Mobility specification

Country:Greece

Institution:Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

City:Thessaloniki

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Education / Department of Civics

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?no

Does the university offer enough courses in English?manageable

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?There was hardly any teaching going on. There wasn't much choice of subjects and I only got some homework in all of them. I went to school regularly only once a week for a lesson and that was completely voluntary. No one took attendance.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?The ESN works great in Thessaloniki. All three universities in the city work together and ESN people do events for Erasmus students throughout their stay. Whether it was excursions (to Corfu, Athens or just smaller trips around the area), parties or getting-to-know-you events, there was plenty of everything throughout the Erasmus.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Special aids and technologies (e.g., text-to-speech software, hearing aids)
Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:15000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?I found the accommodation on the Facebook page. There are several of them and there are countless offers. Several hundred students come to Thessaloniki every semester and the offers are adapted to that. I looked for accommodation about a month in advance and within two days I had it. I paid 350€ for a single room in a 3+1 apartment, I had two roommates.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?I didn't have any unexpected expenses.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Aristotle university has its own restaurant (something like our canteen) where Erasmus students have 3 free meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner), so you can save a lot of money. It's not a big restaurant, but they cook mainly Greek cuisine and there is always something to choose from (including a vegetarian option).

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

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

How does public transport work in the city?I've seen better

And what about transport outside the city?terrible

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Transportation in the city is by bus and metro. The metro opened only last year, is very modern and tickets can only be bought in a machine (0,60€). For the bus you can buy a ticket directly in the machine inside or there is an OSETH app where this is also possible. Full fare is 0,60€ for 70 minutes, with student discount it is 0,30€.

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?There are several museums in the city that are free to enter until the age of 26. I visited a total of four and liked them all very much, the Greeks are proud of their history with have to be why.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Chortiatis - a mountain just outside Thessaloniki, a very nice walk, Olympus National Park (the highest mountain in Greece, which is directly visible from Thessaloniki), to Athens, Kavala, Meteora.

Share your best experience:One of the most powerful experiences was the hike to Chortiatis, organized by ESN. We were about 100 Erasmus students and it was really raining that day. It doesn't rain often in Thessaloniki, but when it does, it rains a lot and that's exactly what we experienced there. The road was completely muddy and it was incredibly slippery uphill. We had to help ourselves, some of us fell and rolled in the mud. We were cold, we were dirty and we didn't have a good view because of the clouds, but it was still a great start that my friends and I remembered with laughter for the rest of our stay.

💅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

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Prepare for the fact that in Greece, toiletries are not flushed down the toilet, but thrown away in the trash can next door.

Can you pay by card?in most places

What not to forget when packing?I recommend bringing some Czech goodies - kofola, beer, tartines. In Greece, most everyone will know Czech beer, so you will definitely make your future friends happy :)))

🥳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?The Greeks taught me not to stress so much.