I studied abroad in Rome when I was 20 and it is the trip that changed everything. Not in a neat, tidy way — in the way that involves getting lost in a neighbourhood you didn’t mean to find, eating at a trattoria so small it had no name on the door, and realising that the version of yourself that exists when you are somewhere completely new is a version worth getting to know.
I have been living abroad in Southeast Asia for years now, traveling in and out of Europe regularly, and talking to study abroad students who come through the cities I cover on this blog. The question I get most often is not “should I study abroad in Europe” — almost everyone already knows the answer to that is yes — it is “which city should I study abroad in”
This guide answers that question. It is not just a list of the most famous European cities. It goes into what each city is actually like to live in as a student, what type of person genuinely thrives there, and what you should be looking for (or not looking for) before you commit to a semester somewhere.
Countries covered in this guide:
Before you dive in: once you have chosen your city, the study abroad essentials guide and the complete study abroad packing list cover everything you need to bring and prepare before you leave.
Italy is the most popular study abroad destination in Europe for a reason. The art, the architecture, the food, the history on every corner — it offers a density of experience that is hard to find anywhere else. Three cities dominate the study abroad conversation here and they suit very different types of students.
Rome was my city and I will always have an opinion about it. It is enormous, chaotic, layered in history in a way that stops feeling like a textbook almost immediately, and deeply, stubbornly itself. You do not visit Rome so much as you move through it — the Colosseum is just there, at the end of a street. The Pantheon is in the middle of a neighbourhood. You stumble into things you did not know to look for and that is most of the point.
For study abroad specifically, Rome suits students who are excited about immersion over comfort. The city is not the easiest to navigate when you first arrive — the metro is limited, the traffic is dense, and the bureaucracy of everyday life can be frustrating — but that friction is also part of what makes a semester there so formative. You figure things out. You ask strangers for directions. You get very good at pointing at menus.
Rome has a huge international student presence, particularly through American university programs, so you will have community immediately. The social life is built around aperitivo hours, late dinners, and weekend trips — Cinque Terre is a popular day trip, and Florence is just a 1.5-hour train ride away. If you are going to be based in Rome, read the Cinque Terre day trip guide before the end of your first month.
Who Rome is for
Florence is smaller, more manageable, and more beautiful in a contained way. Where Rome sprawls and overwhelms, Florence fits — you can walk across it in 40 minutes. The Uffizi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, the Boboli Gardens: all within reach of each other and all genuinely, repeatedly jaw-dropping even once you have seen them many times.
Art and architecture students in particular find Florence almost too good to be real. The city is essentially a living classroom. Design students, fashion students, and anyone studying Italian Renaissance history will be in their element here in a way that is hard to replicate at any other study abroad location in Europe.
The student social scene is active but more contained than Rome or Barcelona. Florence is a city that rewards evening walks and long dinners more than late nights out. If your version of a great semester abroad involves gelato after class, wandering through markets on weekends, and actually doing the work you came to do, Florence tends to deliver that experience more reliably than its larger Italian neighbours.
Who Florence is for
Bologna is the study abroad city that people who have studied abroad recommend and that first-timers often overlook. It is home to the oldest university in Europe, has one of the most active student populations on the continent, and is considered by many Italians to be the best food city in the country — which is saying something significant.
The atmosphere is genuinely academic in a way that Rome and Florence are not quite. The city takes its university seriously. The arcaded streets (there are 40 kilometres of covered walkways throughout the city), the aperitivo culture, the red medieval towers — Bologna has a character that feels less like a tourist destination and more like a place where people actually live well. That is a meaningful distinction when you are spending a semester somewhere.
If you want to be in Italy without being in the version of Italy that has been packaged for visitors, Bologna is the answer.
Who Bologna is for
Spain consistently ranks among the top study abroad destinations in Europe for American students, and the reasons are practical as well as cultural: Spanish language skills are broadly useful, the cost of living is lower than France or the UK, the weather is excellent, and the social culture — late dinners, long weekends, everything open until midnight — suits student life well.
