Mobility specification

Country:France

Institution:Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

City:Villeurbanne

Program:Erasmus+ traineeship

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Science / Department of Chemistry

Study level abroad:Doctoral

✅Check the boxes

How would you categorize your internship?Natural Sciences

💼How-to: Interning abroad

How did you discover this internship opportunity?Recommendation from acquaintances

Can you describe the role you held during your internship?I was part of the lab team that is dealing on Laser Assisted Breakthrough Plasma Spectroscopy (LIBS).

What specific responsibilities and tasks did you do during your internship?Specifically, several samples were used to monitor building materials.

Did your tasks align with the pre-defined conditions?yes

Did the internship meet your expectations?yes

Did you apply any theory you learned at university during the internship?yes

If yes, can you provide a specific example?It was an enrichment of the experience that I normally use with more modern technologies.

How well did you manage to communicate in a foreign language?perfectly

Did the institution have any special requirements?Technical knowledge (e.g., specific software skills)

Why would you recommend students do an internship?The internship helped me a lot to improve my language skills in English and partly also in French. I got to know a lot of new colleagues which may be useful in the future. In addition, on free weekends I visited places I would definitely not have visited so easily.

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?40000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?no

If not, how did you find it?Recommendations from the university's information leaflet, which had a link to a web address where you could search for accommodation.

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?no

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?During your internship in France, I recommend that you consider cooking your own meals instead of going to restaurants.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?absolutely flawless!

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?neutral

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?For public transport: the "TCL app" or travel in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region: "Oùra".
Rail transport: "SNCF connect" (note the app only speaks French).

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Lyon is definitely worth a visit: Vieux Lyon, Bellcour, Hôtel de Ville (Lyon), the city park, Notre Dame de Lyon, etc.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Lyon is perfectly located and very easy to visit: the medieval town of Pérougues; the Alps with Annecy, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Chambéry/Aix-les-Bains; Clermont-Ferrand (and the surrounding extinct volcanoes); Villars-les-Dombes bird zoo. The TGV high-speed train network also makes Marseille or Dijon easily accessible.

Share your best experience:I must definitely mention the opportunity to see Mont Blanc, Annecy and especially the city of Lyon itself - which is definitely more beautiful than Paris.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane
Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?On the forest, I recommend considering the line 47 bus instead of the overpriced Rhône Express airport tram. The service on this bus is slow but you will save 15 euros. I also recommend you avoid using the trains that don't go to the city centre but just to the airport.

Can you pay by card?in most places

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?It was a great experience to visit the largest country in the European Union - France. It is a country that is definitely worth visiting!