Universität Innsbruck (UIBK)

The uni organises loads of ERASMUS events which are all great fun and a brilliant way to meet people. The old town is good for bars and little cafes, and the irish pub down maria-theresen strasse has a good pub quiz.

Well organised, although check small print of accom. contract carefully as you need to phone WIST (the company who arrange Austrian halls of residence) a set number of days before you arrive to confirm your accomodation. This can trip you up (It did me!) Very nice rooms though, and a chance you may end up sharing.

The Austrian dialect can be a bit tricky at first but you get used to it really quickly. People in general are really friendly and willing to speak to you in german, even if you are struggling.

Using cash machines to withdraw money from an account at home ends up costing a fortune, so it is worth opening a bank account there, despite the linguistic stress it can cause. Internet banking was a life saver though, and HSBC were usually happy to ring me back if I needed to call them. Internet was provided in my halls of residence for free, along with a phone, although we did receive a bill for this at the end of the semester.

Flights to Innsbruck can be pretty expensive, I'd recommend going with a budget airline to Salzburg, then get the train from there to Innsbruck. Otherwise you end up spending a fortune.