Top 10 student budget friendly restaurants in Toulouse – part two

Coucou !

After a busy few weeks I’ve finally found the time to blog again.

Since I last wrote, my post on finding student accommodation in France has been featured on the Third Year Abroad website (www.thirdyearabroad.com) which I am absolutely thrilled about! For those of you who don’t know, the TYA website is a fantastic resource for students considering, embarking on or returning from their year abroad. It contains essential advice about placement hunting, funding, accommodation and much more. If that applies to you I’d highly recommend taking a look at it!

In my last post (which you can read here) I started counting down my top 10 places to eat in la ville rose.

So without further ado, let’s resume the countdown - here are my top 5 favourite restaurants in Toulouse.

5. Le salon d’Eugénie

Photo credit http://www.toulouscope.fr/salon-de-the/le-salon-d-eugenie.html

Value for money: 16/20

Atmosphere: 17/20

French factor: 18/20

My French language tandem took me to Le salon d’Eugénie as it’s one of her favourite café/restaurants. The décor was typically French with lots of little tables for two packed into one room. The place was full of locals – always a good sign!

As this is more of a café, the menu was lighter than the other restaurants I’ve been to in Toulouse. For my main course I chose air-dried ham and a local blue cheese on sourdough bread with a side salad – a wise choice! It was the first time I’d tried blue cheese (silly I know, but the colour has never appealed to me) and I was surprised at how much I liked it!

My friend had to get back to university for 2pm but we lost track of time and only realised she would be late if we stayed after ordering dessert! Luckily the staff were really accommodating and packaged our puddings into little pâtisserie boxes – they even gave us our expressos to take out.

A really charming place for a lighter lunch, afternoon tea or an ice-cream in the summer, located right in the heart of Toulouse just off Capitole square, this place is well worth a visit!

4. Café du Midi

Value for money: 17/20

Atmosphere: 18/20

French factor: 20/20

Another favourite of my language tandem. Dating back to 1875, the Café du Midi is a Toulousain institution. The style is that of a traditional brasserie: a no-frills eatery serving fresh, tasty French favourites at reasonable prices.

I ordered the French classic of Steak Frites, a good sized steak accompanied with a generous portion of French fries and side salad. For dessert I ordered profiteroles, what I got was a gigantic helping of vanilla cream, lots of chocolate sauce and of course masses of profiteroles – I don’t think I even managed to eat half of it!

The brasserie was quite empty on the day we visited which apparently was unusual. Had it been busier I think the atmosphere might well have been improved.

I recommend a visit to the Café du Midi – it’s fascinating to imagine how many people have eaten there over the years!

3. La Faim des Haricots, centre ville branch

Photo credit https://gourmandisesetplaisirspluriels.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/restaurant-vegetarien-la-faim-des-haricots-toulouse/

Value for money: 20/20

Atmosphere: 16/20

French factor: 15/20

This restaurant is listed as one of the top 10 vegetarian restaurants in France according to The Guardian. From visiting several times, I can confirm it is deserving of this accolade.

La Faim des Haricots is a welcome break from traditional French dining. It offers exclusively vegetarian dishes in an ‘all you can eat’ style (buffet à volonté). There really is something for everyone, from typical French café staples such as quiches to more unusual options such as vegetarian chilli with couscous and Thai green vegetable curry with rice.  Each day there are five courses to choose from: salad, savoury tarts, soup, the dish of the day and a selection of especially yummy desserts and ice-creams. The number of courses you can choose depends on the formule you select; I’d recommend the menu ‘Midi’ (lunch menu) which consisted of two dishes, a small carafe of wine, cider or a non-alcoholic beverage and an expresso for 14,50 € which was extremely good value.

My only qualm about the restaurant is that if you are seated in the basement you have to carry your food downstairs from the ground floor buffet, which can prove a slightly precarious experience!

There was a good mix of locals and tourists in the restaurant, and each time I visited it was very busy – I would recommend booking in advance!

