Basel sits right where Switzerland, France and Germany touch, giving it a cosmopolitan, art-loving character and easy access to three countries at once. Home to Switzerland's oldest university and a global art scene crowned by Art Basel, it is smaller and more relaxed than Zürich but no less rich. In summer, half the city floats down the Rhine to cool off.

• A trinational city where you can cross into France or Germany on the tram
• Switzerland's oldest university and a world-famous art scene, from the Kunstmuseum to Art Basel

Student life is anchored by the University of Basel and spills into lively Kleinbasel across the river, with its bars along the Rhine banks. Come summer, the social calendar is the river itself, as everyone drifts downstream with their belongings in a waterproof Wickelfisch bag. The city then erupts each winter for Fasnacht, its UNESCO-listed carnival that kicks off at 4am.

• Swim the Rhine in summer, stashing your clothes in a Wickelfisch dry bag
• Cross to Kleinbasel for riverside bars and a more relaxed night out
• Ask the Basel Studcasa group about Fasnacht plans and student nights before carnival season

As across Switzerland, Basel is expensive, with a realistic budget of €1,500–2,300 a month once rent is counted. The clever move is going trinational, as many students shop for groceries just over the border in Germany, where prices are far lower. A student travelcard and cooking at home soften the blow.

• Cross to Weil am Rhein or Lörrach in Germany for cheaper groceries and household basics
• Get a Halbtax card to halve train and tram fares across Switzerland
• Budget around CHF 700–1,100 for a room, the biggest slice of your monthly spend

Rooms in shared flats (a WG, or Wohngemeinschaft) are the norm, and demand is high, so start early. Students spread across Kleinbasel, St. Johann, Gundeldingen and the areas around the university. Some even live over the border in France or Germany, where rents are cheaper, and commute in.

• Search WGZimmer.ch and Students.ch for shared rooms, plus the university housing list
• Gundeli and Kleinbasel offer relative value close to the centre
• Consider a room in nearby Germany or France for lower rent, and ask the Basel Studcasa group for leads

Basel's green BVB trams and buses are frequent and cover everything on the regional TNW tariff, and the compact centre is very walkable and bike-friendly. Cross-border trams and buses run into Germany and France, and the airport actually sits on French soil. In summer, the little Rhine ferries are a charming way to cross.

• Ride the BVB trams on a TNW ticket or monthly pass across all three countries' border zones
• Hire a bike or use the flat, walkable centre for daily trips
• Take one of the four cable-guided Rhine ferries across the river for a couple of francs

The University of Basel, founded in 1460, is Switzerland's oldest and strong in life sciences, reflecting the city's pharma heritage with Roche and Novartis. The FHNW university of applied sciences and ETH Zürich's biosystems department in Basel round out the options. Autumn term runs mid-September to December, spring February to June.

• The University of Basel is renowned for life sciences, chemistry and medicine
• Teaching at the university is mostly in German, though many Master's courses run in English

Switzerland is in Schengen but not the EU, so your process depends on nationality. EU/EFTA students do not need a visa; you enter freely and then register with your local commune (Gemeinde/commune) within 14 days of arrival to get a residence permit, showing enrolment, funds and insurance.

Non-EU students must apply for a national (D) long-stay visa at a Swiss embassy before travelling, then convert it to a residence permit at the local commune after arrival. You will need your acceptance letter, proof of sufficient funds, accommodation and health insurance. Processing can take eight to twelve weeks, so apply as early as possible. Everyone must sort mandatory Swiss health insurance or get an exemption using EHIC or equivalent cover.

• EU/EFTA: no visa; register with your local commune within 14 days
• Non-EU: apply for a national D visa at a Swiss embassy before arrival
• Bring acceptance letter, proof of funds, housing and insurance
• Sort health insurance early, it is mandatory or needs a formal exemption
• Start non-EU applications 3+ months ahead; processing is slow

Basel has its own specialities, from the spiced Läckerli biscuit to the flour soup and fried treats eaten at Fasnacht. Beyond the local classics you'll find Swiss staples like rösti, raclette and fondue, plus a strong museum and gallery culture. Life slows on Sundays, when almost everything closes.

• Buy a bag of Basler Läckerli, the city's hard spiced biscuit, from a traditional bakery
• Visit the Kunstmuseum and Fondation Beyeler, two of Europe's finest art collections
• Time a visit for Fasnacht in spring, when the whole city takes to the streets at dawn

Grossbasel holds the old town and university on the south bank, while livelier, more multicultural Kleinbasel sits across the Rhine. Gundeldingen, behind the station, is a popular, affordable student area, St. Johann is up-and-coming, and Wettstein is quiet and central.

• Kleinbasel for riverside bars and a diverse, energetic feel
• Gundeli for value and convenience by the main station
• Grossbasel's old town for history and proximity to the university

Basel's location makes weekends effortless. Germany's Black Forest and the city of Freiburg are under an hour away, the pretty Alsatian towns of Colmar and Strasbourg lie just across the French border, and fast trains reach Lucerne, Bern and Zürich in about an hour. The Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen make an easy day out.

• Cross into Germany for Freiburg and the Black Forest, under an hour by train
• Visit Colmar and Strasbourg in French Alsace, both close by rail
• Take the train to Lucerne or the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen for a classic Swiss day trip

Embrace the trinational life, as groceries, banking and haircuts are all cheaper across the border. Get a Halbtax card immediately to halve your travel costs, learn to swim the Rhine in summer, and remember that shops shut on Sundays, so stock up on Saturday.

• Do your big grocery shops in Germany to save meaningfully on food
• Buy a Halbtax travelcard on day one to halve all your train and tram fares
• Stock up on Saturday, as nearly everything closes on Sunday