Erasmus in Paris

Paris is not only France's capital: it's one of the largest academic capitals in the world. Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Paris-Saclay, Panthéon-Assas, Dauphine, Sciences Po, ENS Ulm, HEC, ESCP, Polytechnique, Centrale, the Beaux-Arts and fifty other institutions welcome tens of thousands of Erasmus students each year. Whatever your field — law, medicine, engineering, art, fashion, political science, film — there's a world-class school in Paris.

Cultural life is simply unmatched: hundreds of museums, theatres, indie cinemas on every corner, permanent and temporary exhibitions, a unique food scene, fashion, Haussmann architecture, the bouquinistes along the Seine. You could spend three years here and still not see everything. Every arrondissement has its own personality, vibe, bars and markets.

The critical issue, and let's be honest, is housing. Parisian rents are among the highest in Europe and the market is extremely tight. But Erasmus students have access to valuable support (CAF/APL housing aid), priority CROUS accommodation and the Cité Internationale Universitaire. With a bit of planning ahead, Paris remains accessible — and the experience is more than worth it.

The Paris housing market is extremely tight: very limited supply against huge demand, especially in September. Erasmus students have three main options. CROUS Paris gives priority to exchange students, with rooms in student residences between €200 and €500/month — apply six months in advance via your Erasmus office. The Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP) brings together about 40 houses by nationality (Brazil House, Spain College, Italy House, etc.) in a leafy park south of Paris — very popular, apply well ahead. Private student residences (Studea, Estudines, Néméa, Aparto) offer fully equipped furnished studios between €800 and €1300/month.

On the private market, the go-to platforms are Leboncoin, PAP, SeLoger, Erasmus Play, Spotahome and ImmoJeune for flatshares. Budget €650-950/month for a room in a shared flat depending on the neighbourhood. Watch out for scams: never send money before visiting, and check the landlord's identity.

Neighbourhoods: the 15th and 14th are quiet and student-friendly, the 5th (Latin Quarter) is historic but pricey, the 10th, 11th, 19th and 20th (Belleville, Oberkampf, Canal Saint-Martin) are young, lively and more affordable, the 13th is close to universities with a large Asian community. The inner suburbs (Pantin, Bagnolet, Montrouge, Cité U) are well connected by metro. Good news: CAF housing aid (APL) is open to Erasmus students — a CROUS room can give you €100-200/month, apply as soon as you arrive on caf.fr.

Île-de-France Mobilités runs one of the densest public transport networks in the world: 16 metro lines, 5 RER lines (A to E) reaching the suburbs, tramway, buses, Transilien. Everything is interconnected, and a single card gets you anywhere in the region.

The Imagine R Étudiant pass is one of Europe's best deals: about €392/year — around €33/month — for students under 26. It covers ALL zones (Paris + suburbs + Versailles + Disneyland + airports). Apply on imaginer.fr with your student certificate — plan ahead, processing takes 2-3 weeks. While waiting, you can buy a monthly Navigo (~€88).

The metro runs from 5:30am to 1:15am on weekdays, until 2:15am on Fridays and Saturdays. Vélib' (bike-share, €30/year student plan) and Lime/Dott/Tier scooters fill in the gaps. Airports: Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle is served by RER B, Orly by RER B + Orlyval or Orlybus.

Student life in Paris is simply exceptional. ESN Paris coordinates sections at most universities and organises outings, trips, parties and weekend getaways. Every grande école has its own events: Sciences Po's Friday Cocktail, the Sorbonne's student nights, engineering schools' BDEs. Nightlife runs from Oberkampf and Pigalle (SoPi) to Belleville, from the Marais (vibrant LGBTQ+ scene) to Bastille, with rooftops, summer guinguettes and underground clubs.

The real cultural game changer: national museums are FREE for EU citizens under 26. Louvre, Orsay, Pompidou, Versailles, Quai Branly, Cluny, Rodin — all free. Add the Cinémathèque Française, the Forum des Images, and unlimited cinema cards like UGC Illimité or MK2 (~€22/month) for unlimited movies. Food-wise: markets at Aligre, Maubert, Bastille, endless Sunday brunches, cheese shops, wine bars, neighbourhood bakeries. Eating in Paris is part of the experience.

For weekend trips, Paris is unbeatable: Versailles 30 min by RER, Disneyland 1h, Reims (champagne) 45 min by TGV, Brussels 1h20 by Thalys, London 2h by Eurostar, Lyon or Marseille a few hours by TGV. All of Europe is within reach of a train station.

EU citizens: no visa, no residence permit. The first useful step is CAF: as soon as you have a lease (even CROUS), apply for APL on caf.fr — you can get up to €200/month depending on your rent. You'll need your housing certificate, a French bank account (RIB) and your provisional social security number.

For healthcare, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers basic care. Non-EU students must register with French social security via Ameli, and it's strongly recommended to take complementary insurance (LMDE, Heyme, SMERRA). Non-EU students also need to go through OFII (French immigration office) to validate their student visa within three months of arrival.

For banking, the major French banks (BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, LCL) offer student deals, but online banks (N26, Revolut, Boursorama) are accepted everywhere, free, and faster to open. Having a French RIB makes everything easier: rent, CAF, bills, transport pass. Open your account in your first week.

French is the main language, and although English works in tourist areas and at international universities (Sciences Po, HEC, ESSEC, INSEAD, Dauphine, Paris-Saclay all have many English-taught programs), even basic French changes everything — for paperwork, flatmates, shopkeepers and just living the city.

Many programs run entirely in English: Sciences Po (international programs), HEC, ESCP, INSEAD, several Dauphine and Paris-Saclay masters. For regular French-taught courses, most universities offer free or low-cost FLE (French as a foreign language) programs for Erasmus students.

To progress: Alliance Française (~€250/month intensive), Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne (CCFS), Institut Catholique, ESL Paris. Language tandems via ESN and apps like Tandem or HelloTalk work very well in Paris. A small tip: Parisians have a reputation for being cold, but they genuinely appreciate when you try French, even imperfect. A "bonjour" when entering a shop transforms every interaction.