One of the best parts of studying abroad is being able to travel to surrounding countries. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your experience!
1) Broaden your horizons in terms of transportation – air travel is very popular in the US, but sometimes can be more expensive than other options when you’re abroad. Train travel is an easy, relatively inexpensive way to get all over Europe, and surprisingly, buses are great for traveling within your country and internationally. Example – I took a bus from Paris – Amsterdam and back for about $40 round trip.
2) Check out hostels and vacation rentals (from airbnb.com) – hostels are the way to go for short-term travel. Staying in a hostel is a great way to meet locals, go on free tours of the city, and try authentic cuisine. If you’re traveling with a large group, consider renting an apartment. Splitting costs between the group can be cheaper than a hostel and having a kitchen means you can save on some meals.
3) Know the rules before you travel – if you’re flying a budget airline, make sure you read the fine print! Your plane ticket may only cost $20, but airlines will charge extra for not printing out your boarding pass prior to arriving at the airport ($25) and having to check your bag last minute ($40) because it was an inch too big to be a carry-on. Here is more specific advice on plane tickets in general.
Good luck, Longhorns, and happy traveling!
Thanks to Yaffa for really useful information. But in case of traveling I prefer buses to the trains. And here is actual remark about budget airlines. While my last trip I`ve got the same problem. This year I will study abroad and information about Europe will be helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.
Yaffa,
Great tips! Trains are also cheap in Europe. And your last tip is spot on. If you don’t check the fine print on some of the airlines you’ll end up paying 2-3 times more than you originally wanted to. Thanks for sharing!