Erasmus group Bordeaux: ESN, WhatsApp and Facebook groups, university buddy programmes, parties and the Studroof community. Where to find the other Erasmus.
To meet the other Erasmus students in Bordeaux you have four doors: the ESN Bordeaux association (Erasmus Student Network), your university's international office and buddy programme, the WhatsApp and Facebook groups students create every year, and the Studroof community, where you see who is arriving in your city on the same dates as you before you even board the plane. None of these doors is enough on its own; together they solve the real problem of the first month: knowing nobody. Here is how to use them, and how to spot the fake groups that exist to sell rooms that do not.
Why "Erasmus group Bordeaux" is the first thing you type
Search "erasmus bordeaux" on Google and the suggestions are not about housing or paperwork: they say whatsapp, facebook, party, reddit, esn. That makes sense. Before you leave, the question that matters is not "how do I pay the CVEC" (you will settle that in ten minutes), it is "who am I going to live this with". Erasmus students who settle in fast almost all tell the same story: a group joined before departure, a first night out in the first week, two or three familiar faces on the first day of class.
The trap is that the same search also leads to the Erasmus+ France / Éducation Formation agency, whose head office is in Bordeaux. It is the body that runs the programme for France; it recruits and publishes calls, but it does not welcome students and does not organise their life on the ground. If you land on "agence erasmus bordeaux recrutement" or "organigramme", you are in the wrong place.
ESN Bordeaux: the association that makes the link
The Erasmus Student Network is the European student association for students on mobility, present in more than 40 countries. Its Bordeaux section brings together local and international student volunteers who organise, all year round, what you expect from an Erasmus: welcome parties at the start of term, trips around the city and the region (the dunes, Saint-Émilion, Arcachon), themed nights, sports outings, mutual-help events.
In practice:
- Find the section on the ESN network website and on its social media before you arrive: welcome-week events fill up fast.
- The ESN membership card (ESNcard) gives access to the association's events and to partner discounts; the exact price and benefits are set by the section, check them on the spot.
- A buddy may be offered depending on the year and the university; it is the best way to have a French-speaking Bordeaux contact from day one.
ESN is not a university service: it is a student association. It has nothing to sell you apart from its card, and it will never offer you a room in exchange for a bank transfer.
Your university: international office, welcome week, buddy programme
Every Bordeaux institution has an international relations office that welcomes exchange students: the Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Montaigne, Sciences Po Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP, KEDGE, the engineering and business schools. This office usually runs a welcome day or welcome week in September and in January, with workshops on paperwork (residence permit, social security, bank) and meet-ups between international students.
Ask in particular about:
- The buddy programme: a local student contacts you before you arrive and helps you through the first weeks. You often need to sign up before the summer or before December.
- French courses open to exchange students, which are also places to meet people: read learning French in Bordeaux.
- University associations: university sport, cultural societies, student unions. For going out, our article on student life in Bordeaux gives the places and the regular meet-ups.
WhatsApp and Facebook groups: useful, and to be handled with care
Every year, groups such as "Erasmus Bordeaux 2026-2027", "Erasmus Bordeaux Montaigne" or "Erasmus in Bordeaux" appear on Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, created by students or by ESN. They are precious for finding a flatmate, a second-hand bike, a Thursday night out. They have two flaws: they vanish from one year to the next (the link a blog gives you today will be dead in six months), and they are the favourite hunting ground of housing scams.
The script is always the same: a "landlord" or a "student who is leaving" posts a well-located room, cheaper than the market, with lovely photos; they are "abroad", cannot show it, and ask for a deposit or a month's rent "to hold the room". The room does not exist, or exists and belongs to someone else. Our rules, detailed in student housing scams in Bordeaux:
- Never any money before you have seen the place, in person or on a live video call, and before you have a signed lease.
- A landlord who cannot be reached by phone or refuses a video call is warning enough.
- Photos that look too good can be checked with a reverse image search; copied listings circulate across several cities.
- A group is not a guarantee: the admin checks nobody.
To find the right group, search by the name of your university and the academic year, and prefer those relayed by ESN or your university's international office themselves. Reddit (the city's forum) is useful for practical questions, less so for meeting people.
The Studroof community: see who arrives at the same time as you
This is the pillar Studroof adds to the other three, and it starts before departure. In the app, once your city and dates are filled in:
- "Who will be with me" shows the students arriving in Bordeaux over a period that overlaps yours, with the option to message them. The first message is free; replying requires a verified student status, which keeps fake profiles out.
- Interest groups (sport, going out, cooking, language, your university) bring together the students of the city; you join one or create one.
- Events have a page, a guest list and a chat: a picnic on the quays, a match, a revision session, a visit. You see who is coming before you go.
- Flatmates are found there too: profiles show the period and the neighbourhood wanted, which helps put together a flatshare in Bordeaux between Erasmus students rather than with strangers.
What Studroof does not do: guarantee a room or check every listing. Housing introductions are concluded directly with the landlord or agency, with no commission, and the anti-scam rules above apply everywhere, including with us.
The plan for the first four weeks
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Before departure | Sign up for your university's buddy programme, find ESN Bordeaux, join your university's group, fill in your dates on Studroof | University website, ESN social media, the app |
| Week 1 | University welcome week, first ESN night, first message to the students arriving on the same dates | Campus, ESN, "Who will be with me" |
| Weeks 2 and 3 | One interest group, one outing off campus (the quays, Chartrons, the Capucins market), one language tandem | Studroof groups, ESN, French classes |
| Week 4 | An event organised by you or your group: the moment you go from "new" to "member" | Studroof event page, ESN |
The rule that works: say yes to everything for a month, even the outing that does not appeal to you. An Erasmus student's group of friends forms in the first three weeks; after that, it settles.
FAQ — Erasmus group in Bordeaux
Is there an official WhatsApp group for Erasmus students in Bordeaux? No, there is no single "official" group. Groups are created every year by students, by ESN Bordeaux or by the universities' international offices. Look for the one for your university and your year, and be wary of housing listings posted there.
What is ESN Bordeaux? The Bordeaux section of the Erasmus Student Network, a volunteer student association that organises parties, trips and mutual-help events for students on mobility. It is neither a university service nor the Erasmus+ agency.
Can the Erasmus+ agency in Bordeaux help me on the ground? No. The Erasmus+ France / Éducation Formation agency runs the programme at national level; it does not handle student welcome. Your contacts are your home university, your host university and the student associations.
How do I meet Erasmus students before arriving in Bordeaux? Through your university's buddy programme, through your university's groups, and on Studroof with "Who will be with me", which lists the students whose dates of stay overlap yours.
How do I recognise a housing scam in an Erasmus group? A room cheaper than the market, a landlord "abroad" who cannot show it, a request for a deposit before a viewing or before a lease. Never pay before you have seen the place and signed.
The group is half of your Erasmus; the other half is housing and paperwork. Find student accommodation in Bordeaux, look at the neighbourhoods where students live, and for the rest follow our Bordeaux settling-in guide. And join your city's Erasmus community on Studroof to see who is arriving at the same time as you.
This article is informational. The associations, groups and programmes mentioned change every year: check the details with ESN Bordeaux and your university's international relations office. Last updated: September 2026.