Daring to travel outside the country of origin not only as a tourist but also to stay for a while and study, is an adventure that not everyone is willing to take on. Either for not leaving their comfort zone or for fear of not fitting in, because of the language, the economy or because it is a totally different culture, etc.
All this in fact, make Madrid the ideal place to expand your intellectual horizons and live in this city without fear of being judged, have fun to the fullest, learn not only one language but several and all with an abundance of security (because Madrid is despite the myths, one of the safest cities in the world).
Let’s take a look at just 10 of the thousands of reasons why being an ERASMUS in Madrid is a great idea.
1. For your safety
Madrid despite everything that can be said is undoubtedly a safe city. Obviously being a big capital it can have some risk, like all cities in the world, but in general, the feeling of security when walking through the streets is very good, it is easy to find police and Civil Guards who will come to your aid in a matter of minutes.
There is only one thing that goes wrong, pickpockets. Getting lost and carrying your wallet or cell phone in your back pocket or an outside pocket of your purse can cost you dearly. Mind you, violence (generally) is not their mode of action. And if you are a girl, walking the streets at night safely, is one of the best things Madrid has to offer.
2. Learn Spanish
For better or worse, Spain is not one of the most English-speaking countries, even today movies are translated into Spanish and many of its citizens do not speak Shakespeare’s language (although that is changing at a dizzying speed), so learning Spanish is easy if you put your mind to it. Being forced to speak the language will make you improve significantly. Don’t worry though, as I said before, more and more English is spoken in Spain and there are many people from all over the world living in the capital, so you will have no problem communicating.
3. Your location
Madrid is not only located in the middle of Spain, so you can travel throughout the country in the time you live in the city with relative ease, not for nothing is known as the kilometer 0 of Spain, as it is the starting point of all its roads. Valencia, with its beach, is only 4 hours away by bus and just over an hour by high speed train.
From Madrid and its international airport, you can fly to all of Europe and visit the other cities of the old continent very easily and cheaply.
4. The people of Madrid are very friendly
You may have already heard this about the Spanish and also about the Latin culture in general and the best proof of this can be found in Madrid. Madrileños are generally very open-minded, helpful, talkative and friendly people, you will have no problem making local friends and having a fun and enjoyable time learning about their way of being.
5. No matter your sexual orientation
That’s right, feel comfortable in Madrid, as it is one of the most “LGTBI friendly” cities in Europe and a proof of this is its famous and central neighborhood “Chueca”, a network of streets with bars, stores, hotels, nice apartments to live in, which will welcome any citizen of the world regardless of their place of origin or sexual orientation.
6. The price of housing
While it is true that the price of housing has risen quite a bit in recent years, it is still cheap compared to other European cities. It is clear that living in the center of the city is not something far-fetched or impossible, but it will cost you a lot more.
If what you want is to live well and save money, we recommend living outside the center, large rooms, nice areas, more spacious and that do not leave aside the charm of the city, on the contrary, you will know the authentic Madrid without so many tourists.
7. Advantages of being a student and also young
There are many advantages of studying Erasmus in Madrid, for me, the best city to study in Spain because you get completely flooded with the Spanish culture. Some of these advantages are free entrance to museums, exhibitions, plays, being young or student, also if you are under 26 years old, the monthly transport pass will only cost you 20 euros!!!! And with it, you can move not only for the city of Madrid but throughout the Community of Madrid, ie throughout the region of Madrid.
8. Madrid’s nightlife
Madrid’s nightlife is well known in the rest of Spain and also in the rest of Europe, as it is one of the capitals with more places to party, have a drink, dance. You can find from karaoke, nightclubs and tapas tours, Erasmus parties every week, you will find where to dance to Latin rhythms such as salsa, bachata, merengue, reggaeton.
If you like live music you have a lot of places where you can listen to from Rnb, rock and roll, blues, etc, we recommend you to take a look at this page where you will find everything related to live music bars LA NOCHE EN VIVO.
9. An abundance of nature
In the city of Madrid there is not only the green heart of the city, a park in the center with the name of El Retiro, similar to Central Park in New York, where you can relax and breathe some fresh air. Also a few minutes from the center is a large forest and park known as the Casa de Campo, with great vegetation and wildlife, in these two parks there are two large lakes to enjoy the views and take a boat ride.
North of Madrid we can also enjoy the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, where you will find an impressive mountain range and you don’t have to go to the Alps to enjoy the high mountains and hiking trails or (take a look at our hiking events) and in winter you can also go skiing.
10. You will meet people from all over the world
Madrid is undoubtedly one of the most international cities that exist, an impressive mix of cultures, which in addition to being one of the most visited cities in the world, give Madrid the international atmosphere that I like so much. Understanding cultures other than our own, opens our minds to be able to move forward in a better world. If you study economics, it will definitely make you see with different eyes how to improve international relations and business since you will meet a lot of people from different parts of the world.
For this reason and much more, you should consider doing your Erasmus program in Madrid, to learn and enjoy at the same time, meet people, live the student life to the fullest and take with you the best memories.
