Frankfurt is small, walkable and astonishingly international, the banking scene draws people from everywhere and English is spoken widely. Goethe University is one of Germany's largest, giving the compact city a big student presence, and the airport on the doorstep means the whole world is a cheap flight away. It is pricier than most German cities, but the connections and cosmopolitan feel earn their keep.

• Goethe University is one of Germany's biggest, with a genuinely international student body.
• Frankfurt Airport is Germany's largest hub, so cheap flights across Europe are on your doorstep.

Nightlife splits between the historic Apfelwein taverns of Alt-Sachsenhausen, the trendy bars of the reborn Bahnhofsviertel, and the clubs around the river and Ostend. Bornheim's Berger Straße is the classic student strip of cheap bars and eateries. The city is small enough that everyone ends up in the same handful of spots, and ESN plus the Goethe Erasmus network keep the calendar full.

• Berger Straße in Bornheim for the densest run of student bars and cafés.
• The Bahnhofsviertel's converted spaces (Bar Shuka, the Yok Yok kiosk) for a night out.
• ESN Frankfurt runs trips, tandem evenings and welcome parties.

Frankfurt is one of Germany's pricier cities, so budget €1,000–1,400 a month, above the national band, driven mostly by rent. Everyday costs are normal: a Mensa lunch is a few euros and an Apfelwein under €2. Your semester ticket covers a wide swathe of Hessen, which softens the blow of the high rents.

• WG rooms run €450–750; central studios easily top €800.
• The Goethe semester ticket covers the whole RMV network and much of Hessen.
• A glass of Apfelwein in Sachsenhausen is under €2; a Mensa meal €3–5.

Rooms are tight and expensive, so start the WG-Gesucht hunt early and cast a wide net across the well-connected suburbs. Bockenheim (near the old campus), Bornheim, Nordend and Gallus are popular; Offenbach next door is cheaper if you do not mind a short train. Apply for Studierendenwerk dorms early and never pay before viewing.

• WG-Gesucht and Kleinanzeigen for flatshares; apply to Studierendenwerk dorms months ahead.
• Bockenheim, Bornheim and Nordend for student life; Offenbach for cheaper rents nearby.
• Vet any listing with the Frankfurt Studcasa group before sending a deposit.

The RMV network of U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses is dense and reliable, and the compact centre is easily walked or cycled. Your semester ticket covers everything across the region, including trains to Mainz, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt. The S-Bahn reaches the airport in about 15 minutes, which makes those cheap flights painless.

• Your semester ticket covers all RMV transport and regional trains across Hessen.
• The S-Bahn (S8/S9) reaches Frankfurt Airport in around 15 minutes.
• Nextbike and Call a Bike stations cover the city for short trips.

Goethe University spreads across several campuses, the striking Campus Westend for humanities and social sciences, Riedberg for the sciences, and Niederrad for medicine, while Frankfurt UAS and the private Frankfurt School cover applied and business fields. Teaching is independent and lecture-based, with plenty of English-taught master's options. The international office is slick and used to exchange students.

• Goethe's Campus Westend (humanities) and Riedberg (sciences) sit far apart, so check yours before renting.
• Many master's programmes are taught in English; confirm your course language early.

It depends on your nationality. EU/EEA/Swiss students need no visa and just register locally. Non-EU students from many countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and more) can enter visa-free and sort a residence permit after arrival; others must get a national student visa from a German consulate before travelling. Either way you'll likely prove funds via a blocked account (Sperrkonto) of around 11,900 euros a year.

After arrival, the rituals are the Anmeldung (registering your address at the Burgeramt within two weeks), German health insurance (public schemes like TK cost students around 120 euros a month), and, for non-EU students, the Aufenthaltstitel residence permit. Book appointments early; slots are scarce.

• EU/EEA/Swiss, no visa, just register your address
• US/UK/CA/AU/JP etc, enter visa-free, get residence permit after arrival
• Blocked account (Sperrkonto), ~€11,900/year
• Anmeldung at the Burgeramt within 2 weeks of moving in

Frankfurt's signature is Apfelwein (Ebbelwoi), a tart apple cider served in ribbed glasses and stone jugs (Bembel) in the taverns of Sachsenhausen. Local plates include Grüne Soße, a cold herb sauce over potatoes and eggs, and Handkäs mit Musik, a pungent cheese with onions. The Kleinmarkthalle is the city's food heart, packed with stalls and a famous green-sauce sandwich counter.

• Apfelwein taverns like Wagner or Fichtekränzi in Sachsenhausen for cider and Grüne Soße.
• Kleinmarkthalle for lunch, try the Fleischwurst counter upstairs.
• The Yok Yok kiosk in the Bahnhofsviertel for a cheap drink and snack.

Sachsenhausen, south of the river, blends apple-wine tradition with nightlife, while Bornheim and Nordend are the leafy, café-heavy student favourites. Bockenheim sits by the old university campus, the Bahnhofsviertel has flipped from red-light district to nightlife hotspot, and Westend is elegant and pricey. Gallus and Ostend are the cheaper, up-and-coming bets.

• Bornheim and Nordend for café-lined, student-friendly streets.
• Sachsenhausen for cider taverns and riverside nightlife.
• Gallus and Ostend for lower rents while staying central.

Frankfurt's connections are unmatched in Germany. Mainz and Wiesbaden are 30–40 minutes on the S-Bahn, Heidelberg is an hour, and the Rhine valley's castles and vineyards are a short ride. With the airport and the ICE hub, Cologne is an hour, Paris three, and cheap flights reach almost anywhere in Europe for a weekend.

• Mainz and Wiesbaden (30–40 min) are covered by your semester ticket.
• Heidelberg (about 1 hour) for the classic castle-and-old-town day trip.
• Use the airport for cheap weekend flights, or the ICE to Cologne in an hour.

Frankfurt is compact, so live centrally and skip the car. The Bahnhofsviertel mixes trendy bars with a genuine red-light and drug scene, it is fine but stay aware at night. Register your Anmeldung within two weeks, keep some cash for taverns and kiosks, and use the airport's cheap flights rather than expensive weekends at home.

• Sort your Anmeldung appointment online the week you arrive.
• The Bahnhofsviertel is lively but edgy after dark, so enjoy it with your wits about you.
• Ask the Frankfurt Studcasa group which budget airlines and routes people use from the airport.