Sara in Spain: My Valencia Experience

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

Valencia is a fairly quiet city in comparison to Madrid or Barcelona, but you can still find loads of things to do: it has a beach, places to relax (like Los Jardines de Viveros for example) and a very lively nightlife.

What is the student lifestyle like in Valencia?

Valencia has many different campuses dotted around the city. On one side you have the Burjassot campus, fairly out of the way, whilst on the other side you have the Blasco Ibañez campus, Tarongers campus and the UPV (Universidad politécnica de Valencia) about a 20 minutes walk away (Tarongers and UPV are a stone's throw away from each other).

Every student lives in shared accommodation around the three campuses with La Zona de Facultades de Valencia housing around 90% of all students.

You'll meet a whole bunch of different people and finding a group of friends you get on with is easy.

How much does it cost to live in Valencia?

Valencia isn't a very expensive city. Whereas in Barcelona you'll pay 12 Euros for a metro travelcard, here the same thing will cost you around 7. 20 Euros. Like in all places, there are the more expensive parts of the city as well as the more affordable ones, the latter perhaps more suited to those of you needing to keep to a tight budget.

In terms of accommodation, renting a shared flat is always the cheapest option but a lot of people use some of their Erasmus grant to pay for a more expensive place to live. You can easily find an apartment for 600 Euros, in which case if you shared it between 4 people would only cost you about 150 Euros a month (all bills are usually included in the price).

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

The best way to find accommodation is having a look around the student areas. You'll find adverts for student accommodation everywhere (on lamp posts, bins, walls, etc. ). I don't recommend going through an estate agents as for many places you can contact the landlord directly and avoid paying the 100 Euro commission the estate agents will charge you. Another way you can look is on the internet, but I think you'll find it easier just going out and looking around yourself.

What places would you recommend visiting in Valencia?

The one place you must visit in Valencia is La Ciudad de Las Artes y Las Ciencias, in particular El Oceanográfico, the largest aquarium in Europe. Also, there are loads of parks and public gardens. If you like doing exercise, try going running down by the river, and if you like plants, through the botanical gardens. You can also visit Albufera's natural park, and if you like to go shopping then your best bet is to go to La Calle Colón which you can find right next to the Valencia-Norte train station.

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

You can find absolutely everything in terms of food in Valencia. For me, being a lover of Chinese food, I often go to the Chinese restuarants and buffets, and by the same token, as I'm a student, I usually go to the cheaper places like McDonald's, KFC or Burger King. A great place to go to is Los 100 Montaditos as it's cheap and the food is still really good. There are also loads of places that have special deals and student offers to make the most of.

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

Valencia has an amazing nightlife. In El Carmen you'll find various clubs with their own unique vibe, as well as the more famous ones like MYA and Ani+.

What advice would you give future students heading to Valencia?

Valencia has it's own special charm and there is so much to do.

If you come to Valencia, make the most of it, you're going to love it! Just remember it's pretty hot here, so pack your t-shirts and your shorts.

Another quick thing, if you can get here for March I'd highly recommend you do so as it's the only time you'll get to see and enjoy Las Fallas.