Sheffield.

Broomhill, just west of the centre, holds most of the University of Sheffield's halls of residence alongside plenty of privately rented student housing. Crookes, next door, keeps 11 traditional pubs plus several bars and micropubs within one small suburb, more than enough for a term's worth of nights out. Ecclesall Road runs southwest from the centre with a long stretch of restaurants, bars, cafes and one off boutiques, backed by student accommodation from both universities nearby. Term time societies and sports clubs, on top of two big student unions, make it easy to find your people fast.

• Broomhill holds most of the University of Sheffield's halls of residence.
• Crookes packs 11 traditional pubs and several bars into one small suburb.
• Ecclesall Road offers a long stretch of restaurants, bars and independent shops.

Sheffield keeps costs down where it counts for students. Travel South Yorkshire tickets cover the Supertram, local buses and local trains under one system, so a single pass can handle most of your daily travel instead of juggling separate operators and fares. For food, look out for Henderson's Relish, the tangy, anchovy free sauce that has been made in Sheffield since 1885 and that locals still put on almost everything, a cheap way to add flavour to a student meal. Sheffield Hallam's City Campus and the University of Sheffield's buildings both sit within the centre, which keeps commuting costs low if you live nearby.

• A single Travel South Yorkshire ticket covers Supertram, bus and local train fares.
• Add Henderson's Relish, Sheffield's own sauce since 1885, to a meal for cheap flavour.
• Both universities sit within the compact centre, keeping commuting costs low.

Broomhill is the classic choice, home to most of the University of Sheffield's halls of residence as well as a dense private rental market of Victorian and Edwardian houses. Crookesmoor and Crookes, just north and west, are similarly popular, with Crookes alone supporting 11 traditional pubs for a neighbourhood built largely around students. Sheffield Hallam students cluster more around Ecclesall Road and the Collegiate Crescent campus a couple of miles from the centre. Whoever your landlord, they must place your deposit in a government-approved protection scheme within 30 days and return it within 10 days once you agree the amount.

• Broomhill has most University of Sheffield halls plus dense private rentals.
• Crookes and Crookesmoor are popular, terraced-house alternatives just next door.
• Any deposit must go into a government-approved protection scheme within 30 days.

Sheffield Supertram runs four lines, Yellow, Blue, Purple and a tram train service to Rotherham, all meeting at Park Square in the city centre, with dedicated stops for both the University of Sheffield and, on the tram train route, Sheffield Hallam University. Travel South Yorkshire tickets are valid across the tram, local buses and local trains, and the system takes contactless card and mobile payment. The tram also connects directly into the combined Sheffield Station and Sheffield Hallam University stop, putting National Rail services within an easy walk of campus. The hilly centre rewards good shoes as much as a bus pass.

• Sheffield Supertram's four lines meet at Park Square in the city centre.
• Travel South Yorkshire tickets cover Supertram, buses and local trains together.
• The tram links directly into Sheffield Station for onward National Rail journeys.

The University of Sheffield, a founding Russell Group member, teaches around 28,280 students, split between 20,215 undergraduates and 8,065 postgraduates, from roughly 290 buildings clustered on the west side of the city centre rather than one single campus. Sheffield Hallam University enrols 30,765 students, making it the UK's 14th largest university, with its City Campus by the railway station and a second site at Collegiate Crescent about two miles out. Together the two universities give Sheffield one of England's largest concentrations of students relative to its size. Like most UK universities, the academic year runs in three terms from around September to the following summer.

• The University of Sheffield is a founding Russell Group member, city based rather than campus based.
• Sheffield Hallam is the UK's 14th largest university, with over 30,000 students.
• Sheffield Hallam's two main sites are City Campus and Collegiate Crescent.

Since Brexit, EU citizens no longer have free movement, so most non-Irish students need permission to study. For an exchange of up to six months you can often come under the Short-term study route or simply as a Standard Visitor, depending on your nationality and course length. For a full year you will need a Student visa sponsored by your host university.

What applies depends entirely on your passport, so confirm with the university and official UK government guidance early. The Student visa needs a CAS reference from your uni, proof of funds and usually the immigration health surcharge, so budget both time and money for it.

• Exchange under 6 months, often Standard Visitor or Short-term study
• Full year, Student visa with a CAS from your uni
• Irish citizens, no visa needed under the Common Travel Area
• Budget for the immigration health surcharge on longer visas

Sheffield earned its Steel City nickname from centuries of cutlery and steel production, including the invention of stainless steel here in 1912, a history still visible around the old industrial quarters. Henderson's Relish, a tangy, anchovy free sauce made in the city since 1885, has a cult local following and turns up on tables across Sheffield. The city is also a genuine sporting stage: the Crucible Theatre has hosted the World Snooker Championship every year since 1977, usually each spring, making it one of the sport's most recognisable venues anywhere. Add more than 250 parks and 4.5 million trees, and Sheffield feels unusually green for its size.

• Henderson's Relish, made locally since 1885, appears on tables across the city.
• The Crucible Theatre has hosted the World Snooker Championship every year since 1977.
• Sheffield has more than 250 parks and about 4.5 million trees.

Broomhill and neighbouring Crookes form the classic student quarter west of the centre, dense with Victorian terraces and, in Crookes alone, 11 traditional pubs. Ecclesall Road runs further southwest with a long line of restaurants, bars and independent shops, backed by Sheffield Hallam accommodation around Collegiate Crescent. Neepsend and the Kelham Island quarter, a mile or so northwest, have turned old steelworks into breweries, museums and music venues, including the Kelham Island Museum and long running pubs like the Fat Cat. The hilly city centre itself ties all of these together within a short tram or bus ride.

• Broomhill and Crookes for classic, pub-heavy student terraces west of the centre.
• Ecclesall Road for restaurants, bars and independent shops further southwest.
• Neepsend and Kelham Island for breweries, museums and music in old steelworks.

Part of the Peak District National Park sits right on Sheffield's western edge, since the rural west of the city itself falls inside the park boundary. Stanage Edge, a gritstone escarpment with the 5,000 metre Girdle Traverse, is one of the country's best known climbing spots and a magnet for walkers as well, close enough for a half day out. Deeper into the park, more than 1,800 miles of footpaths and trails connect towns like Bakewell and Castleton for a fuller day trip. Sheffield's position on the edge of the Pennines also makes it a natural base for repeated weekend trips rather than a one off visit.

• Stanage Edge, a major climbing spot, sits within easy reach for a half day out.
• The rural west of Sheffield itself lies inside the Peak District National Park.
• The wider park holds over 1,800 miles of footpaths around Bakewell and Castleton.

Book Broomhill or Crookes housing early. Both areas are dominated by student lets, and the best terraced houses go fast once viewings open. Confirm any deposit goes into a government-approved protection scheme within 30 days, whichever landlord or letting arrangement you use, and keep every email in case a dispute comes up later. Head to Neepsend for a proper local pub crawl, since the Fat Cat and Kelham Island Tavern are both worth the walk from the centre. And do not underestimate the hills: Sheffield is built on them, so factor extra time into any walk across town.

• Book Broomhill or Crookes housing early, before the best terraced houses go.
• Confirm your deposit goes into a government-approved protection scheme within 30 days.
• Visit Neepsend's Fat Cat and Kelham Island Tavern for a proper local pub.