Few cities can match Cape Town's setting, with Table Mountain rising over the city, beaches on two coasts, and wine country half an hour inland. The University of Cape Town is the highest-ranked in Africa, and the exchange scene is large and international. Everyday life is outdoorsy and English-speaking, with hiking, surfing and vineyards woven into the semester, all at a cost that stretches a European budget a long way.

• The University of Cape Town (UCT) is Africa's top-ranked, with a big exchange intake
• Beaches, mountains and the Winelands are all within reach of the city
• English is the medium of instruction and daily life

Student life spreads across the Southern Suburbs near UCT, especially the bars and cafes of Observatory (Obs), and the City Bowl and Atlantic seaboard for bigger nights. Weekends mean hikes up Lion's Head, sundowners at Camps Bay, markets and braais (barbecues). The exchange community is huge and sociable, so plans and road trips come together fast.

• Go out in Observatory's bars near campus, or Long Street and the City Bowl for bigger nights
• Weekends: hike Lion's Head, braai with friends, and catch sundowners at Camps Bay
• Ask the Cape Town group on Studcasa to find road-trip buddies and share Uber rides

Cape Town is affordable for European students, so budget around R14,000-22,000 (roughly 700-1,100 euros) a month, more if you rent privately in prime areas. Rent and transport (largely Uber) are the main costs. Eating out, markets and groceries are cheap, and student life here delivers a lot for the money.

• Share a house in Obs, Rondebosch or Mowbray to keep rent down
• Use Uber and Bolt for safe, cheap door-to-door trips, especially at night
• Shop weekend markets like the Old Biscuit Mill for food and produce

Exchange students usually rent a room in a shared house in the Southern Suburbs near UCT, since campus residence places are limited. Rondebosch, Mowbray, Rosebank and Observatory are the classic student areas, walkable to campus or on the free Jammie Shuttle route. View places in person or via trusted contacts, and prioritise safe, well-secured houses.

• Look for house-shares in Rondebosch, Mowbray, Rosebank and Obs near UCT
• Use the free UCT Jammie Shuttle to pick a spot on its route
• Ask the Cape Town group on Studcasa for vetted house-shares and flatmates

Getting around Cape Town mostly means Uber and Bolt, which are cheap, plentiful and the safest way to travel at night. UCT runs the free Jammie Shuttle between campus and the Southern Suburbs, the MyCiTi bus covers the City Bowl, Atlantic seaboard and airport, and minibus taxis are the local (if chaotic) budget option. A car or lifts help for weekend trips.

• Rely on Uber and Bolt for safe, affordable trips, especially after dark
• Use the free Jammie Shuttle between UCT and the Southern Suburbs
• Take the MyCiTi bus for the City Bowl, Sea Point and the airport

UCT is a research-intensive, globally ranked university with a British-influenced system of lectures, tutorials and continuous assessment, strong across the humanities, sciences, commerce and health. Standards are high and reading loads serious. Other options include Stellenbosch University nearby and the University of the Western Cape, but most exchange students are at UCT.

• UCT is strong across humanities, commerce, science and health
• Expect lectures plus tutorials and steady continuous assessment

If you're staying over 90 days, which most semesters are, you need a study visa, applied for at a South African embassy or VFS centre before you fly. It is not a formality: expect proof of funds, a repatriation deposit (roughly the price of a flight home), South African-registered medical aid, a medical and radiological report, and police clearance from every country you've lived in for 12+ months.

It all depends on your nationality, many passports get 90 days visa-free as a tourist, but you cannot legally study on that, and universities require the proper study visa. Start early: processing runs four to eight weeks, sometimes longer, and gathering the documents is the slow part, not the application itself.

• Study visa needed for stays over 90 days, apply before arrival
• Budget 4-8+ weeks for processing, start the paperwork now
• Exact requirements depend on nationality, check your nearest SA embassy

Cape Town's food scene is superb and varied: braais (barbecues) are a social institution, Cape Malay curries and bobotie reflect the city's heritage, and the Gatsby sandwich and bunny chow are cheap local legends. Weekend markets and world-class, keenly priced wine round it out. It is a city that eats and drinks outdoors whenever the weather allows.

• Get invited to (or host) a braai, the heart of South African social life
• Try a Gatsby sandwich, bobotie and Cape Malay curry
• Graze weekend markets like the Old Biscuit Mill and Oranjezicht City Farm

The Southern Suburbs, Rondebosch, Mowbray, Observatory, Rosebank and Claremont, are the student heartland around UCT. The City Bowl (Gardens, Tamboerskloof) sits under Table Mountain with cafes and nightlife, while the Atlantic seaboard (Sea Point, Camps Bay, Clifton) has the beaches and sunsets. Woodstock is the arty, up-and-coming district near the centre.

• Southern Suburbs (Rondebosch, Obs, Mowbray) for student living near UCT
• City Bowl and Gardens for cafes, nightlife and Table Mountain access
• Sea Point and Camps Bay for beaches and the Atlantic sunset strip

Cape Town is a road-tripper's dream. The Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are under an hour away, Cape Point and the Boulders Beach penguins make a classic peninsula day, and Hermanus offers land-based whale watching in season. With more time, the Garden Route east along the coast is the great South African journey.

• Spend a day (or a wine tram) in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, under an hour away
• Drive the peninsula to Cape Point and the Boulders Beach penguins
• In season, watch whales from the cliffs at Hermanus (about 1.5h)

Two local realities to plan around: load-shedding (scheduled power cuts, so get the EskomSePush app for the timetable) and personal safety. Do not walk alone at night, keep valuables out of sight, and use Uber or Bolt after dark. Respect the mountain weather too, as it turns fast, so never hike Table Mountain alone or without checking conditions.

• Download EskomSePush to track load-shedding and charge devices in advance
• Use Uber or Bolt at night and stay aware of your surroundings and valuables
• Never hike Table Mountain alone; check the weather and go in a group