Erasmus Experience in Zaragoza, Spain, by Marie

Why did you choose to go to Zaragoza, Spain?

I chose to go to Zaragoza after doing some research on the different cities which were proposed. Zaragoza is a city at human size where is easy to move. Moreover, I was really attracted by the landscape and the fact that it's pretty easy to go and come back from my born city to Zaragoza. I think that its geographic position makes this city really interesting because it's pretty easy to go everywhere; it's really close from Madrid, Barcelona... Consequently, it's a good place to travel.

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

I've chosen to stay here during almost one year (10 months).

About the money, I received two grants: one is named Erasmus Bourse, which is 150 Euros every month, and the other is the Bourse of Mobility International from the prefecture of my city, which is approximately 360 euros every month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Zaragoza?

It depends on how you wish to live your Erasmus life here, because there are a lot of student lifestyle. For instance, if you love go to party, you can join the ESN or AEGEE associations, which organise travels and parties during all the year. They have also made a program which named BuddyPair, which gives you the possibility to met a student from Zaragoza who is going to help you to adapt you in the city. This is what I did and I met a group of Spanish really nice!

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

I would recommend the city and the University of Zaragoza to other students. This city is really beautiful, if you are not a fan of big cities in the aim of live on it, this is a good choice.

What is the food like?

The food is good. Every Thursday, if you go to the centre of the city, you can get Tapas, which is a really typical thing to do here, and there are some kind of Tapas really tasty! There are also good restaurants that you could discover during your Erasmus travel.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Zaragoza?

I searched my accommodation in the website, in Easypiso and others sites. I was lucky because the place was like in the pictures, but I recommend to everyone to come here before the beginning of the year to visit your probably future accommodation and trying to be with others Erasmus which is more confortable and friendly.

How much does it cost to live in Zaragoza?

The life in Zaragoza is not expansive. For sure, sometimes, I have to manage between go out or no because it's necessary to control a bit, but it's pretty easy to live in Zaragoza in a financial way.

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

I had a really bad level when I arrived here and it was pretty complicated during two-three months. For the listening, after one month it's ok. It's speaking which is a little bit more difficult.

About the language courses, there are some which are done in the university called "Cursos de español como lengua extranjera". I advise you coming early to take the intensive courses during the holidays because it's hard to be able to follow all them if you have normal courses at your University too.

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

In my situation, I live in the north of France, therefore, I can take the flight from Charleroi, in Belgium, to Zaragoza. During not holidays periods, it's possible to do a return journey just for 20 Euros.

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

To go on a night in Zaragoza, it's good to go in the Casco Viejo or in the tubo, which are the most famous place to go party.

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

The only one restaurant that I remain the name is "Taberna La Piedra" which is specialized on meat, and it's just awesome!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

For sure, the basilic of Pilar, but there is also the "palacio de la Aljafería", the "museo de Goya" and a lot of other place. The University give to all the Erasmus a kind of book with all the place to see in Zaragoza on it.

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

The most important advice that I could give is to have the basics about the language. When I arrived here, I had just a A1 level and it was a little bit frustrated to be unable to understand the most easy thing here. Just an upgrading about the language before coming here.