Erasmus Experience in Vienna, Austria by Elena

Why did you choose to go to Vienna, Austria?

In my previous Erasmus experience in Poland two years ago, me and some friends went on a two days trip to Vienna in winter. I was mesmerized by the architecture and the countless Christmas markets spread around the city (I have a weakness for Christmas markets, guilty here). Even though it may not have seemed as the best time to visit, the temperatures were not actually that cold and there was so much to visit. We realized that two days were not enough and so I decided to come back to discover the city and what it has to offer in more depth. Either with Erasmus or simply just traveling, I knew I had to come back and so I did.

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

Honestly, not really enough. The university gives 450 euros per month which if you book your accommodation in time and find something really cheap, leaves you with around 150 euros for daily costs. Now each and every one has its own spending rate, so it depends how much you want to spend, but if you also want to visit places, it would be advisable to gather some extra money for your Erasmus experience, either from previous work or if possible from finding a part-time job here.

What is the student lifestyle like in Vienna?

Very challenging sometimes but also amazing. You have so many places to visit, so many parties and local pubs that you cannot be bored. No matter your preferred activity and how you like to spend your leisure time, you will definitely find it here. University lifestyle is also satisfying, in my case I am enrolled in a master program with currently 10 courses per semester however it doesn't feel this suffocating since the courses are done per module, so to say, and some start earlier then we finish those and after that another set of courses begin and so on.

Prater

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

It is the type of experience that if you have the possibility I highly recommend you have it. It is such a diversity in terms of cultures, with many self-development possibilities and so much to see (I know I am repeating myself, but really 5 months now seem not enough to visit everything). Personally I have no regrets coming here.

What is the food like?

Well here I need to split it in two: restaurants and supermarket - grocery type of food.

In terms of restaurants, there is an enormous variety of dishes from Asian to American and everything in between (if you are to look on a map). Austrian cuisine is not that full of typical dishes (compared to other cultures) but there are some delicious things you definitely need to try: Viennese schnitzel and some sort of desert with dough wrapped around ice cream/ or simple and fruit jam (forgot the name but it is so popular that you definitely cannot miss it).

There are also many street food festivals in which you can find Austrian regional food from all over the country. They are a perfect opportunity to enjoy Austrian food and drinks within an accessible price range.

In supermarkets it depends where you go and what you want to find. I am coming from a country (Romania) where fruits and vegetables have a strong flavor and scent that is mouth-watering, so usually I am kind of peaky with what I buy. From my experience, the best fruits are the ones in season and usually, you find them in Interspar or Merkur, but even if you find fruits earlier than their usual season I suggest you wait a bit more since they would bring more flavory ones. Lidl has the cheapest prices and I often buy vegetables and meat, but they do not have a very big variety of products.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Vienna?

The best time to find your accommodation is as early as possible, a few months before you come here is the best. Since Vienna is quite expensive in general, all the cheap opportunities disappear like hot bread.

There are many student accommodation with prices ranging from 300 to 450 euros per month. You have many benefits, some even have their own gym and game rooms, etc. However, you need to pay a deposit and the cheapest one I found was 1200 euros. Of course, you get your money back, but if you can use the money during your stay it would be better.

Other opportunities are renting apartment rooms, as many students also go in exchange programs and then they rent their room or the whole apartment. Disadvantage can be that in this case you will not get a contract for your stay, or (depending how you look at it) you might have to share the apartment with 3 - 5 other people.

I rented an apartment through a website, which added a few extra costs since I also had to pay the website, but I felt more secure with the choice and it helped me since I paid the first month, but the money was sent to the owner after 48 hours since I arrived in Vienna, which gave me the opportunity to reject the offer and receive all my money back if the apartment was not up to the expectations agreed upon.

It really depends on your personal preference and what you are looking for, you can even be lucky and find a whole apartment cheaper (400 euros) on your own and not even pay a deposit, or the deposit might be lower, but usually this happens without contract so you risk a bit.

How much does it cost to live in Vienna?

This is quite difficult to measure. It really depends on your own cost-standards, meaning how much do you usually spend and how much are you willing to spend here. But to break it down to the day to day living costs, you can expect the following:

• Accommodation: As previously mentioned, the cheapest one is 300 euros, but an apartment can cost between 600 to 800 euros per month. There are some that go beyond 900 euros.
• Transportation: quite expensive, especially if you are not close to the university and need to travel a lot. However, as a student, you have the possibility to buy a semester ticket which usually covers most, if not all of your stay here (for me, it expires 2 weeks before I leave). The cost of this ticket is either 70-75 euros or 150 (you can buy it for half the price if you submit some paperwork regarding your temporary residence, but more of that you will surely receive information from your university). The semester ticket covers all transportation within Vienna and also (I think) within 20 km around the capital: buses, train, tram, subway. It is really useful and I advise you to get since it will save you a lot of money - do buy it as quickly as you get there since there is a month or two periods in which you can buy the ticket at the beginning of every semester.
• Groceries/eating in the city: For me and my roommate it costs between 40-80 euros per week, usually it is no more than 50 for food and drinks, if we buy cleaning products we go a bit towards 80 euros. But this is for two people, I believe that depending on what you usually cook (meat and fish are the most expensive) for one person it can be even cheaper than 40 per week. To eat in a restaurant the prices vary between 10 euros to 20-30 per meal.
• Leisure activities: having a student card or an ESN one, does provide you with some reductions. For museums/other attractions the price of a ticket varies between 6-20 euros; there is an English cinema (Hayden) where a movie ticket is around 7 euros; Pubs are not that expensive, drinks cost 4 to 8 euros, or the largest drink 12 euros; for clubs personally I have only gone to Prater Dom where the entrance fee is 15 euros and then you receive a card with which you buy drinks inside and then you pay when you leave.

There are also free activities that you can enjoy as Vienna has many beautiful parks for running and strolling around, I've also seen many people going to the Danube for picnics and sunbathing also.

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

At BFI Vienna you have free language courses for the duration of your stay. The language for me is a bit difficult since I am used to more Latin languages, but not impossible. It can be very useful to learn, however, if you do not like the language or you do not think it will help you in the future and do not wish to put in effort to learn it, you don't have to worry since many people speak English at a level that you can at least understand each other. If not, sign language does wonders.

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

From Iasi, Romania buying a plane ticket in time can cost 100 euro one way with luggage included. It is the fastest and most economical in my opinion, especially since with a train or bus it would take 20 hours and the price would not be too much cheaper. Forgoing back however, from Vienna the train tickets are way cheaper (maybe 30, or even 10 euros) but in order to buy and use it you need to print the ticket in one of Vienna's train stations (OBB).

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

I am not a fan of clubs but I can suggest Prater Dom, it is really interesting, it has a kind of castle-like appearance, there are two floors with separate areas, in which there is a different style of music playing. For those that smoke you can do it inside, for those that do not smoke, it may be problematic.

Also Hard Rock Cafe in the old town is a really nice place. The food is really good, they have karaoke nights and special drinking offers. Even if you go alone and stay at the bar, you can easily find someone to talk to, the bartenders also are very friendly and if they are not too occupied, you can get many interesting stories.

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

I can name a few I have been to, like: 1516 Brewing Company, Fabrik (it has good food and really cheap as well, but it is in the 23rd district, so quite far from the city center), Prater Alm GmbH, Taqueria Los Mexikas, Vapiano (being a canteen type of restaurant) and if you are into a midnight snack you can always count on Burger King.

1516 Company.

Taqueria Los Mexikas.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

In Museumsquartier there are many interesting historic-art museums, this year I visited the Stairway to Klimt exposition there which was really beautiful, although I do not know how long the exposition will last. There is Haus des Meeres, an aquarium in a high tower building with a nice cafe at the top, The Botanical garden and of course Schönbrun Palace along with the Zoo, though I warmly suggest you visit them in two separate days since it will take quite some hours especially for the zoo and you might not have the time to visit everything in one day. At Schönbrun there are also different concerts and festivals and if you like opera, then you have to see Vienna State Opera.

Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Haus des Meeres.

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

Search in advance for accommodation and if you know German or have someone that does, try to look on German sites as you might find cheaper accommodations. Save up money, do a little research and make a list of what you really want to visit, cause you might get lost in so many things you can do here, learn to cook some dishes for yourself (it might come in handy) and otherwise do not hesitate and enjoy!

The experience of being an Erasmus was and continues to be one of growth on more than just one level, and I think I speak for more than just myself when I say that you find yourself tackling:

• Taking care of yourself: Where to stay? What to eat? Do I really need to cook every day? Where is the cheapest supermarket? Oh and let’s not forget closest…)
• Handling University: How many classes can I skip to travel instead? Was this class really in this building or in the one on the other side of the city? I don’t think my English level is that good to…oh, never mind.
• Experience a new culture: So on a scale from 1 to 10, how much of a stranger will I feel today? Is this a cultural thing… do I need to do it also? Oh, please tell me I didn’t just insult anybody by saying thank you.
• Learning a new language: If I stay this long does it mean I need to learn the language? Oh, people are just talking here and I feel as if I am missing the key to life! Oh I have this word in my language too, but nope… it definitely doesn’t mean that.
• Travel at low cost and travel as much as possible: If we take a plane there we are going to arrive in 1 hour, how much does it cost?... Ok 4 hours it is and we are skipping the botanical garden tour?

There are many more and everyone’s experience is unique even for two people in the same city and sharing the same room. Writing here is my way of trying to share as much knowledge, tips, ideas for activities and travels as possible and if you guys wish, to exchange together similar experiences or those that have been completely different.