Erasmus Experience in Lucerne, Switzerland by Clara

Why did you choose to go to Lucerne, Switzerland?

It was the best option for my study programme.

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

My grant lasted 4 months and I got around 400 CHF a month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Lucerne?

For me it was very good, because I was a student at the university and I lived in the student residence, that way it's much easier to meet people.

Would you recommend the city and the university of Lucerne to other students?

Absolutely, I'd always recommend it and when you can afford it.

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What is the food like there?

I couldn't go out to eat, because everything is too expensive and you don't usually get what you pay for in terms of the relationship between price and quality. But if you get the chance to try raclette and fondue, they're better when they're home-made, it's cheaper to buy the ingredients yourself and the supermarkets always have the special cheeses for the dishes and they have a lot of discounts.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Lucerne?

No, the university assigned me my accommodation.

How much does it cost to live in Lucerne?

The cheapest student residence costs 560 CHF and it normally costs 600-700 CHF, it's usually even more expensive to live in a flat.

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

German is a difficult language, but Swiss German is impossible. However, the people here speak fluent English and there's a lot of mixing of cultures, so people speak French and Italian as their second or third language and Latino and Swiss people mix a lot, so some people speak Spanish, too.

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

By plane to Zurich and by train from there to Lucerne. The connections are great and the trains are very frequent. I'd recommend downloading the SBB app (the country's rail network) and then you can get all of the timetables, connections and even discounts.

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Where would you recommend for a night out in Lucerne?

1. Roadhouse is good to go dancing, it's just next to Lucerne station and it's a mix between a bar and a pub with a separate smoking room and a dance floor downstairs.
2. Das schwarze Schaf (black sheep), the doormen are Cuban, if you make friends with them, they'll always let you skip the queue. They play a bit of everything, but the atmosphere is very good, especially on Saturdays.
3. Rok, free entry on Thursdays and beer pong tournaments, it has a dance room and a separate smoking area.
4. M. A. X. bar it's a tiny place, it has a stripper pole in the middle of the bar, if you get up on the bar, they'll give you a free shot of Jager.
5. Princess it's quite a spectacle. It has several floors, gogo dancers, contests, strippers, smoking area and reggaeton music.
6. SCHÜÜR on Thursdays you can go there to dance to Latin music.
7. Bar 59 is more laid-back, it has armchairs and sofas, they put on lots of different concerts for improv and indie music and you can get some snacks and drinks. It also has a salsa room, which costs 5 CHF to get into.

All of these bars have free entry, but a beer costs 5 CHF... there are also places you have to pay to get into, such as Pacífico, Brooklyn Club & Lounge and El Cartel.

And to eat in Lucerne? What are some of your favourite places to go?

You can't go out to eat, it's very expensive, not even to McDonald's. The average price, which is €6-9 in Spain, is 20-25 CHF here.

(1 CHF is around €0. 93)

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Lucerne is a small, but there's quite a bit to visit here. The city wall, the stone lion, the Kapellbrücke (chapel bridge), the church next to the bridge...

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Do you have any advice for students coming to Lucerne in the future?

Take CHF in cash, it's good to have for going on nights out and taking cash out there is a daylight robbery.

When you pay by card, if you get the option, always choose CHF, the exchange rate is ends up being much cheaper.

If you're going for a year, get the Half-fare o Half-pass, it costs 185 CHF, but that's half as much as you'll spend travelling, and, believe me, Switzerland has loads of places to visit and the most affordable way to get around is by train, or by renting a car between a few people.

Make the most of being there by travelling outside of Switzerland by Flixbus, they're super cheap buses, but there aren't any connections between Swiss cities, meaning, you an travel to Milan, but not from Lucerne to Zurich by Flixbus.

There's a monthly pass for the trains and buses in one or two zones for 61 CHF, I'd really recommend it, as a daily pass costs 8 CHF.