Before my time here
studying abroad in Berlin, I would scroll through the Instagram’s of students who were in the position I am in now, and see that they were in a different country every single weekend. I thought that what I was seeing was crazy and impossible. However, I am now three months in to my program and I highly recommend traveling to other countries during your study program. Planning trips can get stressful at times, but I am here to give you some tips on how to plan a successful weekend trip.
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| A beach town that I visited in Mallorca, Spain. |
Who to Travel With
At the beginning of your study abroad journey, you will most likely be overwhelmed and want to get all of your trips planned ASAP. I suggest to relax and plan as you go. You will make more and more friends each day you are abroad and won’t want to go on every trip with the same three people that you met the first day. In addition, take risks and travel with new people! I went on a trip to Berlin with three girls who I barley knew, and ended up having the best time.
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| Friends who I traveled to Rome with! |
Transportation
For me, flights are the worst part of planning a trip. After many weeks, I have finally mastered how to find an affordable flight without spending hours searching. My favorite sites to find flights on are Ryan Air, Sky Scanner and Student Universe. Trains are another good means of transportation. Whether you just need an hour train to get to a different city or you want to take an overnight train to other countries there are many options! Lastly, if you do not want to deal with the fuss of planning a trip, you can always turn to a guided tour, such as Bus 2 Alps to plan most of your trip for you.
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| Paris, France. One of my favorite places that I have visited. |
Accommodation
I am the kind of person that would rather spend more money on an actual trip instead of the place where I am going to be staying for the time being. This is why I normally turn to hostels to sleep at while traveling. Hostels are very budget friendly and a great way to meet people. If you are planning on traveling alone then I one hundred percent recommend staying at a hostel. I use hostelworld.com in order to search for hostels in the area that I need. Air B and B is something to look into as well. They offer anything from a private room in someone’s apartment, to a full house that you can stay in. If you are traveling with a big group, this could be a great option for you!
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| Budapest, Hungary. Such a beautiful place! |
Packing
I fully recommend getting a backpacker’s backpack for your study abroad journey. My backpack has saved my life while being in Europe. Having a carry on suitcase is nice, but many airlines will make you check your bag because the requirements for a carry on here are much smaller than in the states. A travel towel is another must for me while going on trips. You can find these very cheap on amazon and is great for if you are staying in a hostel or somewhere that does not provide towels. It all depends on the country I am traveling to, but I try to only bring the bare minimum that I think that I will need. Charging adapters are one of the most important things while going to other countries. Most places in Europe use the same plug, but there are a few countries who differ.
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| Gondola rides in Venice, Italy. |
I hope that these tips prepare you for your travels abroad and good luck!!
Samara R. is the Spring 2017 MOJO Blogger in Florence, Italy. She is currently a Junior studying Retailing & Consumer Sciences at University of Arizona.
