Porto offers much of what makes Lisbon great, from sun and river to cheap pastries and a huge student life, with lower prices and a stronger local character. It's built around the University of Porto, the largest in Portugal, so the student presence is everywhere, and the UNESCO-listed Ribeira, the port lodges of Gaia and the Atlantic beaches at Foz give it a distinctive setting. Winters are wetter than the south, but the welcome is famously warm.

• Home to the University of Porto, Portugal's largest, plus Católica Porto and ISEP.
• Cheaper than Lisbon, with the UNESCO Ribeira, port cellars and Foz beaches.
• A big, tight-knit student scene famous for its traditions and nightlife.

Porto's student life has its own theatre: the black-caped praxe traditions and the wild Queima das Fitas festival in May, plus a nightlife strung along Rua Galeria de Paris and Rua Cândido dos Reis in the centre. Cedofeita and Bonfim bring the arty bars and galleries. Nights are cheap, late and social, often ending with a francesinha to soak it up.

• Bar-hop Rua Galeria de Paris and Rua Cândido dos Reis, the downtown nightlife core.
• Catch Queima das Fitas in May if your term overlaps, the city's huge student festival.
• Ask the Porto group on Studcasa which student nights and Gaia sunsets are worth it.

Porto is noticeably cheaper than Lisbon, so budget about 700 to 1,000 euros a month, with rooms often 300 to 450. Food and drink are a bargain, from a francesinha and a beer to a bica for well under a euro, transport is good value with the Andante card, and the walkable centre keeps costs down. Rent is still the biggest single expense.

• A room in a shared flat runs about 300 to 450 euros a month.
• A francesinha is around 9 to 12 euros; a bica coffee under a euro; lunch menus 7 to 9.
• Get an Andante Tour or monthly pass for the metro, buses and trams.

Students cluster near the university buildings, around the Asprela and Pólo campuses to the north and the central faculties, and in Cedofeita, Bonfim and Paranhos. Porto's market is easier than Lisbon's but still moves quickly, so start early. Use Uniplaces, Idealista and Facebook groups, view before paying, and check for damp, which is common in older granite houses.

• Look in Paranhos and Asprela (near campus) or arty Cedofeita and Bonfim for rooms.
• Search Uniplaces, Idealista and Quartos Porto groups, and act quickly on good listings.
• Check the Studcasa Porto group for rooms and flatmates before term starts.

Porto's Metro, with six lines part underground and part surface, links the centre, the university and Gaia, backed by STCP buses and a couple of heritage trams, including line 1 out to Foz. The Andante card covers everything on a zone system. The compact centre is walkable if steep, and the metro runs to the airport.

• Use an Andante card across the metro, buses and trams on Porto's zone system.
• The metro links the Asprela campus, the centre and Gaia; line D crosses the Dom Luís bridge.
• Ride vintage tram line 1 along the river out to the beaches at Foz.

The University of Porto is Portugal's largest and highest-ranked, spread across the northern Asprela pole and central faculties, strong in engineering, medicine, science and the arts. Católica Porto and ISEP add well-regarded private and polytechnic options. Many programmes run in English with big Erasmus intakes, and the international office is well used to exchange students.

• The University of Porto runs extensive Erasmus and English-taught programmes.
• Its engineering (FEUP) and business (FEP) faculties are particular draws.

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

Porto's food is rich and unapologetic. The francesinha, a ham, sausage and steak sandwich drowned in melted cheese and beer sauce, is the local obsession; tripas à moda do Porto gives the city its nickname of tripeiros; and port wine is aged in the Gaia lodges just across the river. The Mercado do Bolhão is the classic place to shop and snack.

• Eat a francesinha with a cold Super Bock, the definitive Porto meal.
• Cross to Gaia to tour a port lodge like Graham's or Sandeman and watch the sunset.
• Shop and snack at the restored Mercado do Bolhão in the centre.

Baixa, the centre, and Cedofeita hold the nightlife, galleries and best atmosphere; Bonfim is the up-and-coming, cheaper, arty district; Paranhos and Asprela are practical and student-heavy near the northern campus; and Foz do Douro is the breezy seaside quarter. Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river, adds cheaper rooms with the city view.

• Cedofeita and Baixa: central, arty and near the nightlife.
• Bonfim: cheaper and up-and-coming, popular with students.
• Paranhos and Asprela: practical and close to the main university campus.

Porto is the gateway to Portugal's green north and the Douro. The wine terraces of the Douro Valley are a scenic one-to-two-hour train ride to Pinhão or Régua; Guimarães, Portugal's birthplace, and Braga are under an hour; and canal-laced Aveiro and the striped huts of Costa Nova make an easy day. Santiago de Compostela in Spain is close too.

• Take the Douro line train to Pinhão or Régua (1 to 2 hours) for the terraced vineyards.
• Guimarães and Braga (under 1 hour) for castles, history and student twin-city trips.
• Aveiro and Costa Nova (about 1 hour) for canals, moliceiro boats and beach huts.

Pack for rain: Porto's winters are wetter and greyer than the south, so a proper jacket earns its keep, but the payoff is a lush, green region. Sort housing early and watch for damp in older flats. Learn a little Portuguese, and don't miss the student traditions; Porto's are among the most spirited in the country.

• Bring a waterproof, as Porto is wetter than Lisbon, especially November to March.
• Check older granite flats for damp before signing, and start the room hunt early.
• Overlap your term with Queima das Fitas (May) if you can; it's unmissable here.