Experience in Utrecht, Netherlands by Madeleine

What is it like to live in Utrecht? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

The city is very artsy and cultural, different from Amsterdam, for example. There are fewer tourists than in Amsterdam and it is also smaller. It is very nice to live here, in half an hour you can cycle from the one end of the city to the other so you can get everywhere quite fast. There are a lot of parks where you can chill out during the summer and in winter there are lots of nice cafes to hang out. I would definitely recommend Utrecht if you are looking for a place to study which is cosy, friendly and cultural.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Utrecht?

If I'm correct, over 20% of the inhabitants of Utrecht are students. There are many facilities like bars, cafes and study rooms that are specially designed for students (for example, the Cambridge bar at the Uithof; the Coffee Company in the centre and the many study places that the UU offers that are spread out over town). I regularly run into people I know when I go into the city centre, which gives me the feeling of living in a small town rather than a big city. Students are all very friendly and open-minded and there's a lot to experience.

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How much does it cost to live in Utrecht?

For food I'd say I spend 30 euros a week. The costs of living here will depend on where you stay. At the Uithof, where most universities are, you will pay around 320 euros a month for a rather large room. This can differ much in the city centre, where you can easily pay 450 for a room that is smaller than at the Uithof. I personally prefer living at the Uithof because there's lots of nature here and a lot of students as well (we have about 5 huge student flats here next to each other and in each flat there live about 900 students). So if you're looking for friends I recommend the Uithof! The city centre of course also has its charm, but it's all a little bit tighter and also, like I said, more expensive.

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Is it difficult to find accommodation in Utrecht? Is there any advice you can give?

Yes it is pretty difficult to find accommodation. I would recommend joining all the Facebook groups you can find and to try to contact as many people that are advertising a room. You can also try to contact people that you already know here, it sometimes happens that people want to rent their room temporarily, this might suit you well. You could also try getting a room through your university, I know that to be the easiest way, but only if your university has an agreement with the universities here in Utrecht. Otherwise, you could always stay in a hostel for a while (I would recommend StayOkay, it's near the Uithof and generally the cheapest to stay at). In my experience, it can take a while to find a room, but you will end up somewhere nice in the end!

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What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The Netherlands aren't really famous for their cuisine, but if you're here you should definitely try the fries from Manneke Pis, it has multiple locations in the centre and they're really nice. Also, you can try eating boerenkool or hutspot, which is typically Dutch and cheap. A nice place to eat dinner for little money is the Hema (definitely go there, it's a fun store).

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What places would you recommend visiting in Utrecht?

The Speelklok Museum, some of the Forts (like Fort Rijnauwen or Fort Ruigenhoek) if you want to get to know a little bit about the history of Utrecht. Also go to the cinema (like Louis Hartlooper, Hoogt or Springhaver) if you want to experience watching a movie in a very cosy, nostalgic movie-theatre. Go climb the Dom tower and go for a walk at Amelisweerd, all very nice things to spend your day with.

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Is it good to eat out in Utrecht? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Yes it's very good, there's a variety of restaurants. Go to Hema for cheap pasta, hamburgers or boerenkool. Go to Mr Smakers for fantastic hamburgers. Go to Dogma for great hot dogs. Go to Lebowski for a nice chill atmosphere and hamburgers. Go to Gys if you like organic, vegetarian hipster-restaurants.

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Is the nightlife good in Utrecht? Where is good to go?

I only know some of the easy-going places, like cafes where you can have a drink and a chat or play a game, rather than places where you can dance a lot. For example, de Bastaard is a nice cafe, also Het Muzieklokaal or Averechts. For dancing, you could go to Poema or Het Pakhuis, or TivoliVredenburg which has a student night every Thursday.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Utrecht?

I would recommend not to stress out too much about where you will end up or whether you will find a room or not. Utrecht is a very warm and welcoming city and people will always be there to help you. Go explore the city, maybe the smaller villages that are around here. Have a great time!