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What did you do? Assistant
Where did you live? Private Flat
What was the accommodation like? Very good but hard to find
What was the cost of living like? Very reasonable
What was the transport system like? Trains - excellent except when on strike. Buses are frequent but don't run in the evening. Taxis are practically non-existent
How was the social life? Really good if slow at first. It's up to you to make the effort.
Favourite place to eat? Really lovely French restaurant in the old town.. but I've
forgotten the name!
Favourite place to drink? Murphy's, Bar des Moines
Favourite place to visit? Besangan, Voges and Jura Mountains
What not to miss? Regional food - Comte, vin jaune. Beujolais night early November.
What to avoid? English people!
Any advice to students?
What did you do? Student
Where did you live? In city centre, private accommodation found in newspaper "Bonjour 21"
What was the accommodation like? 160 per month, less with "CAF" money
What was the cost of living like? Very good - buses cheap and often
What was the transport system like? Not bad - lots of dance clubs but nothing 'alternative'
How was the social life?
Favourite place to eat?
Favourite place to drink? Irish pubs - Flanerys, Kilkenny
Favourite place to visit?
What not to miss? Lac Kir
What to avoid?
Any advice to students?
What did you do? Independent student
Where did you live? In a private flat
What was the accommodation like? Lovely but we needed a French national as a guarantor who had to submit wage cheques, social security information and bank statements
What was the cost of living like? Comparable to UK
What was the transport system like? Wonderful but buses stopped at 8pm and were virtually non-existent on Sundays.
How was the social life? Busy - loads of British Erasmus students
Favourite place to eat? Quai Perrier - 20 pizza restaurants in a row
Favourite place to drink? Les 3 canards
Favourite place to visit? Bastille - old fort on mountain
What not to miss? Fete de la musique in June and the Beaujolais festival
What to avoid?
Any advice to students? You'll need lots of money for deposits, rent up front, flights etc. Your year abroad is not cheap
What did you do? Language Assistant, but not through the British Council.
Where did you live? I live in Roubaix, a town 20 minutes from Lille by tube in the North of France. I am put up for free in a little studio in the centre where I work. I've got an en-suite, but I share a kitchen, thought I've got the keys, so that's cool!
What was the accommodation like? It's not cheap, it's free! I live with French people, eat French food etc. The neighbourhood could be better but I'm very close to the 'high street' and Lille.
What was the cost of living like? My cost of living is very low. My accommodation
is free and I eat three meals a day 'gratuit' as well. I only need to feed myself on the weekend and spend money getting about France!
What was the transport system like? There's a tube station 5 minutes from the centre; 20 mins on the tube to Lille, 10 minutes on the train. I've got the tram (or street car) if I want to take the scenic route.
How was the social life? I have a great social life. I'm happy that I'm not surrounded by people who speak English, in fact I only speak it in class. It's been great for my French. I've got friends of all ages and since I teach three different groups and one group that changes every seven weeks, I know a lot of different people. Because the centre is mostly funded by the government we pay very little for entertainment, so I go to the cinema and theatre every two weeks for 1.50. We are really near the Belgium border so I spend a lot of time eating in Belgium, have very long night outs... Lille is also "European Capital of Culture" this year so there are loads of free concerts and things to do.
Favourite place to eat? Lille is full of restaurants, pubs, cafes. There is an avenue full of
Chinese restaurants! If you want real French cuisine, you have to be ready to pay for it. There's a great Brazilian restaurant called 'El diablo Loco", and excellent Lebanese and couscous restaurants too.
Favourite place to drink? 'Illustration' or 'Le Palace' serve great mixers. You can order a beer in almost any kind of sirop in it (for people like me who can't stand the taste of beer). 'Le passe simple' in Mouscron, Belgium isn't bad either.
Favourite place to visit? Being Capital of Culture, there are a lot of open air exhibitions. Before Christmas, we were all in the future with the streets looking like a scene from Star Wars, now we live in Chinese city with neo lights and floating manga characters! There are loads of museums, even in Roubaix (the museum here is a 19th century swimming pool). Rue de Faidherbe and Vieux Lille are great coz there are loads of old shops and cobbled side walks.