2. Au Bon Servant

Value for money: 17/20

Atmosphere: 19/20

French factor: 20/20

My foodie friend was right when she told me this is a must visit restaurant!

Au Bon Servant offers a modern take on traditional French cuisine in a relaxed and intimate bistro setting where you can watch the chef prepare each dish.

On both my visits the restaurant was lively with the sound of French conversation, suggesting the place is a firm favourite amongst the locals. Each time there was a different head chef who added his own flair to the signature dessert of a light and fluffy olive oil sponge cake and sweet cherry tomatoes accompanied by a delicately perfumed orange blossom mousse. However, my favourite dish has to be the tasty beef belly with creamy polenta, tangy pickled Asian vegetables and a salty, rich mushroom sauce – not a dish I will be forgetting in a hurry!

Although Au Bon Servant was the most expensive restaurant I visited during my time in Toulouse (the lunchtime formule was around 24 € for three courses, or 19 € for two, without wine or coffee), the quality and ambiance means it was definitely worth the extra few euros.

1. Le Bistoquet

Value for money: 20/20

Atmosphere: 19/20

French factor: 19/20

Another unmissable restaurant recommended by the same foodie friend, Le Bistroquet was absolutely stuffed full of locals when I made a lunchtime visit with my French language tandem. The plat du jour was a gigantic piece of tender slow-cooked pork (I forget what cut it was but I don’t think I’ve eaten it before (or perhaps I have eaten it, but not cooked so expertly!)), served with spiced lentils and a green salad. Like many French restaurants there was an ever-replenishing basket of fresh sliced baguette to accompany the meal, plus a small choice of good quality wine either by the glass or by the bottle.

The food may sound simple but it was done extremely well. My language tandem and I were so full up we didn’t need anything else except an espresso to finish off the meal! We only ate one course, meaning that the price was very reasonable, too.

I really regret not going back to Le Bistroquet for a few more meals – definitely one of my priorities next time I find myself in Toulouse!

Ciao !

Top 10 student budget friendly restaurants in Toulouse – part one

In the second term of my Erasmus in Toulouse when I felt more settled into French life I ate out around once a week. I mainly chose restaurants through recommendations from foodie friends, though I sometimes found TripAdvisor reviews helpful.

By no means have I tried all the restaurants in Toulouse, I didn’t have nearly enough time and probably would have bankrupted myself! Add to that the fact that new restaurants are popping up all the time throughout the city and it becomes apparent that this is by no means a definitive list – rather a ranking of the best Toulousain restaurants I’ve been lucky enough to visit, judged on value for money (rapport qualité prix), atmosphere and a very English idea of Frenchie-ness (l'équivalent anglais de ‘so British’ en France ;) ) Unless otherwise stated, scores are based on a weekday visit for lunch.

Oh, and in true French style I shall be marking out of 20 :P

Let the first bitesize chunk of the countdown begin!

10. CROUS

Restaurant universitaire, Toulouse UT1 Capitole (photo credit www.crous-toulouse.fr/fiche-detaillee?id=4) 

Value for money: 20/20

Atmosphere: 6/20

French factor: 14/20

CROUS is the university-wide catering service in France. On my campus they offered a variety of food outlets: two cafés, a push-bike selling Sushi outside the BU (Bibliothèque universitaire; university library) and the restaurant universitaire, a large canteen.

Admittedly the quality could be better – think halls food gone French with the atmosphere to match for any of you who have experienced catered student accommodation in the UK! However, it is difficult to grumble when a three course meal (plus small baguette) costs just over 3 €. I went there on average once a week in first and second term.

Like many French food outlets, a major downside to the CROUS is its lack of vegetarian choices. In France it is such a struggle for vegetarians to find restaurants which serve proper meat-free meals rather than the meat course minus the meat. I have experienced this problem first-hand – one of the best friends I met in Toulouse is vegetarian and she found eating out a very difficult experience. Hopefully restaurateurs will soon realise vegetarians like restaurants, too!

