Lancaster
158 Reviews by Students #71 out of 172 University locations
Lancaster has been an enjoyable place to live for the past three years. It is quite small, but there are nice places to eat and drink and historic landmarks to visit. My only real complaint is that the buses heading to campus get very full around town centre, so if you are a student living just outside of town you might have a really hard time getting the bus for those early morning classes.
By Rian On 9th November 2022
Study in Lancaster
Lancaster University is situated just a 10-minute drive outside of Lancaster city centre.
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Lancaster University
Lancaster University is a collegiate public research university with a beautiful 560-acre parkland campus whose reputation for teaching has been recognised with a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. Over 15,000 students are enrolled and graduate outcomes for Lancaster University show that six months after leaving university, 98% of graduates are in work or further study (DLHE Survey 2016).
Study in Lancaster? Review your location
Lancaster Student Life
Lancaster University is a campus university, meaning that it is self-contained with shops, restaurants, banks, a sports centre and many other useful amenities.
Lancaster city is on the quiet side and surrounded by beautiful countryside, so if you’re a lover of the great outdoors, there aren’t many other towns of this size that could suit you more than Lancaster.
Cost of Living
Cost of living is really low in comparison to other universities. Accommodation is reasonable, and food and nights out are cheap.
By member107786 On 27th April 15
Nights Out
Highlight of the Town centre…
The Water Witch Open Mic on Wednesdays was a highlight of the Town centre, and Lancaster Music festival in general... a lot of hidden gems.
Loved Sugarhouse…
Loved Sugarhouse and Dalton's for night life.
If you're really into drinking…
If you’re really into drinking and nights out, Lancaster probably isn’t the place for you. It has a few decent clubs but they’re not great.
It could do with a bit more Nightlife…
It could do with a bit more Nightlife but Sugar is good when it's open.
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Public Transport
The X1 bus goes from the train station to campus, while buses 2 to 4 do 15-minute shuttle runs from the town bus station on Damside Street. You don’t need a car to get around Lancaster but it might be a good idea to have one on standby if you intend to explore a bit further afield.
To travel out of Lancaster, rail is usually faster than by road; you can get to London Euston direct in less than 2 ½ hours on the fast train. Make sure to get a young person’s railcard and book ahead to get discounted train tickets.
Eating Out
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Kanteena is an exciting communal dining space in a repurposed warehouse. You will find delicious street food vendors, music, beer and live entertainment.
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Pizza Margherita is a Lancaster favourite. It started over 40 years ago by Wendy Allen (whose brother founded the very successful chain Pizza Express). Expect delicious and authentic pizzas (most under a tenner) as well as a selection of other tasty Italian dishes.
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The Whaletail Café is the place to head for some home-cooked food. You can expect tasty breakfasts, wholesome lunches and they have a very good vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menu, all to be enjoyed in a friendly and laid-back atmosphere.
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Shopping
As any good rural town should, there is a market, called Charter Market, which happens twice weekly where you can pick up your fruit and veg on the cheap. Also in the town centre is the Marketgate Shopping Centre, which hosts a range of popular brand names. The surrounding pedestrianised area is worth exploring too for independent, vintage and local shops that will add some variety to your shopping basket.
Study in Lancaster? Review your town
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The Great Outdoors
The Forest of Bowland is to the east of Lancaster and was once described as the “Switzerland of England”. It is a protected English landscape made of stunning hills, moorlands, deep valleys and fells. It is an ideal place to go for a day’s hiking trip or turn it into more of an adventure and stay at a B&B or campsite.
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An hours drive north is the Lake District, one of the most popular holiday destinations in the UK. Get a group of friends together for a weekend trip and enjoy the hiking trails, incredible scenery and cosy English pubs.
Top 10 Lancaster Accommodation
Read Lancaster Reviews
Lancaster is good...