What not to miss? La Braderie on the first weekend in September. It's three days of madness! It's a gigantic street fair with people for all over putting up stall everywhere to sell whatever! The shops move onto the streets, students sell pancakes and about 3 million people all haggling at the same time!
What to avoid? La Braderie if you hate crowds! Walking around some areas of Roubaix at night (like everywhere!) Tap water, but there are so many varieties of bottled water, trying them all could become an activity. Warning: they all taste like water!
Any advice to students? If you are English, it should be no problem coming to Lille or anywhere in France, but international students (like me) should make sure that they start all the paper work of their resident's permit as soon as they arrive, make no plans to go back to England and be extremely nice to the admin staff! Make friends with French people! It's the best way to really
integrate and get around for free! I've learnt a lot about patience! Standing in a queue from 6am is definitely an experience. I've also learnt a lot about French bureaucracy, the job market in France (I work with adults) and how to have a blast on a budget!
What did you do? Erasmus student
Where did you live? Private university residence
What was the accommodation like? Very good but the residence was a bit noisy
What was the cost of living like? Reasonable - not much different to the UK
What was the transport system like? Excellent bus, tram and underground service
How was the social life? Quite insular- going out with other foreign and English students.
Favourite place to eat? Vieux
Favourite place to drink? Place de Terraux
Favourite place to visit? Lyon Cathedral
What not to miss? Fetes des Lumieres in December
What to avoid? Going out alone at night and by yourself
Any advice to students? Try and mix as much as possible with local students
What did you do? Erasmus student
Where did you live? Lyon - a "Rsidence" (studio flat in the 9eme area)
What was the accommodation like? Very expensive (around 700 euros/month, as it is calculated on a daily basis of 22,50 euros a day) but very clean and in between two metro stations. Lots of other foreign students there, but as there is no communal area, can be quite hard to get to know your neighbours. I would recommend finding other
accommodation though.
What was the cost of living like? This was expensive as far as accommodation goes, but most people I knew were spending around 300-500 euros in flats. Carrefour and Leaderprice mean that it is quite possible to spend under 100 euros a month on food. But drinking in bars is expensive (the cheapest
you'll get a pint is 4 euros during happy hour in the Smoking Dog), so I recommend starting off with wine which starts from 80 cents a bottle and
isn't that bad.
What was the transport system like? The metro on the green line comes every two mins during peak times (this takes you right by the manu des tabacs part of university which is in between sans souci and garibaldi) and five mins on the other lines, but then there are more carriages on these. Even off-peak they come at least every 10 mins. There are also loads of buses and trams to get to the places the metro
doesn't go near enough to. A monthly transport pass which is valid on all the metro, buses, trams and funicular line was 32,50 when
I was there and is well worth it.
How was the social life? Ayers rock - dancing on tables, cheesy barmen, very good atmosphere!. The Albion is an Irish pub managed by a Scot called Peter, very nice bloke, happy hour 5-9pm all cocktails are half price, and beer is a bit cheaper, many a good night out, quiz
Monday is a must. The Smoking Dog (the manager Mark and one of the barmen used to be at Liverpool Uni) is slightly cheaper than the Albion and I like their theme nights. The Melting Pub - many an after party spent here,
don't know what time its open till I always left by 6am! Right by the Vieux Lyon metro stop and playing darts there is a good way to spend the time waiting until the first metro
(don't worry the darts are plastic, its an electronic board, no accidents and it calculates your score for you!) There is also loads of cute little
French places, but they only do demi!
Favourite place to eat? Le palais st jean in vieux Lyon does a three course meal for 15 euros.
There's loads of other places to eat there too with similar deals. Lyon is the capital of gastronomy, so
they're all pretty good. However if you do get the urge for McDonalds try to steer away from the one at Bellecour, its not very nice and you have to queue for hours.
There's also loads of nice pizza places.
Favourite place to drink? Got to be the Albion on a Monday night for the quiz, or the Smoking Dog on a lazy Saturday afternoon watching football or rugby.
Favourite place to visit? Vieux Lyon is beautiful, lots of nice windy streets and no matter what the season there are loads a places selling crepes so u feel extra
French. U can also get nice ice creams in the warm weather and vin chaud in the cold. The basilica is really impressive, the views are great as u can see the whole of Lyon, there is a funiculaire line from vieux
Lyon though,
don't walk like me, its very high up. Parc Tete dr, is really nice, its huge, and
there's even a zoo. When I left they were planning an African plain which sounded quite good. Just watch out for all the runners and roller bladers and on
Sundays the place is swarming with smoochy couples.
