Erasmus Experience in Paris, France by Francesca

Why did you choose to go to Paris, France?

I chose Paris because I wanted to improve my French and I love the culture as well as the architecture. Paris is a really small city, it's even smaller than Dresden (my hometown). You can go out every day and expeerience and see something totally new!

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

3 months and some days, I receive about 300€

What is the student lifestyle like in Paris?

It is fantastic! You have a lot of chances to travel in France and even to boarder countries, there are several organizations for international students offering boat trips, events, parties,... It is simply great.

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

The city of course! But you need to have enough money to make a living here. My Business School Ipag was okay. I am German and like things to be planned and fixed. The French administration was freaking me out sometimes, but in the end everything worked out.

What is the food like?

The food is really light and I like it. I often ate croissants for breakfast, a pain au chocolat as snack and for dinner a good wine with some cheese and real French ham. It's really nice. The onl thing I am missing as a German is a bigger variety of bread. They really have only baguette to 90%.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Paris?

No, but it was really really hard to find something in my price category (500-600).

How much does it cost to live in Paris?

I pay 570€ for rent, 70€ for navigo pass (bus, metro) and have every month other expenses of about 800-1000€. Living in Paris is really expensive. Of course you can also spend less, but I wanted to live the 3. 5 months to the fullest. As an example: for 2 big tomatoes and 1 orange I paid 3. 50€. You can now compare to your country.

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

Yes at my university there has been a language course for beginners and advanced ones.

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

For me it was by train. It took me 8 hours from Dresden to Paris but it is totally worth it - since you are limited with your luggage on the plane, I could take as much luggage with me as I could carry.

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

For Erasmus students definitely on Wednesdays to Café Oz. I can also highly recommend the Duplex at Arc de Triomph and several clubs on the Champs Elysées! There are plenty.

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

I have been to a really good French restaurant near St. Michel. Others are some ITalina or Chinese restaurants which are offering menues for lower prices.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Whole PAris is full with cultural sites - Eiffel Tower, Seine, several bridges, Arc de Triompg, Champs Elysées, JArdin du Luxembourg, Place de la Concorde, Louvre, Musée d'Orsay,...

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

Really really save money beforehand. And be ready to spend more money on the rent - I may spend only 570/month but I'm living 30-40 minutes away from the centre. MY friends, who are well-located pay on average 800-900€ rent/month.