Internship in smaller city. Twice more fun!

ERASMUS is always a good opportunity for all the young people that are looking for a working experience abroad also in small cities. One question is still open though: where is the students’ paradise? Charm of the big names, such as Barcelona, Madrid or Valencia every year enthrals and attracts a huge amount of students from all world, but are the big cities always the best one option? In this blog we are making small advertisement for other undervalued, but still breath-taking places in Spain.

One of the benefits to studying in smaller cities can be for example save half of money on living costs and spend on travelling or parties. Which means twice more fun and memories, than in a big city. One of the worst mistakes you can do in your Erasmus is not doing certain activities because of the lack of money. Besides, saving money it’s not the only advantage you can get from living in smaller cities.

Crazy parties

There are some stereotypes about boring countryside life in smaller cities. But let´s start with statistics! The population of Granada is around 240 000.  About 1/3 of them are students who are spread over five different campuses in the city. Sounds like an amazing foundation for great friendships, crazy memories and loud parties for students.

The same is with Salamanca which is typically a college town. The majority of people are 18-35 years old and being a »student’’ is the most popular profession. In smaller places, students live closer to each other, which is the perfect platform for organising and joining different house parties.

Alicante is another wonderful city, full of opportunities for Erasmus students. It’s very well known as being a holiday city, where you can feel the party spirit 24 hours per day. Here, you can party till sunrise (especially recommended in summer months) and find some breakfast in the budget of 5 euros. And this amount of festivals, which are full of life and culture… Incredible! But in the big cities, you need to pay at least 10 euros for entrance in fancy clubs or pubs. In smaller cities, you can attend everywhere for free, without queue to get inside crowded clubs.

In general, a studio apartment in Madrid or Barcelona cost around 350 euros per month. One-bedroom apartment in centre can reach up to 900 euros. Additionally, you get bills up to 100 euros for electricity, water and gas. Granada and Salamanca have nice flats for reasonable prices, and at a reasonable price. Which are approximately 150 euros per month for a shared room and 300 euros for a studio type flat in the city centre.

Finding a flat in these places even in the last minute it is possible and easy. You can search for a flat not only on the internet, but you can find a lot of advertisements and posters through all the city. Students are coming and going, leaving their rooms free. That’s why it is more than simple to find the accommodation here. In Alicante you can rent a room for 180 euros per month both in a students’ area or centre. The same with bills, in areas with mild winters as Alicante. You will not pay that much for utilities.

Easy traveling

In smaller cities, you can also save a lot of money on transport. But in Alicante, there is a distance of just a few minutes between you and the beach. If you are too lazy to walk, you can buy a bus ticket for a ridiculous price of 1 euro or take a taxi with a tariff rate of 2.50 euro.

Granada has the beach and the mountains which takes less than one hour away by bus. To sum up, living in smaller cities will save your money and your time. What about travelling? Spain has a very friendly transportation system for travelling. It is more than easy to visit the big cities for the weekend. For example, Salamanca is only a 2,5hours bus ride away from Madrid.

Amazing food

All student cities are offering friendly prices for menus. For example, in Salamanca, good tapas are almost for free, costing about 20-30 cents with the purchase of a beverage. If this is too much, Granada is one of the few cities where free tapas come with a drink (‘’tinto de verano’’ or beer) at any tapas bar. But life is not only about tapas. In Alicante you can get  a menu deal for 8 euros, including coffee and wine. It is easy to find a lot of healthy local food in restaurants that you can get for a good price.

Real Spain

In the big cities, people mostly live in a 24-7 race. They do not always have time to stop from their daily routine and try to help you. But in smaller cities, ‘’native’’ Spanish people will try, even if they will not speak in English. Apart for that,  in less ‘’international’’ and not so touristic cities there are more opportunities for cultural immersion. This is a great chance to learn a new language such as Spanish (comparing with Barcelona, where people rather speak in Catalan). It is obvious that nowadays the knowledge of a foreign languages is a valuable tool.

Sea, beach, mountains, clean air and more than 300 sunny days. This is basically Alicante. Here is very easy to find a job, even without knowing Spanish. On the other side, Granada offers a different perspective of Spain. Because it’s situated in the south of Spain, near the arid region. There is another type of climate (sun, rain, even snow sometimes).  Yes, snow and Spain can be connected :). Regarding Salamanca, this is one of greenest and cleanest places in Spain with lots of environmental and sustainable projects around it.

To sum up, make sure to choose your destination carefully. Taking into consideration all the aspects, and not only the size of the city.

If you´re interested to do an internship in Spain don´t hesitate to take a look at our offers. Make an account on trainingexperience.org and start applying on your favourites. We are here for your questions and we can help you find the perfect internship without any fees. Find out more details here and read more our articles.