What not to miss? Mondays in the Albion! No, seriously, you have to see the above things. Also Fete de Lumieres in December is really nice too, a little too arty farty this year, but I've heard its really good usually.
I'm sure the year-longers will be able to add more!
What to avoid? As said earlier, McDonalds in Bellecour. Also, evidently the areas around guillotiere and perrache are quite dodgy and I found Valmy at night had a lot of people hanging around looking a bit shifty.
Any advice to students? Lyon is fabulous! But if you don't get accommodation sorted at first,
don't despair, there are hotels from as little as 20 euros a night, so it can work out cheaper in the long run to stay there until you find a cheap flat. The university can only really help with their residences, not with individual flats, so
there's a lot of work to do yourself, but there's always places in the free metro newspapers.
Don't panic about being homeless! Its not that bad, There'll always be somewhere. Talk to people, this
isn't the time to be shy and they're probably all in the same boat as you! Accept the cultural differences, its quite fun really! This is a totally unique opportunity that
you'll never get again, so just make the most of it and have a total ball!
Montpellier
What did you do? Student
Where did you live? Private accommodation, rented in the old town of the city
centre
What was the accommodation like? Superb - but it was extremely difficult to find
accommodation. Halls were horrible and all else was in very short supply
What was the cost of living like? Cheap
What was the transport system like? Efficient
How was the social life? Good
Favourite place to eat? L'Escalier - cheap traditional French cuisine
Favourite place to drink? Cafe Joseph- full of foreign students. Novel and
lively at first
Favourite place to visit? The beach at Palavas
What not to miss? Corridas de Toros at nearby Nimes. A three-day celebration.
What to avoid? Living with English speaking people as socially English is
usually the language spoken
Any advice to students? Investigate the courses available at university before
going - I realised that another course would have been better for me
Nice
What did you do? Independent student
Where did you live? Rented apartment just outside town centre. Lots of students
live in the Old Town.
What was the accommodation like? Like a holiday apartment, clean, not that big
What was the cost of living like? Taxis are very expensive. 480 euros a
month for a small 2 room apartment. Going out drinking is very expensive (6-8
euros per pint). Cheaper alcohol is available from supermarkets.
What was the transport system like? Regular bus service throughout the city
How was the social life? Good. Lots of English speaking students, travellers,
lots of bars, cinemas, theatres etc
Favourite place to eat? Thousands of restaurants in the Old Town. Oliver's for a
posh meal.
Favourite place to drink? Thor, checkpoint, Waynes... or the beach
Favourite place to visit? Monaco - 20 mins away by train or Cannes. Loads of
little beaches a short bus ride away
What not to miss? Nice carnival in January
What to avoid? Sticking to Anglophones. It's quite hard to meet French people
with all the English people around
Any advice to students? Try to arrange accommodation beforehand because it is
very hard to find somewhere in September/October
What did you do? Student
Where did you live? Studio apartment
What was the accommodation like? Much better than expected but hard to find
What was the cost of living like? Expensive
What was the transport system like? Reliable and cheap
How was the social life? Great - not so easy to meet French people
Favourite place to eat? Casa de la Parta in Vieux Nice
Favourite place to drink? McMahons, Checkpoint
Favourite place to visit? Vieux Nice and Cannes (easy and cheap to get to by
train)
What not to miss?
What to avoid? Walking alone late at night
Any advice to students?
Paris
What did you do?
University. First semester in Paris, second
semester in Madrid.
Where did you live? Paris, 15th arrondisment.
Apartment with another Liverpool Uni student.
What was the accommodation like? Lovely posh area of Paris. Old building but very
modern and big apartment. Rent was far too expensive though.
What was the cost of living like? Very
expensive you will need a big budget to cover everything. Food in supermarkets
was not that expensive though.
What was the transport system like?
Metro system about 50 Euros a month for metro
pass, but you can get a cheaper one if you are staying there the whole year. I
never used the bus. Trains to the airport as well. Often delays or strikes which
was annoying. Bear that in mind when you are travelling to airport!
