Tunisia's capital wraps a labyrinthine medieval medina, a French-built Ville Nouvelle and a string of coastal suburbs around the Gulf of Tunis. It is remarkably affordable, sunny most of the year, and bilingual in Arabic and French, with universities like Tunis El Manar and Carthage drawing students. Add the ruins of Carthage and the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said on your doorstep, and it is a captivating, offbeat choice.

Life revolves around cafe culture, with mint tea and strong coffee on Avenue Habib Bourguiba and in La Marsa, and around the coastal suburbs, where students gather at seaside cafes and summer beach clubs. Nightlife is lower-key than in Europe and centres on Gammarth and Lac 2, and the big universities keep La Marsa and El Manar young. It is social in a relaxed, Mediterranean way.

Tunis is very affordable, so around 450 to 700 euros a month covers a shared flat, food and transport, helped by a weak dinar. Street food like lablabi and a market shop cost very little, and public transport is cheap, though the modern Lac and Gammarth districts are pricier. Bring a savings buffer, as moving money and using cards can be fiddly.

Exchange students usually rent shared flats in the coastal suburbs, from La Marsa and Carthage to Sidi Bou Said near the universities, or in central El Manar and El Menzah. University halls exist but are basic and limited, so most look privately via Facebook groups, the Tayara classifieds site and word of mouth. Viewing in person before paying is wise.

The TGM light railway is the student lifeline, linking central Tunis to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa along the coast. The city also has a metro leger tram network and buses run by Transtu, plus cheap yellow taxis, where you should insist on the meter (compteur). For intercity trips, shared louage minibuses are quick and cheap.

The University of Tunis El Manar is the largest, strong in medicine, sciences and engineering (ENIT), the University of Carthage covers engineering, business (IHEC) and the sciences across coastal campuses, and the University of Tunis handles humanities and economics. Private schools like ESPRIT add options. Teaching is mainly in French and Arabic, so French is a real asset.

It depends entirely on your nationality. EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens enter Tunisia visa-free as tourists for up to 90 days, enough for a short exchange, but not a legal study stay on its own. For a full semester or year you register with your host university and apply for a student residence permit (carte de sejour) once you're in the country.

Start the paperwork early: you'll need your acceptance letter, proof of funds, passport photos and proof of accommodation, and the whole process runs in French and Arabic. Overstaying the 90-day stamp means fines on your way out, so get the carte de sejour sorted before it lapses. Always check your own government's travel advice, as the rules shift.

Tunisian food is bold and cheap: fiery harissa, couscous, the egg-and-pastry brik, lablabi, ojja and a hearty tajine tunisien, which is more like a baked omelette than the Moroccan dish. Grab a fricasse or makloub on the go, and finish with a bambalouni doughnut in La Marsa or mint tea with pine nuts. The medina souks are a feast for the senses.

The medina is the historic maze of souks and mosques, while the Ville Nouvelle around Avenue Habib Bourguiba is the French-built downtown of cafes and cinemas. Along the coast, La Marsa is the chic, cafe-lined student favourite, Sidi Bou Said the postcard blue-and-white village, Carthage the leafy ruins-strewn suburb, and Les Berges du Lac the modern business district.

Tunis is a springboard for extraordinary trips. Sidi Bou Said and Carthage are almost in the city, Hammamet's beaches an hour away, and the Roman ruins of Dougga about two hours. The holy city of Kairouan and the vast colosseum at El Jem are day trips south, while Bizerte's northern coast is an easy hour by louage.

French will get you a long way, and a few words of Tunisian Arabic (derja) earn warmth. Agree taxi fares or insist on the compteur, carry cash as cards are not universally accepted, and dress a little more modestly away from the beach suburbs. Be mindful of adjusted hours and daytime fasting during Ramadan, and avoid the fierce July and August heat if you can.