Experience in Madrid, Spain by Boriana

What is it like to live in Madrid? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Source

Madrid is crazy and, as one famous Spanish politician once said: "Madrid is fan" (Madrid is fun). I am talking about Ana Botella, the mayor of Madrid, and you can see her famous olympic games speech where she talks about the city in YouTube.

So, about Madrid. It is a huge city of about five million of habitants, great but complicated metro and bus system, several universities, bars, clubs, cinemas, theaters, etc.

If you have decided to do Erasmus or any other exchange in Madrid you will most certainly fall in love with the city. Erasmus students are crazy about Madrid because there are many great events, parties, and trips they can go to. If you have decided to come to work here, you will most probably also fall in love with it but you should know that it tends to be disorganized from time to time.

What is the student lifestyle like in Madrid?

It really depends. For us, "normal" students it is great fun. There are enough bars, restaurants, and clubs where we could go out in the evenings. There are tons of cultural events and other interesting stuff we can do in Madrid. The problem with the student lifestyle is that at least my university is quite disorganized and sometimes I lose a lot of time to figure out what is expected of me in terms of projects and homework. I hate that part. Apart from the lack of clarity and organization, student life is great and Erasmus students, as far as I know, are having the time of their lives.

How much does it cost to live in Madrid?

It really depends on the place you want to live in. If you want a fancy flat in the center of the city you might as well pay 400-500€ for a single room. Normal rent prices are between 250-300€. If you want to go out a lot you might spend quite a lot of money on drinks. If you are more into home made food and home parties it will not be so expensive. Food in Spain is not too expensive, especially products like fruit, vegetables, rice, legumes, etc. Travelling is a bit expensive in Spain because it is a huge country and you might need to pay a lot to get to some interesting but distant palace. Public transport in Madrid also varies. If you are under twenty three you will pay about 35€ for a monthly card. If you are above twenty three, you will have to pay about 54€ each month which is a bit expensive.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Madrid? Is there any advice you can give?

The question with the accommodation in Madrid is complicated. While in other cities and countries there are student dormitories or specific student houses, they do not exist in Madrid, or at least, not in the same form. There are student dorms but they cost between 600-900€ per month! Yes, this would often include cleaning and food but for that amount of money you can rent a one-person studio just for yourself and still have money for food. It is crazy... not to mention that in the student dorms you often share a room. I am not even sure if Erasmus students can apply for these dorms. So, what you have to do is rent a flat, or a room in a flat. I am not sure if there are any Erasmus students at all who rent an entire flat just for themselves. The lowest price for a flat would be about 650€ and for that price it would not be anything special. I have seen advertisements for small studios with just one room plus kitchen and a separate bathroom and these would cost you 450-500€. Most students choose to share a flat with other students. A room in a flat like this would cost you between 250-400€ (depending on the area and on how luxurious the room is). Sharing could be great fun or pain in the ass (sorry for the expression but it is true). Usually Erasmus students have a lot of fun sharing with other Erasmus because they go out together and travel together.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Spanish people eat a lot of meat. I am a vegetarian, so sometimes I have a hard time when going out. Usually in Spain, when you order something to drink the water brings you something small to eat. It is called "tapas". In most bars the tapas would be some olives or some chips but there are bars where you receive small sandwiches or other bigger things to eat. The more sophisticated tapas, so to say, often have some meat inside. Spanish people love different sorts of ham, such as jamon iberico, jamon serrano, etc. There are many types of jamon and it is quite delicious to many meat-lovers. The good jamon is quite expensive. It could be up to twenty (or more) euros per kilo. There are many vegetarian restaurants as well, so you can eat great food without meat.

What places would you recommend visiting in Madrid?

The city centre is great. It has most of the famous tourist sites. Go to La Latina and Chueca district. They are awesome for night life. Go to Templo de Debot, the Madrid Rio region, the Retiro and Casa de Campo parks. You can also see the great gardens around the Royal Palace. Go to the nearby cities of Toledo, Segovia, and Salamanca. Go to the Palacio de Cibeles, the Reina Sofia, Predo, and Thyssen museums. Enter the peculiar building of Caixa Forum.

Source

Is it good to eat out in Madrid? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

If you want to test a popular bar in Madrid, you can go to 100 Montaditos. There are many 100 Montadiots bars around Madrid and they offer a great variety of small sandwiches. They are very tasty and on Sunday and Wednesday everything on the menu is 1€. On Monday the price is even lower: fifty cents per sandwich plus one Euro for a beer. When choosing what to drink, you should try tinto de verano. It is red wine with gas and it is great when served cold. That is why it is called tinto de verano (summer red wine), because it is perfect in the summer. It is so refreshing. Go to the Blanca Paloma bar. It is a bar where with every drink you receive lots of tapas, such as patatas bravas, fried eggs, etc.

Is the nightlife good in Madrid? Where is good to go?

There are many bars and clubs. I prefer bars and coffees than night clubs but I know two of the most famous clubs in Madrid and these are Joy Eslava and Kapital. I have never been inside Joy Eslava but I have been to Kapital once or twice. It is huge and it has several different areas with different music.

What advice would you give future students heading to Madrid?

Have fun because there are a lot of cool stuff in Spain. Be prepared because there might be some lack of clarity in the university.