I found out on Monday (yes, this Monday) that I will not have accommodation arrangements on my arrival in Warsaw. The College does not provide accommodation for its students, I’ve just learned.
So I’ve been sending dozens of emails and made tens of phone calls to see if the apartments I read about in some announcements are still available. No luck so far.
Most apartments have been rented already, as school starts in a week or so, and if they haven’t, they’re unaffordable. I’ve received some replies, most of them with bad news – no rooms available. One of the funniest replies was from a girl who told me the apartment is still available and will stay that way until she returns from her vacation and after that she would start “interviewing” potential room mates – showing them the apartment and making conversation. As I am still in Romania and I’m trying to find a place to stay before I get there, I answered that I could send her some pictures of me to start getting to know each other better. (I’m afraid I’ll also face prejudice concerning Romanians, hope I’m wrong. Because I do wash my dishes and stuff!!)
I have written so many emails asking about accommodation that I have lost my mind. I actually asked a person, by email, whether the two room apartment has two rooms! 🙂 What I wanted to know was whether the two rooms are furnitured as bedrooms – so I could share it. But it didn’t come out right.
The good news is that most apartments I read about in announcements allow pets:
- yes — cats are OK – purrr
- yes — dogs are OK – wooof
This is how it’s posted. I love it. I’m thinking of adopting a cat during my staying. But what do I do when I leave? I could give it to an animal shelter, but… It would break my heart.
Also the apartments have Internet access 😀
The bad news is that… I can’t find an apartment! I’ll end up in an expensive hotel, trying to find a room to rent. I so don’t want that!
Eight days left.
Oh, buying the plane ticket was another adventure. I exchanged emails with my travel agent and made silly remarks such as: “Could you find a plane that takes off when the sun is up on the sky?” – the answer was no, only business class tickets were available in the afternoon. So I replied: “The ones who wakes up early in the morning are… poor” (Romanian saying: Cine se trezeste de dimineata… e sarac!).
Meanwhile, until I find accommodation, I found out that the Polish Institute is hiring a secretary- see here. I think I qualify for the job – I do have a sense of humour and I want to learn Polish! 🙂
19 Comments
stingo
20/09/2006 at 10:48 AMOh, baby, baby. You are so absent-minded sometimes. I wish I could help… However, with your luck, I’m sure that you’ll end up with an excellent accommodation arrangement.
PS – It’s “accommodation”. Double “m”, OK hun? 😉
asdf
20/09/2006 at 12:36 PMSucces in gasirea de gazda.
Eu am nevoie in curand de camera la hotel in Varsovia si am trimis email unui hotel dar nu am primit raspuns. Mai astept si apoi scriu altui hotel.
Apoi, cel putin daca este vorba de hoteluri (probabil se aplica si altor locuri de cazare, la apartamente cum cauti tu) incepand cu 01.09.2006 si pana la 31.08.2007 cer mai multi bani dacat au cerut in intervalul 01.01.2006-31.08.2006.
Alta observatie ar fi ca cer o taxa pentru “pets”, de 50 de zloti, am vazut undeva. Daca vrei sa adopti o pisica ar fi bine sa te interesezi daca asta costa ceva, in sensul in care ti-am spus mai sus, chiar daca te cazezi la gazda in apartament.
Si dau un copy si paste cu ce am primit:
Travel
Hotels can be reached from Warsaw Airport:
– by taxi
Okęcie Airport is situated 10 km from the centre. Here are some reliable companies recommended by the airport:
Merc taxi tel. 0 22 677 77 77
Sawa taxi tel. 0 22 644 44 44
The cost of a taxi from the airport to the centre of Warsaw should be about 35 PLN = 8 EUR.
– by bus
Hotel MDM – the easiest way to reach the Hotel MDM is to get on a bus no. 188 at the Airport and get off at Metro Politechnika bus stop. The hotel is located at one of the central squares of Warsaw called the Constitution Square. It is at a very close distance from the Warsaw International Airport (8,5 km) and the Central Railway station (1,5 km). The nearest subway station Metro Politechnika is only 150 m from the hotel.
Polonia Palace Hotel – to reach the Hotel Polonia get on a bus no. 175 and get off at Centrum bus stop. The hotel is located in the city centre. The airport is 8 km away and the railway station is 500 m from the hotel.
