seems. In the end, I am sure you will want to stay longer. As well, 20 minutes by car and you get to San Sebastian and 2h - 3h away is Bilbao, Santander, etc. So if you miss the Spanish parties, you know where you can go!