Lancaster is good, I’d love to say more but it’s a university duty and that’s about it. I don’t really see myself staying here but that’s okay. The nightlife isn’t great but I also don’t really go out and I think the lack of good clubs is good. read more
Good town to stud...
Good town to study and focus on live read more
Lovely historic c...
Lovely historic city with a variety of local shops, restaurants and cafes read more
Quiet town, safe...
Quiet town, safe and well connected read more
For what is there...
For what is there it is good, however more choice would improve it. read more
What you would ex...
What you would expect from a northern town, cheap pints but a good night out if you make it one read more
It is lancaster i...
It is lancaster in Lancashire United Kingdom read more
Lancasters alrigh...
Lancasters alright, nice community but not much to do. Atleast it’s next to manchdster read more
Shopping and publ...
Shopping and public transport could be improved read more
A small town, not...
A small town, not much going on read more
Love this town, I...
Love this town, I feel very safe and all the buses are run under stagecoach. read more
Lancaster is quit...
Lancaster is quite a quiet city, but I still enjoy it read more
Has great restaur...
Has great restaurant and pubs all over the city. A variety of different supermarkets and shops nothing compared to a big city but does the job. read more
buses are not ver...
buses are not very good at keeping on time read more
Buses are usually...
Buses are usually late but they come often. Restaurants are so nice read more
Lancaster is a fa...
Lancaster is a fantastic place for a student, esp if you love the country side. read more
Great place to li...
Great place to live, lots to do read more
Nice place to liv...
Nice place to live. Easy to get around everything local read more
Lancaster has bee...
Lancaster has been an enjoyable place to live for the past three years. It is quite small, but there are nice places to eat and drink and historic landmarks to visit. My only real complaint is that the buses heading to campus get very full around town centre, so if you are a student living just outside of town you might have a really hard time getting the bus for those early morning classes. read more
Not actually a lo...
Not actually a lot to Lancaster especially moving from a big town near cities it has become quite run down recently which is sad to see and there is only 2 nightclubs read more
Not a lot going o...
Not a lot going on but good enough read more
Lancaster has wha...
Lancaster has what you need whether it be shopping, transportation, etc. read more
Fat hills but I h...
Fat hills but I have toned legs now cause of the walking. Faster to walk then drive as it’s all one way. Really safe. Never had any issues. Large police presence in the town centre which is good if needed. read more
Great Town lovely...
Great Town lovely place and lots of bars and resturants read more
A compact, comfor...
A compact, comfortable town with enough for most students. read more
Small town with a...
Small town with amazing scenery. Good student experience read more
Buses are easy to...
Buses are easy to access from campus and go into town. read more
Small but always...
Small but always a good time, lots of students so plenty of people to meet. Shopping isn’t great but loads of trains to nearby bigger cities. read more
It’s a small city...
It’s a small city so not many places to shop or go at night time, however the ones we have are really nice. read more
Lancaster is a go...
Lancaster is a good student city. Many students enjoy living in town after their first year. Though smaller than other cities, there are many bars and places for food across the city and also there is a good selection of supermarkets to fit your budget. The selection of shops is rather small, but Lancaster has great transport links to Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, London and Birmingham so for days out shopping this is not an issue. Also, there are buses every 10 minutes that can take you to and back from campus. read more
A convenient city...
A convenient city with nice green spaces. read more
The town isn't ve...
The town isn't very big or modern, yes, but it's got everything you would need. As someone who grew up in the city, I find these old buildings and closeness to nature very refreshing. Eating out is great when you know the places to go to, even though there'll be more options if you go to Preston or Manchester, but it's not too bad at all. Nights out could get repetitive, but I find that so long as it's with friends and people I love it's not as bad as they say, because I feel safe too. For the first time I'm also introduced to charity shops and markets, which I love, but it definitely isn't the same as shopping in cities (it's just a different experience, but I still love it!) I've somewhat become more of a conscious shopper now-- love to support the local businesses here and find the hidden gems! read more
beautiful city, m...
beautiful city, massively underrated. read more
Great city lovely...