How was the social life? Very expensive, didn't go to many nightclubs as
entrance fee is 20+euros and then 10 Euros for a drink!! A few cheap bars though
especially during happy hour which usually runs till 10pm.
Favourite place to eat?
Hippopotamus (steak restaurant chain), for cheap
3 course meals. There is a road by the Notre Dame which has lots of restaurants
offering 3 course meals for 10-20 Euros. Not the best food but good for what you
pay.
Favourite place to drink? Bars in the Bastille but there are lots dotted all
over Paris. I preferred the Irish bars though.
Favourite place to visit?
All of it but my favourite place was Montmartre.
What not to miss? Paris at Christmas, all the
lights etc and New Years eve. There is so much to see and do in Paris of a day.
What to avoid?
Walking alone at night. Don't carry lots of money
around or use mobile/iPod in crowded places.
Any advice to students?
Find accommodation in Paris in advance. It is
very hard to find nice accommodation for a good price.
What did you do? Erasmus student
Where did you live? Flat in Apris XIII
What was the accommodation like? Extremely hard to find. There were no places
available in halls of residence. The only flat we could find needed
re-decorating and wasn't in a great area
What was the cost of living like? Extremely expensive
What was the transport system like? Good
How was the social life? Not much social life - only amongst other foreign
students
Favourite place to eat? A pizza restaurant facing Gare de L'Est
Favourite place to drink? Irish bars and the Bastille area e.g. Barrio Latino
Favourite place to visit?
What not to miss? The visits organised by the international office (at the
university) to other cities
What to avoid? St Denis. Avoid walking alone at night
Any advice to students? Be well prepared before you get there and have all the
documents you need available.
What did you do? Erasmus student
Where did you live? Paris. Cite Universitaire halls.
What was the accommodation like? Safe area, loads of students, very cheap for
Paris. Cheap restaurant on site we called "school dinners". Good way to meet
people.
What was the cost of living like? Quite expensive! Bars very expensive but
eating out not too bad if you go to right places.
What was the transport system like? Metro system very good. Had a direct train
from my halls to airport which was very useful. It ran very often too.
How was the social life? Very good as an Erasmus student. There's always a
party. There were also party's especially for Erasmus with cheaper drinks.
Favourite place to eat? Place d'Italie quite cheap, loads of pasta and pizza
places.
Favourite place to drink? Bastille area. Most of the good bars are there.
Favourite place to visit? I basically lived at Montmartre. I loved it. Champs
Elysee. Big shopping centre at La Defense and of course Eiffel Tower!
What not to miss? Everything. There's so much to do in Paris, you'll never get
bored!
What to avoid? All the sleazy men! I have to be careful when out alone at all
times of day as the men aren't backwards about coming forwards! Be careful
anywhere after dark.
Any advice to students? Cite Universitaire was brilliant! I'd definitely recommend it.
What did you do? Assistant
Where did you live? Paris 12eme, Daumesnil
What was the accommodation like? Very expensive but lovely. Very safe flat in a
residential area, very handy for nights out in Bastille.
What was the cost of living like? Expensive but you can manage.
What was the transport system like? Excellent.
How was the social life? It's quite different to the UK, but for a city everyone
is very friendly and there's a night out to suit everyone's tastes.
Favourite place to eat? Tiny Tapas bar on Rue Lappe, metro Bastille, very
reasonable and a great atmosphere with live flamenco music. Try exploring the
back end of Montmartre, there's loads of really nice typical French restaurants
and bistros that are not tourist traps.
Favourite place to drink? Bastille, Republique, Oberkampf for bars. Wax in
Bastille sometimes stays open until 6 I seem to remember... Chatelet is more RnB
but not so much that it's not worth a try to people that aren't really into it.
Favourite place to visit? Wandering around monmatre village, Rodin museum, try
to go to the opera at least once, you can get fairly cheap tickets and it's
really worth it.
What not to miss? The Muse d'Orsay
What to avoid? Tourists wherever possible and eating or drinking in tourist
areas. Walk a few streets away and everything becomes much cheaper.
Any advice to students? There's a market on a Sunday morning with loads of
speciality produce in Place Felix Eboue which makes great inexpensive presents
for Xmas etc. And just explore really. There's an ok flea market too.
