Lisbon waits for you to fall in love

I chose Lisbon for my Erasmus mobility because I visited it before and fell in love with it immediately. Lisbon has this impact on people; I was not the only one.
Lisbon is a city of kind people, warm weather and relaxed atmosphere. There is always something to do whether you want to party, go to a museum or do sports.

ACOMMODATION
There are many websites and Facebook groups for finding accommodation. Prices vary around 300 EUR/ room. Rooms in the strict centre of the city are more expensive. I really wanted to be as close to the centre as possible and paid quite a great amount of money for my room. But afterwards I regretted it because areas that are just a bit out of the centre have cheaper rooms and are reached easily by metro during the day and night bus during the night.

Websites: www.bquarto.com, www.olx.pt, www.uniplaces.com, www.erasmuslifelisboa.com, www.lisbonrooms.com

Facebook: try to search for groups “quartos para arrendar” or similar. “Quarto” means a room. And if you search in Portuguese there is a better possibility to find a cheap room because websites and groups for foreigners and Erasmus people offer much more expensive rooms.

 

 

TRANSPORT
The cost of monthly metro pass is around 35 EUR. Probably you will drive to your university by metro so this purchase will definitely be a must. Try to choose a place along the metro lines to live in because it will make your stay much more pleasant and you will spend less money. Monthly metro pass includes unlimited rides by metro or bus and train as well but just to a little but out of the city (Belem), not to all destinations and areas. If you want to reach a beach or any other city you will easily find a train connection. It is also not expensive. There are also very cheap flights to some destinations, depends on the period of the year. When I stayed in Lisbon everyone was flying out to the Azores, two years ago Madeira was popular and you can go to Morocco as well and for really small amounts of money.

PEOPLE
Portuguese people are very easy going and nice. They are also very relaxed and slow which can drive you crazy sometimes as it did me since I am a more dynamic person and used to Slovenian stressful life. But on the other hand the atmosphere is more relaxed due to their lack of worrying. Lisbon will really teach you to stop stressing out and get used of waiting in queues. You will definitely return as a changed person.



COST
Lisbon is not expensive. The biggest expense will be accommodation. Food in supermarkets (Pingo Doce) is quite cheap and there are always good offers for lower prices for fruit and vegetables and other stuff as well. Cosmetic products are expensive, much more than in Slovenia. If you don't want to spend a lot, I suggest you to buy products that are on promotion which you will find in Pingo Doce every day. If you eat out, you can find restaurants with good prices and you won't spend a lot. Try to avoid touristic restaurants but even there the prices are affordable. Portugal is very famous for their wine. You can get a high quality for a low price. What I really liked was that when you order a glass of wine you always get 2.5 dcl not 1. It usually costs 3 EUR. The prices of other alcohol can be compared to Slovenian's.

UNIVERSITY
I was doing a master programme in Lisbon at Flul (Faculdade de letras/Faculty of arts) but some of the courses were held by IGOT (Institute for geography and spatial planning) and was very pleased with both of them. But prepare to have a million problems with documentation. I always thought that everything on Slovenian coast is slow but when I came to Lisbon I changed my mind. They will provide everything but you will have to be persistent and it will take some time. Otherwise the atmosphere at universities is just amazing with many people, big buildings and students wearing their typical uniforms. And everyone is really kind and helpful.

PLACES TO VISIT
There are many places you should see and you will definitely not get bored in Lisbon. If you want to explore Lisbon, I suggest you take a metro and see all the beautiful parks (Estrella, Eduardo, …) and one very interesting sight is the flea market (Feira da ladra). It happens every Saturday. People sell all kinds of stuff you do and don’t need and since you will be there have a coffee in a bar called Clara Clara in the middle of the park. This bar and flea market are in the area called Alfama which was personally my favourite district of the city. In the evenings there are many cute little places to have a glass of wine and to listen fado which is their traditional music. If you want to party go to Bairro Alto which is the whole district full of bars and people partying.
It is very easy to reach places out of the city by train or bus. A must see are the beautiful city Sintra, the most western point of Europe Cabo da Rocca, beach Carcavelos and my absolutely favourite city by the sea, Cascais. And of course many other places as well. 

SPORT
Surfing, surfing, surfing. Rent a desk, hire an instructor and ride the waves! The best experience of my life. Not expensive and so much fun. There are also many cheap gyms or you can run along the river. 

  

MY TIPS

• Stay the whole year. One semester is in my experience not enough to truly experience this amazing city. 
• It is very important to choose roommates you will like because you will spend a lot of time with them. 
• Take time for traveling. Plane tickets from Lisbon are cheap and there are many amazing places to see. 
• Every first Sunday in a month all the museums are for free. Take advantage of that.
• Portuguese people think they live in a tropical place because they don’t have any central heating in the buildings. If you will stay during the winter, take some very warm clothes with you. 
• Attend a course and learn Portuguese. 
• Enjoy your stay and make the most out of it. Fall in love, drink wine, learn new things. :)

Anka Udovč