Erasmus Experience in Lille, France by Veronika

Why did you choose to go to Lille, France?

I'm studying Roman languages and cultures with a focus on French so I wanted to spend a semester in France or in a francophone country to make my studies more effective. Lille was my second choice, but already heard many good things about it plus the location is very good - it's easy to go to Paris, visit other cities in the North, Belgium is right behind the border, it's close to Holland, Luxembourg or Great Britain as well.

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

My scholarship takes 4 months, I receive the amount set by my university for France which is 450 euro per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Lille?

Lille is a city full of students, always something to do in here. It's easy to meet Erasmus students as well.

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

I would recommend it for sure, it's a small but cool city to live for a while and do your studies or Erasmus.

What is the food like?

The regional food is a bit heavy, based on meat, fries, mussels and of course beer. Beer is everywhere which is not a bad thing :) It's easy to find various types of food though, fast foods, Italian, Asian, or oriental cuisine. The best thing about food here are the boulangeries and amazing sweets everywhere you go. And the baguettes of course.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Lille?

It wasn't easy at first, but after some research and help of my French friend I found a nice studio in a student residence. Most of the students live in student residences, some of them are private, or in coloc' - renting a room in a shared apartments.

How much does it cost to live in Lille?

If I compare it to my costs I normally have in Slovakia, it's more expensive in Lille. It depends what you are doing, eating out, going to bars and shopping too often may be really expensive but when you find good places or cook at home you can save money. It's possible to have a cheap lunch at the universities and many restaurants offer "formule étudiante" for a better price than usually. Visiting museums is also cheaper, they have ticket réduit everywhere, some museums for example in Paris are even free, it's good to check their websites and have your ID/students card always with you.

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

French language is not easy, especially for people who never really learned French before, but the universities offer language courses for foreign students and I think everyone can get the basics. Even for me - I'm studying French language for some years already, but it's not always easy to understand everything, especially when I didn't have much experiences with the everyday situations or how to create a bank account, get the metro card, deal with the accommodation process and all in French. But after few weeks and some desperate moments everyone will find the way and get more familiar with the language.

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

I would say it's to travel by plane to Brussels or Paris. There is Ryanair flying from Bratislava and once you'll arrive to one of the airports you'll find a shuttle bus to Lille (from Brussels Charleroi) or a bus connection.

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

Vieux-Lille is full of nice bars, there are some streets like Rue Royale or Rue Basse where you can find cool places, then there's also Rue Solférino, Rue Masséna, or Gare Saint-Sauveur.

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

There are some restaurants that I like, for example in Rihour, Rue de Béthune, close to République, Vieux Lille of course or around Gare Lille Flandres. There are also nice creperies where you should eat at least once. I really enjoy the bistros or coffee places where I go the most. My favourites are Madame Bistro, L'impertinente, Notting Hill, Caféine Coffee, Honey and Pie. I recommend to walk around Vieux-Lille and all the little streets and you will find many places you'll love :)

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Lille is a beautiful city to just walk around, you'll find beautiful, charming, colourful houses almost everywhere. There are wonderful museums like Palais de Beaux-Arts, LAM - museum of modern art, La Piscine de Roubaix or La maison natale de Charles de Gaulle. There's the Vieille Bourse located in Grand Place where you can find a book market and much more interesting stuff, you can take a look from the top of the Beffroi tower, go to the Zoo or just for a wonderful walk to Jardin Vauban or around the Citadelle.

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There are many interesting things to do around here, it's good to take some guides or maps from the tourist office or I found them at my university as well or just check trip advisor to get the overview.

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

Take an umbrella and warm sweaters with you, cause the weather can turn cold very quickly. Here you'll need your warmer clothes more than the summer clothes.

Be careful while taking the metro and in general, especially when you're having a backpack. I'm not saying it's a dangerous city, but also my wallet got stolen and then I started to look better over my stuff while moving around. It was an annoying experience. Anyways just try to enjoy your semester as much as possible and go out to see places! :) Bon courage!