Barcelona is one of the great cities in Europe and a study abroad experience here tends to be intense, social, and visually overwhelming in the best way. Gaudi’s architecture alone gives the city a surreal quality that does not wear off. Add the beach, the Gothic Quarter, the food markets, the nightlife, and the general energy of a city that seems to be permanently mid-celebration — Barcelona is hard to have a bad semester in.
It is also one of the most popular study abroad destinations in Europe, which means the international student community is large and well-established. If you are nervous about moving somewhere new, Barcelona has enough scaffolding — English is widely spoken in the student and tourist districts, the metro is easy, the programs are well-run — that you can find your footing quickly.
The honest note: because it is so popular, Barcelona can feel like a bubble. You will meet other international students easily. Actually integrating with Spanish (or Catalan) culture takes more deliberate effort than in smaller cities. Worth knowing going in.
Who Barcelona is for
Seville is where you go when you want to learn Spanish properly and actually live inside Spanish culture rather than alongside it. It is a smaller, slower, more traditional city than Barcelona or Madrid — which is either the point or a drawback depending on who you are. The summers are extremely hot (often above 40C in July and August), but spring and autumn semesters are beautiful.
The tapas culture here is the best in Spain. Flamenco is not a tourist performance but a genuine part of the city’s cultural fabric. The architecture of the old city — the Real Alcazar, the Cathedral, the Barrio Santa Cruz — is some of the most impressive in Europe. Students who choose Seville tend to leave with better Spanish than those who went to Barcelona, partly because English is less of a fallback.
Who Seville is for
Madrid is Spain’s capital and its most cosmopolitan city — a proper world city with world-class museums (the Prado, the Reina Sofia), a thriving arts and music scene, and a nightlife culture that runs later than almost anywhere else in Europe. Dinner before 9pm is genuinely unusual. Clubs close around dawn. The city runs on a different clock to the rest of the world and once you adjust to it, it is hard to go back.
Madrid suits students who want urban energy and cultural weight in equal measure. It is less immediately “pretty” than Seville or Barcelona but it has more depth — the kind of city that reveals itself slowly and rewards students who spend a full semester rather than a summer program.
Who Madrid is for
France has a reputation for being challenging for non-French-speaking students, and it is not entirely undeserved. The cultural expectation that visitors attempt French goes further here than in most European countries. But for students who lean into that, France offers one of the most rewarding study abroad experiences in Europe.
Paris is the most aspirational study abroad city in Europe. The art, the food, the architecture, the fashion, the sense that you are living inside something significant — a semester in Paris tends to be the experience students describe in the most cinematic terms. That reputation is largely earned.
It is also expensive, can feel unwelcoming if you do not speak French, and is crowded in ways that can be exhausting. Students who thrive in Paris tend to be those who come with some French language, a genuine interest in French culture rather than just the aesthetic of it, and the independence to navigate a large and complex city without a lot of hand-holding.
The arts and fashion programs here are genuinely world-class. Gastronomy students, film students, literature students, and fashion students will find Paris hard to beat. For everyone else, the question is whether the experience is worth the cost and adjustment period.
Who Paris is for
Lyon is France’s second city in culinary reputation and does not get nearly enough attention in study abroad conversations. It has two rivers, a UNESCO-listed old city, one of the best food scenes in Europe (the traboules — hidden passageways through Renaissance buildings — are used by locals daily and are extraordinary), and a student population that is large enough to have community but not so large that you feel anonymous.
For students who want France without the Paris price tag or the Paris attitude, Lyon is the answer. The cost of living is lower, the locals are warmer toward non-fluent French speakers, and the city has a rhythm that suits student life — busy enough to always have something to do, slow enough to actually study.
