Erasmus Experience in Lisbon, Portugal by Morgane

Why did you choose to go to Lisbon, Portugal?

It was a surprise for me to go to Lisbon, my school proposed it to me because the school is good (Faculty of Architecture, for the fashion master).

Source

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

I'm staying 2 semesters, I receive around 100€ per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Lisbon?

It depends on the study, but the Erasmus community is huge and very dynamic.

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

Yes.

What is the food like?

Not very expensive, there are a lot of bakeries everywhere! Portuguese like to take a coffee and a cake outside. They eat a lot of potatoes but for the rest, it's similar to European food.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Lisbon?

Yes, it was very hard to find a place to live. I advise you to book a room 3 or 4 months before coming in order to have a choice (in terms of price and localisation).

How much does it cost to live in Lisbon?

For a room, it's between 200 and 400€ per month and around 200€ for the food (the student cafeteria is cheap). After there is the price of going out which depends on what you like to do and how much you like to go out, of course, but there are a lot of cheap activities.

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

There is an intensive course of Portuguese in my Faculty, it's a language close to Spanish and quite easy to learn for Italians and French. It is much more difficult for people coming from the east of Europe (like Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Turkey... ). The key is to force yourself to speak with Portuguese people at the beginning.

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

By plane.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The old center for the special architecture (like the district of Baixa), the Castle of São Jorge, there are a lot of museums, beaches, not so far the city of Sintra...

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

Forget the high heel shoes, the streets are made with little cobblestone!