Where to stay for the first few nights

Important advice

It is not a good idea to arrive in Magdeburg without first making appropriate arrangements for your stay for the first few nights. Be prepared as it may take a week or two to find a suitable apartment. During this time period, you can either stay in a youth hostel (Jugendherberge) or with a friend till you find permanent accommodation. It is helpful to keep your letter of admit from the university handy as you may be eligible for a discount at the youth hostel.

Hostels in Magdeburg

To book a hostel in Magdeburg, you can make use of the following links:

• http://magdeburg.djh‐sachsen‐anhalt.de
• http://www.gaestehaus‐citycarree.de/html/zimmer.html
• http://www.jugendherberge‐in‐magdeburg.de/
• http://www.ringel‐hostel.de/

For more help in finding and booking a hostel room, refer to our short guide on travel in Germany/Europe. Additionally, in Magdeburg you also have the following search portals:

• http://tourismus.meinestadt.de/magdeburg/hostel
• http://mein-monteurzimmer.de/hostel-magdeburg

Couchsurfing/AirBnB

Lesser known, but equally good (perhaps, better) options are Couchsurfing and Airbnb. Couchsurfing allows you to host people at your place and/or surf at other people's places and interact with them. Needless to say, there is no money involved but you will need to be an active member of the community or it will be difficult to find hosts. Airbnb is more focused on renting out your unused place for travelers and it may be cheaper and nicer than a hostel room.

Alternatives

A lot of students rent their rooms for a semester or two as they might have to leave the city for a semester abroad or thesis in a different city. These rooms are often furnished (called Zwischenmiete in German). For example, you may check out the WG-Gesucht website and search for rooms in a shared apartment or 1-room apartments.

Finally, you can also look for rooms in the following facebook groups, as some students sublet their rooms for both short as well as longer terms:

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/student.accommodation.magdeburg/

For more details, also check out our article: Finding accommodation in Magdeburg