Erasmus Experience in Cergy-Pontoise, France by Sílvia

Why did you choose to go to Cergy-Pontoise, France?

Because it was one of the two options in Paris.

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

I had a 3-month exchange program and I got about 200€ per month, but as they don't pay monthly I strongly recommend to spare some money before going abroad.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Cergy-Pontoise?

Cergy-Pontoise is a suburb of Paris and the French students are mostly from the area. There is a lot of international students, so you can manage to make all kinds of friends.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Cergy-Pontoise to other students?

I recommend it just if you want to go to France and practice your French, but if your idea is enjoying the city of Paris I wouldn't go to Cergy-Pontoise because you'll be out of the capital and public transport (RER) is really expensive and not that good.

What is the food like?

There's a canteen for students and it's really cheap! But the opening times for lunch are too French for me… I think they opened from 11:30 to 13!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Cergy-Pontoise?

Nope, the university put me in a students residence really close to the campus.

How much does it cost to live in Cergy-Pontoise?

I think I paid about 300€ for my room and spent about 150€ for food and so. But again, transportation to Paris was about 5€ for a single trip.

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

The University organizes French courses at a centre called CILFAC. They are pretty demanding and take about 6 hours a week but my general idea was very positive.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Cergy-Pontoise from your city?

From Barcelona we have many connections as Paris has 3 airports. The shortest trip was to Charles de Gaulle as there was a regular bus connection to Cergy, just be aware of schedules! I don't recommend traveling to Beauvais because it takes about half day to get there (RER + bus shuttle).

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Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Cergy-Pontoise?

We always went down to Paris. There's night bus to go back, although I remember it seemed expensive and took about 2 hours.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Cergy-Pontoise?

Yeah, around the commercial area there's plenty of options! I remember some good pizzerias, cannot tell their names, though.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Pontoise is nicer than Cergy (they are 2 different cities! ). If you rent a car, the area around is super beautiful! And of course, Paris!

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

Well, relax when it gets dark and there's few people on the streets. Don't panic, but take care of your stuff. We were warned the first day we arrived, but I didn't see it so weird.