Who Lyon is for
Montpellier is a university city in the south of France with a student population that makes up roughly a third of the entire city. It is young, affordable, close to the Mediterranean coast, and has a mix of French and Mediterranean culture that feels lighter and more relaxed than Paris or Lyon. It also has one of the oldest medical schools in the world, which attracts a specific type of academically serious student.
For students who want France with beaches within reach, a genuinely young city atmosphere, and a more affordable base for exploring southern Europe, Montpellier is consistently underrated.
Who Montpellier is for
The UK removes the language barrier for English-speaking students and offers some of the most academically prestigious study abroad options in the world. The trade-off is cost — particularly in London. The three cities below represent genuinely different study abroad experiences despite sharing a country.
London is one of the most international cities in the world and a study abroad semester here tends to feel less like going abroad and more like relocating temporarily to a city that operates at a higher frequency than most places you have lived. The museums are free and world-class. The theatre scene is extraordinary. The neighbourhoods each have their own distinct character and could each fill a semester of exploration on their own.
The realistic note: London is expensive. Accommodation costs are high, eating out adds up fast, and the city can feel alienating if you do not find community quickly. Students who thrive here are those who come with a plan — a neighbourhood to live in, a few things they specifically want to do, some existing connections or a strong program community to anchor to.
Who London is for
Edinburgh is one of the most dramatic cities in Europe — a medieval Old Town built around a volcanic rock with a castle on top, a Georgian New Town below it, and the Scottish Highlands a short drive away. The city has a literary and intellectual tradition that runs deep (the Scottish Enlightenment was not a small thing) and an energy during the annual Festival season that is unlike anywhere else on the continent.
It is also significantly more affordable than London, more manageable in size, and has a student population large enough to make finding community easy. The weather is famously brutal — cold, wet, and windy for a substantial part of the year — and this filters for a certain type of student. Those who embrace it tend to find Edinburgh one of the most formative study abroad experiences in Europe.
Who Edinburgh is for
Manchester has one of the largest student populations of any city in Europe and a cultural output — in music, art, sport, and politics — that far exceeds its geographical size. The music history alone (The Smiths, Oasis, Joy Division, the Hacienda) gives the city a mythology that draws a specific type of student. The Northern Quarter is one of the best independent culture neighbourhoods in the UK. And the cost of living is dramatically more manageable than London.
Students who want the UK experience without London prices, who are interested in arts and culture over finance and fashion, and who want to be part of a huge, diverse student community will find Manchester a genuinely excellent choice.
Who Manchester is for
The Netherlands is one of the most welcoming countries in Europe for international students. English is widely spoken — most Dutch people under 50 are fluent — and the university system has a strong international reputation. The cycling culture, the canals, and the density of art and history make it a deeply livable study abroad destination.
Amsterdam is one of the most visually distinctive cities in the world and living there for a semester — cycling between canal houses, visiting the Rijksmuseum on a weekday afternoon, navigating a city that feels like it was designed specifically for slow, exploratory movement — is a particular kind of experience. It is also a very liberal city with a well-developed infrastructure for international students.
The honest context: Amsterdam is expensive for the Netherlands, and student housing is notoriously difficult to secure. Book accommodation as early as possible if you are going here — the housing market is genuinely tight and can cause real stress for students who leave it late.
Who Amsterdam is for
Maastricht is a small city in the south of the Netherlands, right on the Belgian border, and it is home to Maastricht University — one of the most internationally oriented universities in Europe and famous for its problem-based learning approach. The city has more international students per capita than almost anywhere else in Europe, which creates an unusual atmosphere: deeply cosmopolitan in a setting that is quiet, medieval, and very beautiful.
For students who want serious academics in a compact, manageable European city with easy access to Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg, Maastricht is a genuinely underrated option.
Who Maastricht is for
Germany has excellent universities, a low cost of living by Western European standards, and two cities that offer dramatically different study abroad experiences. English is widely spoken in university settings though less so in everyday city life, which adds a cultural dimension that students either lean into or find frustrating.
