Erasmus Experience in Budapest, Hungary by Guillermo

Why did you choose to go to Budapest, Hungary?

Because I knew that I was cheap, funny, good located in the Europe geography... And many people recommended it to me.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

My scholarship is 1 whole academic year and I live with 600 euros everymonth.

What is the student lifestyle like in Budapest?

AWESOME. I've never seen anything like this. The city is full of students from everywhere. Definitely, best environment ever.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Budapest to other students?

100%. I'm studying mechanical engineering and I can say the facilities of the university are really good. The academic plan is clear and the university environment is awesome. Maybe the main problem is the language. I'm studying all my courses in English and some professors don't speak very well English. But that's just a few cases and even with that you will understand everything in class but u will have to get used to their accent.

What is the food like?

The food is really cheap. Here is very popular to eat slices of pizza and kebabs located all over the streets but even if you go to a good restaurant, with tipical food and all, the food is really cheap and delicious!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Budapest?

Not too much. Actually is really cheap to find acomodation, and the best way to do it is by the different facebook groups for erasmus students in Budapest. The time It will take to you to find accommodation will depend of the characteristics you are looking for: number of flatmates, price, location... But if you don't care so much about that, it's easy to find where to live.

How much does it cost to live in Budapest?

With 600 euros everymonth I can pay: transport, accommodation, food, drink, some clothes, parties, the different activities that erasmus people do, and also travelling!

Of course all of this will depend how smart you are to find good prices and how do u want to live!

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The language is really difficult. There are courses and everything you need but you will need to make big efforts to learn it and also you will need more than one year.

I prefer to focus on the improvement of my english skills.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Budapest from your city?

I live in Alicante (Spain). As far as I know, there are flights to Budapest just from Barcelona, Alicante and Madrid, and the cheapest flights use to be from Bcn and Mad. Flights from Alicante are more expensive.

The best companies are WizzAir and RyanAir, but If I have to travel (no matters where) I always check "SkyScanner", there you will find the cheapest flights.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Budapest?

This is something that nobody can say. There are MANY places to go, and this also depends on what do u like... Whatever, my favorite places are: Szimpla, Morrisons, Hello Baby, Doboz, Andersons... I don't know, there are too many places!

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Budapest?

I can't. There are many but I can't remember the name of any of them.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The whole city is a good cultural place to visit.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Budapest in the future?

DON'T BE SHY!