My Experience in Berlin, Germany - by Lucia

What's it like living in Berlin? Would you recommend it?

Berlin's a huge metropolis where it's impossible to spend a dull moment: there's always something to do in this enormous city. The only inconvenience is the amount of time it takes to get from one part of the city to another.

What's the student life like in Berlin?

There are several universities here, so there are loads of students around. There are also lots of parties for exchange students. As I said, there's never a dull moment here.

How expensive is living in Berlin?

If you compare Berlin with other German cities, it's a cheaper place to live, but it's still more expensive than living in Spain (at least in comparison with my area, I'm from Galicia). The food in the supermarket is slightly more expensive, for example, and the public transport costs a fair bit since the city's so big. A beer in a bar costs about three or four euros.

Did you find it hard to find somewhere to live in Berlin? Do you have any flat-hunting tips?

Yes, I did. It was impossible trying to find somewhere to live whilst still being in Spain, so I decided to go for one of the halls of residences owned by my host university. Flats in general tend to be quite expensive - the cheapest rent would be around 300 euros, and that's just for one shared with other people...Generally, it's hard to find a flat. A friend of mine needed almost a month to find a room and was in Berlin for the whole of that time, which was a crap experience for him. People often host shared flat interviews for anyone who wants to move in, so this makes it all the more complicated.

What's the food like in Germany? What are your favourite dishes?

If you want to eat at home, you'll find good food at the supermarket. German people eat lots of vegetables and eco food, but if you want to eat out, the only cheap options are all junk food. There's no street without an Italian takeaway or a McDonald's... The only good thing about this is that there's lots of variety, so you'll easily find Italian, Chinese, Indian, Turkish and Vietnamese restaurants everywhere.

What places would you recommend visiting in Berlin?

Every neighbourhood is a new world in itself and totally different to the rest. Really, the whole city is a must see. The biggest must sees in my option are the Brandenburg Gate, the Bundestag, Warschauer Straße and Alexanderplatz.

What about eating out in Berlin? What are your favourite places?

You can find tons of places to eat out on every street. Perhaps one of the places I've enjoyed the most is an Indian restaurant on Oranienburger Straße. The chicken curry there is incredible.

What are the best places for partying in Berlin?

There's a huge variety of bars and clubs on Warschauer Straße open every day of the week. In my opinion, it's the best place for going out in the whole of Berlin, though there are also lots of bars on Oranienburger Straße. That's my favourite place to start the night.

Do you have any advice for future students coming to Berlin?

My only advice is to really enjoy the city, and its magical atmosphere. The nights out there are amazing and the Berliners pretty cold people, hahah. Be patient with the public transport, as it can take a while to get from one place to another, and buy weekly or monthly tickets as this ends up being cheaper - a day ticket costs around 7 euros.