Dublin.

The pub is the social hub, from traditional-music sessions to student-packed spots around Camden Street and Rathmines rather than touristy Temple Bar. Trinity and UCD run huge societies, from the debating unions to drama and countless niche clubs, and they are the fastest way to make friends. Freshers' Week sets the year up, and there is always a gig or a trad session on.

• Drink where students do, on Camden Street, in Rathmines and at the Stag's Head, not Temple Bar prices
• Join societies during Freshers' Week; Trinity's Hist and UCD's L&H are legendary
• Catch live trad at The Cobblestone in Smithfield or O'Donoghue's

Dublin is one of Europe's pricier student cities, driven by a severe housing shortage, so budget around EUR 1,300 to EUR 1,900 a month, most of it rent. A room in a shared house or digs runs roughly EUR 700 to EUR 1,100, and a Student Leap Card is essential for cheap travel. Cook at home and drink in, as pints are dear.

• A room costs EUR 700 to 1,100 a month; digs, a room in a family home, can be cheaper
• Get a Student Leap Card for roughly half-price fares with daily and weekly caps
• Shop at Lidl, Aldi and Dunnes; Moore Street and the Asian markets for cheap fresh food

Dublin's rental market is the hardest part of the whole exchange, so start the moment you can. Purpose-built student accommodation such as Yugo and Aparto is pricey but reliable, while digs and shared houses go through Daft.ie and Facebook. Never pay a deposit before viewing, in person or by live video, as accommodation scams are rife here.

• Daft.ie and Rentals.ie for rooms; the college accommodation offices list vetted digs
• Purpose-built halls like Yugo and Aparto if you want certainty over price
• Ask the Dublin group on Studcasa early; verified rooms beat cold-messaging strangers

Dublin runs buses, the Luas tram (red and green lines) and the coastal DART train, all tied together by the Leap Card and the TFI 90-minute fare that lets you transfer across them. A Student Leap Card cuts fares sharply and caps daily and weekly spend. The centre is small enough to walk, and Dublinbikes cover short hops.

• Tap on and off with a Student Leap Card; the TFI 90-minute fare covers transfers
• The DART hugs the coast to Howth, Dun Laoghaire and Bray, a scenic and useful line
• Dublinbikes for quick city-centre trips; the bus network is the workhorse

The academic year runs two semesters, roughly September to December and January to May, with a strong reputation across Trinity, UCD and DCU. Teaching mixes lectures with tutorials and continuous assessment, and you address staff informally. Freshers' Week and orientation at the start of each term are when you sort modules and join societies.

EU, EEA and Swiss students need no visa and can simply enrol and register locally if staying long term. Non-EU students should check whether their nationality needs an entry visa before travelling, as it varies; many do not for short stays but some always do. Whatever your passport, confirm the rules with your host university and Irish immigration early.

Any non-EU student staying more than 90 days must register with immigration and get an Irish Residence Permit card, booking an appointment through the ISD registration system and paying a fee. Bring proof of enrolment, funds and private health insurance. UK citizens travel and study freely under the Common Travel Area.

• EU/EEA/Swiss, no visa; register if staying long term
• Non-EU, check if you need an entry visa for your nationality
• Staying 90+ days, register for an IRP card via ISD
• UK citizens, no visa under the Common Travel Area

Dublin's food scene has come a long way, with a serious coffee-and-brunch culture and cuisines from all over layered onto the classics. The pub remains central, not just for pints but for the trad sessions and the chat. Literature is everywhere too, from Joyce's Dublin to the Book of Kells at Trinity.

• Try a proper full Irish breakfast, and coddle or Irish stew in an old pub
• Grab lunch at George's Street Arcade or the Temple Bar Food Market on Saturday
• See the Book of Kells and the Long Room at Trinity, then walk it off along the Liffey

The south-city villages of Rathmines, Ranelagh and Portobello are the classic student belt, lively and walkable to town. Stoneybatter and Phibsborough on the north side are hip and a bit cheaper, Drumcondra suits DCU, and Ballsbridge and Donnybrook sit near UCD. Coastal Dun Laoghaire trades a commute for sea air.

• Rathmines and Portobello, the student heartland, walkable to the centre
• Stoneybatter and Phibsborough, cooler and cheaper on the north side
• Drumcondra for DCU, Ballsbridge for UCD if you want to be near campus

Dublin's coast and mountains are on the doorstep, and the rest of Ireland is a bus or train away. The DART reaches the fishing village of Howth and the Bray-to-Greystones cliff walk in half an hour, while Glendalough's monastic valley sits in the Wicklow Mountains just south. Galway, Cork and Belfast are all easy weekend trips.

• Howth by DART (30 min) for the cliff loop and seafood; Bray to Greystones for the cliff walk
• Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains, about an hour south by bus
• Galway or Belfast in around 2.5 hours by train for a weekend away

Sort your Student Leap Card and start the housing hunt before anything else, as both save you real money and stress. Dublin weather is mild but wet and changeable, so a decent rain jacket beats an umbrella in the wind. Pace yourself in the pub; rounds add up fast at Dublin prices, and nobody expects you to keep up.

• Get the Student Leap Card in week one for half-price, capped travel
• Carry a waterproof, not an umbrella; the wind will destroy it
• Budget hard for rent and buy an under-26 rail card for cheaper intercity trips