9. Foxy

Main course, Foxy

Value for money: 11/20

Atmosphere: 15/20

French factor: 16/20

After walking past this little bistrot for months and a recommendation from a foodie friend I finally managed to visit during my final weeks in Toulouse. (I had tried to go before but when my group arrived it was fully booked. Really, you must always make a reservation before eating out in Toulouse!)

The place was lively; every table was occupied. My meal was an intriguing combination of pasta and a slightly sweet, oriental sauce made with mango and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This was complimented by rich chunks of slow-cooked beef. My friend enjoyed one of Foxy’s many burger choices. Overall it was a good experience.

8. Solaneko

Main course, Solaneko

Value for money: 15/20

Atmosphere: 16/20

French factor: 12/20

Located on the fringes of centre-ville in the St-Cyprien quartier of Toulouse, a friend told me this restaurant was a hidden gem. After a starter of miso soup served with rice, I chose the chicken Katsu with a selection of vegetables in a variety of aromatic coverings for my plat principal. There was also a fish choice which looked rather appetising.

Though I’m not sure the Japanese-French fusion food was entirely to my taste (I prefer traditional dishes) I am certain this place could quickly become a ‘go-to’ restaurant for the right person.

7. The Dispensary

Fish and Chips at The Dispensary - complete with birthday card in the background!

Value for money: 16/20

Atmosphere: 17/20

French factor: 4/20

I went for an evening meal with friends at The Dispensary to celebrate my birthday. Like Solaneko it is located in St-Cyprien so slightly outside the town centre but the place was still very lively. It was the most authentic British/Irish style pub I went to in Toulouse – the waitress who took our orders was from Sheffield! The menu consisted of generously sized burgers which according to my friends were delicious. I chose the ultimate 'so British' dish, Fish and Chips. Although the mushy peas were rather runny and the mustard sauce was a bit strange, the batter was very authentic, the fish was nicely cooked and the chips weren’t bad either. The dish even came with a small side salad, something you wouldn’t usually get in the UK. There was a good selection of sauces and relishes including HP sauce, which is quite unusual in France.

There were quite a few vegetarian choices, something my veggie friend really appreciated!

I had great fun introducing my Erasmus friends to British food, my only regret is that we never went back to try the Full English Breakfast (which is also available in a vegetarian version).  

6. Rajasthan Villa

Photo credit www.lerajasthanvilla.com

Value for money: 18/20

Atmosphere: 17/20

French factor: N/A – it’s an Indian restaurant!

My parents and I visited Rajasthan Villa for an evening meal after reading very good reviews on TripAdvisor.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated but very quiet, especially considering the quality of the food and very reasonable prices (16 € for a three-course meal plus an aperitif, poppadoms and coffee – virtually unheard of for an evening meal in Toulouse!)

Highlights included an aromatic whole trout for my main course and lassi, a traditional yoghurt-based Indian drink. The staff were welcoming and very friendly, too.

If you want to eat Indian in Toulouse, this is the place to go!

Next time I’ll be continuing the countdown by sharing my top 5 favourite places to eat out in Toulouse!

Bisous !

Eating out in France - on a student budget!

Some of the delicious food I ate in Toulouse - clockwise from top: Steak Frites at Café du Midi, Beef belly, creamy polenta and marinated oriental carrots in a mushroomy sauce at Au Bon Servant, Japanese-French fusion food at Solaneko, beef and pasta in a mango and coriander sauce at Foxy and a ham and Emmental cheese galette at Les Cornouailles

One thing I miss about Toulouse (and France in general) is the food. Good quality, local, fresh food is everywhere – in the popular markets, ubiquitous boulangeries and bustling butchers. Although Toulouse is home to chain stores for just about everything, food or otherwise, there are lots of independents managing to thrive throughout the city, something I wish was the case in my country.

