Experience in Cologne, Germany by Rafa López

What is the student lifestyle like in Cologne?

Not bad, there are a lot of parties, but maybe you are not in the mood if you are going to party with -7ºC and the party ends at 3am. However there is a surprise: the U-Bahn (el Metro) works all the night during the weekend and non-working days.

How much does it cost to live in Cologne?

It depends on how much you spend, but just a bit more expensive than Spain for example, and cheaper than France.

Is it difficult to find an accommodation in Cologne? Is there any advice you can give?

Yes, from my experience, it is difficult to find an accommodation, as it is another kind of advertisement. In Spain we are used to having the advertisements in the streets and by just walking through the city, we can see which houses are for rent. But here you need to search on the Internet and, if you are not in the city to meet the owner, it is difficult that he gives an answer back. In my case, I spent 6 days in a hotel in Cologne and I came with my car. In those 6 days I found a house in Kalk, but it was not easy. I had to meet with many people and only one place had the requirements that I wanted. So my advice is, try to rent by the Internet, but be cautious with fakes and if you don't manage to rent anything, try to come here for one week and leave everything done, this way you will have no bad surprises.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Here you eat lots of meat, Bratwurst and Currywurst are great. Also many Döner Kebabs.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Cologne?

The center and the surrounding towns of the city.

Is it good to eat out in Cologne? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

We found a place called "Meson el Cordobés" which is not expensive and totally Spanish.

What advice would you give future students heading to Cologne?

The best thing I've done is bringing my car. If you can, I recommend you to do it, as it will solve many day by day issues like the continuous transport strikes, the travelling. You can go back whenever you want for 200€ (petrol and tolls) and you will be able to visit Holland, Belgium and other cities in a more free way, because you don't depend on buses or trains. Moreover, you can go to the University on a rainy day with 0ºC with your vehicle being totally dry, with the heater and the music on. It is just awesome!

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