Lisbon has become one of Europe's favourite exchange cities for good reason: warm weather, an enormous international student scene, beaches and surf within reach, and a laid-back, English-friendly feel. It hosts the University of Lisbon, NOVA and ISCTE among others, and the city itself, all miradouros, trams, fado and pastéis de nata, is a joy to live in. The one real downside is a housing squeeze that pushes rents up.

• Home to ULisboa, NOVA and ISCTE, with one of Europe's biggest Erasmus communities.
• Beaches, surf and Sintra's palaces are all a short train ride away.
• Mild, sunny weather and an easy, English-friendly pace of life.

Nightlife is legendary and cheap by western-European standards: Bairro Alto for the early, spill-into-the-street bar crawl, Cais do Sodré's Pink Street and Lux for later, and Santos in between. The Erasmus network runs constant events, and warm evenings drift to the miradouros for a beer and a sunset. Fado nights in Alfama give the slower, older side of the city.

• Start in Bairro Alto for cheap drinks in the street, then move to Cais do Sodré and Pink Street.
• Catch a fado night in Alfama for the traditional, goosebump side of Lisbon.
• Ask the Lisbon group on Studcasa which Erasmus nights and beach trips are worth it.

Lisbon is the priciest city in Portugal, driven by rent, so budget near the top of the national band, about 850 to 1,150 euros a month, with a room often 400 to 600 of that. Food, transport and going out stay cheap, though: a bica coffee is under a euro, and the monthly transport pass is a bargain. Cooking and student menus keep the rest down.

• A room in a shared flat runs about 400 to 600 euros a month, more in the centre.
• A pastel de nata is around 1.30 euros and a bica coffee under a euro; lunch menus run 8 to 10.
• Get the Navegante monthly pass (about 40 euros) for unlimited metro, tram, bus and local trains.

Housing is Lisbon's real challenge: demand is high and rooms go fast, so start early and be ready to decide quickly. Students cluster in Arroios, Anjos, Alvalade and around the campuses; the pretty central districts like Alfama and Bairro Alto are dearer and noisier. Use Uniplaces, Idealista and Facebook groups, and never pay a deposit before viewing or a verified contract.

• Look in Arroios, Anjos and Alvalade for the best mix of price, transport and student life.
• Search Uniplaces, Idealista and Quartos Lisboa Facebook groups, and act fast on good rooms.
• Ask the Studcasa Lisbon group for leads and to check listings against common scams.

Lisbon's Metro, with four colour-coded lines, covers the centre and airport, backed by Carris trams and buses, funiculars up the steep hills and CP trains out to the beaches. The famous tram 28 is a sightseeing ride more than a commute. One Navegante card and monthly pass covers metro, tram, bus and local trains; Gira bikes and scooters fill the gaps.

• Get a Navegante card and monthly pass for metro, trams, buses and suburban trains.
• Use the funiculars (Glória, Bica) and lifts to beat the hills; tram 28 for the views.
• Take CP trains from Cais do Sodré and Rossio out to Cascais and Sintra.

The University of Lisbon (ULisboa) is the country's largest, spanning everything from Instituto Superior Técnico's engineering to law and the arts; NOVA, including the Carcavelos-based Nova SBE, and ISCTE are strong in business and social sciences; and Católica adds a private option. Many run English-taught courses and big Erasmus intakes, with experienced international offices.

• ULisboa, NOVA and ISCTE all run substantial English-taught and Erasmus programmes.
• Instituto Superior Técnico (ULisboa) is the go-to for engineering and tech exchanges.

It depends on your nationality. EU, EEA, and Swiss students need no visa and simply register for a residence certificate at the local council if staying beyond three months. Non-EU students staying over 90 days need a national student visa from a Portuguese consulate before arrival, then a residence permit through AIMA (the immigration agency) once in the country.

Budget plenty of time: consular processing is slow and AIMA appointments have been badly backlogged. You'll typically need proof of enrolment, sufficient funds, accommodation, and health insurance. Get a NIF (tax number) early too, you'll need it to rent, open a bank account, or sign almost anything.

• EU/EEA/Swiss, no visa; register locally after 3 months
• Non-EU over 90 days, student visa before you travel
• Get a NIF (tax number) early; it's needed for everything
• AIMA appointments are backlogged, so book the moment you can

Lisbon eats simply and well: the pastel de nata, best warm from Pastéis de Belém or Manteigaria, bacalhau in a hundred forms, grilled sardines in June for Santo António, and the pork-and-bread bifana. The Time Out Market gathers the city's cooks under one roof, and a chilled ginjinha or an imperial beer rounds off the evening.

• Eat a warm pastel de nata at Manteigaria or Pastéis de Belém, a daily ritual.
• Graze the Time Out Market (Mercado da Ribeira) for a spread of Lisbon's best food.
• Try a bifana and an imperial (small draught beer) at a neighbourhood tasca.

Arroios and Anjos are the diverse, well-connected, increasingly student-loved districts; Alvalade is calmer and near several faculties; Bairro Alto, Cais do Sodré and Santos put you in the nightlife; and Alfama and Graça are the postcard-old, hillier, pricier quarters. Marvila and Beato are the up-and-coming warehouse-and-brewery east.

• Arroios and Anjos: central, diverse and well-connected; the practical student choice.
• Alvalade: quieter and residential, close to campuses.
• Cais do Sodré and Santos: nightlife on your doorstep, if you don't mind the noise.

Lisbon's day trips are outstanding. Sintra, with its fairy-tale palaces and forested hills, is 40 minutes by train; Cascais and its beaches the same; and the surf and cliffs of Costa da Caparica just across the river. Further out, walled Óbidos, the wine city of Évora and even Porto, under three hours by fast train, make great weekends.

• Sintra (about 40 minutes by train) for Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira.
• Cascais or Costa da Caparica (about 40 minutes) for beaches and surf.
• Évora (about 1.5 hours) or Porto (under 3 hours by Alfa Pendular) for a bigger weekend.

Sort your housing before you obsess over anything else; it's the one genuinely hard part. Learn a little Portuguese even though English is widely spoken; locals appreciate the effort and it opens the non-Erasmus side of the city. Wear proper shoes for the hills and cobbles, and don't spend your whole exchange in the Erasmus bubble.

• Prioritise finding a room early, as the housing market moves fast and gets pricey.
• Learn some Portuguese to get past the Erasmus bubble and into local life.
• Pack comfortable, grippy shoes, as Lisbon's hills and calçada cobbles are relentless.