Great city lovely river nice place to live read more
Nice city. Unfort...
Nice city. Unfortunately due to Covid-19, don't have much opportunity to keep exploring the city. I wish I can come back in the future for travelling or even back for attending the uni. read more
Not too big not t...
Not too big not too small. Good area to live in read more
Dear sir please f...
Dear sir please find the attached file is scanned image in PDF format the same page on the way I can do it for the first time in the first read more
Lancaster is perf...
Lancaster is perfect if you want to experience living away from home but don’t want to be completely overwhelmed by the big city experience. It’s one of the most beautiful places with a rich history and some really lovely walks read more
Lancaster is a go...
Lancaster is a good place to study, because there is no big shopping mall. Also there are many trees, which is good for your health read more
All around pretty...
All around pretty good, can't really complain about anything read more
The town is suita...
The town is suitable for retirement, have not been to a bar do not know the night market, the cost of living is not high, takeaway is not as good as their own cooking read more
Beautiful and saf...
Beautiful and safe little city! read more
A good town to li...
A good town to live in, friendly people read more
Not very lively b...
Not very lively but pleasant place with great people read more
Nice and cheap ci...
Nice and cheap city with lots of friendly people read more
Lancaster has bea...
Lancaster has beautiful nature, with the canal walks being a huge highlight! read more
Great choice of a...
Great choice of accomodation, every year there’s more and more choice, for all types of people and demands. read more
Not too big city...
Not too big city with all the shop student nay need. read more
Quite town but ha...
Quite town but has everything in town. read more
Fairly cheap city...
Fairly cheap city to live in, the bus service is mostly reliable read more
I personally love...
I personally love the town. It’s quite peaceful and pretty easy to figure out the stores and shops. The buses can take you to the smallest of lanes and I personally love the dam side area. read more
Nice City but foo...
Nice City but food options are limited. read more
Perfect city; but...
Perfect city; but boring but not too big. Buses to campus every 10 mins from multiple bus stops. All kinds of bars, pubs, clubs; very lively. Costs range from 90 per week to 170 for all budgets. read more
I do not enjoy li...
I do not enjoy living in Lancaster. I can't imagine why anyone would ever choose to actually live and work here. read more
next to Mancheste...
next to Manchester and the Blackpool which can satisfied your entertainment requirements and shopping needs. overall price not expensive but if u live in campus u have to take bus or driving to school everyday read more
Okay if you enjoy...
Okay if you enjoy a quite town. read more
Love Lancaster!!...
Love Lancaster!! Originally from London but Lancaster is a nice quiet town so it;s a change of scenery for me and I'm enjoying it. It could do with a bit more Nightlife but Sugar is good when it's open. read more
Sugarhouse is gre...
Sugarhouse is great. Great food. Enough shopping in town but we buy most our stuff online read more
Nights out are im...
Nights out are improved by the student club sugar house and the free buses provided. Shopping is limited as well as places to eat. There are a number of nice local coffee shops/cafes. Public transport is always available and mostly reliable. read more
Easy regular buss...
Easy regular busses to town with Lancaster’s own underpass makes it so easy to get to and from uni read more
Lovely city absol...
Lovely city absolutely love it here. Feel like there's isn't a lot for teenagers though...would love something such as an ice rink in the city to make it more open to different people. (They do Lancaster on ice but a perminant ice rink would be amazing) read more
Lancaster was adv...
Lancaster was advertised as a vibrant city but it’s the complete opposite. Shops are tiny and sparse, no places to eat and the place itself is grim. read more
I'm not a star of...
I'm not a star of the club type of gal but I'll definitely say that I enjoy the city as per se read more
The public transp...
The public transport system is my favourite aspect of Lancaster as buses are regular, even during off peak hours read more
The Water Witch O...
The Water Witch Open Mic on Wednesdays was a highlight of the Town centre, and Lancaster Music festival in general... a lot of hidden gems. read more
So far so good. I...
