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How many of you would have wondered this question? Better a dormitory or rent an apartment in the center?. The question is absolutly not banal, neither the answer. Something objective doesn't exist. All depends from what you want.

Here below there 'll be a list of the main advantages and disadvantages of both.

All the informations and photos were personally sent me by the students who has lived in the dorms during last years.

All informations here written has to be considered according with the point of view of students who lived there and we personally dont take any responsability for the veracity of the information given to us, trusting  in the "good commun sense" of the people.

First at all, you have to know where are located the dormitories, called "bendrabutis." Each university has its own. There are 5 major locations.  

1) Dormitories of the University MRU, ones of the older  and poorly maintained. Conditions still typically Sovietic. Students reported of rooms very small and also not clean. Besides the public transport's service in that district is absolutely far from European standard. Only one Bus run towards the station (old town). It is located about 10km from the center, about 40-60min by bus.(summer-winter conditions)

2) Dormitories of VU Univeristy, VGTU, IBS Saulėtekis. Students reported of mediocre conditions of the room but in any case accetable. Neverthlless rooms are little and all double rooms. Superfice around 10m2 and you can not rent as single room even paying double. Students told us that kitchen is often shared with 15-20persons and often students dont clean it as if it were their own kitchen, especially after party is a disaster. Students reported also a  very small bathroom to be shared with 3-5 persons. Public transport is not bad, but there is only the bus number N° 2  to/ from the center, but the rides are frequent. It is located about 11km from the center (station, old town), about 30-50min by bus.

Typical double room in Dormitory

3) Dormitories of street Olandu 51, one of  the best in terms of sanitary and logistic conditions. It is located just 3km from the center, neverthless, is located in the middle of nowhere in an area where, since there is no urban transport, is better to walk to the center. It takes 30-40min since there is a hill and you have to go up and then descend  and viceversa during your trip back at home.

Typical Singol room 

4) Dormitories of University LEU. Students reported mediocre conditions but acetable. Anyway small rooms around 10m2. Kitchen is shared with 10persons. Bathrooms has to be shared in 3 person. Public transport quite frequent. 30-40min walking to the center.

5)Dormitories of street Ciurlonio. Students reported mediocre conditions but acetable. Anyway small rooms around 10m2. Kitchen is shared with 10persons. Bathrooms has to be shared in 3 person 20-30min walking to the center.

6) Hotel Corner or even called Gile. The new! Recently built, it 's a new structure which has nothing to envy to an hotel. Bathroom in the same room sharing with only own roommate. Possibility of get also a singol room. The weak points are the kitchen, which, although large, gives place to more than 50persons and the price, about 7 times more expensive than the other dorms, about 350 € for a single and 270 € for a double room. It is located outside the city center on the little hill . 20-30 min by feet.

Here below the map of the dormitories in the order listed previously by me:

          

                                     

Said that, let 's speak about the most important aspects. Keep in mind that the comparing doesn't count the Corner Hotel, which  has a higher cost than an apartment, but only the first 5 dormitories.

 The main advantages of the dormitory are:

1. The party's atmosphera

• In the dorms people breathe an intercultural atmosphere being present people from more than 50 different countries.You ll make a lot of party, you ll be often drunk : DDD

2. The very low cost.

• 50€   for a 3 beds-room.
• 90€   for a double room.
• 150€ for a single room.
• Consider that the size of the rooms don't change based on the number of the people. The  space is approximately 10m2 (2.5 m X 3.5 m).

The main disadvantages of the dormitory are:

1.  The distance from the city center.

• Except for the Hotel Corner or also called Gile, all other dorms are located at distances almost impossible to do on foot, considering that the snow comes in early November and remains until the beginning of April and easly temperatures arrive till -20 °

                                                         Video recorder 8 of April

Center of Vilnius in the end of January

• The pubblic  transport starts IN AVERAGE at 05:30 and ends at 23:00.

• Consider that the average waiting's time for the taxis called on the phone especially during the weekend is around 15-20min. Let's imagine getting out from a club at 6 am, maybe drunk and tired after a night out dancing, and maybe adding the fact that  there are 15 degrees below zero and you're with a boy/girl who you met dancing and you look forward to reach the bed, what would you do?.....  You 'll walk through the historical center till the bus stop, waiting maybe for the bus other 10-20min bus with the mucus that became a stalactite and the girl already hibernated in your arms, or you 'll take the first taxi in front of the club, knowing that it will cost you 3 times more than the normal rate and that you still you will has to  waiting other 15min  to your dorms?

