Bergen wraps a compact, wooden-house city around a historic harbour and hems it in with seven mountains and the fjords beyond. It is home to the University of Bergen and the elite NHH business school, so the student presence is strong and international, and you can be hiking a mountain fifteen minutes after a lecture. It rains famously often, but locals just shrug and get on with it, and the fjord scenery is unmatched in Europe.

• The University of Bergen and NHH give the city a strong, international student scene.
• Seven mountains and the fjords sit right on the edge of town for constant outdoor escapes.

Bergen's student life centres on Kvarteret, the student culture house, and the pubs around Torgallmenningen and the centre. Norwegians can seem reserved but warm up over shared activities, so join a student society or the fadderuke welcome week to break in. Nights out are pricey, so a vorspiel (pre-drinks at home) before heading out is the norm, and outdoor trips are the real social glue.

• Kvarteret (Det Akademiske Kvarter) for cheap student bars, concerts and club nights.
• Do fadderuke (welcome week) and join a student society to meet people fast.
• Host a vorspiel before going out, as bar prices make pre-drinking essential.
• Ask the Bergen Studcasa group which fadderuke events and hikes to join first.

Norway is expensive, and Bergen is no exception, so budget €1,200–1,600 a month, at the upper end of the national band, driven by rent and the eye-watering cost of eating and drinking out. Groceries, alcohol and restaurants are the shock; a beer out can be €10–12. Cook at home, use student discounts, and the outdoors is free, which is where Bergen saves you.

• A room in student housing or a shared flat runs 5,000–8,000 kr (about €430–690).
• A pint out is 100–140 kr (€9–12); cook at home and buy from Rema 1000 or Kiwi to save.
• A monthly Skyss student transit pass is around 490 kr (about €42).

Your best bet is the student housing run by Sammen (the student welfare organisation), which is affordable but must be applied for early, do it as soon as you are accepted. Failing that, the private market is tight and pricey, hunted on Finn.no and Hybel.no, with Møhlenpris, Nygård and Sandviken popular student areas. Never transfer a deposit before viewing, and beware scams targeting internationals.

• Apply to Sammen student housing the moment you are accepted, as it is the cheapest option.
• Search Finn.no and Hybel.no for private rooms in Møhlenpris, Nygård or Sandviken.
• Ask the Bergen Studcasa group to check any private listing before you pay.

Bergen is walkable and compact, with the Bybanen light rail and Skyss buses covering the rest, including the airport line. A monthly student pass makes it affordable, and the Bybanen runs from the centre out to the southern suburbs and Flesland airport. The city is hilly and rainy, so good rain gear beats a bike for most, though the flat centre is easily walked.

• The Bybanen light rail runs from the centre to Flesland airport and the southern suburbs.
• Get a Skyss monthly student pass (around 490 kr) via the app.
• Invest in proper rain gear, it beats a bike in Bergen's weather.

The University of Bergen (UiB) is a mid-sized research university strong in marine science, humanities and social sciences, its faculties spread around Nygårdshøyden near the centre, while NHH is Norway's top business school out at Sandviken. Teaching is informal and discussion-based, first names all round, with a strong emphasis on independent work and group projects. English-taught courses are plentiful.

• UiB's campus sits centrally around Nygårdshøyden; NHH is out in Sandviken.
• Expect informal, discussion-led teaching and lots of independent study.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa; they just register with the police online and in person if staying more than three months. Non-EEA students need a student residence permit from the Norwegian immigration directorate, UDI, applied for before or shortly after arrival, which requires proof of admission, housing and enough money in a Norwegian account.

The financial requirement is steep, around 137,000 kroner for a year, reflecting the cost of living, so plan your funds early. Exactly what you need depends on your nationality, so check UDI guidance and your host university's advice as soon as you are accepted. Processing can take weeks, so do not leave it late.

• EU/EEA/Swiss, no visa; register with police if staying 90+ days
• Non-EEA, student residence permit via UDI
• Must show around NOK 137,000/year in funds
• Apply early; processing takes several weeks

Bergen is a seafood city, the Fisketorget fish market on the harbour sells everything from fish soup to whale, and local specialities include persetorsk salt cod and raspeballer (komle) potato dumplings on Thursdays. Do not leave without a skillingsbolle, the giant Bergen cinnamon bun. Eating out is expensive, so market fish, home cooking and the odd bakery treat are the sustainable way to eat well.

• Fisketorget fish market for fish soup and fresh seafood (the indoor hall is better value).
• Try a skillingsbolle cinnamon bun from a bakery like Godt Brød.
• Look out for raspeballer (komle) potato dumplings, traditionally eaten on Thursdays.

Sentrum, the compact centre around Bryggen and Torgallmenningen, is where much of life happens, while Møhlenpris and Nygård next to UiB are the classic student districts. Nordnes is a charming peninsula of wooden houses, Sandviken curls prettily north along the fjord towards NHH, and Landås and Årstad offer cheaper rooms up the hillsides. Everything central is walkable.

• Møhlenpris and Nygård for student life beside UiB.
• Nordnes and Sandviken for wooden-house charm by the water.
• Landås and Årstad for cheaper rooms up the slopes.

Bergen is the gateway to the fjords, Norway's greatest asset. The Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord are day-trip distance, the famous Flåm railway and Nærøyfjord form the classic Norway in a Nutshell route, and Voss for skiing and adventure sports is an hour by train. The scenic Bergensbanen railway to Oslo, one of the world's most beautiful, takes around seven hours across the mountains.

• Take the Flåm railway and Nærøyfjord cruise (Norway in a Nutshell) for the classic fjord trip.
• Voss (about 1 hour by train) for skiing, hiking and adventure sports.
• The Bergensbanen railway to Oslo (about 7 hours) is a scenic trip in itself.

Buy serious rain gear before anything else, as Bergen is the rainiest city in Europe and you will use it daily. Eating and drinking out will wreck your budget, so cook at home and pre-drink, and use the free outdoors as your main entertainment. Get a Vinmonopolet run in before the weekend, as that is the only place to buy strong alcohol and it closes early.

• Invest in a proper waterproof jacket and boots on day one.
• Buy wine and spirits at Vinmonopolet before it closes; supermarkets only sell weak beer.
• Make the free mountains and fjords your entertainment to protect your budget.