My Erasmus Experience in Strasbourg, France - by Yonaisy

Why did you choose to go to Strasbourg, France?

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France? Because there were no countries on offer which had English as their official language. Since I really needed to get better at English, the best thing for me to do was to go somewhere where I had absolutely 0 knowledge of the language and start afresh. The best country on offer which was in the EU was France, and the language would enable me to integrate enough into the French culture during the short period of time my Erasmus exchange lasted for. It would also be useful for me after my Erasmus exchange when I travelled to other parts of the world.

In conclusion, French is an international language, easy enough to learn for Spaniards and these advantages help you to adapt faster to the French culture.

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

I think I received about 300 euros a month, but as you'll already know, they pay you this in separate installments according to which part comes from your home university and which from the Spanish government.

The truth is that these 300 euros don't go very far as France is a very expensive country. Things turned out better for those of us who managed to find a part-time job to fund our lives in France, and who tried not to waste money. In the end, it all worked out fine.

What's the student life like in Strasbourg?

The atmosphere is really cool. There are loads of student based activities and lots of student discounts in different pubs and clubs in the city.

It's a small place, and you'll notice this straight away as you'll find yourself returning to the same pubs every two months, but being an Erasmus student, there are always dinners and parties to go to. The truth is you never stop having fun. A massive advantage is that Strasbourg is on the German border. The closest town to the border is called Kehl and there are places to go out there too, but only once in a blue moon, as it's not got that much to offer. What you'll notice too is how cheap the supermarkets are in comparison even to Spain, but of course, not all products are like that: meat, fish, etc. can be very expensive. You'll end up eating take away food a lot, or going to the university cafes (the RU).

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There are four university cafes to choose from in the city, and as a student, the menu only costs 3 euros (for dinner and for lunch; they don't serve breakfast) for a three course meal. This is amazing value compared to in Spain, and most of the time the menu is great and there's loads to choose from, even for vegetarians. They're also open at the weekends!

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

Yes, definitely, it's a great city to choose. It's perfect for spending ten months in as it isn't that big a place. It's very active however, and you can everywhere on foot or by bike. It's a very sporty city and has a lot of tourism. Everyone has a bike, and though it sounds like a joke, they even use them in the wintertime! Spaniards will also always be able to find a bar showing Spanish football games, with French people watching them, hehe.

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The rest of the positive things I have to say I'll mention later.

What's the food like in France?

The food's great. It's mixed in with German food, Strasbourg being on the border, so I'm never sure what origin it had, but it all tastes good and there are loads of local restaurants which serve traditional food.

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

Urgh, this is the nastiest part. There are university halls of residence, but none are perfect.

The cheapest tend to be Paul Appel, Robertsau, Alfred Weiss, and a few others. The rooms tend to be small and have sinks, but you share a bathroom and the kitchen with the rest of your floor. The first has the advantage of being in the university area and next to the city centre. People usually choose the fourth one last as it's quite far away from everything, but the third isn't nearby either, it's actually the closest to Germany and much closer to the city centre than the second.

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There are other private residences which aren't owned by the university, but they're more expensive and you often end up having to share a room in them.

Generally, if you search long and hard you'll definitely find something suited to you, you just have to be lucky.

I've mentioned halls of residences and not flats as it's pretty much impossible to find one which isn't miles away and which costs less than 300 euros per month and is furnished. You also need to sort out getting one months in advance, which can be hard...in short, it's really hard to get a flat here. It's easier to just go with the simplest and securest option, though of course you'll probably make friends with other Spaniards or foreigners who are in the city working outside of the Erasmus scheme and who have flats - they may be able to help you with this.

I was lucky enough to pay a visit to a church next to Paul Appel as I'd been told that they had residence-style rooms to rent, and the priest told me about this old lady who wanted to flatshare...it ended up being great though, as I paid 150 per month for the whole flat. A lady came and cleaned for us so I really didn't have to do anything. It was a bit strange, but she literally just wanted to share the flat hehe. The only thing was that of course you couldn't throw any parties or have any friends or family to stay, but this was made up for by being so close to everything, paying so little money in rent with water and electricity included and that I could use her kitchen without having to buy any utensils and stuff myself. I saved so much money!

How expensive is living in Strasbourg?

