Your first 48 hours in St Andrews.
Moving to a new town for university is equal parts thrilling and overwhelming — especially when you've flown halfway around the world to get here. We meet new students at the airport every single September. This is the arrival guide we wish every one of them had before they set off.
The hardest part of starting at St Andrews isn't the studying — it's the logistics of actually getting here with everything you own.
Nearly half of all St Andrews students arrive from outside the UK, often after a long-haul flight, jet-lagged, with more luggage than two hands can carry. Then there's a town with no airport, no train station, and cobbled streets that don't love wheeled suitcases.
We've spent eighteen years smoothing out that exact journey. Here's how to make your arrival calm instead of chaotic.
Getting from the airport to your hall
St Andrews has no airport and no railway station of its own. Most students arrive via Edinburgh Airport (about 1 hour 15 minutes by road), with Glasgow and Dundee as alternatives. The nearest train station is Leuchars, about 10 minutes from town by road.
Public transport is doable but painful with luggage: a bus or train, a transfer, then a walk across town to your hall — usually with multiple changes. After a long flight, a pre-booked door-to-door transfer that takes you straight to your hall entrance is worth its weight in gold. Book it before you fly so a driver is waiting when you land, even if your flight is delayed.
The move-in window — and why it's chaos
The University staggers move-in over a few days at the start of Freshers' Week in September, but the roads into town, the halls car parks and every taxi in Fife are stretched to the limit during that window.
Our advice: book your transfer early, build in buffer time, and don't expect to find a last-minute ride on the day. If you can arrive a day either side of the busiest move-in date, everything is calmer.
What to pack (and what to buy when you arrive)
Bring from home
Documents (passport, visa, CAS/acceptance letter, insurance), any prescription medication, a UK plug adapter, warm and waterproof layers, and one set of bedding for the first night.
Buy once you're here
Bulky bedding, kitchen bits, toiletries and stationery. Hauling these across the world makes no sense — Tesco, M&S and the town's shops have everything, and there are first-week deliveries to halls.
Don't forget
A reusable water bottle and a genuinely good raincoat. This is the east coast of Scotland; the wind off the North Sea is a rite of passage.
Leave at home
Anything you 'might' use. Halls rooms are compact and you'll move at least once. Travel lighter than feels comfortable.
Your first-week checklist
Matriculate
Complete your registration with the University as soon as your slot opens — it unlocks your student ID, library and IT access.
Get your student ID
It's your key to halls, the library and student discounts all over town. Carry it everywhere.
Register with a GP
Sign up with a local doctor early — don't wait until you're unwell. The town's practices fill quickly in Freshers' Week.
Sort a UK bank account & SIM
A local bank account and phone number make everything from rent to discounts easier. Bring proof of address (your hall offer works).
Learn the town on foot
St Andrews is tiny — three main streets. Walk them on day one and you'll never be lost again.
Plan your trip home now
The days before winter break are our busiest of the year. Book your airport transfer for the holidays in your first week, while there's still availability.
A word for international students
If this is your first time in Scotland, the two things that surprise people most are the weather and how early it gets dark in winter. Pack for both. December daylight can be gone by half past three.
And keep our number saved. Whether it's a 6am flight at the end of term or a parent visiting for graduation, having a local driver who already knows your hall and your name takes one worry off a very long list.
Land, relax, and let us do the rest.
Pre-book your airport transfer before you fly. We track your flight, wait if you're delayed, and take you door to door — straight to your hall, with all your luggage.
Book your arrival transfer