  

Of all the independents in Toulouse, most of all I miss the restaurants. Eating out is a truly French obsession. To cater to this, Toulouse boasts hundreds of eateries, each bringing something unique to the table – literally! Competition is strong, pricing is competitive and standards are high. Erasmus students are able to take part in this mainstay of French life for a relatively small amount of money, especially compared to restaurants of a similar calibre in the UK!

Here are a few tricks I used to make my cash go further in French restaurants:

Firstly, go for lunch. Most restaurants will have a lunch formule which will include an entrée, plat principal, dessert and sometimes coffee for a set price. In Toulouse I normally paid around 12 to 20 € for these things depending on the restaurant. Some eateries give you the option of missing out the entrée or dessert, and were usually around 4 € cheaper than the prices above. Restaurants understand that the clientele doesn't have too much time for lunch so service is generally very quick, perfect for when you squeeze in a meal before a 2pm lecture (something I ended up doing quite frequently!)

Secondly, if you want to go for the full authentic experience and accompany your meal with some top notch French wine, avoid buying pricy bottles and opt for a small glass instead. That way you still get to wine and dine whilst paying a reasonable price (around 3 – 4 € in Toulouse) and avoid the undoubtedly bemusing experience of tipsy lectures. Some menus even include a small 50cl carafe of wine as part of the lunchtime formule!

Finally, always make a reservation at least a day before you want to dine. Restaurants are usually full to the brim at lunchtime – so avoid disappointment by booking early! This is especially true if you’re in a large town or city like Toulouse (I once rung up to make a reservation in a smaller town – the waiter sounded a little surprised and when we arrived the restaurant was very empty!)

I am now genuinely too hungry to write any more! I’m off to lunch…though unfortunately I can’t quite justify a return journey to Toulouse right away to put my tips into practice again…

Next time I’ll be sharing my top 10 favourite restaurants in Toulouse – à plus tard!

Goodbye Toulouse

Last week I left Toulouse, bringing my year abroad to a close. My parents came to pick me up, loaded all my belongings into the car (which seem to have multiplied tenfold since I arrived nine months ago) and off we went.

Simple? Far from it. Leaving Toulouse was just like many of my experiences in the city: emotional, slightly late, with organisational skills leaving much to be desired. And like a true adopted Toulousaine, quite a lot of this was my own fault. I’d failed to tell my parents there was a market every Friday in the square directly behind my apartment. This meant the ‘loading bays’ were in use as a temporary carpark for the morning. My parents arrived at 11am, prime market time. And just to make things a little more challenging, the couple two floors up had picked 11am Friday as their time to move out as well (cue what I call ‘lift wars’, or ‘competition-to-see-who-can-monopolise-the-lift-most-successfully’). After a typically Franglais goodbye to my flatmate (involving la bise (très français) AND a hug (really not French)) a good hour after they arrived my parents and I set off on the long drive back to England.

So does that mean adieu to Toulouse? Definitely not, I’d love to go back! Au revoir, then? Hopefully. Provided I don’t have the dreaded law rattrapage (from what I understand, a 3.5 hour long one-size-fits-all resit exam in which students choose which questions to answer depending on which subjects they need to retake – eeewww)! So for now (I hope), my hurried goodbye will have to do.

If that’s the case, at least I can say it was befitting. For me, Toulouse was a city of last-minutes, an often chaotic place under the rule of a very un-British (and as I learned un-German, probably un-lots-of-places) attitude towards organisation. But I’m not complaining. Spending a year there has made me re-evaluate what I value, what I like and don’t like, and how I see France, Europe, and perhaps the world. It has made me realise how different one’s life experience can be, even when compared to another country which on paper shares many similarities with my own.

Toulouse makes me realise there is much more to somewhere than immediately meets the eye. And that the eye in question was often concealed behind the rose-tinted spectacles of a tourist (‘authentic’ restaurants which play only British artists as background music, employ waiters who speak fluent English and have an entirely English clientele? Since Toulouse, La Belle France has lost a little of its magic sparkle I’m afraid…).

