The official tour guide to Cardiff says that, "Cardiff is an exceptionally vibrant city, with plenty to do in the way of shopping, nightlife and culture". That doesn't tell half the story. Although Cardiff is in Wales (surprise), there is something really cosmopolitan about this place. The locals are pretty friendly towards students, if you keep yourself to yourself and don't go harping on about Thatcher, and the nightlife really is second to none.

Although Cardiff was quite an industrial town, most of it is now service oriented and there is quite a lot of tourism going on as well. But the best thing about Cardiff is that it's a big town, but small enough to walk around. It's almost impossible to get lost, no matter how much clubbing you've been doing, and the clubs and pubs are excellent.

There's also quite a bit of culture as well, with good museums and lovely architecture, and the fact that the M4 takes you directly to London and Cardiff Airport has good international links, means that if you do get tired of it, you can easily go away for the weekend. If you go to Cardiff, you're guaranteed to have an excellent 3 or 4 years.