Where it all begins: Accommodation in Wroclaw

After 22 hours of travelling, coming and going on every kind of transport imaginable (including trains, planes, crazy taxi rides and cars), we finally arrived at the place that would be our home for the next nine months: Wroclaw.

After getting off the plane in Krakow, we went straight to the bus station. However, we had a rather strange journey getting there. Our first impression of Poland was of a crazy taxi driver, who, rather than using the footbrake like everyone else does, used the handbrake instead. We didn't think we would make it to the PolskiBus, nevermind Wroclaw.

Before carrying on with my story, I'll just add a little side note here, as much for your own interest as for your wallet. PolskiBus is a cheap bus company that can take you across Poland, as well as further afield to Prague or Berlin, for 12€ (or sometimes even less). But, I'll tell you more about trips you can take and the ways that you can get to different destinations later on. You can search for and book trips through the PolskiBus website.

After surviving the taxi driver's interesting manoeuvres, we boarded the bus and, at last, we could let our friends and family know that we were alive thanks to the onboard WiFi.

When we arrived in Wroclaw, my 'buddy' was waiting for us (well, they were waiting for me, but we soon became a 3 for the price of 1 package deal (Daniela, Marta and myself)). For those of you who don't know, a buddy is someone who volunteers to "look after" the new Erasmus students, helping them integrate into city life and generally steer them in the right direction. In most cases, you end up losing contact with each other in the end, but you do find yourself needing them quite a bit in the beginning. Krzysztof (yes, I had to go on Facebook to find out how to spell his name) was waiting for us to take us to our halls, Kredka.

Once in the car, we began passing comment on absolutely everything, be it a light, bridge, river, building... anything could catch our eye at any given moment. Of course, Alibi couldn't be outdone. Once we parked behind the two towers where our halls are and collected our suitcases, the first thing that caught our eye was a pub directly in front of it. "What's that? ", we asked my buddy. He told us, while laughing, that that's where they held Erasmus parties every Monday. We later confirmed that for ourselves, hahaha.

We went up the stairs and arrived at our halls, Kredka. Everything was going really well until we realised that the receptionist didn't speak a word of English. And when I say not a word, I mean not a word. Don't worry though, with gestures you end up being more or less understood by people (however, they might not find you in the residents list because the surnames have been mixed up, right Marta? ).

So there we were, three Galician girls in a flat feeling incredibly tired yet even more excited to discover everything that lay ahead.

Before telling you more about this incredible city, I think it's essential to tell you a bit more about the halls - what they're like and how they are set out.

Firstly, I should tell you that it's not what you'd expect. Living in halls is the best thing you can do during your Erasmus year. Obviously, when you live abroad, the first thing you think about is your future flat, your flatmates, house parties, etc. But, an Erasmus exchange is different. No one knows anyone, so you're all in the same boat. You'll meet loads of incredible people in your halls and you'll soon become a little, big family.

Having said that, most of the universities in Poland have some kind of "agreement" with the student residences. But what does that mean exactly? Well, it means that it's these same universities that put you in one residence or another once they offer you a place on their exchange programme, so that's one less thing to worry about. In my case, I went to Uniwersytet Wroclawski (University of Wroclaw). There are two halls for this particular university: Olowek and Kredka. Both share the same location in the two twin towers. The only difference between them is the height: Kredka has 21 floors and Olowek, 17, if I remember correctly.

So that you can understand a little what the halls are like, I'll explain what they consist of. Both halls have 8 flats on each floor and each flat is made up of two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. It's all quite well maintained. Let's be real, it's no five star hotel but you eventually get used to those four walls. Oh, and let's not forget the balcony in each bedroom, which is great for seeing the best sunsets in the world (especially if you live on the 13th floor or above). Each residence supposedly has four lifts, that's if one of them doesn't break and then take 9 months to fix like last year... but, that's going to be the last thing on your mind. On the ground floor, you'll find the washing machines and clothes line, but I recommend buying your own for your room. You can choose from a single or double room. There aren't many single rooms, so not everyone will be guaranteed one. You'll find more information about prices, amongst other things, here.

The halls couldn't be in a better location. There are two tram stops on either side of the buildings that will take you anywhere in the city (in the vast majority of cases. And if you don't know how to get somewhere, head in the direction of Jakdojade). There's also a Carrefour situated just in front of the buildings and a very good butchers (tip: don't buy meat from Carrefour, it's horrible). Located a four-minute walk away is one the main shopping centres in Wroclaw, Grundwalzki, where you will find everything you could ever need. Two important things that normally go very well together are Alibi, a pub that's unmissable on Mondays, and McDonalds, found just behind the halls.

Besides these two residences, there are a handful more in Wroclaw, but, with things being as they are, Olowek and Kredka are the most in-demand. If they allocate you a different residence, don't worry, you'll be fine either way. But, if you do really want to change, try do so. There were people in my year who were originally in different halls before transferring to Olowek. Keep yourselves informed.

All in all, halls are the least important thing to worry about when it comes to your Erasmus exchange. The most important thing is meeting people who will become indispensable to you in the coming months.

To be continued...

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