Erasmus in France? Not only in Paris!

Bordeaux is a very beautiful French city that has enormously evolved for the past years turning into as many says "little Paris". It’s a place with an amazing architecture, culture, food and where the wine is cheaper and better that anywhere else.

Why France and why Bordeaux?

As a person who was always fascinated by the French language I couldn’t imagine to go for an Erasmus Exchange anywhere else in the world than to France, so that was quite an easy choice for me. However, if you still hesitate I hope I’ll help you make up your mind. France is a very diversified country where you can swim in the Atlantic Ocean, go skiing in the French Alps or discover a bit cold but beautiful North. It’s a place where everyone would find something for themselves. I have chosen to do my Erasmus in Bordeaux after doing some research on the Internet but I have never been there before nor anyone that I know, so I would say it was kind of risky, but from the first day I spent there I fell in love with this city. Many of my Erasmus friends when asked "why Bordeaux? " answered "it’s cheaper than Paris and it was an easier choice", well I must agree because I was also taking Paris into account while filling my Erasmus application but I was kind of scared and felt not ready yet to live in a French capital. However, Bordeaux is much more than "an easier choice". It’s a place full of international students, interesting activities and culture.

Sciences Po Bordeaux

Sciences Po Bordeaux is a school that I have chosen as my receiving institution for my Erasmus. Honestly, before going there I had no idea how prestigious and what a big deal Sciences Po schools are in France. Apparently those are the schools that almost all French presidents have graduated from. For me- an international relations student on my third year of studies it was an enormous opportunity to be a Sciences Po student for a whole year. I followed classes both in French and English as we could choose which track English or French we wanted to follow or just mix both of them to practice both languages. Personally, I was just not that sure if my French was good enough to pass all the exams or just to enjoy the lectures (I’ve passed Delf exam on the level B1 just before coming to France). The level of education at Sciences Po is really high and some French students prepare themselves to enter the school sometimes as long as two years after graduating the high school. However, for the Erasmus students it was easier to pass the exams in French so don’t you worry, you will not spend your days and night studying and you will have time to enjoy your Erasmus. Also we had a French course provided for all the levels, even for the beginners!

The way they handle the organization at Sciences Po is just amazing. There are two people responsable for the incoming international students and they are always there to help you whenever you need them. There is also an Erasmus organization called Erasmix, which was created by French students who want to help and get to know the international ones. They have organized for us an amazing integration week giving us chance to get to know each other, the school and Bordeaux. Also, every Erasmus student have their own "buddy"- a French Sciences Po student who is there to help you or just to hang out together. As all the French students are obligated to do their international mobility during the second year of they studies our "buddies" did their exchange in the country of our origin, so my "buddy" has spent one year in Poland- Warsaw, that gave as a lot of common points and we got along very easily.

Sciences Po Bordeaux

About the city

So, I won’t lie to you Bordeaux is not a very big city (249 712 habitants, however it does not take into account people living in the suburbs) but I think there is everything a student might need.

Culture

There are many museums! My favorite one is the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Design, where you can find the furnitures from 17th, 18th and 19th century and the temporary exhibitions which are really interesting and change pretty often.

Musée des Beaux Arts

There are also museums of: modern art, Beaux Arts, the region- Aquitaine and wine (yes you read it right, Bordeaux celebrates well its wine not only by drinking it).

The architecture in Bordeaux is also something that should draw your attention. The whole city center is actually an Old City. All the 18c buildings are very well preserved and revitalized. During my guide tour I was told that the architect who is responsible for the design of the architecture in Bordeaux was the same one who did the same work in Paris! That is why we can find both cities very similar. The must see in Bordeaux when it come to architecture are:

• Place de la Bourse and Miroir d’Eau- the old stock exchange and a beautiful square with a mirror of water
• Grand Théâtre- an amazing theater built in 1780 decorated with the statues of goddesses and nine Muses (take a look at the roof! ). I had an occasion to go and see a ballet there and it was and a great experience (buy a ticket on advance! )



• Cathédrale Saint-André- one of the most beautiful churches in Bordeaux
• Tour Pey-Berland- a bell tower situated just next to the cathedral with an amazing view from the top (230 steps tho)
• Grosse Cloche or as I call it Disney castle is a bell tower and also a gate built in 13th and 15th century
• Place des Quinconces- the largest city square in Europe with a monument constructed in memory of the French Revolution.

