You will quickly learn during your time abroad that some of your best memories and experiences will happen outside of your home city! Taking weekend trips to various places will likely make up a majority of your time, especially if you are studying in Europe. There are a ton of cost-effective airlines and train routes that can get you just about anywhere relatively quickly. Oftentimes, other people you meet in class, in your residential area or you knew before leaving will also want to travel, so planning trips can be pretty easy and full of sights to see. With a little forward thinking, your calendar will be filled up with weekend trips before you even realize!
Try to plan trips far enough in advance that you can save some money on flights or train tickets. Traveling on the weekend can be relatively cheap if you are smart with your choices and do tons of research ahead of time. Look into staying in youth hostels and be sure to know how to use the public transportation system in city that you are traveling to – it will save you so much time and money! Planning restaurants and meals ahead by making reservations will also help you be aware of about how much your meal will cost, and ensure you have somewhere to eat because many places will fill up at dinner time!
Make a list of the places you would like to see so that you can be sure to plan trips over the best weekend to be there. Likely, your list of places will align with a friend you meet or someone who you may have studied abroad with. You will not look back and regret seeing any city or town, even if it isn’t your favorite, because you will appreciate some part of the trip – whether the food, people, culture or weather! Because of this, try not to say no, and just set off to see a new place, even if you hadn’t originally planned on going there. One of the best parts of studying in Europe is how easy it is for you to see so many places in a short amount of time.
Lastly, do your research before planning and leaving for trips. I promise, you won’t regret that hour on Google. Having an idea of how the city is laid out, what type of food the people there eat, a few basic phrases in the language they speak and what you’d like to see in the place before you get there is vital. It will make you feel like you really got to see all of the city, and save you time when you get there. Be the itinerary friend, because when your study abroad trip is over and you reflect on all that you did and saw, you’ll be so grateful for your past self!
