Which European city would you study in? (best, life, cost)

[backdrifter]

So I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but in about 2 years I will be studying abroad somewhere in Europe. The university I will be attending has many options and I wanted to start figuring out now where I might like to study.

I feel that any different cultural immersion would be a great experience for me and I am rather good at picking up language (I may even major in linguistics possibly) so that isn't really an issue since none of these have language prerequisites. I guess I just want some outside opinions, besides my own research, into these places to know what they're like in regards to the culture, night life, etc.

So here are the options I've narrowed down:

Istanbul, Turkey
Uppsala, Sweden
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Brussels, Belgium
Vienna, Austria
Oslo, Norway
Lisbon, Portugal
Oviedo, Spain

Which would you choose and why?

[City of Rain]

dont choose istanbul - its not in an EU country, which would make it a tad bit more complicated to travel around in the rest of europe.

im from norway, so obviously im flattered that someone wants to study in my country I'm going to start studying soon myself, so ive been searching through the web for which city/university is the best.

as i live in Bergen (the second biggest city in Norway), it'd be really practical for me to study at the university here, but at the same time i want to try something new.. so i tried to find out if i should study in Bergen or Oslo. I read through a lot of forum threads discussing the topic and surprisingly 80% of the people said that Bergen is the better than city for studying. If you want, i can try to find out why etc..

if you look at university rankings, the university of bergen (UIB) is also considered the second best in Norway after Oslo! btw, this place is freaking driven by students. its called a "studentcity". there are soo many of them here - theyre everywhere!

thing about oslo, though, is that its just like any other city of 500 000.. while Bergen is really special with its unique surroundings and all that (its a huuuge tourist destination!!)

Be aware that Norway is very expensive, though, but it wouldnt be a problem if you're planning to have a part time job while studying (as the salaries here are sky high)

I dont know anything about uppsala, though i know that sweden is a cool country its like Norway, just cheaper (and they talk a little differently. ive read that swedes and danes cant understand eachother.. while norwegians can understand/be understood by both, so itd be the best scandinavian language to learn )

btw, how come copenhagen isnt on your list? its a great city (with the best university in all of scandinavia, i think)

im personally in love with amsterdam, so id choose it over vienna, though i also think vienna is very beautiful (its flawless!)

i would NOT choose portugal, as... i dont know, its one of the poorest countries in western europe! spain would be nice because of the climate, though that city is really small (its has 30 000 less people than Bergen, but Norway is a very developed country, so cities seem way bigger than they are, atleast that has been my experience!!)

brussel has got a perfect location in the middle of europe, but ive never been there myself. also, i guess you would have to learn both dutch and french!!

i highly recommend studying in one of the big cities of the scandinavian countries, amsterdam or vienna!

btw keep in mind that the bigger the city is, the better the nightlife is!

[SouthCity09]

Zagreb Croatia.

[charolastra00]

I'd choose Oviedo, Spain. For one, I speak near fluent Spanish but also it would be the cheapest. I absolutely adored Amsterdam and Vienna when I visited over the past few months, but both were horribly expensive. In Amsterdam, it almost didn't feel like being in a foreign country because everyone spoke English first and Dutch second. For me, language immersion is a big reason to study abroad (and I just spent 3 terms in a row abroad finishing in England because I wanted just one term where I could stay in my native language) and I wouldn't like going somewhere where it would be difficult to pick up the language.

Just keep expenses in mind. Vienna was one of the most expensive places I visited in Europe after London (where I lived) and Paris. It was horrible as a poor student, though an absolutely wonderful city.

I didn't get a chance to visit Lisbon but many of my friends did and considered it among their favorite European cities. It also would be much more affordable than other areas, though if you don't speak Spanish or Portuguese, it would be tough to live there as people don't speak as much English as other European countries.

I was not a fan of Brussels. Well expensive and also seemed devoid of character, which is strange considering it's the capital of Europe. Other people might come to different conclusions but that was my feeling.

Good luck! Studying abroad is so worthwhile so no matter where you choose, it will be a wonderful experience!

[Jaggy001]

Avoid sweden or Norway because the cost of living is really high.

I would not do Amsterdam, Brussels or Vienna because they are international cities and tourist destinations and you may not get the cultural immersion you want.

Lisbon is also a big city but not as international as the others.

Which leaves Oviedo

[ChrisC]

Well, I would like to suggest Oslo because I'm sort of 'into' Norway, but rather, I will second the suggestion for Spain. One of the main reasons I’d suggest this is because you mentioned that you wanted to experience cultural immersion. I think you have a better chance of getting it there. Much of Europe has fallen into the ‘English as a world language’ trap (sadly). So, many placed on your list probably wouldn’t feel that much different than what you are used to. In Norway, they speak better English than we do in the US. I think that in Spain, although many speak English, they are still centered on their own culture and language. In general, find the places where English is spoken the least.

[Sandpointian]

Istanbul
Amsterdam
Prague
Barcelona
Budapest
Florence

[albion]

Oxford is a ancient & beautiful city, so is Cambridge. The last time I looked they were European cities.

[Sandpointian]

Albion,
Given debates in the UK it is not always so clear. But clearly, you have pointed out two of the greatest universities in the world.

[happynoodleboycey]

Vienna is very beautiful but I warn you that the Austrians aren't the most hospitable of people. That isn't to say that they're all bad, but you might have a harder time being accepted socially there than in most other places as they're not hugely keen on the idea of their country becoming saturated with foreigners.

Aside from that, of the ones listed I have only been to Amsterdam but I love it there. The Dutch are a very welcoming and friendly people and they speak English better than most English people do so, although it would be polite and culturally sensitive for you to learn some Dutch were you to go there, you wouldn't find yourself in many situations where communication would be difficult. It is a beautiful city and, although it has a bit of a sleazy reputation (red light district, etc), you don't have to get wrapped up in the city's seedier side if you don't want to. If you are interested in Amsterdam then you might want to look at other places in the Netherlands as well such as Rotterdam or Eindhoven because they're delightful too and have really nice atmospheres.

Good luck in your decision anyway!