Cliché as it may sound, living in Toulouse for nine months has helped me grow as a person in so many ways: resilience in unfamiliar situations, understanding cultural differences and adapting to meet expectations are just three of the skills I’ve improved in order to make the most of my time in the city. And I’m sure these abilities will prove valuable for life.

I think now’s the time to say un grand merci to everyone who has helped make my time in Toulouse so memorable and above all enjoyable! I wish you all the best and hope to see some of you again soon!

Voilà. I’ve not written half as many posts as I had planned, mais c’est la vie je suppose ;) Over the coming weeks I will try and find time to write a bit more about my experiences. In the meantime, if you have any questions about living as an exchange student in Toulouse just leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer!

Bisous ! 

Soirée Raclette

Clockwise from top: The table set for the Raclette party, my half-eaten Raclette (it was so amazing I forgot to take a photo earlier, sorry!), the Raclette grill, with the yellow coupelles sticking out the middle

Coucou! – After taking a little more time out from updating my blog than I should have, I’m back! Since my last post, I’ve been up to a LOT - from visiting Spain for the first time to watching a wonderful concert with famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang (and consequently being interviewed for a television reportage!) and lots of other fun things in between. University has been keeping me very busy, too (more so than I anticipated to be honest). I should be receiving the results for my January exams within the next few weeks, so fingers crossed! I have also been making an effort to speak French and experience French culture by participating in a language tandem, chatting with my French flatmates and joining a choir made up of étudiants et jeunes professionnels.

Talking of the choir, last week I was lucky enough to be invited to a Raclette evening organised by fellow choir members. For those of you who don’t know, Raclette is a unique concept that originates from the Swiss/French borders. Today it’s a very popular choice for a dinner party – it came as quite a surprise when I told people I had never been to a Raclette party before! The meal is a combination of melted Raclette cheese, whole boiled potatoes, cured meats, gherkins, tomatoes and sliced peppers. The meats and peppers are grilled on top of the Raclette grill, whilst the cheese is melted in individual mini pans (coupelles) under the grill top. When the cheese is ready, you scrape off (racler) the melted part onto the potatoes. As we were such a large party we made good use of several Raclette grills, which sat in the middle of the table, rather like a Fondue pot. The result: a simple yet very filling meal, with plenty of time to chat whilst the cheese warmed up!

If you ever get the chance to go to a soirée Raclette, go for it! But don’t get carried away – I get the feeling that eating Raclette too often would be pas forcement bon pour la santé!

That’s all for now, a plus mes cocottes!

Erasmus in Toulouse: first impressions

Left to right: View from the big wheel, Capitole square, lock on the boat tour, Picasso, Capitole on the inside

After months of apprehension, planning and dreaming of la ville rose I’ve finally made it to Toulouse! I’ve been here now for just over two weeks – week one was spent avec maman, settling in, buying homeware, opening a bank account, sightseeing etc. During the second week I attended introductory lectures and have been getting to know my fellow ERASMUS law cohort who hail from all over the world! In the week to come, there will be presentations on a variety of topics including using the library, which law courses are available, and (perhaps most importantly!) how to register at the uni (I find it very strange that even though we’ve been attending UT1 for a week none of us can use the library/wifi/intranet yet…the French are so laid back and sometimes ça me frustre (see below)). 

So far every day has bought a new experience, with some undoubtedly more enjoyable than others! So for my first blog post in Toulouse I thought I’d give you an idea of what I’ve been up to, grouped into good and bad experiences:

GOOD: 

Touristing

Toulouse is such a beautiful, historic city! Everything is super photogenic – great for lovers of Instagram comme moi. (There’s even not one but two official Toulouse hashtags – #visiteztoulouse; #bytoulouse – so all the more Instaspam for you!) So far I’ve visited Capitole (the incredibly grand town hall, which even has its own Opera!), been on a boat trip on the Garonne, took in the amazing view from the big wheel (twice), visited the botanical gardens (Jardin des Plantes), seen my first Picasso and some other thought-provoking modern art in the Les Abattoirs, and generally mooched around the city.

