Zhuhai was designed to be liveable, and it shows: seafront cycle paths, low-rise campuses and clean air make it a gentle landing in China. Several major universities run branch campuses here, Macau is a short walk across the border, and Hong Kong is reachable over the world's longest sea bridge. It is quieter than the Pearl River Delta's big cities, which is the appeal.

• Macau is a short walk across the Gongbei border for a change of pace.
• The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge links you to Hong Kong by shuttle in about 40 minutes.

With a big student population clustered in Tangjiawan, life is laid-back and outdoorsy, swapping big clubs for beach barbecues and island trips. Cafes along Lover's Road are the everyday hangout.

• Student life centres on the Tangjiawan university cluster and the cafes along Lover's Road (Qinglv Lu).
• Beach barbecues and island trips replace the big-club scene of the larger cities.
• Ask the Zhuhai group on Studcasa which campuses the other exchange students are on.

Zhuhai is mid-priced for Guangdong, cheaper than Shenzhen or Guangzhou. Budget roughly 4,000 to 6,500 yuan a month (about 520 to 850 euros).

• Canteen meals run 12-20 yuan and fresh seafood is a local bargain.
• A shared room near Tangjiawan runs roughly 1,800-3,000 yuan a month.
• Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you arrive, as the city is essentially cashless.

Dorms sit right by the Tangjiawan and Hengqin campuses and are the standard choice, with private rooms available around Gongbei and Tangjiawan. Listings are mostly in Chinese.

• University dorms sit right by the Tangjiawan and Hengqin campuses.
• For flats, look around Gongbei and Tangjiawan; local agents list most rooms.

Zhuhai has no full metro, relying instead on buses and the intercity railway, with cycling along the coast a genuine pleasure. The Gongbei hub ties transport and the Macau border together.

• Zhuhai relies on buses and the Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity railway; tap in with a QR in Alipay.
• Shared bikes are ideal along the flat coastal roads.
• The Gongbei terminus links buses, the intercity train and the Macau border crossing.

Zhuhai is effectively a university town, with branch campuses of several major institutions and a strong English-taught option. International students are well catered for.

• BNU-HKBU United International College (UIC) is English-taught and built for international students.
• Sun Yat-sen and Beijing Normal universities run large branch campuses here.

For a full semester you need an X1 student visa; anything under 180 days uses the X2. Your host university sends an admission letter plus a JW201 or JW202 form, and you take both to a Chinese embassy or visa centre back home. Requirements and fees swing a lot by nationality, so check your own local embassy rather than trusting a mate from another country.

The bit people forget: an X1 visa only gets you in the door. Within 30 days of landing you must convert it into a residence permit at the local Public Security Bureau (Entry-Exit office), which means a health check and passport photos. Miss the deadline and the fines are real.

• X1 visa, stays over 180 days, needs JW202 + admission letter
• Residence permit, apply within 30 days at the local PSB
• Medical exam, required for the permit, budget €50–80
• Rules vary by nationality, always check your own embassy

Being on the coast and next to Macau, Zhuhai eats well, from fresh seafood to Cantonese dim sum and Portuguese egg tarts a border away. Everyday life is calm and coastal.

• Eat your fill of fresh seafood at Wanzai and along the harbour.
• Cantonese dim sum and morning tea are everywhere, as in the rest of Guangdong.
• Pop across to Macau for Portuguese egg tarts when the craving hits.

Xiangzhou is the seafront main district, Gongbei is the border and shopping hub, and Tangjiawan and Hengqin hold the campuses. All are linked by bus.

• Xiangzhou is the main urban district with the seafront and Lover's Road.
• Gongbei, by the Macau border, is the busy shopping and transport hub.
• Tangjiawan and Hengqin hold the universities and the newest development.

Zhuhai's border location makes for effortless weekends in Macau and Hong Kong, plus easy beach and island escapes. The rest of Guangdong is close too.

• Walk into Macau at Gongbei or take the bridge shuttle to Hong Kong for the weekend.
• Guangzhou is about an hour by intercity train; Shenzhen is a fast ferry away.
• The outlying islands, such as Wailingding, make for easy beach getaways.

Zhuhai's relaxed pace and border crossings shape daily life, so plan your visas and your bigger nights out accordingly. Sort your apps before you fly.

• Keep the right visas ready for frequent Macau and Hong Kong crossings.
• Sort a VPN before you land for blocked apps.
• Embrace the slow pace, and treat Guangzhou and Shenzhen as your big-night-out options.