The Museu de les Ciències at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, reflected in its pool at dusk

Will Valencia Feel Different? A Guide for Erasmus Students

Yes, but mostly in the everyday details. Meals happen later, evenings stretch longer, and you will see two official languages across signs and campus life. The trick is not to become Valencian overnight - it is to notice the rhythm, try the local way, and give yourself time to settle in.

What actually feels different day to day?

Valencia can feel later, more social and more outward-facing than home, with public spaces often playing a bigger role in everyday socialising than it might where you are used to studying. Daily rhythms follow their own logic rather than a UK or US timetable.

None of this is a rulebook. Individual habits, faculties and neighbourhoods vary, so treat the sections below as things you may notice rather than fixed facts about every student's experience.

Direction signs in Spanish and Valencian near the city hall square, reading pl. del Ayuntamiento and pl. de l'Ajuntament, todas direcciones and totes direccions — Signs often give both names, so the same place can appear under its Spanish or its Valencian name.

Six things Erasmus students notice first

Practical, everyday differences most likely to affect your routine in the first few weeks.

Later meals

Lunch in Valencia typically runs from 13:30 to 15:30, with dinner from around 21:00 onwards - later than a typical UK or US timetable, and worth planning around rather than resisting.

Two official languages

Spanish and Valencian are both official in the Valencian Community. You will see Valencian on signs, documents and around campus - learning it is not required for an Erasmus stay, but a few words are appreciated.

Social life happens outdoors

Terraces, plazas and street life make public space part of everyday socialising, not just something for special occasions.

Greetings can be more familiar

A two-cheek greeting is common in informal social contexts in Spain. Follow the other person's lead rather than assuming one fixed rule - a handshake or a verbal greeting is also completely normal.

University life can feel more conversational

Seminar discussion and classroom debate can feel livelier and more informal than you are used to. This varies by faculty and course, not a single national style.

The Erasmus bubble forms fast

International students often find friends quickly inside Erasmus and exchange networks. It is a comfortable starting point, not the end of the story - see the section below on widening your circle.

A pedestrian street in Russafa (Ruzafa), a lively multicultural neighbourhood in Valencia — Russafa (Ruzafa) is one of the neighbourhoods where street life, terraces and public space are genuinely part of everyday social life.

Coming from the UK or the US: what may feel different

A different starting point, the same goal: understanding the local rhythm rather than comparing which is better.

Topic	Coming from the UK	Coming from the US
Meal and evening timing	Later dinners and a later start to nightlife are often among the biggest adjustments.	The whole daily rhythm can feel slower and more social, with later meal and service expectations throughout.
Classroom style	Seminar discussion may feel more overtly conversational than you are used to.	Class format and grading conventions differ from a US GPA system - check your study-abroad guidance for conversion.
Language presence	Spanish is workable day to day, though not guaranteed with landlords, doctors or bureaucracy.	Spanish and Valencian may be more noticeable in daily life than you expect from a short visit or a language class.
Campus vs city	University life sits inside a working city rather than a self-contained campus.	The balance between campus and city is different from a residential US campus model.

A crowd in the city hall square under a haze of smoke in front of the city hall, just after a Fallas firework display — Between 1 and 19 March, this is what the 14:00 noise leaves behind: a square full of smoke and people, not an emergency.

What would you do in this situation?

Five common moments and the practical read on each one.

A friend invites you to lunch at 14:30.

This is a normal lunch window in Valencia, not an unusually late one - plan your morning around it rather than assuming it is a delay.

Someone greets you with two cheek kisses.

Follow their lead. A handshake or a verbal greeting works fine too, especially in a more formal setting.

You see Valencian on signs or hear it around campus.

It is co-official alongside Spanish. Whether you need Valencian academically depends on your university, degree and individual subjects; a few Valencian phrases are a nice-to-have, not a requirement.

A loud noise erupts at 14:00 between 1 and 19 March.

That is very likely the mascletà, part of Las Fallas - a pyrotechnic spectacle held every day at 14:00 from 1 to 19 March, not an emergency.

A seminar gets more argumentative than you expected.

Some seminars may feel more conversational or discussion-based than you are used to, but this varies by course and lecturer. Treat one lively seminar as one data point, not a national rule.

The Erasmus bubble

People walking and sitting around a pond in the Turia gardens, with tall apartment towers behind

A weekly run, match or walk in the Turia gardens is an easy routine to build outside the Erasmus circuit.

Photo: Kent Wang, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Erasmus bubble is not a problem to solve - it is a comfortable, fast-forming starting point. The real opportunity is widening the circle before the semester settles into a routine.

Join a language exchange or welcome activity in week one, before social circles settle.
Build one recurring local connection: a sports group, classmate, café, society or neighbourhood routine.
Keep at least one weekly activity outside the central Erasmus circuit.

Not everyone has the same experience. Some students love the social side of exchange life; some students find the language barrier, university bureaucracy or distance from home difficult at times. Both are normal, and neither means you are doing it wrong.

