Erasmus Experience in Coimbra, Portugal by Paolo

Why did you choose to go to Coimbra, Portugal?

I chose Coimbra mainly because its University offered the courses I was interested to follow, but then I also found out it was a perfect location to explore Portugal, being in the middle between Porto and Lisbon. Once I got there I discovered the town has a lot to offer if you wish to learn about the local culture and meet new people.

Source

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

I studied in Coimbra for 10 months, receiving 300 euros/month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Coimbra?

The sense of community among students is very strong, they will help any foreign student a lot; professors are very kind and helpful too. There are parties and events in the local 'Republicas' almost every night, so you easily get to know a lot of people, but people tend to go to bed during the morning of the day after (e. g. 8 a. m) and wake up in the afternoon, so if you wish to follow courses you must choose: party or study, halfway is almost impossible.

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

I definitely recommend it, especially if you are a social person. Best period to go there are spring and summer, since during winter it gets rainy and you enjoy the awesome less coasts. The town is not very big, so if your Erasmus lasts more than 6 months it may be better to choose a bigger city so you can explore more.

Source

What is the food like?

The food is very good, mediterranean style; in most of dishes you'll find meat or fish, rice is used rather than pasta, which sadly they cook quite bad (I'm Italian). It's very easy to find cheap (but nice) restaurants and there are really a lot of bakeries that offer many tasty and very cheap cakes.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Coimbra?

Once you arrive in Coimbra you can go to ESN office (near Praca da Republica) to get a map of houses where they rent rooms, or you can simply walk around and find the many offers displayed on the houses. The main problem is the owners don't speak English in most of cases, so if you don't know Portuguese yet you'll have to ask someone else for help.

Source

How much does it cost to live in Coimbra?

Prices in Portugal are generally low, especially for food and drinks (with about 2 euros you can get a complete meal at the student canteens; a small beer costs between 50 cents and 1 euro). It's cheap to move by bus if you get the prepaid card and you can also travel easily by coach, which is cheaper than train.

You can find low rents only if you arrive in Coimbra before most students do, otherwise many landlords ask you up to 200 euros or more for bad accomodations (most student houses are old and don't have the heating system).

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

Language courses are free for Erasmus students, you can choose your starting level. Portuguese students usually speak English quite well, but generally you'll meet people (Portuguese or Brasilian) who prefer to speak Portuguese, so you'll practise it a lot since the very first days.

People tend to speak fast so it'll be hard in the beginning, but once you get familiar with the sound you'll get to speak quite fast. If you are Italian or Spanish you'll learn very fast without problems, you can even speak (slowly) your own language and people will get to understand you.

Source

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

I'm from North Italy, to get to Coimbra I used to travel by plane with Ryanair to Porto or with Easyjet to Lisbon and then travel 2/3 hours by coach.

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

Coimbra is small so once you reach the city centre you can just discover where most of people are, anyway there are a lot of student parties which you can easily find through Facebook. I recommend to enjoy the cheap beer packs in Se Velha and to join the parties in the Republicas.

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

There are a lot of good places where you can eat in Coimbra, I can recommend the Tapas Bar for big seafood dishes and Zé Manel for the atmosphere.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

You can visit the Paco das escolas and the Biblioteca Joanina, the local museum, the huge botanical garden and the churches of Sé Velha and Sé Nova.

Source

I strongly suggest to visit some of the oldest Republicas and there ask for some information about the local culture and history, they'll probably be glad to tell you about the local customs and the Praxe.

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

Portugal is small so travel and visit the most you can, enjoy the coasts, the nature and the ocean, don't just spend all your days partying. If you have any problem don't hesitate to ask for help to students or any person you meet, they'll be glad to help you even more than you expect.