Québec City.

Student nightlife concentrates in the Saint-Roch and Saint-Jean-Baptiste districts downtown, where the bars are cheaper and livelier than the tourist-facing old town. Grande Allee has the bigger clubs, and Laval's campus hosts its own pubs and events. The social year peaks with the Carnaval de Quebec in February, a vast winter festival with Bonhomme, ice canoe races and night parades.

• Saint-Roch and Rue Saint-Jean are where students actually drink; the old town is pricier and touristy.
• The Carnaval de Quebec in February is the world's biggest winter carnival and the social highlight of the year.
• Ask the Quebec City group on Studcasa which Laval associations organise the best ski trips.

Quebec City is noticeably cheaper than Montreal, let alone Toronto, and one of the best-value student cities in Canada. Budget around C$1,200 to C$1,800 a month all-in, with affordable rooms in Saint-Roch, Limoilou and around Laval. Quebec's low-cost student culture and cheap eats keep everyday spending down, though a bus pass helps in the colder months.

• Rooms in Limoilou or Saint-Sauveur typically run C$600 to C$900 a month.
• The Grand Marche near ExpoCite is good value for local produce and cheese.

Sainte-Foy, near Laval, is convenient for campus and full of student flats, while Saint-Roch and Saint-Jean-Baptiste downtown put you in the thick of the nightlife. Limoilou across the river is the up-and-coming, more affordable neighbourhood favoured by students. The picturesque old town is lovely but expensive and touristy. As across Quebec, leases often turn over around 1 July.

• Sainte-Foy for Laval proximity; Saint-Roch or Limoilou for a livelier, cheaper base.
• Leases commonly turn over on 1 July, so time your search accordingly.
• Check Laval's housing service and the Quebec City group on Studcasa for rooms.

The RTC runs the city's bus network, and students get a discounted monthly pass; a new tramway is being built but buses are the mainstay for now. The old town and downtown are compact and very walkable, if hilly, and Laval is a straightforward bus ride from the centre. In winter, dress for the cold, because Quebec City gets serious snow.

• Buy the RTC discounted student monthly pass for unlimited bus travel.
• The Metrobus 800 and 801 lines are the fast links between Laval, downtown and the old town.

Universite Laval is a major French-language research university, strong in forestry, agriculture, law and the sciences, with a large, self-contained campus in Sainte-Foy. Teaching is in French, so a solid level of the language is essential, though the university runs French-as-a-second-language support. The exchange office helps with orientation and course selection.

• The main Laval library on the Sainte-Foy campus is the central study hub.
• Laval offers French-language courses for exchange students; sign up early to boost your level.

The rules depend on your nationality and the length of your programme, so use this as orientation and confirm with the official Canadian immigration site. The key quirk is that a study permit is not required for programmes of six months or less, which covers many single-semester exchanges. Longer than six months and you'll generally need a study permit, applied for online before you travel.

Separately, most visitors need either an eTA for air travel or a visitor visa depending on nationality, so check both.

• Programme of six months or less, usually no study permit required
• Longer than six months, apply for a study permit online before arrival
• You'll still need an eTA or a visitor visa depending on your nationality
• Apply early; processing times swing seasonally and requirements vary by country

Quebec City is the home of hearty Quebecois cooking: poutine, tourtiere meat pie, pea soup and everything maple, especially at a spring sugar shack. The Grand Marche is the city's main food hall, and the old town's cafes and bistros lean French. Culture here is proudly Francophone, historic and festival-driven, from the summer festival to the winter carnival.

• Visit a cabane a sucre (sugar shack) in March for a maple-drenched Quebecois feast.
• The Grand Marche de Quebec is the best spot for local cheese, cider and produce.

The Vieux-Quebec old town is the postcard, all cobbles and the Chateau Frontenac, but it's touristy and dear. Saint-Roch is the revitalised downtown quarter with the best bars and cafes, Saint-Jean-Baptiste is central and lively, and Limoilou across the Saint-Charles river is the affordable, student-friendly neighbourhood on the rise. Sainte-Foy is functional and near Laval.

• Saint-Roch for nightlife and cafes; Limoilou for affordable, characterful living.
• Wander Vieux-Quebec and the Petit-Champlain quarter on quiet mornings before the coaches arrive.

Quebec City is ringed by dramatic day trips. Montmorency Falls, taller than Niagara, is fifteen minutes away, the pastoral Ile d'Orleans just beyond it, and the ski resort of Mont-Sainte-Anne about forty minutes for winter weekends. The Charlevoix region up the St Lawrence is stunning, and Montreal is three hours by train for a bigger-city fix.

• Montmorency Falls, higher than Niagara, is fifteen minutes from downtown by bus or car.
• Mont-Sainte-Anne, forty minutes out, is the closest proper ski hill for cheap student weekends.
• Ile d'Orleans is a short drive for farm stands, cider and river views.

Come with real French, or commit to improving fast, because daily life here genuinely runs in French and locals appreciate the effort. Invest in serious winter gear; Quebec City is one of the snowiest cities of its size anywhere. And lean into the carnival and ski culture rather than hibernating, because winter is when the city comes alive.

• Brush up your French before arriving; unlike Montreal, English will only get you so far here.
• Buy proper snow boots and a down coat; the city averages over three metres of snow a year.