My Erasmus Experience in Prague, Czech Republic - by Ana

Why did you choose to go to Prague, Czech Republic?

I had been living in Brno, the second biggest city in this marvellous country.

I liked it there so much that I wanted to find an internship there for over the summer, and the one I found was in Prague.

It's an incredible city, with plans and activities to suit everyone's taste.

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

My Erasmus+ Internship lasted for three months. The length of it depends on how long you've already done an Erasmus exchange for, since between the both of them they have to total twelve months.

I received 300 euros per month, which was quite a helpful contribution towards living in this country.

What's the student life like in Prague?

Prague, like the majority of the cities in the Czech Republic, is a city full of young people.

There are lots of universities and lots of recent graduates there looking for an internship or work experience with companies. This gives the city a fantastic atmosphere, by day and by night.

It's a very affordable country too, which means you can afford to make a lot of plans to go out. Going for a beer is the typical meet-up activity for everyone in the city.

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

100%.

Prague is undoubtedly a terrific city. It never disappoints. It's wonderful for a tourist visit; it has a great atmosphere for students; and for beer lovers, there's no better country! :)

I don't know much about the university as I only did an internship in Prague. However, the Technical University in Brno was very good.

What's the food like in Prague?

There are several things I'd like to mention about the food in Prague:

• Eating out is very affordable. Almost every restaurant is cheap. You can get all kinds of dishes and drinks for just eight euros.
• There is no such thing as a Czech diet. The food in this country is super high in calories and very 'heavy'. Goulash with dumplings and fried cheese with potatoes and duck are its typical dishes. They're not bad, but are nothing like Spanish food.
• It's almost a rule that you have to order your food with one of their marvellous Czech beers, which the Czechs are very proud of. The best known are Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Gambrinus, Staropramen and Budweiser (not to be confused with the American version - they're not the same! ).

Did you find it hard to find somewhere to live in Prague?

I was only going to spend three months there, so it was quite difficult for me.

However, I don't think it's too difficult if you're staying for a rather long time. There are quite a lot of student residences (which are very cheap), and there are plenty of student flat-sharing websites.

The best thing to do is to search for Facebook groups, which people post adverts daily on.

How expensive is everyday life in Prague?

Life in Prague is very cheap. In general, everything in cheap in the Czech Republic.

The capital isn't the same as the smaller cities, but you'll be surprised coming from Spain by the amazing things you can find here at such cheap prices.

How are you finding the language? Have you signed up to a language course at the university?

The language...Czech... I would call it 'impossible'.

After spending a year there, I had managed to learned some basic phrases, but nothing more.

I attended a short course at the start of the year, but I wouldn't say that it really helped very much.

What's the cheapest way of getting to Prague from your home city?

From Madrid, it depends on when you're going.

It's worth making use of the Iberia Erasmus student discount, although I'm not sure if you get cancellation insurance with the flights.

Mostly I flew to Vienna and then got the bus to Prague (the buses are really cheap), but this was made up for by the cost of my suitcases.

I also sometimes got very cheap Ryanair flights from Madrid to Bratislava and then the bus to Prague.

What are the best places for partying in Prague?

Prague city centre is full of underground clubs with a variety of different music, which are either free to enter or charge you very little.

The most popular central clubs are: Nebe (there are four of these, but the best one is on Wenceslao Square), Roxy, James Dean (more of a pub than a club), and Duplex (although it's a bit expensive there).

Finally, a bit further away but still very good is the Cross Club, a very different kind of club but with a very cool atmosphere.

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

My favourite place in Prague is definitely Atmosphere: it's cheap, and the food is brilliant. It's also right next to the Carlos bridge, making it really easy to get to after a day of sight-seeing.

Slightly more expensive but with amazing views is Grosseto Marina, though this is an Italian restaurant.

Finally, I'd recommend going to any pub in the city. All of them offer typical and good food at reasonable prices.

When the weather's good, you have to pay a visit to the Beer Gardens and the Naplavka area. There are lots of the former throughout the city, and the latter is an area full of boat bars which serve amazing burgers for three or four euros.

What does Prague have to offer in terms of culture?

That's easy: the castle, the John Lennon Wall, the narrowest street in Prague, Carlos Square, Central Square (with the astronomical clock and the church) and the Jewish Quarter.

I don't really recommend you visit Tezerin as it's just a town really.

However, what I would recommend is that you visit nearby cities such as Cesky Krumlov and Kutna Hora. I didn't really like Karlovy vary, although it's quite well-known.

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

Travel, go out and drink lots of beer. These are the keys thing you have to do to have a great time there.

Travelling is easy, cheap and doesn't take ages. Student Agency is a bus company I used for all my travelling over that year, you'll fall in love with them straight away. Their tickets are cheap, and you get free coffee and chocolate with individual TV screens.

Don't forget too that the Czech Republic is surrounded by loads of other countries, which is a great opportunity for you to explore almost all of Europe.

As I've said before, going out is very cheap and there are loads to places to go and visit.