Erasmus Experience in Madrid, Spain by Jonas

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Why did you choose to go to Madrid, Spain?

I got offered a chance to go to school at UC3M and thought it would be a good opportunity to develop myself and experience something different from what I come from.

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

I was granted a scholarship by my government to go to university.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Madrid?

Student life is good in Madrid. There are lots of possibilities, bboth cultural-wise and party-wise, to make friends and get life experience.

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

Definitely! It is an experience of an lifetime.

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What is the food like?

Food is good and diverse, although Spaniards eat too much meat!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Madrid?

No, I just went online and found it. If you put in an effort, you can find an apartment within a day (or atleast get offers to look at until you find something you like).

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How much does it cost to live in Madrid?

There are kind of standard prices despite being a big city. In general, you can find both cheap and expensive places. If you wanna save money on food and alcohol, buy those things at a supermarket instead of buying them in the small Chinese shops.

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

It depends on your Spanish level, and yes, the university offers language courses for you to improve your skills.

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

My apartment is located in Getafe, so the easiest transportation to Madrid is by the Renfe (train) and takes around 20 minutes. at night (after 23:54 when the Renfe stops) you can take the Metro until 01:30 (takes an hour and an half though) or take the night buses leaving from Atocha and goes every hour from 24/00:00. Using the transportation card all three are free of extra costs.

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

Depending on the day, on Monday, Independence is the best place(what a Monday party), on Tuesday, I prefer Star Coyote (there's a Beerpong tournament); on Wednesday, Gabana is the best option; on Thursday, I prefer Nomad and Noche Loca, and during the weekend, I mostly go to Moon Dance. The places listed is where you normally would find International Students

A place you must visit before leaving Madrid again is the Teatro Kaiptal, which is one on Europe's biggest nightclubs with 7 floors, with different themes. It is a bit pricy though, but definitely worth a visit or 2.

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

I recommend going to the Museo de Jamón (especially the bocadillo con chorizo frito), Tierra (burritos), and Tacos (Mexican tacos and drinks). Other than that, you must try paella and tapas. Some good places to try tapas are the following: Lateral, El Tigre, La Sureña, La Risueña and 100 Montaditos.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

I recommend visiting all the Plazas, the Royal Palace, and Almudena Cathedral. If you love sports, you should visit Santiago Bernabeu (Real Madrid home stadium) and the Metropolitano Stadium (Atlético de Madrid home stadium).

Besides those, Madrid also has some very beautiful cities just a train/bus ride away, which can be reached often by only using the transportation card (20 euro a month). Some of my favourite places were Toledo (a beautiful city with a lot of history and it has a zipline to cross a lake if you're interested in this), Segovia (another very beautiful city, with a castle and an amazing church), Aranjuez (has a beautiful castle), El Escorial (has a beautiful monastery and Valley of the Fallen, which is a tribute to the fallen during the Spanish Civil War and has the grave of Franco). These four places is just some of the amazing sites to visit and are all ideal for a day trip outside of Madrid.

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

Work on your Spanish before arriving, lots of local people (at least in Getafe) is not the best at English and might avoid talking/answering you if you speak English. Spaniards are friendly people though.

And get the transportation card for the Renfe, Metro and bus! It's definitely worth it economically speaking.

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