Your city, decoded — by people who've actually lived there.
What to do, what not to do, what nobody tells you. The 30-day playbook for arriving in a new city as an international student.
Pick the city you're moving to.
Each guide is written by our editorial team and updated when policies, prices, or local rules change. Always free.
What's in every guide.
Same structure across cities so you can scan fast and compare.
Do this
Specific, actionable things that change your life in your first month — not generic 'be respectful' filler.
Don't do this
Mistakes international students consistently make. Some are expensive, some are social, all are avoidable.
First-week checklist
Ordered list of bureaucratic must-dos: visa registration, bank account, transit card, health insurance, address registration.
Local customs
The unwritten rules. Tipping. Queueing. When to be loud. When to be quiet. What 'Servus' means in Munich vs Berlin.
Safety realities
Honest, not paranoid. Which neighborhoods are fine. Which crimes actually affect students. Numbers to save in your phone.
Insider savings
Where locals shop. Which transit pass is the cheat code. Which student discounts pay for themselves in the first week.