It's expensive - I don't know how much exactly, but taking into account how cheap my rent was and how I ate in the RU almost every day as it was actually cheaper than going shopping... I think I spent around 500 euros per month.

You have to make it easier on yourself financially: don't choose an expensive flat, use your bike often, go shopping in Germany, buy cheap alcohol... hehe.

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

The language went brilliantly. I didn’t go to any extra classes before or after my arrival in France - I just went to the free one offered by the university (one month long) and this was enough. I didn’t know any French, but since I only came to France to do an internship and not study at the university, I was less stressed and this made it easier for me to learn. In two months, I had already learned around 50% of all the French I would learn whilst there. I was in France from September 1st until June, and since I worked with French people all the time (remember - avoid other Spaniards, we’re like a plague! ), lived with a French woman and made French and international friends, I ended up taking the DELF B2 exam (the next level being native expert) and passing it.

You don’ve have to do this, but I wanted to. I also bought a book to revise from, as I didn’t have any exams to study for and my French friends helped me prepare for the written part…

In general, it’s a great language which you can progress quickly with, which motivates you to study more.

What’s the cheapest way of getting to Strasbourg from your home city?

I live in Valencia, and the cheapest way was always by plane, though since Strasbourg airport is so small there were no direct flights there, so it almost always ended up being cheaper for me to fly to Bâle (on the Swiss border), whose European airport is split between the three counties (France, Germany and Switzerland), and get a flight from Valencia to there with easyjet.

From there, you can car share (try http://www.coivoiturage.com, similar to blablacar.com) or get the train. For students. a return journey costs 30 euros and takes one and a half hours. Other people I know flew to Baden-Baden or Karlsruhe (both in Germany) and from there travelled the same way to Strasbourg itself.

None of these airports are really far away, but then again, they’re not in the same city, either. I usually flew to Bâle because then I didn’t have to switch language! Hehe.

What are the best places for partying in Strasbourg?

We ended up in Barco Latino a lot, which as you can imagine played a lot of Latin dance and popular music, which always reminded us of Spain. It’s a boat bar on the river in the city centre. There were other living room style places with black music, hip-hop and dance music, which weren’t bad - kind of clubs slash pubs.

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The best places to go for drinks though were Linterne, L’Exil, and my favourite L’Artichaut, a place where you can spend the day just drinking coffee, playing darts and on the games tables. You can even bring your dog with you (in France, animals can come inside almost every building), and there are usually jazz, blues and rock concerts on in the basement…a bar you’ll never get bored in.

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

The RUs as I’ve already mentioned, Le Brasserie, near Barco Latino and where they run offers on the famous Alsatian tastes flambées…L’Epicerie (perfect for trying French cakes and with a very traditional French atmosphere).

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What does Strasbourg have to offer in terms of culture?

The city is a sight in itself, traversed by a river; there’s also the European Parliament buildings, the Robertsau Forest and L’Orangerie Park…all in the city centre.

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Within the Alsace province, where Strasbourg is located, the best places to visit are Colmar, Obernai, Monte St. Odile, Château de Kronenburg, and above all when it’s sunny outside, the Route de Vins, which not only allows you to try some of the best wines in the region, but also visit many of the cities I’ve mentioned.

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

Advice? Hmmm… make the most of your time in France, try to integrate yourself into the French culture, as it’s always said that the French are dry and cold, etc. Many of them confirm this stereotype, at least the general public do, who you only get a first impression of in the street, but having worked with French people, I can tell you that in the end after lots of effort I made some really friends there and met French people who helped me learn their language. They found my Spanish accent exciting and exotic, far from being put off by it, hehe.

I won’t tell you that it’s going to be easy: at first I really had to fight against the idea of doing ‘less work, more party’ on my Erasmus exchange, which is particularly typical of the Spanish, but when I saw how the French people at my workplace always smiled at me, I started to make the effort and in the end bonded with them and met some really cool people.

In conclusion, try your best, as I understand it can be hard to stop yourself from bonding with a group of Spaniards, Italians etc. as you feel they understand you better. It can be difficult to reject these kind of friendships groups as you’re so attracted by them. If they’re not willing to give French a try though, force them to by starting a conversation if they can’t speak Spanish - they’ll have to try! Hehe.