Details

• France
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Before my exchange semester, I spoke with friends and acquaintances who had already spent time in Paris. This was especially helpful for the housing search and for general organizational questions. For my journey to Paris, I chose the “Green Travel” option in advance and travelled by train from Hamburg to Paris. Looking back, I would not really recommend it. Especially with a lot of luggage, changing trains was quite exhausting, and the trip was more stressful than expected. In hindsight, flying would probably have been much more comfortable. When looking for accommodation in Paris, you should also be very careful. On platforms such as SELOGER, there are many unreliable offers and scam listings. I had a bad experience with this myself. Therefore, I would recommend only using trustworthy platforms. I had a good experience with Joivy. Important tips: - Talk to former exchange students - “Green Travel” by train is only partly recommendable, especially with a lot of luggage - Be careful when looking for accommodation - Avoid SELOGER - Joivy was the safer option for me

2. Accommodation

During my exchange semester, I lived in a shared apartment on Avenue Montaigne through Joivy. The area is comparable to the Graben in Vienna, with many luxury stores, and was definitely one of the highlights of my stay. The location was also perfect: I only needed four metro stops to get to university and was generally very well connected. Another great part was that I had a French roommate. Through this, I noticed many small everyday differences that I probably would not have experienced otherwise. For example, many French people buy frozen food and heat it up in the microwave later. There are even supermarkets like Picard that almost only sell frozen products. In general, I would recommend not only looking at the price when searching for accommodation, but also paying attention to the area. Especially at Université Paris Dauphine, I think it makes a big difference whether you come back after university to a nice and comfortable neighborhood. I can especially recommend the 8th arrondissement, as I always felt very safe there. What I wish I had known before: Unfortunately, many housing listings in Paris are fake or unreliable. Therefore, I would recommend asking friends or acquaintances who have already lived in Paris for advice instead of relying only on random online listings. In France, you often also need a so-called “dossier” with income documents and guarantor information, which can be quite complicated. That is why Joivy was the easiest and least stressful solution for me. It was a bit more expensive, but much safer and more convenient. Important tips: - Pay attention to the area and location, and also check whether there are supermarkets other than Franprix or Monoprix nearby - The 8th arrondissement was very safe and pleasant for me - Many housing listings in Paris are unreliable or fake - Joivy was the safest and most convenient option for me

3. Academic life at host university

Academic life at Université Paris Dauphine was quite different from what I was used to at WU Vienna. Compared to the well-known Grandes Écoles in Paris, Dauphine is not a classic Grande École, but the workload is also much more relaxed. A very positive aspect is the location of the university in the 16th arrondissement, so it is directly in the city and very easy to reach by metro. The university is currently being renovated, which caused some limitations, especially during winter. The heating basically did not work at all, and according to other students this has been a known issue for quite some time. In January, February and March it was sometimes so cold that many students were sitting in the reading room wearing winter jackets. This is definitely something to be prepared for. There is also hardly any real orientation phase for exchange students and generally only few organized opportunities to meet people. Most social contact happens more randomly in lectures. I also felt that the student environment was quite different from what I was used to at WU. Therefore, I was happy that I already knew other people in Paris. The administration also works much more slowly than one might be used to. My most important tip would be to always go there in person and solve problems directly on site. Communication by email often takes a very long time in France, or you might not receive an answer at all. However, when you speak to the staff in person, they are usually very friendly and problems are often solved immediately, also in English. I personally would not recommend the paid language course before the semester starts. In my opinion, it does not help much with actually learning French. It is mainly useful for meeting people and having a first program. Overall, I would recommend going to Paris with open expectations and not focusing too much on the university itself, but rather on life in Paris and the experiences outside university. Important tips: - Workload is more relaxed than at many Grandes Écoles - Very good location in the 16th arrondissement - Dress very warmly in winter, as the heating barely works - Hardly any organized orientation phase for exchange students - It is better to solve problems in person on site - Email communication often only works to a limited extent - The language course before the semester is mainly useful for socializing - Focus more on life in Paris than on the university itself

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life in Paris was definitely the highlight of my exchange semester. It is incredibly easy to meet new people there, and the social life is very different from Vienna. I spent a lot of time in the Marais, where many people speak English and it is easy to start conversations. Our favorite bar was Café La Perle, where we constantly met new people. We also went to Raspoutine almost every weekend, which was right around the corner from where I lived. Another absolute highlight was Fashion Week. During Fashion Week, I would definitely recommend going to the “La Watch Party” events by @ly.as. Hundreds of people watch the fashion shows together there, you meet new people very quickly, and the atmosphere is really unique. Public transport in Paris is also very good. For longer stays, I would recommend getting the “Imagine R” annual pass, especially if you stay for more than four months. For my six-month stay, it was definitely worth it. Regarding safety, I personally felt safe throughout my stay and never had any problems with pickpockets or anything similar. Of course, there are some areas where you should be a bit more careful at night, but overall I only had good experiences. Important tips: - Focus more on social life and life in Paris - The Marais is a great area to meet new people - Café La Perle was perfect for meeting people - Fashion Week in Paris is an absolute must-do - The “La Watch Party” by @ly.as is ideal for socializing - Public transport in Paris is very good - “Imagine R” is worth it for a longer stay - Overall, I felt very safe in Paris

6. Testimonial

You simply have to let Paris sink in. The city is incredibly lively, beautiful, and at the same time very well connected. For me, it was really impressive that you can spontaneously take the train to London for a weekend, for example, in only about two and a half hours. Of course, life in Paris is expensive, but at the same time it is also very special. You can still find many places to eat at reasonable prices and really enjoy the city. My biggest tip would be not to focus only on the university, but especially on life outside university, meeting new people, and making the most of the experience. Fashion Week, the nightlife, and the different neighborhoods in particular make the experience unique. If you have any questions or need recommendations for courses, restaurants, bars, or clubs, feel free to message me Regarding the pictures: Université Paris Dauphine is overall much older and less modern than what you might be used to from WU Vienna. The pictures give a good impression of the facilities where lectures and group work take place.