So far so good. I’m happy with what I’ve seen and enjoy the hustle and bustle. There’s a good range of places to go and things to see and all affordable read more
a cute small town...
a cute small town that is perfect for me! read more
a cute small town...
a cute small town that is perfect for me! read more
Most of town is g...
Most of town is getting shut down to build more "luxury student accomidation" which most students can't afford. I love lancaster it's self but it is not accessible at all. finding wheelchair friendly housing is near impossible most shops and pubs have steps to enter and the roads and paving is are a mess. My friend has fallen out of his electric wheelchair multipul times going along what is supposed to be flat pavements and dropped curbs. read more
All the shops you...
All the shops you need, now got a Lidl so that’s really handy and cheap! Plenty of places accept student discount, overall nice place to live. Not much choice for clubs but can still have a bangin night out if you’re with the right people? read more
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Bus isn’t too bad...
Bus isn’t too bad for prices, not a lot of shops but it just means save money for nights out and time to learn read more
Everything was so...
Everything was so good! Despite the distance between campus and town, Lancaster is a great place to study and live. read more
Free bus every we...
Free bus every wednesday for shopping, lovely little cafes to discover read more
Just so tiny with...
Just so tiny with hardly anything in it No H&M, no Nandos read more
Really good place...
Really good place to live. Loved Sugarhouse and Dalton's for night life. read more
Very good transpo...
Very good transport links, SU run sugarhouse is a very good night out. Could have some better high street brands read more
Not too shabby bu...
Not too shabby but nothing exceptional either read more
Well done Lancast...
Well done Lancaster easter Sunday all toilets closed no wonder the town was empty read more
Not much in Lanca...
Not much in Lancaster, and not too expensive. If you’re really into drinking and nights out, Lancaster probably isn’t the place for you. It has a few decent clubs but they’re not great. read more
Very little shops...
Very little shops to go in there's like four shops for lads and only a few more for girls. Very basic town and constantly jammed with traffic. Not really modernised at all read more
Cute town with ev...
Cute town with everything I really need. Not a shopping mecca but that doesn't bother me. Good road and rail links to other cities. Very good transport links to campus. Nice night life (it's not a huge city but I like it). read more
hustles a real tr...
hustles a real treat on a tuesday! read more
Top place to stud...
Top place to study. Lads lads lads read more
There are enough...
There are enough shops to keep you going with things like Topman, Topshop, River Island etc. but for an actual day of shopping you would need to get the train. Public transport is irrelevant because everything is walking distance but buses to the university are very regular. Nights out are unusual, the clubs are average but due to the small town and large student population you can easily see the same people out regularly which means you will often make friends with people you meet on nights out. The general feel of a night out is very friendly and social although obviously there are always some t**ts wherever you go. read more
Not a huge array...
Not a huge array of shops but enough to get by. Nightlife is good but could be improved. read more
The nightlife in...
The nightlife in Lancaster is pretty good. There's loads of bars and pubs to go to, but only a limited number of clubs. However, I've always had a good night out wherever I've been, and because there's only a small number of clubs, you find that they're always busy! read more
Buses are regular...
Buses are regular to campus and other cities and towns nearby. Many bars and clubs to choose from. read more
The public transp...
The public transport is very frequent however there is often lots of traffic so be sure to leave plenty of time for a journey. The shopping is good, however it's not anything special like Leeds or Manchester but it works for the area, and with the rapidly growing online shopping. There aren't many chain restaurants, more locally run and can be difficult to find out about unless you 'explore' Lancaster. The night out is fab, again nothing like Manchester or Leeds but a great night out none the less. read more
Great city for fo...
Great city for food, loads of fab deals on restaurants, very historical with lots of lovely walks and places to go in the surrounding areas :) read more
Compared to Londo...
Compared to London where you live yesterday, in Lancaster, its much more relaxed and filled with a friendly atmosphere. Love Lancaster read more
Lancaster is a gr...
