Finding accommodation abroad is one of the most important steps while organising your mobility trip project. Through this article we give you several tips and solutions to satisfy your needs and optimise your research.
Living in a foster family
Living with a family abroad is certainly more reassuring, because there are more rules and a placement in a foster family will allow a full immersion in the country of destination that you have chosen.
This type of accomodation offers the opportunity of living an experience abroad according to the country’s traditions within a local family.
Living in full immersion is a way of maximising your chances to improve your language level.
Erasmus internships are also a good way of discovering a country, its people and its culture.
Sharing a flat
Sharing a flat is one of the better ways to meet people outside the university and work circles.
Living in a shared flat is often a great experience, where you can meet new people, share lots of things together (cooking, partying, personal things), but also speak different languages.
Indeed, your roommates can also come from another country. Don’t miss this opportunity and start looking for a flatshare!
Quick advice: do not look for flatshares before arriving. Make sure to take a week or two to visit the place you will be doing your mobility trip and to visit the different flats so you can choose what suits you best. This way, you can also meet the people who already live in those flats and choose the ones you feel more comfortable with.
For example, in Barcelona, the websites where you can find flatshares are:
University accommodation
Most of the time, university accommodations are linked directly to host universities. These rooms are mostly reserved to international students. This is one of the easiest solutions for students, so make sure to search for it in advance, there is a lot of demand!
Indeed, the university accommodations are suitable for every budget, this is why they are very valued.
There exist private and public universities, which often do not have the same building services. A private building may be more advantageous than a public one.
Make sure to do some research about the different university accommodations, as well as the rules they have which can sometimes be very severe.
Youth hostels
If you have a small budget for accomodation, youth hostels can be a very interesting option. Indeed, the price for one night stay in a hostel starts at 15€ in Barcelona, which would be a total of 450€ per month. However, prices may vary depending on the destination that you have chosen.
To know which destination might be the best for you, you can look at our Destinations section online.
If the youth hostel suits you, it could be a great way to earn some money. Therefore, you might have to adapt to the fact of sharing a room with strangers, which can sometimes turn out to be a tricky situation.
Also, if you think this may not be suitable for you, you could easily find a room in a flat for the same price. Again, everything depends on the destination that you have chosen. You will certainly have more intimacy, comfort and easy access to basic needs in a flat than in a youth hostel.
You must consider all these different options when you do your research. Take your time to inquire about accomodation prices in your country of destination and make the best choice for you according to your budget. We hope that this article will be helpful and will guide you to make the best accomodation decision. Have a good trip!
