Moving to live and study Cardiff? Here are our most common FAQ’s

Coming to Cardiff to study? As a leading accommodation booking service for students in Cardiff we get pretty much every question under the sun, it doesn’t matter if you’re a prospective student, coming from overseas or already living in the city, our FAQs will put you right at ease for a peaceful, safe and amazing time in this great student city. 

How many Universities are there in Cardiff? 

Cardiff has three universities; Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan and University of South Wales. When it comes to which is best…. Well that’s not a question that we get involved with. 

Which are the most popular student areas in Cardiff?  

Finding the right area to live as a Cardiff student can be tricky (but hugely important) task! Firstly, we’d say it depends slightly on the which of the Universities you are studying at, second budgets, and thirdly preferences. You can see this in our Cardiff student neighbourhood guide, but our top picks are Cathays, Roath, City Centre or Heath. 

How much should rent cost living in Cardiff?

Average price for student accommodation in Cardiff is £424 p.m.

What is the most luxurious student accommodation in Cardiff? 

Truthfully, there are a few options and it depends if you want to live in student housing or in a private halls. Our pick of the private halls include, Eclipse, Zenith and Lumis. If you want the best of the best try one of the residential tower blocks like Alto Lusso or Park Plaza flats.

What is the cheapest student accommodation in Cardiff? 

Well the question here is always how cheap do you want to go? Our top picks for those on a budget are student housing along Albany Road in Roath and at the top of Whitchurch road.

What are the best student nights to go out each night of the week? 

Monday: Quidz @ Story 

Tuesday: Mode @ Revolution 

Wednesday: Soda (Cardiff Met) or Cardiff SU (Cardiff University Students)

Thursday: TNT @ Walkabout 

Friday: Smack @ Story – Cardiff’s longest running student night (for a reason)

Saturday: Juice @ Cardiff Students Union (a popular haunt for all uni students)

Sunday: Soda Sundays

What’s the best way to get around? 

During the day, using bike is an easy option and there are plenty of places to chain up around all of the campus’… it also has the added benefit of being free, great for the environment and keeping you in good shape. For those without their own bike tap into Next Bike rental scheme if you’re just heading a short distance or need to zoom into town. 

For Cardiff University students buses head down from Talybont locations and University Halls helping students cheaply and quickly get about town. 

Cardiff Met students get access to a bus service called the Met Rider, and for £180 a year you’ll get unlimited rides around town. 

For taxi’s there are a number of options, Ola and Uber being a national names or Cardiff’s premier Dragon Taxi’s (029 2033 3333). Dragon work in partnership with Cardiff University Students Union for a “Safe Taxi Scheme” so if you’re ever totally lost and not sure what to do then you can get home from anywhere in the city by ringing the number above, quoting “Cardiff University Safe Taxi Scheme”, showing them your student card when you get in. Be warned… you’ll have to pay the fare a few days later but it can help get you out of a tight squeeze! 

What’s the best way to get to Cardiff for international students? 

• Cardiff International Airport – Perfect for those coming for European destinations but lacks many long haul options. 
• Cardiff Central Train Station – Cardiff has great rail access, with it only a 2h direct train from London.
• Travel from Heathrow
• Travel from Gatwick – Your best bet is to take the Gatwick Express into London and then tackle the next step of the journey either with a Megabus from Victoria Coach Station or the train from Paddington Station.
• Megabus and National Express – Always a great option for international students and a very affordable one, especially if you book in advance. You can book tickets directly from either website link for you here.

If you’re looking for help with getting your belongings shipped over to the UK, then we’d recommend trying MoverDB.com 

What are the best student friendly ($$$) restaurants to eat in Cardiff? 

Getting to know Cardiff’s eateries is crucial for any student studying in Cardiff so we’ve got way more information for those wanting to indulge further; but for now out list of must visits is as follows. Whether you get your student accommodation in Cardiff there are eateries around every corner. 

For us, we’d recommend a greasy breakfast at the old time favourite Cafe 37, a quick lunch on the go at Magic Wrap either at Cardiff SU or on Wellfield Road and dinner bite at Irie Shack in Cathays but then again for those that can’t muster the strength to get out… Domino’s is always only a phone call away. 

How do students register with a doctor when living in Cardiff? 

We always recommend getting registered with a local GP when you start University. Having a GP in Cardiff means you can easily access care and medication if things take a turn for the worst for any reason. If you don’t register and find yourself in a situation where if you need medication, you can end up waiting a couple of weeks rather than days.

As GP’s have catchment areas, you will need to find a local GP surgery and contact them about registering with them. You will normally be able to drop in to the surgery and ask to register.

You can also contact the NHS Wales Business Service Centre on +44 (0)1495 332 000, who will allocate you a GP.

If i’m in Cardiff student accommodation do I need to pay tax to Cardiff Council? 

Simple answer, no…. But you’ll need to get proof of study from the University and supply it to your letting agents. Some agents don’t offer the service so you can use a service like Resooma Bills to file your exemption or do it yourself. It’s easy enough to do.   

How does waste collection work for students in Cardiff? 

Bin collection, wow, this took some time to work out. You can check all your waste collection days and schedules here. If you’re in private halls of residence or University accommodation then you’ll get this covered in your rent – for the rest of you in shared housing… it’s worth setting a reminder.