My Erasmus experience of my internship in Prague

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

It is close to my home, not to far abroad and therefore it offers the opportunity for my family to visit me, which is one of the most important aspects for me. Also the atmosphere of the city I liked, which also played a role.

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How high is the scholarship? How long does the scholarship last?

The scholarship differs regarding the receiving amounts, mine is 350 euros per month and I am residing for 5 months.

What is the student lifestyle like in Prague?

Personally, I am not the going-out type, but I heard it is really nice here and everything is very cheap.

Would you recommend the city of Prague to other students?

Yes and no. Yes, because it is a very nice city which has a lot of potential and possibilities and, if you would study the Czech language, it would even be a lot easier. No, because not all people that live here a very helpful towards you. If you are living on your own, you need to do groceries and all the products in the shops are written in Czech and it does not say any information in English or even German. This makes it harder to live here.

How is the food?

It is also very cheap, but you can find tasty and fun new dishes. Some of the dishes you have to get used to, such as some soups (cauliflower or garlic soup) served at the hotel in which I am doing my internship. But there are also some dishes I had never heard of, such as a kind of mozarella which they fry and then eat with some potatoes or similar side dishes. They only serve a lot of meat here, which leaves little to no vegetarian options and you always have to choose the same dish.

How long did it take you to find a room in Prague?

Personally, it did not take long for me, I booked a room for the complete 5 month period through a website: www.student-room-flat.com, which is actually very clear and organised. It took me about a week to discuss everything with the agency and pass on the necessary information to organize everything when I arrived in Prague.

How much does it cost to live in Prague?

Living in Prague is definitely not expensive, I am paying 440 euros per month with everything included (gas/water/electricity/internet) and the apartment was already furnished, which makes it cost-efficient. When you look at transportation, it is a lot cheaper than in the Netherlands. I pay around 55 euros for the complete 5 months and it includes the tram, subway and bus. And the food and drinks in the grocery store is also quite cheap. They have several different stores, but I usually buy my groceries at the Albert or Tesco. Albert has some stuff from the Dutch Albert Heijn, which is nice to see and makes you feel more at home. Tesco is part of the British retail chain, and they have a lot of famous brands as well as store brands.

What is the cheapest way to travel to Prague from your home town?

I usually always go by plane, since it saves time and you only pay extra for the hold baggage. The flight takes 1, 5 hours and you will pay somewhere between 75 and 125 euros, which looks like a big difference but is cheap compared to the train, which will take you 16 hours and costs the same.

Are there any cultural sights?

Yeah, there are really a lot of sights. Lots of churches, the astronomical clock and ofcourse Charles' Bridge! What's also fun to do and is delicious is a TRDELNIK, which is kind of a dough roll which is wrapped around a stick and gets baked. They put cinnamon sugar on it, you can fill it up with for instance some vanilla ice cream or hot pieces of apple with whipped cream to make it taste like apple pie. It is very delicious and typically Czech!