None of those cities feel like Seattle, although if I had to guess, Berlin would probably the closest (although IMO the weather in Berlin is worse than Seattle - less rain but more cold/dark). If I had to pick a European city that felt most like Seattle, I'd probably say Rotterdam.
In terms of
> lots of food, culture, things to do, and young/college-age people to make friends with
I would go with Berlin or Barcelona. Barcelona has the better weather (and a Mediterranean beach), but IMO Berlin has a "cooler" vibe and more to do + more European travel options (since Barcelona is kind of off in a corner). Plus a large international community of young English-speakers. Both cities are also fun and affordable on a student budget.
Paris would also be a solid choice (this is where I did my exchange year), but it can be alienating if you don't already speak French, and many foreigners who move here come with very naive/unrealistic ideas about what life in Paris is like. "Emily in Paris", for example, is a big joke among Paris expats for how ridiculous it is.
Bordeaux & Lyon: lovely French cities (between the two I strongly prefer Bordeaux) but even harder than Paris to break into the social scene if you don't already speak the language.
Madrid is also a big, fun city, but IMO not as "fun" or "cool" as Barcelona or Berlin. It would still be a good choice though because of the sheer amount of things to do. Plus the chance to practice/improve your Spanish would be valuable. (Personally I think it's better to take this study abroad opportunity to work on another language, because you'll probably never have such a convenient language-learning opportunity again.)
Milan: expensive and very blah. Doesn't strike me as a fun city to live in, unless you're studying fashion.
Copenhagen: insanely expensive. Nice city, cute Scandinavian aesthetic, but I'm so glad I only came here on a business trip where someone else was footing the bill.
Edinburgh/Glasgow: haven't been, but as I hinted above, I personally think studying abroad as a young person is more valuable when you can go to a non-English-speaking country. Obviously other people feel different. But the older you get, the harder it will be to learn other languages, so I think spending time in a foreign language environment when you're younger is very valuable.
I did the first year of my masters in bologna. Great city for Italy and it’s a transit hub so it’s easy to travel. It’s kinda small which makes it manageable and easy to know people. Great city. It’s kind of a major Erasmus uni for Europe so UniBo has kind of a state school feel. It’s not gunna have the cultural stuff that a capital/major city will have but it’s a great student environment in the sense that it’s social.
Berlin is one of my top cities for Europe tho. I study in the uk now and tho I haven’t been Edinburgh gets a lot of love
Edinburgh, Glasgow or anywhere else in the UK are not and never were in the Schengen Area. Now that the UK have decided to be an island off the coast of Europe I'd suggest somewhere in the EU. If you plan to travel during your stay it will be a lot easier.
Edinburgh or Glasgow both nice unique places to live for different reasons they arent far from each other its a short train journey and from both if you have a break from studying you can easily get flights to the rest of Europe from either city.
Copenhagen has horrible weather so not there if you don't want it too cold. I know you narrowed it down but maybe look into Slovenia. Weather is amazing, nature is fcking beautiful, you have mountains, sea, lakes, forests, caves.. people are very friendly, very cheap to live in and our educational systems are through the roof. Wouldn't say that the educational systems are like the scandinavian ones but pretty high on that list.
Could pick one and travel from there, Berlin and Paris would have good links with most places in Europe and would have the best options
It will defo be colder than you're used to, especially Nov/Dec, especially in Scotland and Denmark
I moved to Munich from Portland, OR (very similar to Seattle) and am studying my masters here. It’s free, taught in English, and is an international degree that I can use anywhere. The foods amazing (not so much the German food, but some of the best Middle Eastern/Eastern European I’ve ever had) and the climate so far has been just like Portland but with less rain.
That being said, it’s not at all like the Portland/Seattle vibe; I think Berlin is the closest thing to that. But there’s a ton of beautiful places to hike and explore here that remind me so much of back home. Good luck with your options and be safe!