• Let'say ...foreigners goes out  at least 3 times a week ... you would say, isn't too much?. Don't say bullshit!. Vilnius holds the European record of the number of club  in proportion to the inhabitants of the old town, having even four weekly Erasmus party (Tuesday in Salento, Wednesday  in Tarantino, Thursday in Cocain,  Saturday in the Pub Universiteto or Posh) without counting all the other events offered from the other clubs. An Erasmus comes out on average at least 3 times a week spending just for the taxi at least 360Lt! Let's divide this soum assuming that the taxi is always full: 360/4 people = 80Lt X 4 weeks = 320lt. Let's say  that you are in double room spending at least 300Lt for the rent. Let's add even the monthly money fort he taxi we would have a total, more or less, around 600Lt. Now, do you think is really advantageous live in the dorm saving 200-300Lt (60-100 €) per month instead to rent an apartment avoiding in this way  these problematic connected with taxi, cold and time ?

• The "life" is  only in the old town, outside, the city is desolate, quiet and dark. By personal experience once you get used to dorm's life, you 'll end up to spend most of your time inside there making party all together, rather than face the cold, the snow and discover what is Lithuania and their people.

Just out from the center

Note the skyscrapers in the background to emphasize the contrast

• The inconvenience to be forced to plan always own plans in based on the bus schedules and especially the exigences of others, meaning that once you go out, the taxi becomes the only transport's system, and consequently you will try to amortize the cost sharing it. Consider that a ride till the dorm MRU, VGTU or Sauletekis costs around 60Lt (18 €) WHEN YOU GET IN THE STREET and you dont want wait 30min at -20°, while for the dorms closer it can be between 20-40Lt (6-12 €).

• The inconvenience to be always waiting for a bus at "unaccetable" bus-stops with siberian temperatures and perhaps in company with the drunk of the day who comes to break your balls.

• 

  In winter at 15:00 at a bus stop in one of the north districts only 3km far-away from the city-center.

                       
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• The impossibility to say: " I go out to take a beer with a friend", or" i go to see how is going outside", or simply " i go to have a walk", probabily passing from one club to another one without be worry about the time, buses or taxi.

2. The low-conditions of the dormitories.

• It's useless to deny it, the condition of most of the dorms is low, coparing with the standard of West Europe, but neverthless we can not deny also  that a good company, a party's atmosphere and the low cost, are able to overshadow even the worst conditions. With a bit of will we can adapt to everything. The rooms are only double or triple. In each floor there are about 10-30 rooms. The bathrooms are at least 5 per floor while kitchen is usually just one, creating many problems in the management of cleaning since there is always who does not clean. Students told me also that an external service is offered to clean the kitchen and bathrooms, but this it happens once a week. 

3. The restricted rules of the dorms. 

• Admiting the fact that the rules -as wrote O.Wilde- are made ​​to be broken, in most of the dorms can not hs access those who do not live there, since there are turnstiles with nominal access garanted with a special card or also can be the guardian. Consequently, it is good to know that sleeping in a dorm it  will be not so easy to bring guests inside, except for some dormitories. Each one has his own rules.

4.Uniformity of own experience.

• It 's demostrated that cause the disastrous climate's conditions and the distance from the city of the dormitory, the Erasmus who lives in the dorms always end up to live as in bubble, often living in the same dormitories, voiding wht is going outside,  moving often in packs, always with the same people and especially aways in the some posh-commercial clubs to make always the same thing: get drunk :-D. Consequently, the typical Erasmus will go away from Lithuania with a very positive opinion of the experience, but in front of the  question how it is Lithuania, what did you understand of Lithuania or how are the same Lithuanians, most of the Erasmus would say ...oh god..who knows!

The main advantges of  flat in the center are:

1. The confort.

• The confort to live in the pulsanting heart of city's life. 

• The confort due to the possibility to have not  to make plan based on bus schedules and aboveall on the exigences of others, meaning that you 'll not need a taxi, and consecuently you can be more indipendent saving also money.

• The convenience of not having to always be waiting for a bus at the stop "preposterous" with Siberian temperatures, aware that with less than 15min walk to your right, the supermarket or all of the local all'intrno the area circled in blue.
La comodità di vivere nel cuore pulsante della vita della città.

• The confort due to the fact you 'll not have to wait always a bus at "unaccetable" bus-stops with siberian temperatures knowing that in less than 15min by foot is possible rech own fculty, supermarket of quality or all club inside the zone circled in blue color. 

2. The  freedom.

• Renting in the center, basicly you have the freedom to do what you want. You have your own single room often spcious. You can invite whoever you want and you can make parties always respecting the neighborhood.   

3. The conditions  of the apartments.

• It's useless deny it, the average price of the apartments in Vilnius are 20-50% lower than tht of most other European capitals. In other words, with € 1,000 is possible to rent  luxurious apartaments with 4-5 rooms with lso pool and sauna inside the house. 

Typicl  sauna in Lithuania

But if the price seems too much, you can satisfy yourself  renting an apartment of medium-high level  which costs between 150 -300€ for ech person.

The main disadvantage renting an apartment in center is:

1.   The cost

• It's useless deny it, although it's relly cheper comparing with other European countries, rent an apartment is more expensive than rent a little room in the dormitory, including in the total amount also the theoretical montlhy cost of the tranfers by taxi.