What did you do? Independent Work Placement
Where did you live? Paris 12th, near Bastille, with a French family
What was the accommodation like? I don't pay any rent because I do about 15
hours a week babysitting for the family I live with, so that's a bonus! My room
is at the top of their house, I have a fridge, kettle, toaster etc to make
breakfast, and my own bathroom. The best thing is that I live with a very rich
family, so I get to live in a really posh house in central Paris!
What was the cost of living like? Stupidly expensive for some things, but quite
reasonable for others. For example, drinking in bars is a very costly pastime,
but you can buy wine from the supermarket for one Euro a bottle. Food and
clothes shopping can be very cheap too.
What was the transport system like? Fantastic, and quite cheap - a 2 zone
monthly travel card is 50 euros (about 35) and you can use that on all Paris
buses, metro, trams and trains within those zones. It is mostly very safe to use
and efficient, apart from the occasional strike.
How was the social life? Really varies. I was lucky enough to bump into some
other Liverpool students (literally bumped into them in Monoprix) and so we go
out together and try out various areas of Paris, but it is very different from
going out at home. There are clubs, if you hunt them down, but most of the time
you'll spend sitting in bars till 6am fending off leery men. Bastille is very
laidback, Pigalle does have some good, reasonably priced bars (but beware of the
men who will try to lure you into their sex shops!) and then there are lots of
other areas like St Michel, Chatelet, Grands Boulevards with a variety of bars.
Favourite place to eat? There's a very cool, reasonably priced Mexican
restaurant just off Rue Oberkampf (Republique end) but be warned - -if you go
there with a boyfriend/girlfriend you will be serenaded by cheesy Mexican man in
amusing costume!
Favourite place to drink? There's a bar at Pigalle that is quite laidback and
cheap-ish (about 8 euros for a bottle of wine). It is quite recognisable because
it has a massive chandelier made of wine bottles hanging in it. My friend once
saw Jarvis Cocker and Graham Coxon in there.
Favourite place to visit? Go for walks on Sundays in Paris. Avoid the tourists
(if that's possible!) and walk along the river. Do go to the Louvre and all the
other typical places, but don't try to do too much in one go as you will find
yourself thinking "yeah, yeah, another amazing building/sculpture/park" Make
sure you go to the cinema as well, they are everywhere in Paris and show a huge
range of old and new films.
What not to miss? The shops. Get lost and have a panic attack in the confusing
Les Halles shopping centre at Chatelet, and wander around the big department
stores like Samaritaine, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Le Bon March. The
buildings are beautiful and their sales are excellent, if a bit busy.
What to avoid? Really touristy places at the weekends, because you will just be
chased around by postcard sellers.
Any advice to students? French women dress a lot less proactively than British
women, so unless you want to attract lots of attention, it is probably best not
to wear really short skirts or low cut tops, even on a night out. If you have
trouble meeting friends in Paris, ask the Uni to put you into contact with other
Liverpool students in your area. It may not do your French any good, but it will
stop you feeling lonely, and if you are feeling down about being away you will
have people in the same position to whinge to. Do try to talk to the French,
though, obviously! Don't give up and let things get you down. A few times I was
so sick of being leered at by men, La Poste losing my mail, my office job being
very stressful, but it all passes and things get easier as time goes by. I also
appreciate how good British television is. Two words. Star Academy! And you
thought Pop Idol was bad!
What did you do? English Assistant
Where did you live? I am living in a foyer (a place similar to private Uni
halls, but specifically for young workers) just outside Paris.
What was the accommodation like? The area I live in is a leafy suburb, which is
very quiet. Nothing much happens in town, but there is excellent access to
Paris, as it is situated on an RER line. The accommodation is not cheap, but is
still cheaper than renting an apartment. The rent includes evening meals,
24-hour reception, cleaning, free internet access and entertainment.
What was the cost of living like? Paris is notoriously expensive, being the
capital city, so it can be difficult at times to afford going out, but there are
places to go which are cheaper. Being an assistant, I am eligible for discounts
at certain museums and tourist spots, as I can obtain a card from my school. I
also get student discount at the cinema by showing my Liverpool Uni card.
What was the transport system like? The transport is excellent. The trains are
much faster and cleaner than in Britain, and are rarely late. It is fairly cheap
to travel around the city, as you can buy tickets for the week or month.