Two glasses of horchata and a basket of sugar-glazed fartons on a marble cafe table — This tiger nut drink is usually served cold, with a long sweet bun for dipping.

Valencian culture worth actually experiencing

Four starting points beyond the obvious tourist list.

Food

Valencian paella is a regional tradition closely associated with Valencia's rice-growing landscape - see our Valencian paella recipe. Horchata de chufa, usually served with fartons, is a distinctly Valencian drink - see all about horchata.

Fallas

Fallas runs from 1 to 19 March, with a mascletà every day at 14:00, and peaks from 14 to 19 March before the Cremà on the night of 19 March. La Crida, the official call that opens the festival, comes first, at the end of February. It is recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage - see our Las Fallas explainer for what it actually involves.

Language

Spanish and Valencian are co-official in the Valencian Community. Whether you need Valencian for your studies depends on your university, degree and subjects, but a few local phrases can make interactions warmer - see how to learn Spanish in Valencia.

Neighbourhood life

Russafa is lively and multicultural, Benimaclet is close to several universities and has a strong neighbourhood feel, and El Cabanyal is a historic former fishermen's district - three different urban rhythms, not a ranking of best to worst.

First 30 days in Valencia

A week-by-week shape for settling in, not a rigid schedule. For the paperwork side of the same month, see our first-month checklist; for the academic side, university life in Valencia; and for the flat hunt, student housing in Valencia.

Days 1 to 3

Set up the essentials, learn your route to campus, walk your immediate neighbourhood and learn five useful Spanish phrases.

Week 1

Attend orientation, one Erasmus event and one activity that is not Erasmus-specific.

Week 2

Try a local meal out, start a language exchange or class, and establish one repeat routine outside campus.

Week 3

Choose one cultural experience: a market, a neighbourhood event, a local sports activity, or a Fallas-related activity if the timing lines up.

Week 4

Settle your routines: study, food shopping, exercise, friendships, language practice and one recurring local activity.

Cafe terraces under street trees on a pedestrianised stretch of the Passeig de Russafa, with people walking past — With lunch typically from 13:30 and dinner from around 21:00, terraces tend to fill up later than you may be used to.

Cultural do's and don'ts

Topic	Do	Don't
Greetings	Use simple greetings and follow the other person's lead on physical greetings.	Don't assume everyone speaks English, or that one greeting style fits every setting.
Mealtimes	Be open to later mealtimes and leave room for conversation over food.	Don't expect every restaurant or household to run on a UK or US timetable.
Language	Try some Spanish, even a little - it can make everyday interactions easier.	Don't treat Valencian as "just Spanish with an accent" - it is a distinct co-official language.
Nightlife	Explore at your own pace and find activities beyond the Erasmus circuit.	Don't assume one nightlife pattern fits everyone, or that skipping it means missing out on exchange life.
Attitude	Stay curious and treat differences as interesting rather than inconvenient.	Don't frame cultural differences as "better" or "worse" than home.

Sources

Cultural and factual claims above trace back to the official sources below.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to speak Spanish or Valencian?

Spanish is the practical default and Valencian is also co-official, so you will encounter both. Learning a few local phrases helps with everyday integration, but is not required for an Erasmus stay.

What time do people eat in Valencia?

Lunch in Valencia typically runs from 13:30 to 15:30, with dinner from around 21:00 onwards. Individual habits vary, so treat this as a rough benchmark rather than a fixed rule.

Will I need Valencian at university?

Not necessarily, but language requirements vary by degree and subject. The Universitat de Valencia uses Valencian alongside Spanish and offers incoming students opportunities to learn it. Check the language requirements for your particular programme and subjects.

How do I meet local students?

Join language exchanges early, talk to classmates, join a recurring activity and make at least one weekly commitment outside the Erasmus bubble.

What is Fallas like?

A major citywide festival from 1 to 19 March, at its peak from 14 to 19 March: monuments, satire, music and fireworks culminating in the Cremà on the night of 19 March, recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Daily mascletà events are a defining feature.

What if I do not like partying?

Erasmus life is broader than nightlife. Sport, arts, food, study groups, language exchange and neighbourhood events are all genuine alternatives, not a consolation prize.

Will Valencia feel like Spain from the UK or US?

In broad ways, yes, but Valencia also has a strong local identity through Valencian, Fallas, food traditions and neighbourhood culture that goes beyond a generic idea of Spain.

Ready to make Valencia your next study destination?

You do not need to know everything before you arrive. We can help you understand the study options, prepare for day-to-day life and work out what your Valencia experience could look like.

Ask about studying in Valencia Explore Erasmus+ in Valencia

Michael BastinFounder, ValenciaMove

Resident in Valencia since 2016. Founder of BeTranslated. 25+ years in translation, interpretation and multilingual SEO.

Reviewed 25 September 2026 by Michael Bastin