Hotel Mercure Fryderyk Chopin – to reach the Hotel Mercure get on a bus no. 175 and get off at Dworzec Centralny bus stop and then take a bus no. 500 directly to the hotel. The hotel is located in the centre of Warsaw within walking distance of the Old Town.
The alternative accommodation can be found on the web-site:
http://www.warsaw-hotel.net
Poate iti va folosi ce am scris.
Sa nu uit, cand am fost ultima data am blocat un telefon public. De ce? Pentru ca, au mai multe “sisteme” cu cartela, la un sistem cartela de telefon public trebuie rupta intr-un colt si apoi folosita, la altele nu. Se pare ca le-am incurcat si nici nu mi s-a parut usor sa fac diferenta. Dar in 4 luni cand vei sta acolo sigur vei invata cum sa folosesti telefoanele lor.
andressa
20/09/2006 at 2:52 PMStingo, you’re too sweet. Sorry for the misspelling 😛
I hope I’ll find a solution, I’m starting to panic! Hopefully, I’ll end up living with a tanned Erasmus student with a cute Spanish accent. I’ll send pics 😉
Asdf, mersi pentru informatii, o sa vad ce fac cu ele!
magda
20/09/2006 at 2:57 PMDunno how much this helps, dar daca nu gasesti pana pleci, ai putea cauta pe http://couchsurfing.com pe cineva din varsovia la care sa stai cateva zile pana gasesti un apartament de inchiriat, poate te-ar ajuta chiar persoana la care stai (de obicei sunt de treaba)sau macar sa mearga cu tine prin zonele studentesti sa iti traduca anunturile (cum sunt la noi in Regie sau peste tot)
Good luck
andressa
20/09/2006 at 3:03 PMMagda,
site-ul ala arata ca un dating-serice 🙂 Esti sigura ca e o chestie doar de canapele? Sau trebuie sa imparti canapelele cu cineva ? 🙂
Laura
20/09/2006 at 3:24 PMhttp://www.expatriates.com/classifieds/pol/housingavailable/
Eu am folosit acest site cand mi-am gasit chirie tot pentru Erasmus. Poti sa cauti chirie dar si sa pui un anunt al tau. Raspunsurile vor veni destul de repede. Poate te va ajuta. Sa nu iti fie teama sa iti schimbi optiunea chiar si in ultimul moment. Vei petrece 4 luni in apartamentul respectiv si cel mai important e sa fii sigura ca e alegerea corecta. Evita sa semnezi un contract pe intreaga perioada pentru ca odata ajunsa acolo s-ar putea sa gasesti oferte si mai bune. In legatura cu zborul cel mai bine ar fi fost sa iti iei bilete prin SkyEurope (direct de pe site, asa eviti comisionul agentiei)pt ca au cele mai rezonabile tarife pe Europa centrala si de est. Dar banuiesc ca ai rezolvat problema asta deja.
Good luck!
maria
20/09/2006 at 4:38 PMSalut! Eu cand am plecat am stat la hostel cateva zile pana am gasit in ziarul local un apartament…..cel mai usor iti gasesti colegi de apart dupa ce incepe scoala…..cam toate univ de gen au programe pt erasmusi unde sigur dai de oameniin aceeais situatie sau cu o camera libera….si, pana la urma, asta este tot farmecul, babilonia….
Sincer, singurul meu regret din perioada aia este ca am stat cu romani in apart si nu a fost Auberge Espagnole….
Pana atunci…incearca aici…nu te speria de 8 mixed bedroom ca e foarte decent si nu te deranjeaza nimeni acolo…..incep de la 9 euro pe noapte…si e pe bune!
http://www.hostels.com/en/pl.wa.html
Musculin
20/09/2006 at 5:33 PMNu dispera, sunt sigur ca-ti vei gasi ceva convenabil curand!
Acum exact 5 ani, ajuns la Madrid ca student Erasmus, eram disperat ca nu-mi voi gasi in vecii vecilor o locuinta cat de cat acceptabila si ca, ce mai, o sa mor acolo, singur printre straini, de foame si frig… mi-era asa de mila de mine…
Si uite ca n-am murit, ba chiar am avut una dintre cele mai tumultoase si mai interesante experiente de viata acolo. Asa o sa fie si in cazul tau. Odata ajunsa acolo vei gasi persoane in situatia ta si veti putea inchiria impreuna un apartament mai mare.
