One of the best parts of studying abroad in Europe was being able to travel to a different country every weekend because they are all only a few hour plane ride away! Plus being in such a central location with an amazing international airport like Barcelona, you are given unprecedented access to almost anywhere you could want to go. What I didn’t realize was how hard it was going to be to narrow down where to go each weekend! So I decided to make future study abroad students lives a little easier with a few tips that I found came in handy when choosing weekend getaways!
Be Picky
Sometimes it’s hard to go against the grain and really be honest about where you want to visit if your friends or roommates are not on board about a place. You will never have an opportunity such as this again, so either go by yourself (highly recommend) or make friends! I guarantee you will find someone in your program who would want to go to the place you want to.
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| Prague Square |
Do your Research
Some countries may be better to visit during different parts of the year so make sure to do at least a little bit of research before just jetting off somewhere! You want to make the most out of your 72 hour trips! A lot of the time we used different apps and websites beforehand and while we were there, like TripAdvisor and CityMapper.
Take Advantage of the CEA Trips
CEA has an amazing program where you can go on a weekend trip for FREE (yes, free) and they are unbelievable. CEA sets up most everything for you, food, excursions and hotels. These trips allow you to get closer with the people you'll see every day in your classes while also having an amazing time in another place other than where you’re living!
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| CEA Trip to Valencia Spain |
Even though getting to travel every single weekend is a major highlight and amazing opportunity given to study abroad students, don’t forget to spend some weekends in the city you chose to study. You wanted to be there for a reason, so really get to know it because before you know it it will be time to leave!
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| Placa Catalunya Barcelona Spain |
Katie Ortiz is a CEA Alumni Ambassador. She studied abroad in Barcelona in the Spring of 2017 and is currently a senior at the University of Michigan.