Why should you do your Erasmus in Budapest?

Okay well I have been getting this question over and over again, from friends or colleagues back home or in different countries and the truth is I consider Budapest an ideal place to go any exchange programs. I mean Budapest is sort of a heaven for me and for so many others I know and even though I'm not doing Erasmus here, I'm doing a complete degree here! Even better I know! But I've got a thing or two to say about why you should do your Erasmus here. Well this entry is a compilation of my own opinion and the opinion of other erasmus students which I have had the pleasure of meeting over the past few months.

I will add more reasons to the list if I come up with more but till then enjoy the list below and if you were convinced by the end of this entry, I will introduce an organization which is going to help you to have the most memorable Erasmus experience here in Budapest so do stay tuned.

Reasons to do Erasmus here in Budapest:

1) Opportunity to socialize with Internationals

I didn't know what to name this paragraph exactly, but that does sum it up perfectly. I mean you would be given the chance to make so many International friends and feel like the part of an International community. There is a huge population of international students here in Budapest and all of them are keen on meeting and socializing with fun individuals like you so, what are you waiting for? Given I grew up in a highly international community myself, I literally know that being given this opportunity is a huge blessing. I am now more aware of different cultures and different people and I owe it all to growing up with these amazing people. Hanging out with internationals will automatically make you more understanding and accepting of people with different cultural and racial backgrounds and who doesn't want to become a better version of themselves? Am I right?

So, yes, in Budapest you will probably have a lot of other Erasmus students like you and there will be people from Asia and American continents too.

2) Budapest is exotic

I was going to make this the last reason on my list but I just couldn't resist. I moved here back in september and to be honest ever since then I have fallen more and more in love with Budapest every day. I'm not even kidding! Sometimes I feel like this place can't be any more beautiful but then I'm proven to be wrong. Having Danube with the magnificent bridges over it separate the city in half, having all of the architecture and scenary, the history, the culture, the food, the people, the entertainment options... Oh god the advantages and the beauties of this city are endless. I'm serious they are endless. I really suggest reading my piece on living here in Budapest.

3) Eastern Europe is cheaper than Western Europe

Eastern Europe is generally much cheaper than western europe, if we are comparing the cost of food, drinks, rent, utilities, etc. I honestly think if you are coming from a western countries or US or UK, or any other more developed or economically blessed countries, Hungary is going to be really afforable for you. The night life here is cheap as hell, so are drinks and food. You can just as easily have so much fun here, with half as much as money you have to spend back in your home country. The rent here is also cheaper, like the price of an apartment here is as much as you would have to pay for a room in a much more expensive country. The prices of clothes don't differ much though, but everything else is pretty much cheaper and so you are in for a good time.

4) Different culture and history

Well Hungary is really authentic in terms of their culture. They have really good Hungarian food and alcohols, which you can only find the real deal of it here in Hungary. Drinks like Palinka, Tojaki, Unicum even! Foods like langos, gulash, kutos kalacs and many others. The history is somewhat sad but unique again, with all the bridges, the jews genocide, the damage done to the country during the second world war, the holocaust; that along with all the bridges, the churches and the memorial center for the victims, among many other things that define this place, make Hungary a unique country.

Night Life

Oh god the night life here is crazy, ask me I know it! Budapest is one of the most vibrant and energetic cities in all of Eastern Europe. It's famous all across Europe for it's afforable yet amazing parties. We've got every single type of parties here, from crazy pool parties in Budapest's very own thermal baths to even crazier boat parties in some of the finest boats on the one and only Danube. There are also numerous events from costume parties, ice skating events, pub crawls, club events, Erasmus events, etc.

(Party in thermal baths is known as SPARTY, mixture of the words spa and party)

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Okay I hope this wraps things up for you guys. And now it's time to talk of this amazing organization I know which does all of this wonderful things for Erasmus students, helping them adjust to their new home and get them to meet loads of new friends during their stay here in Budapest. This organization offers you a memership card that allows you to go to all their events and pay a much lower price, you can also use the card for gym memberships, discounts in bars, cafes, restaurants... They also have a facebook page where you can use to keep up with their events. They are amazing to be honest. I'm going to put up their website here so you can contact them directly, and the only thing you need to pay for is 3000 forints for the membership card and then you're good to go.

(One of their events)

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(One of their boat parties)

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This is their website and you really can read all about their awesomeness on it. It's really great what they do and, as a curious piece of information, they got inspired by Erasmus life in Lisbon. So let me know how it goes.

Hope you find this useful and comment if you think I should write more pieces like this.

Cheers!

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