To get to know your new city as an international student, start close to home: learn your transit routes, find everyday essentials, explore free local spots, and connect with your community.
A new city can feel big and unfamiliar at first. The sooner you learn your way around, the more at home you will feel. This guide shares simple steps to explore your city safely, save money, and turn a strange place into your new home.
Just arrived?
Get the essentials done first with our day-by-day checklist for your first week abroad.
Start With Your Neighbourhood
Before you explore the whole city, get to know the area around your home. Take a walk in your first few days and find the places you will use most often:
- Grocery stores and markets: including any shops that sell food from home
- Pharmacy: for medicine and everyday health needs
- Medical clinic: and the nearest hospital emergency department
- Bank or cash machine: ideally your own bank, to avoid fees
- Laundry: if your home does not have a washing machine
- Places of worship or cultural centres: if these are important to you
- Transit stops: the closest bus, tram, or train stop to your home
Tip! Save these places in a map app on your phone. Create a list called "My neighbourhood" so you can find them quickly, even when you are tired or it is dark.
Learn the Public Transport System
Public transport is usually the cheapest way to get around. Learning it early gives you freedom to explore.
- Get a transit card: Most cities use a reloadable card or a phone app for fares.
- Ask about student discounts: Many cities and schools offer cheaper student fares or passes. In some places, a transit pass is included in your student fees.
- Download the local transit app: It shows routes, live arrival times, and service changes.
- Practise your route to campus: Do a test trip before your first class so you know how long it takes.
Country guides: getting around Australia, Leap Card in Ireland, and travelling cheaply across Canada.
Explore for Free or Almost Free
You do not need a big budget to get to know your city. Try these low-cost ideas:
Walk and Wander
Many cities have free walking tours, often run by volunteers. Or simply pick a new neighbourhood each weekend and explore on foot.
Museums and Libraries
Many museums offer free entry days or student prices. Public libraries are free to join and often run events, classes, and language groups.
Parks and Festivals
Parks, beaches, and trails cost nothing. Check your city's events calendar for free festivals, markets, and outdoor concerts.
For more ideas on stretching your budget, see our money-saving tips for international students.
Learn the Local Customs
Every city has its own unwritten rules. Noticing them early helps you feel more comfortable and avoid awkward moments. Pay attention to:
- Tipping: whether and how much people tip in restaurants, cafés, and taxis
- Queueing: how people line up for buses, shops, and services
- Recycling and rubbish: local sorting rules and collection days
- Noise: quiet hours in your building or neighbourhood
- Greetings and small talk: how people say hello to neighbours and shop staff
If you are not sure, ask a local classmate or your international student office. Most people are happy to help. See also Understanding UK Culture.
Explore with new friends
Get practical tips for meeting people and building a community in your new home.
Stay Safe While You Explore
- Save the local emergency number and your school's security number in your phone.
- Learn which areas are busy and well lit at night, and plan your route home before you go out.
- Keep your phone charged and share your location with a friend when you go somewhere new.
- Keep your passport in a safe place at home, and carry a copy or your student ID instead.
- Be careful with offers that seem too good to be true, especially for housing, jobs, or money transfers.
Find Your Community
Connecting with people from your home country can make a new city feel much more familiar. Look for cultural associations, community centres, faith communities, and student societies. At the same time, try to meet local people too, for example through volunteering, sports clubs, or language exchanges. For an example of community resources, see our guide to Nigerian community centres in Canada.
Your First-Month City Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions
Walk around your neighbourhood in your first few days, practise your route to campus, and use a map app to save key places. Taking public transport to different areas each weekend also helps you build a picture of the city.
Usually, yes. Travelling within your study country is normally fine. If you plan to leave the country, check your visa conditions and make sure you have the documents you need to return. Your international student office can advise you.
That is normal, especially in a large or busy city. Start small, stick to a few familiar places at first, and explore further when you feel ready. If the feeling continues, talk to someone at your school. Read about looking after your wellbeing.
Getting to know your new city takes time, and every small step helps. Explore a little each week, stay curious, and soon the streets that once felt strange will feel like home.
Make the most of student life
Find out how to get involved at your new school and build skills for your future.