My Erasmus Experience in Lyon, France

Why did you choose to go to Lyon, France?

I made my decision according to three criteria:

Prestigious French universities for engineering: the Ecoles in Paris, Nantes, Marseille, Lille and Lyon.

• City: A pretty one, which wasn’t too expensive and with a high student population.
• Well geographically located so that I would be able to travel around the rest of Europe.

The place which best fulfilled these criteria was definitely Lyon.

How long did your exchange last? How much were you paid?

My exchange was twelve months long, but my stay has been for longer (from August 2010 to September 2011) owing to the peculiarly of the Central Ecoles in France and their teaching method.

The money that I received from the ministry and from the Andalusian Council was 650 euros per month for twelve months, or 7, 800 euros in total. This is enough to live on, but not enough to be able to enjoy yourself by travelling, going out at the weekends, etc. Luckily, I found work in a university restaurant - there are openings like this for foreigners and it helps a lot financially and also with your language skills. When I arrived in France, my level of French was literally zero. I also received the French living allowance (CAF) and spent the last six months doing paid internships in companies.

What’s the student life like in Lyon?

Magnificent. Lyon is the third largest city in France, and has an enormous amount of universities and students. Every weekend, people go out for drinks in the evenings with friends, and you’ll need a while to find a space as it’s always totally full! The prices are more expensive than they are in Spain, of course, but there are always offers on for Erasmus students.

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

Of course, definitely. I was worrying before I came and was honestly really pleased that I did, and not just me - I know people who have spent a while in Lyon and who then moved to Paris, Marseille or Montpellier…and they also prefer Lyon. There’s something about this city which makes you not want to leave!

What’s French food like?

The truth is that it’s nothing like the food at home, but I have to admit that Bouchon (the typical Lyonnesse restaurants) have a few dishes which will make your mouth water, such as the salads in the summertime, soups in the wintertime and a variety of amazing desserts…and of course the cheeses, which are what I’m going to miss most of all in terms of cuisine.

How did you find your accommodation?

Through the university. They sent me a form which I could fill out to reserve a room in the faculty hall of residence. After six months there, I moved to a shared flat with French people, which I also found through the university using a pretty good intranet where students post their adverts for flatshares, buying or selling items, etc.

What are the accommodation prices like? What are the prices like in general?

The prices are generally higher than they are in Spain, especially for me coming from Seville, which is one of the cheapest cities on the peninsula in terms of going out to restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, buying petrol, etc. Everything is more expensive, some things of course more than others.

In terms of accommodation, my room in the hall of residence cost me 325 euros per month, which was a little expensive for how small the room was and how far it was from the centre of Lyon, but it was right next to the faculty so I didn’t have to get up too early to get to classes. My room in the shared flat was 260 euros a month, which is very cheap, and the room was very big and right in Lyon city centre (Place de Terreaux). I’m not sure if this is a good example to go on however, as I know i was really lucky to find something like this as shared flats are often more expensive.

How are you finding the language?

I didn’t take a French course in Spain and it was really hard to communicate with people at first, but after the first month you stop being afraid and learn quicker than you’d ever had thought possible. People generally speak very quickly, as they do in Spain, but if you ask them to repeat themselves, they’re very friendly and will explain patiently and help you to understand what they mean.

What’s the cheapest way of getting to Lyon from your home city?

This is how I got to Lyon from Seville when I first arrived:

1. Bus from Seville to Madrid for 20 euros
2. Plane from Madrid to Lyon with easyjet

Another 10 euros to get from Lyon Airport to the city centre.

In January, Ryanair started running a new route, so I changed my journey for the way back:

1. TGV Lyon to Marseille (using the ‘de 12 à 25 ans’ card in France gets you cheap train travel).
2. Plane from Marseille to Seville with Ryanair, considerably cheaper than easyjet.

What are the best places for partying in Lyon?

Definitely the city centre, but it depends on what you’re into. I’m personally not into clubbing or high heels, since I prefer pubs with music. The difference in price between pubs and clubs is also considerable.

My favourite areas were Hotel de Ville, Place de Terreaux, Croix Rousse and Vieux Lyon.

There’s an amazing amount of bars, all of them full of young people, and lots of them have live music and are open until 5am.

The clubs aren’t bad but there are always such long queues, and they’re the same in every country. Going once is okay, but it was enough for me.

I wouldn’t recommend the Erasmus parties: there are so many people that you can’t even dance. The queues are horrible and when you actually get into the club, you don’t even feel drunk anymore or up for a dance…but however, you’ve got to try everything. I went once and never again!

What about eating out in Lyon? What are your favourite places?

The Bouchones in Rue Mercière - there are loads of them and all of them have more or less the same style, with the menus displayed outside so that you can see which dishes they serve and what the prices are like. La Pizzeria in Place de Bellecour and Etiope restaurant on Cours Lafallette street are also both very good.

What does Lyon have to offer in terms of culture?

The whole of Lyon is beautiful, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and whoever you look, there’s a corner worth photographing - there’s the Fourvière Basilica and the Roman ruins for picnicking with the whole of Lyon at your feet, Vieux Lyon and its innumerable narrow streets and old houses, the shores of the Rodano river for beautiful walks, playing sports or having a drink in one of its boat pubs, and the old Croix Rousse passages of the 'Silk Road' that makes you feel as if you're in another era.

Do you have any advice for future students coming to Lyon?

Don’t just go out clubbing with other Erasmus students, get drunk and spend the rest of your weekend vomiting - there’s time for everything, and Lyon is quite beautiful, so it’s well worth taking the time to get to know the city and its people well.