Erasmus Experience in Valencia, Spain by Mario

Why did you choose to go to Valencia, Spain?

Because I like Spanish culture, people are so nice and the food there is great! Also, it is not a expensive city as well.

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

Every month I received € 450 from my University. It helped a lot with my living.

What is the student lifestyle like in Valencia?

Student lifestyle is the best one I ever had in life. There are so many students going out and drinking or eating in the evening, especially from Thursday to Sunday. Very lively for sure!

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

Yes, of course. The University holds a great reputation and is very nice and well structured. Classes are interesting and the encourage group working sessions.

What is the food like?

As I said, food is awesome. You have a lot of tapas which kind of small Spanish sandwiches or something like that. Also, Mercadona is well-known shop all around Valencia where you can buy anything you want and it’s pretty cheap.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Valencia?

Yes, I found my accomodation through Spotahome and I needed to pay service fee.

How much does it cost to live in Valencia?

Well, my rent for a month was € 290 with bills included. You can’t really go under that. Transport (monthly pass) was around € 40. Then you pay for food and drinks which all depends on individual.

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

It is very similar to Italian so it is not so difficult. Yes, the University offered free courses as elective subject and also there is Online Linguistic Support (OLS) system if you want to learn the language by your own on Internet.

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

Well with airplane for sure. I chose Ryanair and I found low cost tickets. It’s really the fastest and the cheapest way.

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

Maybe club Mya, very famous. Also, a lot of bars and restaurants on Avenida Blasco Ibanez. I had luck that I lived there because it’s the best student life there!

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

I like sushi very much and if you would like to eat in buffet libre(anything you want and how much of it) for € 14 you can go to Aoyama or Fuji. Also, there is Muerde La Pasta in the center that offers so much food and drinks for € 10. You can eat anything you want and drink for only € 10.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The city of science, aquarium, bioparc, buildings in the city center, there are many.

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

First, I would recommend students to find accommodation near their Faculty, or if possible, near Avenida Blasco Ibanez.

Don’t try to find it near center because it’s more expensive and you are pretty much further from most of facilities.

If you go to Valencia on Erasmus, trust me, you won’t be disappointed at all, I had best time of my life there. I met so many people, saw so many cultures, learn new things and for the most important, I learnt to live on my own. I needed to deal with different kind of problems which I successfully managed and I am proud of myself!