My Erasmus Experience in Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Why did you choose to go to Eindhoven, The Netherlands?

To learn a new language, to meet new people and for their new technology.

Source

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

6 months, around €450 a month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Eindhoven?

The student lifestyle is good, lots of exchange students and a campus with lots of facilities. There aren't a lot of parties and the majority are guys at the University of Technology.

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

I wouldn't recommend visiting the city, but to live the quiet life yes (the weather is the worst) and I would definitely recommend the university.

What is the food like?

Bad, very bad. You will cook a lot, I'm used to Spanish food, Dutch food is rubbish soups, fritters and sandwiches that's what makes up your diet. The best are the biscuits.

How did you find accommodation?

The university finds it for you, if you want to find nicer accommodation you can, but you will pay more and be further out.

What was the cost of accommodation? and the prices in general?

The accommodation is expensive, from €280 to €400 a month, but the others are similar to Spain or even cheaper. If you want to save, Euroshopper in the Albert Heijn.

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

The language is very difficult, but a lot of people (87% of the population) speak English, a lot better than the Spanish do. I took a free course at the university, but I only learnt the basics.

What's the most economical way to travel to Eindhoven from your city?

By plane, Eindhoven has an where low-cost airlines operate, in my case I flew with Ryanair.

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

Stratum, is the strip! There you'll find all the good bars in Eindhoven, each one has pros and cons. Sometimes they have good parties at Effenaar and at the Philips complex.

Source

And to eat in Eindhoven? Can you recommend some good restaurants?

We ate in Erasmus houses, although there was a restaurant called Burger, next to the Hotel Mandarin Oriental that is vegetarian and you can eat there for €6.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Go to kruidvaat o blokker where they sell day tickets and you can travel round the whole of Holland (Delft, The Hague, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Maastricht you can't miss it) and go by bike to Tilburg and visit the beer cellar La Trappe.

Source

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

Prepare yourself for a cold winter and to be drenched every 2 or 3 days. As Erasmus you won't have privileges and you're going to have to work, but you're going to meet wonderful people and you'll be able to travel all over Europe.