Meeting new people 

The brilliant thing about the introductory week is that I’ve already got to know fellow international law students before the (hard???) work commences. From those I’ve met so far, students from Ireland and Germany seem to be particularly abundant. And I’ve learned there is truly nothing like being around a group of international students to make you acutely aware of your Englishness (Fave quote: “your English is really good!” “that’s because I am English”. Though, before I open my mouth everyone assumes I’m Irish – do you think it’s the hair…? ;)).

My apartment 

Before arriving in Toulouse I didn’t realise how fortunate I was to have already found an apartment. For many people this has not been the case, meaning they have to balance apartment hunting with lessons and socialising – can’t be fun. I also didn’t quite realise how well located I am – just a 15/20 minute walk from the main campus, and very near to both the metro station and bus stops. The best part of my apartment so far though is the amazing panoramic view – from one side you can see all across Toulouse city centre, and from the other on a clear day you can see all the way to the Pyrenees. Definitely beats my skylight-framed view of suburban Nottingham!

NOT SO GOOD:

The slowness of things! 

Normally, I wouldn’t be too fussed about things taking a while (have you seen how slowly I eat?). But when that thing is sorting a bank account, which I need for doing basically anything involving money, it gets a little frustrating. A combination of oodles of paperwork, the fact that Toulouse is the third largest student city in France and the generally slower pace of life here means simple things like opening an account seem to drag on far longer than they should.

Basically every international student is fluent in English!

This is most certainly a cadeau empoisonné. On the one hand, it’s great because it means us international students can all get to know each other really easily. On the other hand, it means I’ve had relatively few chances to converse in French whilst I’ve been here. This is also doubly worse for native English speakers; at least for the others they get to practice a foreign language! Hopefully when I start to meet French people this will change! 

So as you can see, I’ve been busy busy and I’ll probably be even more so once lectures properly start – but I’ll try my best to keep you updated. That’s it for now! À bientôt!

Finding student accommodation in France: what Toulouse has taught me…

Basically my life for the past month. Thank goodness for espresso

Now my second year of uni is finished, I’ve got a ton of free time on my hands. So, what have I been doing with it? Going on exciting travels around Europe? Nope. Partying out with friends every night? Definitely not. Sunbathing? Kind of (if you count sitting in the garden…). Actually, so far I’ve spent most of my summer holiday trawling the web for accommodation in Toulouse. I can’t help thinking that the process would have been less stressful and time-consuming if I’d have had a handy bunch of hints and tips at my disposal to guide me through the process– so I hope you find my version of this of some help! (and if you’re reading this without the intention of setting up home in Toulouse, then you can have a good laugh at all the things you haven’t had to do this summer, whilst you’re lying on some sunny Mediterranean beach thinking about the amazing night out you had a few hours before…)

1.      Start early, but not too early! AND know what you want

In Nottingham, I started searching for private rented accommodation after my January exams, but I know some people who had signed even before the Christmas holidays! In France, it would be highly unlikely you’d find somewhere this early – the landlords are much more relaxed about finding next academic year’s tenants. Instead, use your time to decide what kind of accommodation you want. For me, four options appealed: university halls, private halls, flat-sharing (or colocation in French) or renting a studio apartment.

As I’d applied to the university very near to the deadline, it was almost a given I’d not be allocated university halls accommodation, as there are not many spaces available.

At first, private halls looked attractive – the ease, simplicity and certainty of reserving a room appealed to me, but after doing further research (tips explained below) I decided against – from what I read/heard/saw, the rooms are tiny (some were only 8m2!) and expensive for what they are, the walls are thin, the inhabitants are mainly Erasmus/foreign students so the ‘universal’ language (that’s English!) is widely spoken, and the locations were not great regarding proximity to the Faculté de droit, centre ville, metro etc.

