Shared apartments, spare rooms and roommates in Santander

This city receives many national and international students among other cities in the north of Spain. The capital of Cantabria has two universities that welcome young people every year: the University of Cantabria and the Menéndez Pelayo International University. In addition, young people come to enjoy the local culture, the sea, the mountains and the leisure offer that Santander has, which is very lively.

Do you want to live in a shared flat in Santander? We recommend that if Spanish is not your native language and if one of your roommates is local, take the opportunity to learn and practice the language as much as you can.

Advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in Santander

These are some of the most outstanding aspects of living in shared flats in the Spanish city:

Advantages of sharing a flat in Santander

• You have several accommodations from which you can choose: single rooms, spare rooms shared between several people and also some that are part of private flats or residences for students.

• You will be able to choose accommodation in convenient areas to live as a student, such as La Albericia, El Sardinero and the centre of Santander.

Disadvantages of sharing a flat in Santander

• The cost of a room in a student residence is usually higher than that of rooms in private flats. However, many include a meal plan and other facilities such as a gym, leisure areas, laundry, etc.

• Some of the available rooms are part of family flats, so the atmosphere is much quieter than in student flats. You have to choose the one that best suits your lifestyle.

Erasmus App for your exchange programme in Santander

If you want to make the process of planning, during and after your exchange easier, we recommend that you use the apps for Erasmus+ and that you take advantage of all the information that you will find there. You can see the list of procedures you have to do, instructions and advice and experiences from previous years. For example, students from previous years say that you do not worry about the frequent rain in the city, that over time you get used to it and learn to fully enjoy everything that Santander has to offer despite the rain.

How to meet people in Santander

Take the opportunity to befriend your roommates, who will surely be some of the closest people during your exchange. You can also meet people through one of the following ways:

Student associations in Santander

The ESN Santander, in addition to helping newcomers with all the paperwork that needs to be done, offers the possibility of accessing discounts and being part of a large number of fun activities and events where you will be able to meet other students. 

Facebook groups for Erasmus in Santander

Most of the Facebook groups that you will find were created by ESN Santander, both the general ones and those that correspond to specific academic years. In them, you will be able to see the calendar of activities and photos of those that have already been carried out, which usually include cheap trips (to Bilbao, Ibiza, etc.), visits to animal shelters, tandem nights and board games, among others.

WhatsApp groups for Erasmus in Santander

Both in online communities and ESN groups, you will find links to WhatsApp groups that you can join. Take the opportunity to introduce yourself, share your interests and meet people who want to make spontaneous plans with you, or join those who are organizing.

Tips for living in a shared apartment in Santander

Remember these tips about living in shared flats in the Spanish city:

• In the case of shared rooms, you have to pay close attention to whether the price is for one or two occupants since it usually differs. 

• With the money you will save on rent, use it to explore Santander, the surroundings of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria (there are students from previous years who say that you have to take the opportunity to get to know the surrounding nature to get to know the real Cantabria) and also Asturias, the Basque Country and Castilla y León.

• If you will be going to the beach often, try to be clean and not fill the apartment with sand!

Frequently asked questions about sharing a flat in Santander

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