How was the social life? The night life here is amazing- it's Paris!! there are
too many clubs, pubs and restaurants to choose from, and deciding where to go at
the weekends can be a task. there are also loads of museums to choose from, plus
shopping centres and cinemas etc. The best places to go are touristy places like
the Eiffel Tower, shopping centres like Forum des Halles in Chatelet, and the
Louvre.
Favourite place to eat? The Latin Quarter has something for everyone, so it's
pretty difficult to choose one place. It's in the area St Michel, which is quite
studenty, so has things that are cheap too. Paninis are everywhere here, so
anyone coming here will inevitably live off a diet of these as they are cheap. I
would say my favourite place to eat would be my local Chinese restaurant, 'Delices
de Fontenay' in Fontenay-aux-roses.
Favourite place to drink? The two pubs we frequent are 'The Frog and Princess'
in the 6me and 'Corcoran's' in St Michel. The Frog is an English pub, so you
can bump into people you know, and Cororan's is an Irish pub. Both do food as
well. the club we go to the most is 'O'Sullivan's' which is, again, an Irish
place (we do also go to French places!), Metro stop Blanche, and is beside the
Moulin Rouge.
Favourite place to visit? Disneyland is really easily accessible by train, and
is great fun. Anything touristy is also good, so you don't miss out on anything
while you're in Paris.
What not to miss? The museums, like the Louvre and the Muse d'Orsay, and the
Eiffel Tower, especially at night when it is all lit up. A good way to see the
city is to take a bateau mouche.
What to avoid? Anywhere dark, alone, at night. And always say no to people who
come up and offer you taxis, as they are unlicensed minicabs. Also, my friends
went to the ice rink that was set up on the Eiffel Tower and said it was not
worth the money.
Any advice to students? I think I have improved my French, and I have definitely
become more confident. I have also become more disciplined with my work, and am
now able to get up early (some days I start at 8am)!
St Omer
What did you do? Language Assistant
Where did you live? St Omer which is a town in the pas de Calais region, its
about 45 mins drive south of Calais and the same north of Lille.
What was the accommodation like? I live in a school with five other language
assistants from around the world. We pay 70 per month and we have a rather
large apartment and 6 bedrooms all with ensuite. It's really central and we are
well looked after with a cleaner and a security man who checks we are OK!
What was the cost of living like? Although the rent is cheap, the area itself is
quite pricey! I found going out to be really expensive, for example a beer an
cost anything up to 6. Food is also more expensive than at home. Trains however
do tend to be better value for money, which has enabled me to do a lot of
travelling.
What was the transport system like? There is a train station in my town which is
well served, but there are no buses and only one taxi!
How was the social life? It starts on a Thursday night with the student parties
and ends on a Sunday morning. You really have to look hard for young people in
this town. There is a small university here, but the students don't go out like
they do in Liverpool. They only let their hair down at weekends and that is only
those that stay around at weekends. Thankfully, I had the other assistants,
otherwise the first few weeks would have been very boring indeed!
Favourite place to eat? Rialtos! Its a yummy Italian restaurant which we go to
every time we get paid! It's quite expensive but its well worth it! Try the
salads.. they are huge! L'Entrecote and the Vieux March are also really nice
and far more reasonable.
Favourite place to drink? Murphy's is great on a weekend, packed with young
people! Le Queen Vic is also a popular haunt, but it has a slightly older crowd.
The golden rule is to try everywhere and not be put off by the locals watching
your every move. They will soon warm to you!
Favourite place to visit? Lille! It's full of interesting things to do and see.
It is the European capital of culture at the moment so there is loads going on.
Also you will find much cooler bars and clubs here than you do in St Omer. There
are loads of cheap hotels too, so you can really make a weekend out of it!
What not to miss? Lille at Christmas. The whole town is transformed into a
winter wonderland. They have a really cute Christmas market and a big wheel.
What to avoid? Calais. The number of ignorant tourists will just annoy you!
Any advice to students? It may sound like the end of the world when you find out
you are going to the north of France, I know it did for me, but to be honest I
couldn't be happier. The people you will find are lovely and due to your
location, travelling is really easy. It's really easy to travel to Paris and
Belgium, as well as the UK should you get homesick. The region is famous for its
beer, so take advantage of this and try them all!