Lancaster is a great place to live read more
Great atmosphere,...
Great atmosphere, perfect if big city living is not for you but you still want an active night life read more
Everything you ne...
Everything you need at Northern Prices (cheap), all the big brand shops are surprisingly there read more
Easy to navigate...
Easy to navigate around town. Fun and enjoyable place filled with students. read more
Very quaint town...
Very quaint town centre with a variety of places to shop and eat. Club open every night read more
Lancaster is a sm...
Lancaster is a small town, so don't expect much variety. Although it is nice enough, easy to navigate and with good public transport. It is also pretty safe, nothing happens in Lancaster. There are virtually no shops, so if you want to find variety, the closest choise is Preston or Manchester. Nights out are always at the same places, there are probably 3 decent noght clubs and a few bars. It is not bad nut nothing especial. Is close enough to cities like Manchester or Liverpool. Also the Lake district is quite close which is a nice place to visit. Two and a half hours to Edinbourgh by train and 3 from London. It's go its own micro weather, so be prepared for plenty of wind and rain. Bu when its sunny and you fancy a pint, ty going to the Water Witch or White Cross by the canal, probably the nicest pubs in town (they are quite nice actually). read more
Lancaster is good...
Lancaster is good if you're nervous about moving to university as it's small and everything is close but I wouldn't want to live here forever. read more
The town centre i...
The town centre is a little bare on material things but the historical and cultural nature of the town is amazing. read more
Lovely little com...
Lovely little community and a good place to study read more
Lancaster is a ve...
Lancaster is a very small town but has plenty of shops, bars and clubs to keep you going. Plus it's in the north... So drinks prices are super cheap! read more
Primark here for...
Primark here for April 2016 so then it will be ideal. Clubs are no Liverpool or Newcastle but a decent enough range to warrant a few nights out a week! read more
Nice, little city...
Nice, little city. Excellent public transport links, even on a Sunday. Cost of living in the city is cheap, and it's good value. The shopping isn't that bad, but isn't that great, but other cities are cheap and easy to get to, and online shopping is a thing now. Nights out are good, but you have to be drunk before you go, and go with people that are suited to you. The societies are fantastic. Debating is the best society on campus, and it opens up the university world, and has many wonderful nights out. I really wouldn't be anywhere else. read more
public transport...
public transport slightly pricey read more
Lancaster Uni is...
Lancaster Uni is great. Town is a bit lacklustre. Quite insular but on the whole, it's okay. In terms of shopping for clothes etc, Manchester isn't too far away but there is a small selection of shops. Very student orientated, Sugarhouse is the main place to go out so if you're used to living in a big city like me, it's a massive change. Overall, I like it but would change a few things if I could. read more
cons: - few good...
cons: - few good restaurants (mostly takeaways) - gross clubs pros: - little, quiet and beautiful read more
Cost of living is...
Cost of living is really low in comparison to other universities. Accommodation is reasonable, and food and nights out are cheap. There's a lot of eating out opportunity on campus and in town, but not mainstream chains such as Nandos and Pizza Express etc, more small independent restaurants. Nice though. Nights out are limited by there only being a maximum of 10 venues, but they're fun and it's the people and knowing many faces around that make the nights great. The drinks prices are really reasonable and places for cocktails aren't too badly priced either with many special offer nights. Shopping is awful, a very small city, therefore your limited to a small topshop, new look, next and river island and a few others. Much easier to shop online or take a trip to Manchester. Public transport is excellent, on time and cheap. read more
expensive petrol,...
expensive petrol, great restaurants though needs a Nandos, nightlife is ok, shopping not so great clothing wise particularly for men, but nice in that it's eclectic, great bus service read more
It is a very chea...
It is a very cheap nice town, there are loads of places to eat out that do fairly cheap deals for students. There are a lot of shops and they are building a primark this year! Nights out a extremely cheap - can have a good night out on £10 on student days. read more