ThreeCity - which city you should chose to live in?

Gdansk, Gdynia or Sopot? Where should you be looking for a place to stay?

The first question I am always getting from Erasmus students who are going to study in Gdańsk is in which city are they supposed to live. Because of that I have decided to write short blog about advantages and disadvantages of living in each of the cities.

ThreeCity (in polish called Trójmiasto) consists of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia. This cities are located really close to each other and it is possible to travel with a train from the centre of one city to another in half an hour. Which place is the best to live though?

Before choosing the city you want to live in find out where exactly your university is located. Some of the universities might be located in part of the Gdańsk but it getting there will be closer from the centre of Sopot instead of Gdańsk. Once you know where your university is located the choice of choosing city will be easier. For example - if you are going to study at the University of Technology it would be better for you to live in the centre of Gdańsk, or in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz part of the city, if you are going to study at University of Gdańsk though maybe it would be better to find a place to stay in Sopot (as it is closer to the centre of this city instead of Gdańsk).

If the choice was up to me, I would definitely live in Gdańsk and not in Sopot or Gdynia. I recommend you choosing Gdańsk if you are still reconsidering which city you should choose.

• Gdynia

Gdynia is really beautiful city with amazing beaches and landscapes. There are different types of restaurants there and the main street is always full of life. Each year plenty of tourists comes to this city.

The disadvantage is though Gdynia might be a bit too far away for most of you (depending where and what are you going to study). Gdynia, even though is beautiful, doesn't have the history Gdańsk has. You can check out everywhere places you should visit in Gdynia and I can promise you - there is plenty more of thing to do in Gdańsk.

The advantage of Gdynia though are the long and amazing beaches. The centre of this city is located close to the beach so you can go see a sea by walk (not like in Gdańsk).

Source

• Sopot

Sopot is the smallest city of ThreeCity (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot) but it is also the richest one. It is also the city where the most tourists come. If you are interested in clubbing, Sopot is for you. The clubs in the city are always open and are always full of people.

The advantage of this city is for sure having - just like Gdynia - the centre near the beach. You can go to the club, have a drink and party all you want, and 5 minutes later you can go on the beach. It is really just that close.

The disadvantage of Sopot? A living there will be probably more expensive. You would need to spend a little bit more time while searching for a flat because the owners usually expect earning more for a room/flat/house than in Gdańsk. Not only this, but except of partying in this place and the beach, in my opinion, the city itself doesn't have a lot to offer. Yes, the centre is really amazing, but it doesn't have a lot to offer beside this.

Source

• Gdańsk

The centre of the Gdańsk is in my opinion the best place to live if you are on the Erasmus Programme.

It has plenty of different restaurants with different kinds of food and a lot of bars where you can drink whatever you want to (either if it is just a beer or something stronger like colorful shots or drinks). All the historical monuments are also located in the centre of Gdańsk. The main street - Długa Street - is always full of life and you will find plenty of tourists there for sure. The centre is located by the river, where a lot of students are always drinking (yes, it is forbidden to drink in this place, because like I said it is the centre of Gdańsk but everyone I know is always having fun at that place).

Gdańsk was recently also reconstructed and there are a lot of new places that are worth seeing in the centre. If you want to have a rest, drink some beer and sit on a deck-chair by the river - Gdańsk is for you.

The disadvantages? Finding a flat in the centre might be expensive. So if you are looking something cheaper I would suggest Gdańsk Wrzeszcz zone. From there you can always take a train or a bus and be in 10 minutes in the centre and this zone might be close to your university (especially if you are going to study at University of Technology).

Another disadvantage of Gdańsk is the fact that the beaches are always located a little bit too far away. There is no main beach in the Gdańsk and the ones that Gdańsk has aren't close to the centre either. From the centre you have to take a tram or a bus that takes 20 minutes more or less to get to some beach in Gdańsk. There are couple of beaches in Gdańsk: Gdańsk Brzeżno, Gdańsk Jelitkowo, Gdańsk Stogi. You can check them out in the internet.

Source

Travelling in ThreeCity - Trójmiasto

Travelling in the Trójmiasto isn't really easy at first. Some of the train stations might be a little confusing at the beginning. If you though are going to live close to your University then you will only use trams and buses as the communication. Trains that are called SKM (Szybka Kolejka Miejska) are connecting Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot together. What is important to remember is that you have to punch a ticket before going to the train. This aspect of travelling brings a lot of problems to tourists (not only the ones who are from abroad but also to the polish ones) since this exsists only in ThreeCity. You will have plenty of time to get used to all of that so you do not have to worry. Just remember, before getting in a train (also from the airport which is located in Gdańsk) to ask someone where to buy a ticket and how/where to punch it. Everyone will for sure help you out with this problem.

As you can see, even though there are some disadvantages of living Gdańsk, I still prefer living in that city instead of the others. Your decision obviously have to be different but I will always recommend everyone choosing Gdańsk. My city has a lot to offer and has its own atmosphere.

I hope after reading this you will decide in which city you prefer to live in. Remember though, it might be hard to find a place to stay in specific place (like for example the centre of Gdańsk or the centre of Sopot). You have to have time and a lot of patience to keep searching for the perfect place for you.

Please let me know if this post was useful for you! You can always send me a direct message if you have any questions!

Would you like to know more about Juwenalia - the biggest student party in Poland? Check out our post: Juwenalia: everything you need to know!

Photo gallery