Other places that I loved and that you should visit and enjoy in Bordeaux are:

• Quais- the banks of the Garonne is a place where you can go and drink there with your friends, make a picnic, do some biking, take a boat or just enjoy a walk
• Rue Ste Catherine- if you like shopping it’s a place where you should go, probably the longest shopping street in Europe with beautiful architecture and many lovely boutiques
• Jardin Public and Parc Bordelais- huge parks where you can just chill out (don’t forget your picnic)
• Place de la Victoire- the heart of the students’ city-life, bars, bars and more bars

Place des Quinconces

Where to live?

One of the biggest problems in Bordeaux is the housing, the number of students residences and appartements available for students is clearly not enough as everyone struggle to find their homes. However, when you start in advance and know where to look for a place to stay it will be much easier. There are CROUS residences for students on the campus and sometimes in the city center but it often depends on your school or university which residence you can live in. The campus is located in Pessac which is actually not Bordeaux anymore, however, it only takes 30 minutes to get there by tram and even less with a car. I will be honest, it is not ideal. Living next to your school is really practical and this is what I did during my first semester in Bordeaux, the rent was really low and it only took me 5 minutes to get to school but I did regret living so far from the city center. So during my second semester I decided to move. I was lucky enough to find a room on a Facebook website. The rent was pretty high (400€) but I could go everywhere by walk and I could really enjoy living in Bordeaux.

Where to look for a housing in Bordeaux?

• La Carte des Colocs (that’s where you can find you future roommate! )
• Le Bon Coin (if you’re interesting in renting a whole apartment)
• If you’re desperate you can book an Airbnb and take some time to look for a different place)
• Facebook groups! Either of your university or the Erasmus students in Bordeaux

Students jobs in Bordeaux

If you’re lucky enough to have some spare time doing your Erasmus I highly recommend to do some students job. Not only you can gain some extra money but also meet new people and learn the language. As a person who didn’t speak very well French I chose to work with children. I was a babysitter and I was also giving English lessons to French kids. I loved my job and the three sweet children I was spending my time with. I found this family on a Facebook group (English speakers in Bordeaux) and I worked there for a whole year. However, if it doesn’t sound like a job for you, you can find many different job offers on the CROUS website or Facebook.

Where to eat in Bordeaux?

Bordeaux is just full of great restaurants and coffee places. As a person who loves to eat and drinks gallons of coffee I spent some quality time discovering best places in Bordeaux. I’ll put down a list of my favorite ones.

• Restaurants: Melodie, Mama Shelter, Ragazzi Da Peppone, Bocce, Tutto, Frida, Horace, Kokomo
• Coffe places: SIP, Plume, Contrast, The Alchemist, Café Piha, Michel Mabelle, Mona

Weather in Bordeaux

I was hoping to spend a year in a warm place enjoying the sun and I was not disappointed, or maybe a little bit…As I’ve arrived in August I was veeeeery hot (30-33 degrees) and even in September and October the weather was pretty nice. However, I expected the winter to be much warmer but as I got to know it was one of the worst one in Bordeaux (how lucky am I? ). Also, I didn’t know before that Bordeaux is so rainy, it really rains a lot there and the humidity is out of charts but even a person like me that doesn’t like neither cold nor rain survived so it was not that bad. I know that this year was pretty unlucky when it comes to weather so I’m sure that usually you can enjoy much better weather there. It was still much better that in Poland so I was really happy.

