Expérience Erasmus à Kerkira, Grèce par Ángel

Why did you choose to go to Kerkira, Greece?

I chose Corfu because it was the only Translation department in Greece and I was interested in becoming fluent in Greek.

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

9 months. I receive one scolarship of 200 euros every month until May.

What is the student lifestyle like in Kerkira?

Great, in fact the town is really small, it has only 30,000 inhabitants but most of them are students.

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

Of course, but not a lot of people can study there. There are only 5 departments: Translation, Interpreting and Foreign Languages, IT, History and Archaeology, Music and Sound and Image arts.

What is the food like?

Incredible, if you're Spanish, Portuguese or Italian you'll feel at home. You can also eat at the cantine by 2 euros.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Kerkira?

Yes, it's really difficult to find an appartment if you pretend to live here from the first semester, because most of them are rented by tourists until October. If you don't speak Greek it'd be more difficult. You can find something in websites like spitogatos or greekhome from your country.

How much does it cost to live in Kerkira?

It's expensive for Greeks but cheap compared to countries like the Nederlands, France or Danemark.

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

I already learnt Greek before coming here. I'd recommend you to get a B1 level before coming to Corfu because all the lessons will be taught in Greek eventhough you'll see at the website of the Ionian University that some of them are taught in English. It will also make your life easier. Greek lessons are also obligatory for Erasmus and they'll give you 6 ETC per semester but they might begin a little late...

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

In my case I took a plane from Madrid to Athens (Aegean) and then from Athens to Corfu with Ryanair. There are hardly ever cheap flights from Athens, so you can also take the KTEL (buses) there and ferry from Igoumenitsa. In Easter there are really cheap flights from Milano.

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

Any Greek taverna or tsipouradiko is ok.

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

You can have lunch at the canteen with 2 euros or in Zaxou restaurant for 3.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Fortress, Asian Art Museum, Archaeology museum...

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

Learn Greek before coming here and once you arrive enjoy it.