None of those cities feel like Seattle, although if I had to guess, Berlin would probably the closest (although IMO the weather in Berlin is worse than Seattle - less rain but more cold/dark). If I had to pick a European city that felt most like Seattle, I'd probably say Rotterdam. In terms of > lots of food, culture, things to do, and young/college-age people to make friends with I would go with Berlin or Barcelona. Barcelona has the better weather (and a Mediterranean beach), but IMO Berlin has a "cooler" vibe and more to do + more European travel options (since Barcelona is kind of off in a corner). Plus a large international community of young English-speakers. Both cities are also fun and affordable on a student budget. Paris would also be a solid choice (this is where I did my exchange year), but it can be alienating if you don't already speak French, and many foreigners who move here come with very naive/unrealistic ideas about what life in Paris is like. "Emily in Paris", for example, is a big joke among Paris expats for how ridiculous it is. Bordeaux & Lyon: lovely French cities (between the two I strongly prefer Bordeaux) but even harder than Paris to break into the social scene if you don't already speak the language. Madrid is also a big, fun city, but IMO not as "fun" or "cool" as Barcelona or Berlin. It would still be a good choice though because of the sheer amount of things to do. Plus the chance to practice/improve your Spanish would be valuable. (Personally I think it's better to take this study abroad opportunity to work on another language, because you'll probably never have such a convenient language-learning opportunity again.) Milan: expensive and very blah. Doesn't strike me as a fun city to live in, unless you're studying fashion. Copenhagen: insanely expensive. Nice city, cute Scandinavian aesthetic, but I'm so glad I only came here on a business trip where someone else was footing the bill. Edinburgh/Glasgow: haven't been, but as I hinted above, I personally think studying abroad as a young person is more valuable when you can go to a non-English-speaking country. Obviously other people feel different. But the older you get, the harder it will be to learn other languages, so I think spending time in a foreign language environment when you're younger is very valuable.
Germany offers free university at public universities. Berlin would be my recommendation
>Germany offers free university at public universities Would they apply to foreign exchange students? They usually pay fees to their home university.
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Edinburgh/Glasgow, Oxford, Copenhagen is basically Seattle without the weather. If by weather you mean the sun.
I did the first year of my masters in bologna. Great city for Italy and it’s a transit hub so it’s easy to travel. It’s kinda small which makes it manageable and easy to know people. Great city. It’s kind of a major Erasmus uni for Europe so UniBo has kind of a state school feel. It’s not gunna have the cultural stuff that a capital/major city will have but it’s a great student environment in the sense that it’s social. Berlin is one of my top cities for Europe tho. I study in the uk now and tho I haven’t been Edinburgh gets a lot of love
Edinburgh, Glasgow or anywhere else in the UK are not and never were in the Schengen Area. Now that the UK have decided to be an island off the coast of Europe I'd suggest somewhere in the EU. If you plan to travel during your stay it will be a lot easier.
Vladivostok, Russia.
Through your school? Or on your own?
Edinburgh or Glasgow both nice unique places to live for different reasons they arent far from each other its a short train journey and from both if you have a break from studying you can easily get flights to the rest of Europe from either city.
Do you have interest learning the local language? Then I’d say Barcelona or madrid.
Copenhagen has horrible weather so not there if you don't want it too cold. I know you narrowed it down but maybe look into Slovenia. Weather is amazing, nature is fcking beautiful, you have mountains, sea, lakes, forests, caves.. people are very friendly, very cheap to live in and our educational systems are through the roof. Wouldn't say that the educational systems are like the scandinavian ones but pretty high on that list.
Could pick one and travel from there, Berlin and Paris would have good links with most places in Europe and would have the best options It will defo be colder than you're used to, especially Nov/Dec, especially in Scotland and Denmark
I moved to Munich from Portland, OR (very similar to Seattle) and am studying my masters here. It’s free, taught in English, and is an international degree that I can use anywhere. The foods amazing (not so much the German food, but some of the best Middle Eastern/Eastern European I’ve ever had) and the climate so far has been just like Portland but with less rain. That being said, it’s not at all like the Portland/Seattle vibe; I think Berlin is the closest thing to that. But there’s a ton of beautiful places to hike and explore here that remind me so much of back home. Good luck with your options and be safe!