Sugestie: http://warsaw.craigslist.org/
Reply to: aquilabalena@interia.pl
Date: 2006-09-14, 12:12PM CEST
Price: 400 PLN
Hello.
Looking for at least english, polish or hungarian speaking roommate in block flat in Tarchomin district (15minutes bus to subway). Must be partying outside non smoker. No TV, internet, furniture etc. For details call 888-479-471.
Bafta!
mariko
20/09/2006 at 7:11 PMUmm, cum de te-ai interesat de chestia asta atat de tarziu? E o chestie relativ bine cunoscuta ca majoritatea facultatilor nu dau loc la camin pentru studentii Erasmus.
Oricum, sper sa reusesti sa gasesti ceva repede… best of luck!
magda
20/09/2006 at 11:33 PM😀 Nu e dating service, read the testimonials 🙂 gasisem o tipa care isi vanduse casa, mobila si toate posesiunile si plecase in jurul lumii. In fine, era doar ceva provizoriu, you can find a girl too.
Btw, am gasit azi in biblioteca un ghid de conversatie roman-polonez cumparat de pe la Universitate cu 1 ron. I was a little embarassed when i bought it but i really wanted it. Lectura pe avion, pana ajungi in Polonia stii sa zici ‘jaka jets cena litra benzyny?’
Heugem
21/09/2006 at 1:42 AMNu pot sa cred ca de abia acum te-ai apucat sa cauti camera! Ok, nu vreau sa te stresez, da nu stiai parca de o gramada de timp ca te duci acolo? :-/
the ONE who CARE
21/09/2006 at 9:21 AMlol
Cristian Curus
21/09/2006 at 7:43 PMHey girl! De fapt tu chiar nu te-ai interesat … gandindu-te ca mie mi-au oferit cazare si poate o sa faca acelasi lucru cu tine! Tzzz! tzzz! Bad girl! :-)))
Nu mai aberati cu hotelurile in Varsovia pentru ca la acest capitol este extrem de scumpa datorita firmelor austriece, nemtesti si englezesti care au sedii aici si isi cazeaza angajatii carenu locuiesc permanet in Polonia la hoteluri. So… just apartments! I should say to you that you need to know Polish … cause most the announcements are in this language? 🙂
andressa
21/09/2006 at 10:37 PMCristi,
imi pare rau sa te dezamagesc, dar voi avea o situatie la fel de privilegiata ca a ta! Azi am aflat ca voi fi cazata in acelasi loc. Cel putin pentru un timp, apoi om vedea!
weweritza
23/09/2006 at 3:00 PMAndreea..sper sa iti gasesti rapid. Eu am fost awfully lucky cu Budapesta. Poate facem un mid-road drink aici dak vine Catalin din Romania.
Also..expect only good things to happen, avea dreptate Sheryl Crow: “A change would do u good…”
Cristian Curus
23/09/2006 at 11:58 PMGood for you girl. 🙂
Tips:
1. cumpara, cat poti de repede dupa ce ajungi, o aeroterma! Cu toata caldura pe care o dau e …o sa ai nevoie de ea. Masinaria costa vreo 49PLN. Sau intreaba la biblioteca … le-am lasa-o eu pe-a mea!
2. nu cumpara un numar de telefon de la aeroport. e prea scump. Mergi in Arkadia Shoping Center (tramvaiul 35 pentru o statie de unde stai tu). Si…cea mai buna si ieftina retea e Orange Polska.
3. Oricat de “rar” vb la telefon sa ai o cartela in portofel, pentru reincare de urgenta a contului Orange.
4. Iati bilete Wizzair si SkyEurope si plimba-te cat poti!
Cum e să fii Erasmus :) « Andrei
29/11/2006 at 5:29 PM[…] http://www.andressa.ro/2006/09/accommodation.html […]
Geronimo
04/03/2007 at 12:24 AMWitam,
Care e situl Erasmus pe care pot afla prograe si aplica.
Mersi
andressa
04/03/2007 at 12:57 AMGeronimo,
cred ca cel mai bine ar fi sa ceri informatii de la coordonatorul/coordonatoarea erasmus al/a facultatii la care esti student. el/ea iti poate spune cum se procedeaza pentru a obtine un grant erasmus.