From Portugal to Madrid

How is living in Madrid? Would you recommend it? How is the city?

Madrid, just like any other city, has good and bad neighbourhoods. I was lucky enough to be staying in a calm neighbourhood and I didn't have problems.

What's the student environment like in Madrid?

The students are kind, but they also make it very clear that they don't like to mix. It's not that I was treated badly, but I noticed an uneasiness and distance just because I was a foreigner.

Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to make many friends in Madrid, but I also didn't have problems with anyone.

In the school that I attended (Faculty of IT of UPM [Universidad Politécnica de Madrid]), the work load was incredible, and it left me feeling completely paralysed, not knowing where to start, several times. I made a mistake in thinking that it would be easier and I missed lots of classes. As a result I had to drop a subject and then I had to fight tooth and nail to pass the others.

On average, how much did you spend living in Madrid?

House: from €400 to €900 for an apartment. It's cheaper if you get a "piso compartido" (apartment shared with others). The price of these goes from €150 up to however high you want.

Source

Food: The prices vary from shop to shop. In Carrefour things cost about the same as in Portugal. Some are more expensive, others less, but with a very small difference. Here is a list of the most commun foods and their prices (Carrefour):

• 1 Litre of milk: €0. 58
• 1 packet of sliced cheese: €1. 57
• 2 Fantas (2L each): €2. 29
• 1 packet of 5 beefsteaks: €4. 45
• 1 loaf of "Panrico" bread: €1. 29
• 1 Danone greek yoghurt: € 1
• 66L of Ariel (clothes): €15. 07
• 1 kg of flour: €0. 45
• 1 packet of wet-wipes: €2. 50
• 1 Philadelphia light: €2. 50
• 1 packet of salt: €0. 21
• 625g of Nesquik cereal: €3. 60
• Maria biscuits: €0. 73
• Cheerios: €2. 60
• 1 kg of sugar: €0. 93
• Breadcrumbs: €0. 81
• 1 bunch of bananas: €0. 65
• 1kg of minced meat: €4. 69
• 500g of spiral pasta: €0. 85
• 1 packet of cooking cream: €0. 45
• 1 bottle of water: €0. 20
• 12 eggs: €1. 35
• 4x 2L of Coca-Cola Zero: €4. 80

Transport: I only went by metro so here's what I learned:

• A ticket to travel on the whole metro network in Madrid: €3
• 10 tickets to travel on the whole network in Madrid: €18, 30
• 1 ticket = 1 trip

Bikes can only go through the metro on weekends and bank holidays. During working days (Monday to Friday), from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 21:00 until the last train.

Source

Here is the metro site, with the prices: http://www.metromadrid.es/es/viaja_en_metro/tarifas/

(abonos=passes)

And the metro map: http://www.metromadrid.es/metro/mapametrofull.asp

Train website: http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias/

Bus website: http://www.emtmadrid.es/

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

It's not hard to find accommodation but you have to be patient.

1. Do lots of research on the Internet. I would recommend visiting sites like (if the site has the option, choose from the cheapest, most economical):
• http://www.enalquiler.com/
• http://www.idealista.com/
• http://www.segundamano.es/
• http://www.fotocasa.es/
• http://www.pisos.com/
• http://www.yaencontre.com/
2. After you have a list of all the possible houses, start to narrow them down, taking into account:
• Proximity to the university where you're studying
• Proximity to public transport
• Prices
• Bills included
• Compartido/No compartido (shared or not)
• Furnished or not
• Reputation of the neighbourhood
• Energy Efficiency certificate
• If things are missing, for example (not all the buildings are going to have all these things, but the most likely is that you'll be able to live without some of them - AC, for example):
• Washing machine
• Dishwasher
• Fridge
• Air-conditioning
• Single/Double bed
• Desk
3. Contact the landlords and ask them about the information that isn't available in the advertisement description and that is useful.
• Is the price negotiable?
• What's included in the price on the advertisement?
• How long is the contract? 6 months? 1 year?
• How much does light, gas, water etc usually cost?
4. Go back and refine the list with the new information that you got from the landlords.
5. Book a visit to the apartments that remain.
6. Choose the one that appeals to you most.

Source

Avoid houses that are being sold by real estate companies, instead of private companies. In Spain it's normal that the agency will charge you a commission (the amount of one month's rent) for the services provided.

Consider all the monthly spendings: food, transport, gas, rent, light, water...

"Gastos de comunidad": It's a monthly value that goes towards the maintenance of the community: the building, the adjacent terrain, etc.

What's the food like? What are your favourite delicacies?

Paella is really good if it's well made (if it's badly made, not so much).

They serve a lot of omelettes with potatoes inside: tortilla de patatas, but I've never tried it. Calamares = squid (normally the slices).

Where would you recommend to visit in Madrid?

• Museo del prado (very interesting but after a few houes there my feet hurt).
• Parque El Retiro (beautiful, beautiful).

Source

What is the quality of restaurants in Madrid? Can you tell us which are the best?

I would recommend the Museo del Jamón close to the Parque Oeste (metro station) at the weekend, it has the best paella that I've eaten.

McDonalds...

How is the night life in Madrid? Where are the best places?

I'm not really into clubs and bars but here is a website with good places for going out: http://www.disfrutamadrid.com/salir-de-fiesta

I would recommend the Parque Oeste in Alcorcón. It's an industrial park with all the big shops and restaurants.

What advice would you give future students going to Madrid?

Go to the classes and don't neglect your studies. There's a concept that the classes here are easier but that's not true.

Learn a bit of Spanish before going to Madrid. It's not difficult to understand the language but speaking it naturally is a bit hard if you don't have the vocabulary.

I regret not having made the most of Madrid. I spent a lot of time at home, instead of going out and having a stroll at night. Don't make the same mistake. Erasmus is a unique experience that you can't repeat, take advantage of the liberty.

Contact your parents/tutors whenever you can. They are worried about you. I would recommend Skype.

Carrefour has the option of sending your shopping to your house for €5, which comes in handy.