Student life here is great, lots of places to go out etc. I wouldn't say it was quiet though. It can be a bit rough in places and all in all I like it here. Beaches, not so much, but New Forest is a short drive/train ride and has lovely walks, there are also some beaches there.

Brighton is lovely, not so keen on the beach as its stoney but love the town. Bournemouth is a nice costal town, there is an articial reef being built so if by watersports you mean surfing then this is a good bet.

What about Winchester? Obviously not on the coast but its a nice pretty town.

Hiya x

Southampton is a large busy city - I was a student here ( am from Plymouth) and ended up staying here. Its a good place to be a student - great shopping / night life / great transport links.

It isn't that quiet or coastal - you might prefer Winchester like the previous post says.

HTH

Alison x

ok thanks for this ... the courses i want are at southampton solent but like the resort towns more ie bournemouth plymouth as i come from a really quiet place in greece... so thanks i need to come to see the place to decide...

Hi again ... 1 more southampton question ,,, as this uni is the one thats offering the course i want near the sea.... ,, how easy is it on free time weekends etc to get to cowes and do some watersport courses?? .....

You can take the hi-speed cat (foot passengers only) from Southampton to West Cowes (23 mins) or the car ferry from S'ton to East Cowes (55 mins)

www2.redfunnel.co.uk/ferry-travel/routes

Hiddengreece,

Another base you could consider is Chichester, which is a quiet, large town between Brighton and Portsmouth, with a direct rail link to Southampton Central station.

Due to the natural coastal features to the south of the Chichester, there are numerous coastal leisure opportunities. Here are a couple of links to give you some idea:

www.conservancy.co.uk

www.westwitteringbeach.co.uk

nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-localto…

(Click link to East Head)

thanks ... this town ,,chichester would be ideal just the right size ... i am looking at the uni web site as we speak cheers thanks a lot

Southampton solent is right in the middle of Southampton.

There are various parks in Southampton which are ideal for day time walking across, but not at night, or when its dark.

The Isle of wight as already mentioned is a few of miles across the sea and can be reached via slow ferry, or hydrofoil.

Southampton is a busy city, with a lot of nightlife. Probably the best along the South Coast for nightlife.

Transport to and from Southampton is good with lots of buses and trains .

Bournemouth/Poole is 30 miles away, accessable easily by train and does have the best beaches in the country.

8 or 9 miles from Southampton we have the New Forest National park with some lovely walks/cycle tracks etc. The New Forest only became a National Park a couple years ago, and has some very nice villages/pubs/hotels etc.

Portsmouth is 17 miles away, again accessable from Southampton easily by train, and has some very good museums and sights.

Winchester is 7 miles north of southampton, and was the old Capital of England. It is a small town, but with quite a bit of history, and things to see.

There are lots of sailing/ water sports places around southampton. Hamble on the fringes of Southampton is home to a lot of the sailing people.

A lot of the student population who stay in southampton seem to stay in the Bassett/Swaythling/Portswood/St Denys area. These are the cheaper places to stay, and is well known as student areas.

Hope this has helped a bit.

i think you work for the tourist board if not you should ..... the only way is for me to come and see...the course i want is there but i have a feeling the town isnt ...just looking at similar courses at chichester....your info is very helpful and positive..thanks for taking the time

Forget Portsmouth. Locals know where to go there and a lot of it is good, but if you're not local there are many not so good parts. If you have the choice it should be last.

Chichester is a very nice medium sized city in a lovely area with some of the best beaches for shivering on in winter and sh... doing other stuff in summer that you'll find without going to the West of England. Great for sailing - not sure about other watersports.

Southampton is (I reckon) improving so fast it's hard to keep up and Southampton Solent is a university that has (more than) a bit of a buzz. Places nearby like Calshot (check it on the web) have most watersports that are sensible considering the climate. And just a bit north inland towards Winchester you can swim in the river Itchin if you look carefully. Maybe look at University of Winchester? Beware - lovely place but one of the most expensive places for accommodation.

Bournemouth is a strange combination of older people falling off zimmer frames, younger people falling off white high heels or failing to drive properly and some fantastic beaches.

Not an easy choice. Not easy to be unbiased either - sorry!