Shared apartments, spare rooms and roommates in Heraklion

The capital of Crete welcomes a large number of international students every year at its two universities, the University of Crete and the Hellenic Mediterranean University. These young people choose Heraklion for their exchange to have the opportunity to live on an island and immerse themselves in the local culture, very different from those of other countries.

International students often choose shared flats to live in, so they can live together in a lively, multicultural environment. Also, if one of your roommates is Greek, you will be able to learn more about the local culture and take the opportunity to learn its language.

Advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in Heraklion

Are you still not sure if this type of accommodation is ideal for you? Consider the following features about sharing a flat in the Greek city:

Advantages of sharing a flat in Heraklion

• You will most likely find rooms in flats with a convenient location to live as a student. Keep in mind that some favourite neighbourhoods for young people every year are the centre of Heraklion, Agia Marina and Xeropotamos.
• Some rooms have access to a private bathroom and/or balcony, as well as beautiful views of the city and the sea.

Disadvantages of sharing a flat in Heraklion

• Some flats may not be in the best condition, so you should take a good look at the pictures of the accommodation.
• You have to pay attention to the connection between your apartment and the university you are attending, since sometimes it may not be the best.

Erasmus App for your exchange programme in Heraklion

Download available Erasmus+ apps. These apps serve to make the exchange as pleasant as possible, allowing you to fully enjoy the entire experience. To do this, they put at your disposal a large amount of information given by the city, the university and other students. For example, the young people encourage those who arrive to take advantage of their stay to travel around Crete as much as possible, but also around the rest of Greece, including Athens, Meteora and the other islands.

How to meet people in Heraklion

You will find some ways you have to meet people in the capital of Crete, in addition to encouraging you to live in a shared flat and interact with your flatmates.

Student associations in Heraklion

The two universities in the city have a branch of ESN, so depending on which one you go to you will be able to join either ESN University of Crete or ESN HUM Crete. Thanks to the ESN you will be able to integrate more easily into the university environment, taking part in many activities and events.

Facebook groups for Erasmus in Heraklion

We suggest that you join the ESN Facebook groups since in them you can check the activities you can join. For example, some of these activities are trips around Crete, theme parties, international dinners and city games.

Whatsapp groups for Erasmus in Heraklion

Ask the ESN for the links to these groups, since they have some created. In them you can take the opportunity to introduce yourself and give information about yourself, finding other young people who have similar interests to yours. That way it will be easier to share activities you want to do.

Tips for living in a shared student apartment in Heraklion

We provide you some tips to keep in mind when sharing flats in the Greek city:

• If one of your flatmates is Cretan, you will surely be able to share with a person who is friendly with foreigners. In fact, they have a specific word that means to be kind to people you don't know: “philoxenia”.
• During your stay, you can enjoy the festivals and traditions of the island with your roommates, including the Greek Carnival (Apokrias) and the Wine Festival.

Frequently asked questions about sharing a flat in Heraklion

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