Accommodation

When organising your year abroad, one of the most stressful things is trying to find accommodation in the city you are moving to. It’s important to start looking as early as possible so as to find somewhere close to your university/school/workplace. As I am attending the university in Valencia, I had the option to get a room in the student halls however, because I am here with 2 friends, we decided to try and find a flat online.

We actually decided to wait until we arrived in Valencia before getting somewhere to live. Looking back I wouldn’t recommend doing this as it caused lots of unnecessary stress which isn’t ideal when trying to get used to being in a new country. We stayed in a hostel called The Purple Nest Hostel which is about a 15 minute walk from where the university is in Benimaclet. The people on the reception were helpful and gave us some websites they recommended to look on rather than going to an agency. These are some that I found useful:

  • Idealista
  • Fotocasa
  • Pisos.com
  • Milanuncios
  • Habitaclia
  • Spotahome
  • Beroomers
  • Helloflatmate

About 5 days after we arrived we managed to find 3 rooms in a 10 bedroom flat in the city centre. The flat was for students only which was ideal and was right next to a tram station. It was only 4 stops away from the university which takes about 10 minutes. It’s also great that it’s in the city centre so is close to all amenities that we need like supermarkets, shops and access to public transport.

Remember to do your research on the area you are moving to. Check it’s safe and make sure it’s close to shops and public transport. I would recommend joining Facebook groups too. I joined one called Erasmus Valencia 2019/2020 and people would post if they had free rooms in their flats or advertisements. Also in Valencia, people advertise flats on lampposts, although you may be able to get a flat this way it’s hard to know how old the advertisements are. When speaking to other people the best way to get accommodation is online.

Arriving in Valencia

Yesterday I finally arrived in Valencia after a somewhat stressful and exciting summer holiday. It still feels quite strange knowing that I won’t be going back home until December. I am currently staying in a youth hostel for 1 week, it’s called the Purple Nest Hostel and I would highly recommend it as it’s a good opportunity to meet people who are probably in a similar situation to you, it’s cheap and affordable and it’s only about a 15 minute walk from Benimaclet where the university is situated.

Some things to recommend before you travel:

  • Remember to book transfers from the airport to wherever you are staying. This may seem obvious but I have read on a few blogs that not everyone did this and caused unnecessary stress.
  • Only pack what you 100% need. I only brought 1 big case (20kg) and 1 small case (10kg) and managed to pack all I really wanted to take. There will be shops nearby where you will want to buy things. I also decided to buy bedding and pillows once i was here too.
  • Make sure you have filled in all your forms that your uni and your host uni want returned. Your learning and grant agreement are probably the most important forms as this gets you your erasmus grant!
  • Join facebook groups. I joined one for erasmus students coming to Valencia and it gave advice on accommodation, activities on in the city and at the uni and also everyone who will be on their erasmus year with you.

Finally I want to finish off by saying try not to worry about your year abroad. Yes it’s daunting and scary, especially as this is my first time i’ve ever been abroad on my own! But just remember that the only reason you are here is to become better at the language. Remember to socialise lots and get involved in things. Try not to dwell on what your friends and family are doing back home although homesickness is completely normal and probably inevitable. And remember to ENJOY your year!! This is a great experience that not everyone gets to do so make the most of it!