Weekend Trips from Toulouse – Exploring the South of France

by Sarah Cross, Sciences Po Toulouse, France

Despite the impact of the strikes (see my previous post!), the trains both within and beyond the Occitane region of France have allowed me and my friends to visit lots of other towns and cities nearby. To make it even better, at the start of each months, some of these regional trains cost only 1 euro!!! We recently made the most of this with a trip to Avignon, Nîmes and Montpellier.

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Demonstrations, Strikes and Blockages in Toulouse

Sarah Cross, Sciences Po Toulouse, France

Macron’s controversial decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 certainly has not gone down too well with French workers, with strikes and protests occurring all over the city, and country, since January. An estimated 50,000-100,000 people have taken part in each of the marches in Toulouse alone, with an estimate of over 3 million across France. Whilst precise numbers are heavily debated between the police and the CGT (the main left wing trade union group), it has been impossible to ignore the impact this reform proposal has had on French society.

First Pension Reform Strike/ Demonstration – 19th January 2023
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Weekends and Days off in Toulouse!

by Sarah Cross, Sciences Po Toulouse, France

Despite having more classes and a fuller timetable than I’m used to in Manchester (those 8:30am lectures will stop me from ever complaining about a 9am again!), there remains plenty of time to explore the beautiful city and surrounding areas. I’m lucky enough to also have Fridays off this Semester, giving me even more time to explore. I thought I’d tell you about some of my favourite things I’ve done outside of classes and the library in my first two months.

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Dealing with emergencies in Toulouse

By: Eva Kristinova (Sciences Po Toulouse, France)

By this point you surely realize how incredibly fun it can be to study abroad. But let’s be real, it might not always be. All the same, know that if you ever find yourself in a less welcoming, stressful, or (God forbid) emergency medical situation, there are places you can go and seek help from. Here are some insights for what to do if you find yourself in need in Toulouse.

Physical and mental health support and advice

The best place to look for support and advice related to anything to do with health is the University Medical Centre. All you need to do is call the office number, and you can be professionally assessed by a nurse directly on the phone. She usually asks you about the issue and offers advice right away, but if you deem it necessary, she can also set up an appointment with a specialist depending on your needs. This is usually quick, even the same day. The centre provides generalist medical services, but also has nutritionist, gynecology, or mental health specialists. You might think it quite daunting to pick up the phone or even talk to someone in a foreign situation, but there is no need to worry, even when it comes to the language barrier. If you don’t speak French, it’s no big deal – most specialists also speak English and/or Spanish.

Link: https://www.ut-capitole.fr/universite/gouvernance/services-administratifs-et-techniques/service-interuniversitaire-de-medecine-preventive-simpps–42796.kjsp

Medical emergencies

For most purposes, the University Medical Centre should be your go-to, however there might also be times when you find yourself in a situation requiring urgent medical care and cannot wait for an appointment, or when the issue cannot be resolved over the phone. In that case, I recommend going straight to the nearest walk-in emergency clinic (Urgences in French). These can be isolated clinics or part of larger hospitals. For such a visit, you will need to bring your identity card (usually a passport) and medical insurance card. In these situations it’s much easier if you can speak French so that the doctor can ask questions and examine you without any barriers, however, most places in big cities like Toulouse will also have professionals who speak English.

If you find that you cannot get to an emergency clinic on your own, here are the necessary emergency numbers you can call (not just medical):

112 (European number for all emergencies)

15 (Medical emergencies)

17 (Police)

18 (Fire brigade)

114 (Number for people with impaired hearing)

A note on insurance

In terms of the documents you will need in these places, thankfully, the University Medical Centre doesn’t require anything besides your student card. For walk-in emergency clinics or hospitals, you will need an identification card of some sort, whether it is a country-issued ID card (EU) or a passport. In addition, you will need an insurance card. Note that although UoM insurance covers you for some incidents, it might not cover you for everything in France. Likewise with an EU-issued insurance card from another country. To avoid paying for the clinics services, I suggest you get a carte vitale (French medical card) as soon as you arrive in France. This can be obtained on request at the local mairie if you already have an EU insurance card. Alternatively you will need to apply for it ahead of time, the same way you would for visa and social security in France, and pick it up when you arrive.

Social security: https://www.securite-sociale.fr/accueil

Carte vitale: https://www.ameli.fr/assure/remboursements/etre-bien-rembourse/carte-vitale

Needless to say, I hope you won’t need to use any of the above information, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Loire-Atlantique – castles, boats, biscuits and wine

By: Eva Kristinova (Sciences Po Toulouse, France)

Recently, during our brief spring vacation, I had the opportunity to venture out of the comfort zone of the immediate Occitanie region and visit the very exotic north-west of France: Loire-Atlantique. This cozy dĂ©partement, sandwiched between the unique cultures of VendĂ©e and Bretagne (which also just happen to be historical rivals), is home to a very different side of Frenchness, which is nevertheless as French as can be, perhaps even more French than our beloved Toulouse! And I’m not just talking about the cheese.

Travel agency in Nantes located at an old biscuit factory
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The call to armes – a reflection

By: Eva Kristinova (Sciences Po Toulouse, France)

Hello, it’s me again. This post will be a little different from my usual content, but, I hope, interesting nevertheless. What I wish to share with you is something that has become a constant feature of my life in France, something I soon learned was simply an inevitable part of French culture, history and people. Just as a heads-up though, I do not wish to fuel any stereotypes here. This is simply something that I’ve observed, and upon discussion found that my French peers freely, even proudly admit to. So, here are a few reflections on the culture of protest in France.

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La fĂªte de NoĂ«l (even if a little late)

By Eva Kristinova (Sciences Po Toulouse, France)

Hi everyone and happy new year! I’m back with another post, this time a little past its relevant time frame, but one that I hope you will find interesting nevertheless. I am, of course, talking about the wonderful end-of-year holiday (also my personal favourite) that has become celebrated pretty much everywhere – Christmas! Or, for those who prefer to go with the French spirit of laĂ¯citĂ©, simply the holidays (so, belatedly, Joyeuses fĂªtes!).

Now, even though I was lucky enough to go home for Christmas itself, I have still been able to experience and ask about the French twist to this popular time. What is Noël like?

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A Guide to the French Life (on a budget)

By Eva Kristinova (Sciences Po Toulouse, France)

France is full of awesome places that you can explore, food you can try and events you can attend. But living the ideal exchange experience rarely comes cheap – don’t know about you but I certainly cannot afford to buy a fresh baguette from the local bakery every single morning (yes, this stereotype about the French is actually true). Well, don’t worry, I got you đŸ™‚ Here’s five tips for getting the most out of a stay in France, and not going broke in the process.

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Toulouse Ă  Grande Vitesse… or not.

By Eva Kristinova, (Sciences Po Toulouse, France)

Hello everyone and welcome to my year-long study exchange journey in Toulouse! We will start off with the good news so far: I’ve arrived.

And I’m afraid that’s where it ends. To be fair I am somewhat to blame for all I’m about to tell you, but I hope that after reading this, you will admit that no amount of extra preparation could have helped. So let’s dive into my voyage from Brussels to Toulouse… oh, did I mention it was all by train? Well, now you know (and those of you familiar with the French TGV probably guessed as much from the title).

Destination: Toulouse train station
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