Many French students go to university in their home town, and so will still be surrounded by friends they’ve grown up with. There’s no need for most of them to move away from the family home as they can easily commute to university. If they do want to live independently, from my research it seems the majority opt for a T1 (studio apartment) in the centre of town. This has many advantages; close to shops, bars, restaurants etc., all of which appealed to me, too. What’s more, the rent is normally slightly cheaper than halls and the same price as a flat-share. However, I’ve never lived on my own in England before, so doing so for the first time in a foreign country would be a bit daunting! Also, living on my own would give me lots of control over how much French I spoke, which is not necessarily a good thing…

So, in the end I decided to go for colocation, preferably with at least one French person. This will (hopefully) force me to speak French, and works out as the most economical option. Also I'm used to this way of living, after having spent my second year in Nottingham in a shared house.

Of course, everyone is different and one of the other accommodation options may suit you more. I suggest doing as much independent research as possible so you can make your own informed decision about where to live.

2.       If you don’t ask, you don’t get

Cliché, I know, but it really applies here! Make use of all existing contacts who might know of accommodation – even if there’s only a slim chance, there is absolutely no harm in asking. I’ve contacted French friends, whether in Toulouse or not, friends of friends, Nottingham students currently on their year abroad in Toulouse, even my old French teacher! I avoided much trawling by being directed to several websites advertising flat shares (see links below) and Facebook groups (which are more active than you might initially think). I also found out which quartiers (areas) to look in and which to avoid, and was given the contact details of several landlords. Overall, this was probably the least time-consuming and most productive thing I did during my search for accommodation.

3.       Don’t be afraid to make contact – in French!

If you are going to France to improve your French but you email landlords/post ‘wanted’ adverts in English, you are: a) narrowing your search to only those who understand English; b) coming across as rude; and c) missing a brilliant opportunity to get used to communicating in French. I know it’s easier said than done, but do try to see your accommodation search not as a daunting test of your conversational abilities but rather as a warm-up to your year abroad. I’ve learned a ton of vocabulary, got to grips with writing formal emails and become much more confident in my French verbal communication abilities. From my experience, if you do make a few errors ce n’est pas grave! The landlords understand you’re not French and will be patient with you. (After all, you are a potential source of income for them, whatever your native language is…)

4.       Be aware of any financial help you are entitled to

Most UK students who are studying/working abroad at a participating Erasmus institution are entitled to a grant – yes, a grant! That’s money you never have to pay back, which from my experience of being a student is a somewhat rare occurrence nowadays! What’s more, EU students may also be entitled to housing benefit from the French Government, which can reduce your rent by a substantial amount. This takes two forms: APL (l'Aide Personnalisée au Logement) or ALS (l’Allocation Logement Social). More information can be found by following the links below.

Useful websites:

www.leboncoin.fr/ - France’s answer to Gumtree – very useful for finding apartments to rent/flat-shares

www.lacartedescolocs.fr/ - create a free profile and get contacting landlords/colocataires!

www.appartager.com/ - very similar to La carte des colocs

www.crous-toulouse.fr – Toulouse specific website for Government funded halls of residence. Very reasonably priced (for halls) but in high demand – apply early!

www.adele.org/ - useful website to find private halls across France, also contains some practical advice about searching for accommodation/living as a student in France

www.thirdyearabroad.com/before-you-go/money-matters/item/1020-erasmus-funding.html - a useful guide to the Erasmus + grant

www.caf.fr – more information about APL and ALS

Facebook groups (correct and greatly used as of time of writing):

Toulouse location/colocation de bouche à oreille – by far the most popular group

Colocation sur Toulouse

Colocation Toulouse | La Carte des Colocs – a sister Facebook page to the website of the same name, but there are some different colocations advertised to what’s on the website

TOULOUSE: Location appartement, Colocation, Sous-location

Toulouse Location  / Colocations // les murs et leurs oreilles – a very new group, not many members or posts yet

There may be other Facebook groups I’m unaware of – if anyone knows of any more, feel free to comment below!

That’s all for now, hope you've found this post useful!