CIUDAD REAL

Updated August 2026: This is a personal account of an Erasmus stay in 2014. The quoted rent and other costs are historical. Current Erasmus+ rules allow up to 12 months of mobility within each study cycle; check the official Erasmus+ guidance. Madrid Airport Terminal 4 is still linked to Atocha by Cercanías line C1, and Renfe continues to operate high-speed services between Madrid and Ciudad Real; verify live times and fares with Aena and Renfe.

In 2014, for no particular reason—perhaps thinking it might come in handy one day—I started a master’s degree. (All right, I may have been pushed into it a little because of my spouse’s situation :) Once I began, I realised that being a student, especially abroad, opens doors wide. People make things easier and genuinely try to help. Since I was also working online, I applied for Erasmus. The programme had recently been restructured, changing both its name and scope. In the past you could participate only once in your lifetime, but the newer Erasmus programme gives you a separate allowance for each level of study. In other words, you can take part as an undergraduate, during a master’s and even at doctoral level. (Apparently I will have to start another bachelor’s after the PhD just to use that entitlement too :D) So I used mine and arrived in Ciudad Real, Spain, at the age of 34 for my first Erasmus experience. Some of my lecturers are my age or even younger :) There is at least a ten-year gap between me and my friends here, but that does not matter. What matters is immersing yourself in another culture, fitting in and learning to live like a local.

Now for Ciudad Real: first the background, then my impressions.

Ciudad Real is in fact a capital: it is the capital of Ciudad Real province within Castilla–La Mancha, one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities. Do not try too hard to untangle it; Spain’s layers of government can be confusing. Founded in the 13th century, the area has traditionally depended largely on agriculture. Local living standards seem high. While looking for a home, we learned that many people we met also owned homes in Portugal or Madrid. They preferred Portugal in winter because Ciudad Real gets cold. The city has several important buildings, including the Gothic Church of Santiago, built in the 13th century, and the Church of San Pedro, another Gothic church dating from the 15th century. For us, perhaps the most interesting connection is that Don Quixote is set in this region. There is a museum devoted to the novel and a wonderful clock as well. The city’s main square is Plaza Mayor, surrounded by the town hall, shops and office buildings. If you want to exercise or have a drink somewhere pleasant, head to Parque de Gasset or Parque del Pilar. The arrival of the Madrid high-speed train apparently brought more life to the city, though if this is the lively version I would love to know what it was like before. The hardest thing for us was adjusting to the pace and the siesta. At 2 p.m. everything closes and the streets fall as quiet as a Sunday. Anyone who loves Sundays will think it is paradise, but until we adapted, many errands had to wait until the next day. Spanish Wikipedia put the population at around 100,000 at the time; it may rise a little during term, but that still feels small for a university city.

The city has no dominant architectural style. The centre is made up of fairly ordinary apartment blocks; move farther out and the single-storey houses make it feel almost like a Mexican town. Around the university, the orange-brick buildings reminded me of Boston.
People never pass one another without saying hello. They may not be exceptionally smiley, but they are certainly not rude. Although most do not speak English, they patiently keep explaining the same thing in Spanish. They talk very fast—the only thing they do quickly :) Our version of ‘come back tomorrow’ becomes ‘come back next week’ here. Everyone is relaxed and somehow the work eventually gets done. Opposite our flat is an apartment being renovated with all its windows removed; after two months they had barely finished painting the living room. I suspect the job will be completed just as we leave. I have not seen a single argument since arriving and have heard a car horn only three times. (One was aimed at me :)

The city has plenty of bars, and the official Erasmus Student Network, ESN, organises an event at a different one each week. Themes usually aim to bring cultures together: a flag party one week, a traditional-food or language party the next. They are generally inexpensive and great fun.

Our university is UCLM, the University of Castilla–La Mancha, a large institution with campuses in several cities across the region. Even so, like many residents, few lecturers speak English. Is that a bad thing? Not at all! If classes were in English, we would have to attend and would have less time to travel, wouldn’t we?

If you are setting out on Erasmus, a large city such as Rome, Madrid or Seville should probably be your first choice. But if competition at your university is fierce and you cannot get one of those destinations, do not be disappointed. Ciudad Real is waiting. From here you can rent a car or take short trips by high-speed train.

—Tips for students coming to Ciudad Real—

There are several ways to reach Ciudad Real from Madrid Airport. One is to rent a car at the airport and return it here. If several of you are travelling together, this may cost less than the train. We chose this option on our first journey because we had so much luggage, and it was very comfortable. Another option is the train: from Terminal 4, take the suburban train to Madrid Atocha and continue to Ciudad Real by high-speed train.Once you arrive, the railway station is less than one kilometre from the centre, so you can take a taxi without worrying about a huge fare.

Arrange somewhere to stay before you arrive—at least a hotel or a friend’s home for the first two or three nights. We spent our first night at Hotel Cúmbria, then moved in with friends. ESN volunteers can help you find a flat. At the time, rent averaged €100–150 per person. Try to bring enough cash to cover at least your first month, even if you do not carry a large amount.
In short, Ciudad Real is small but charming, and it is easy to get to know people here. If you have questions, feel free to get in touch.
With love,

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