Experience in Bilbao, Spain by Elliot

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

Bilbao is a great city to live in having come from the UK. I was a student there and had a great a time.

I was there between February and July and there was always something going on the city. I lost count of the number of free concerts that went on in and in the villages surrounding the city. There was so much to do and so much to see. It's location in the mountains and so close to the beach give it a great feeling. It's so easy to escape the urban areas and explore. The people there are very friendly and always were helpful.

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If you want to stay in the city there, is the Guggenheim Museum which was fantastic and the first friday of every month there was a big party their at night (but quite expensive). In general, it was very cheap to go out, and being able to drink on the streets was great and had a great atmosphere. This can't be done though in the UK, but the basque people have a different attitude to drinking, so you would never see what we see on the streets here. There is also a lot of other museums which are good such as the fine arts museum.

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My friends from Bilbao were very proud of their city and you can see why. The streets were always so clean too.

In terms of exploring Spain, it's a long trip to get to Madrid or Barcelona, but you can easily get into France. There are also many places around Bilbao worth exploring, e. g. Mundaka which is great for surfing. There are a lot of other beaches near Bilbao which were good for surfing. There were a lot of shops there too.

I would definitely recommend the city.

What is the student lifestyle like in Bilbao?

Student lifestyle is good. The work load is a lot less I found than in the UK. Most students though are living at home to save money in the city, Spain is in crisis, and there wasn't a lot of people my age (in their early 20's).

But it's a great city to be a student in due to the huge diversities of lifestyles.

How much does it cost to live in Bilbao?

Not a lot!

Eating out can be expensive, but you can buy a meal of the day for 10 euros, giving you wine/beer, 2 courses and then a desert.

I lived in Casco Viejo, in Plaza Neuva and I was only paying 310 euros per month. Food chopping is also very cheap and so is the transport.

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

Depends on the time of year. I would recommend visiting any flat before you say yes. I said that my bank won't let me pay in euros so that I didn't have to pay the landlord online in case I got there and didn't like it. It worked.

There are a lot of good websites to use as well.

But, landlords will want people to live in their flats because of the crisis, but if something is broken, I found that it was difficult to get them to do something.

San Francisco area is probably not the nicest to live but it's by far better than many places I lived in UK cities.

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

Food is great. As I said above, the menu del dia is awesome. It's value for money in any place you go to.

My brother came to visit though and he likes his home comforts which was difficult to find for him (not many McDs or BK or KFCs).

But, go to Spain to try the food. You'll love it.

What places would you recommend visiting in Bilbao?

• Guggenheim.
• Fine Arts Museum (near to Guggenheim).
• Plentzia beach.
• Mundaka.
• Climb the local mountains around.
• Casco Viejo.
• Bars.
• Restaurants.
• San Sebastian.

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

Very good place to eat out. Casco Viejo is has a lot of options, particularly for pintxos but can be expensive.

In general though I didn't have a favourite place because I varied all the time, but there was a few places in Casco Viejo that were great.

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

Night life is great!

You can drink on the streets before which is relaxed. It's far more relaxed than in the UK.

I would recommend Cafe Antxoki, or places nearby. Or near the Football stadium there are some great places, e. g. the Cerveza (Beer) House.

What advice would you give future students heading to Bilbao?

Enjoy it! It's somewhere where you can feel relaxed and safe.