Transport

As Bordeaux is not a very big city you can go in most places by walk. However, if you need to get to the campus or you do not like to walk you might consider different ways of transportation.

• The tram is a very big deal in Bordeaux, it is the only way of public transportation different from bus and it’s very well designed. With the tram you can basically go everywhere in Bordeaux and outside. They are very modern and confortable and a monthly ticket is not that expensive (I recommend doing a Carte TBM). But unfortunately the tram breaks veeeeeery often, I can’t count how many times I had to walk for 30-40 minutes and was late for my classes. I do not know why does it happen so often but it can get really frustrating. However, I didn’t not stop using the tram, but when you have something important to do and it rains try to leave a bit earlier just in case.
• Bikes are very popular in Bordeaux, you can use the public ones (V3) that you can rent or buy one and sell it after you’re done with your Erasmus.
• From the airport in Bordeaux there is no need to take a taxi or a shuttle bus. There is a TBM bus that goes from the airport to the city center for only 1, 60€.

The region and around

Bordeaux is situated in a very beautiful region- Nouvelle Aquitaine. So while living there you have a great opportunity to visit many great places that are around.

• The Atlantic Ocean is very close to Bordeaux and you can get there within one/two hours by train or by a bus. I recommend going to Arcachon or Lacanau where you can enjoy the beautiful views and the Ocean.
• Saint-Émilion- is where I have done my first vineyard visit. Very charming small city that is popular for its wine.
• Pays Basque (Basque Country)- a beautiful region in the South-West of France and the North-East of Spain. I spent a week in this region traveling with my friends from one city to another discovering the beauty of their culture. The must see cities are: Bayonne, Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, San Sebastian.
• Toulouse- a beautiful city where you can get by a bus in only around 2-3 hours (I recommend Flixbus). It’s a great place for a weekend trip with your friends.
• La Rochelle- is where I spent my first weekend outside Bordeaux and I loved it. The city is not very big but very charming and calm. I went there with my friend with a BlaBla Car (it’s really popular and safe in France). From La Rochelle you can get to Sain-Martin-de-Ré which is kind of a small island where French people spend summer.

Lacanau

Arcachon

Bayonne

Biarritz

San Sebastian

Toulouse

Interesting points about France and Bordeaux

• In France you should not get hungry between 2pm and 7pm as most of the restaurants do not serve food then. French people eat a dejeuner (lunch) between 12 o’clock and 2pm and then a diner around 7pm
• As many says French people do not speak English but it’s not true! I met many people that speak very well English so don’t be scared if your French is not perfect yet!
• You can drink tap water here. Well maybe it’s nothing new for you but it was so cool for me as I can’t do it in my country
• The wine in Bordeaux is really good and cheap. Sometimes in the restaurant a glass of wine was cheaper that a Coke!

Some useful tips

• If you’re a European Union citizen don’t forget your Ekuz card. It’s really useful when it come to health care. If you show it at the medical center on the campus (Espace santé étudiants) you can get free medical care.
• CAF (Caisse d’allocations familiales)- is a French social security. As a student studying in France you can apply there for help for funding your housing. It is quite complicated and takes some time, however, you can get monthly an amount of money which depends on the price, size of your housing and your family situation to help you pay for your accommodation. I was happy to pay almost 100€ less monthly for my room.
• If you want to ameliorate your French you can join the Tandem Linguistique where you can find somebody who well help you in exchange for help in some other language.

What would I have wanted to know before my Erasmus

• Don’t be scared even if your French is not perfect, you will make an enormous progress during your Erasmus.
• Bordeaux is a really great city to start your adventure in France.
• You’re not alone on your Erasmus, there are thousands of students coming to Bordeaux each your that are in the same situation.

To sum up

I hope I helped you to make up your mind about your Erasmus destination and that my tips will make your trip and stay much easier. I’m very happy with my choice and I can honestly say that I fell in love with Bordeaux and I will definitely come back!