Berlin is unlike any other city in Europe. The history — the wall, the division, the reunification — is physically present in the city in a way that goes well beyond museums and monuments. And the creative culture that grew in the spaces left by that history is still very much alive: Berlin has one of the most significant arts, music, and club scenes in the world.
It is also cheap by European capital standards, politically engaged, and very welcoming of international students and creative people. Students in arts, political science, history, and architecture in particular find Berlin genuinely transformative. It is not an easy city to describe because it resists clean descriptions — it is better experienced than explained.
Who Berlin is for
Munich is the other Germany entirely. Clean, ordered, expensive by German standards, and with a connection to outdoor life — the Alps are within 90 minutes — that makes it unusually appealing for students who want urban and natural access in the same semester. The beer halls are real and worth experiencing; the Oktoberfest crowds are real and worth timing your arrival around if you want accommodation to be reasonable.
Engineering, technology, and business students in particular find Munich well-matched to their interests — the city has a strong technical university tradition and significant industry connections.
Who Munich is for
Portugal is one of the most underrated study abroad destinations in Europe. It is warm, affordable, English-friendly, genuinely beautiful, and has a cultural melancholy — the concept of saudade, a longing for something not quite present — that gives the country a particular emotional depth. Students who go to Portugal tend to be surprised by how much they love it.
Lisbon has become one of the most talked-about cities in Europe over the last decade, and a study abroad semester here catches it at an interesting moment: still affordable, increasingly international, and with a creative and startup energy that has layered onto its older fado and azulejo tile culture. The hills, the trams, the miradouros (viewpoints) above the city at sunset — Lisbon is one of the most visually distinctive cities in the world.
The Atlantic coast is accessible for surf day trips. The city has a strong nightlife scene that runs late without the aggression of some other European capitals. And the Portuguese are genuinely warm toward visitors in a way that makes it easy to find a foothold in the city quickly.
Who Lisbon is for
Porto is smaller and more intimate than Lisbon, with a rougher-around-the-edges beauty — the crumbling azulejo facades, the Douro River, the port wine cellars across the water in Vila Nova de Gaia. It is one of the most photogenic cities in Europe and feels genuinely like a city that tourists have discovered but has not yet been fully transformed by that discovery.
Students who want a quieter, more concentrated experience in Portugal, who are interested in the arts and architecture, or who want a base in the north of the country for exploring the Douro Valley and rural Portugal, will find Porto quietly revelatory.
Who Porto is for
The most common mistake students make when choosing a study abroad city is optimising for reputation rather than fit. Everyone knows Paris and Barcelona. Fewer people have heard of Bologna or Maastricht. But fit matters more than name recognition when you are going to spend four months somewhere.
A few honest questions to ask yourself before deciding:
One thing that matters more than any of the above: Weekend travel. Every city in this guide is within a few hours of other remarkable places by train or budget flight. Part of the study abroad experience is using wherever you are based as a springboard for the continent. Build that into your decision — where do you want to be able to go easily on a Friday afternoon?
Once you have chosen your city, the packing side of study abroad is easier than most people expect — but there are a few things that consistently catch students off guard on their first international trip.
The complete study abroad packing list covers everything you need for a semester in Europe from personal experience, including the things nobody tells you to bring. The study abroad essentials guide goes deeper on the items that actually matter once you get there. And if you want something printable to check off before you leave, the study abroad packing checklist is designed for exactly that.
Go. Even if you’re scared, nervour or all of the above emotions. It’s one of the best things I did in college and is 110% worth all the adventure you’ll experience at the end!
Hey there, I'm Angelique!
I'm a Filipina-American, Chicago native living abroad and running my online design agency from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Over a decade of traveling in, and yes, I still pinch myself. With family split between the US, UK, and SE Asia, travel has always been part of my story. This blog is where I share the honest side of living and traveling abroad, the places I explore, and the little hacks that make this life actually work. Glad you're here, friend!
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