Erasmus Experience in Liverpool, United Kingdom

Why did you choose to go to Liverpool, United Kingdom?

My scholarship is an Erasmus Internship in Business, and the university already had an agreement about where I would do my internship.

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

The scholarship lasted 3 months to do the internship, and the money was quite good... around €320 per month. Although, I later received more grants from a bank and also for doing the internship.

What is the student lifestyle like in Liverpool?

There are a lot of young people, both those from Liverpool and Erasmus students, and they all always go out partying so you can get to know people when you're studying there. The partying never stops! :)

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

Honestly, yes. It's a tiny city. In the centre you can find all of the universities, the shops and places to party. It's very pretty and there are interesting things to see, such as the legendary Cavern where the Beatles played live many times. Also, there's the pretty area of Albert Dock where there are various museums, the ferris wheel and the Echo Arena.

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What is the food like there?

Worse than Spanish food, without a doubt. In the supermarkets, it was impossible for us to buy any other meat than chicken breast. Fish is also very difficult to find. There's a huge quantity of precooked food which is the most common in this country, I think.

McDonalds, Burgers and Kebabs are open all hours of the day, so you can go there when you're hungry after going out partying.

If you like gummy sweets, all kinds of chocolate... The United Kingdom is your country! They're super cheap and it's impossible to resist buying them!

How did you find accommodation?

Through the internet. There are loads of websites such as Hostelbookers.com to find a house on, which it was I did in my case.

What is the price of accommodation? And the prices in general?

I think that everything is generally more expensive. First of all we were completely lost with the change of currency, which is £1 to €1. 20 approximately.

The accommodation prices... they range through all different prices. In a house like the one I was in, I had my own bedroom, right next to the kitchen and I paid £60 per week, which isn't too bad.

The halls of residency are quite a lot more expensive I think.

Going out on the town is how you'll spend all your money. The drinks (which have the same amount of alcohol as a shot) are so expensive. If you buy alcohol in the shops it'll be better than if you buy it in the big supermarkets.

Mind you, there are some shops called "Pound World" that have absolutely everything, and it all costs £1. It's really worth a trip.

When it comes to transport, if you live in the centre I don't think you'd need to take the metro. But if you do get it, the minimum it costs is £1. £50 (for all day). Ah! Be careful with the fines for not buying a metro ticket... £20! :P

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Is the language easy to get to grips with?

Are there language courses available at the University?

Well, the English they speak in Liverpool is called Scouse, which is a very closed accent, at least for me. I really struggled to understand it. My only consolation was that if I understood the Liverpool accent, anyone else could understand too.

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

From Barcelona, the flights are very cheap with Easyjet.

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

The party zone is particularly in the centre of the city. We went to Baa Bar, the Chameleon, a bar that held some very crazy Erasmus parties...

Is it good to eat out in Liverpool?

What are some of your favourite places to go?

Well it depends on what you like, because they have everything: kebabs, Chinese, Brazilian, vegetarian, some Spanish restaurants too...

And what about cultural visits?

There are a lot of interesting things to see, and you can see them all in just a matter of days. And you can't forget The Cavern nor Anfield stadium. There are various museums in the city and among them the Beatles museum stands out as one that's really worth going to. It's worthwhile going to others too as they're free, and they're really good to save for a cold afternoon.

In Liverpool there's also one of the oldest Chinese neighbourhoods in the United Kingdom. If you pass through the North of the city, through the Waterloo zone, you'll be able to see the Iron Men on the beach.

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

That you enjoy your experience and if you have the opportunity, that you travel all over the UK. For example, to go to London is very cheap. £20 there and back. It's also worth going to Manchester as it's less than an hour away on the train. And I would recommend Chester which is a very pretty city.