Spain.

Spain gives you a huge amount of life for your money. The weather is genuinely good most of the year, cities are walkable and beautiful, and the Erasmus scene is enormous, so you're never short of people in the same boat. Universities are relaxed about deadlines compared to northern Europe, which frees up time to actually live there rather than grind in the library.

The trade-off is that things move slowly. Registering for a course, opening a bank account, or getting your residency card can eat weeks. English is patchy outside the big cities and tourist zones, so a bit of Spanish goes a long way. Accept the pace, learn a few phrases, and it becomes one of the easiest countries in Europe to feel at home in.

Social life here is relentless in the best way. ESN sections run pub crawls, beach days, and cheap coach trips almost weekly, and because the Erasmus population is so big you'll build a friend group within days. Nights out start late: dinner around 21:00, bars by midnight, clubs until 06:00 is standard, especially in Madrid and Barcelona.

Day to day, life happens outside. Terraces, plazas, and parks are where people meet, and a caña (small beer) with a free tapa is the default social currency. Spaniards are warm but their close friend groups form young, so most of your circle will be other internationals plus a few locals from your course or flat. Lean into intercambios (language exchanges) if you want to meet more Spanish people.

Spain is mid-priced by Western European standards and much cheaper than the UK, France, or the Nordics. Madrid and Barcelona are the expensive outliers; Seville, Valencia, Granada, and the smaller cities stretch your budget a lot further. A realistic all-in monthly budget outside the two big cities is 700-950 euros, or 900-1200 in Madrid or Barcelona.

Eating and drinking out is where Spain wins: the menu del dia, a three-course weekday lunch with a drink, is a genuine bargain and a daily ritual worth adopting.

• Room in a shared flat: 350-550 euros (700+ in Barcelona)
• Menu del dia lunch: 11-15 euros
• Caña (small beer): 1.50-3 euros
• Monthly transport pass: 20-45 euros
• Weekly groceries: 30-45 euros

Most students rent a room in a shared flat (piso compartido) rather than dorms, which are limited and often outside the centre. Idealista is the dominant search site, backed by Badi, Fotocasa, and city-specific Facebook groups like Erasmus housing pages. Aim to arrive a week or two early and view in person before signing anything.

Scams are common: never pay a deposit or "reservation fee" for a flat you haven't seen, and be wary of listings with suspiciously low rent or landlords who can't meet you. Expect to pay one to two months' deposit. In Barcelona and Madrid demand is brutal in September, so start looking early and be ready to decide fast.

• Idealista, the main portal for rooms and flats
• Badi, room-focused, good for flatshares
• Never wire money before viewing in person
• Deposit is usually 1-2 months' rent

City transport is cheap and good. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Bilbao all have metros or trams, and under-26 travel passes are heavily subsidised, in Madrid the abono joven gives you the entire regional network for around 20 euros a month. Most student cities are compact enough to walk or cycle anyway.

For intercity travel, the AVE high-speed trains are fast but pricier; book Renfe early or use budget operators like Ouigo and Iryo for cheap advance fares. Buses (ALSA, FlixBus) are slower but the cheapest way between cities. Madrid to Barcelona is around 2.5 hours by AVE; Seville to Madrid about 2.5 hours too.

• Under-26 monthly city pass, roughly 20-45 euros
• Book AVE trains weeks ahead for the best fares
• Ouigo and Iryo, budget high-speed rivals to Renfe
• ALSA and FlixBus, cheapest intercity option

Spanish universities run on the ECTS system, and a normal semester load is 30 ECTS. Grading is out of 10: 5 is a pass, 7-8 is solid, and anything above 9 (matricula de honor territory) is rare. Continuous assessment plus a final exam is common, and the pace is gentler than in northern Europe, though attendance is often tracked.

English-taught courses exist but are limited; the best availability is in business schools and larger public universities. Standouts include the Universidad Complutense and Autonoma in Madrid, Universitat de Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, and Valencia and Granada for a cheaper, sunnier experience. Check the exact English course list before committing, as it varies wildly by faculty.

What you need depends entirely on your nationality. EU, EEA, and Swiss students need no visa; you just register for a NIE (foreigner ID number) if you stay long enough. Non-EU students staying over 90 days generally need a national student visa arranged at a Spanish consulate before arrival, then a TIE residency card once in Spain.

Start the visa process early, it's slow and document-heavy: proof of enrolment, funds, private health insurance, and often a criminal record check and medical certificate. Once in Spain, book your NIE/TIE appointment (cita previa) the moment you arrive, as slots vanish fast in big cities.

• EU/EEA/Swiss, no visa, just register for a NIE
• Non-EU over 90 days, student visa before arrival
• Get your TIE card within 30 days of landing
• Book the cita previa appointment immediately

Meal times run late: lunch is the big meal around 14:00-15:00, dinner rarely before 21:00. Tapas culture varies by region, in Granada and Leon they still come free with a drink, while elsewhere you pay. Regional identity is strong: Catalonia and the Basque Country have their own languages and fierce local pride, so read the room politically.

Daily life is social and unhurried. Shops may still shut for a midday break, Sundays are quiet, and nothing feels urgent. Fiestas are a way of life, from Las Fallas in Valencia to Semana Santa and countless local patron-saint festivals that shut whole cities down for days. Embrace it rather than fight it.

Spain's student cities each have a distinct personality, from big-city buzz to sun-soaked coastal calm. Here's a quick read on where you'd land.

• Madrid, for the full big-city experience, nightlife, and best transport links
• Barcelona, for beach-plus-city, design, and the most international crowd
• Valencia, for the best value-to-lifestyle ratio, beaches and a walkable centre
• Seville, for classic Andalusian culture, tapas, and unbeatable spring atmosphere
• Malaga, for coast living, mild winters, and an easygoing pace
• Bilbao, for green landscapes, world-class food, and Basque character
• San Sebastian, for pintxos, surf, and one of Europe's prettiest bays
• Pamplona, for a compact, walkable city famous for its San Fermin festival
• Oviedo, for an affordable, low-key northern city with lush surroundings
• Cordoba, for history, Moorish architecture, and a slower, cheaper base

Spain is huge and varied, so you can spend the whole year exploring without leaving the country: green north, sunny south, islands, and mountains all within reach. Budget airlines (Ryanair, Vueling) and cheap high-speed trains make weekends away easy, and ESN trips handle the logistics if you'd rather just show up.

Portugal is right next door and Morocco is a short hop from the south, so your weekends can range far beyond Spain too.

• Granada and the Alhambra, an essential day or weekend trip
• Lisbon or Porto, cheap flights from most Spanish cities
• The Balearics or Canaries, flights often cheaper than you'd expect
• Morocco (Tangier, Marrakech), a ferry or short flight from the south
• San Sebastian and the Basque coast, for food and surf

Most newcomers get caught out by the pace and the paperwork. A little preparation and a relaxed attitude save you a lot of grief.

• Sort your NIE/TIE appointment the week you arrive, not the week it's due
• Learn basic Spanish, outside tourist zones English gets you nowhere
• Never pay a flat deposit before viewing in person
• Adjust to late meal times or you'll be eating alone
• Get the under-26 transport pass, it pays for itself immediately
• Carry some cash, small bars and menus del dia are often card-shy