One of the things that excited me most about studying abroad was the opportunity for independent travel. As someone who had never been to Europe before the program, I was eager to see everything the continent had to offer. The advent of cheap EU flights and three-day weekends only made independent travel more appealing.  

I am now in the final week of my program, and my travel is all behind me. In the last three months, I have seen some of the most incredible things in my life and made unforgettable memories. I now consider independent travel an absolutely essential part of the study abroad experience. Here are my three favorite trips that I went on and some travel tips that made them as perfect as they were. 

Interlaken, Switzerland 

Interlaken, literally meaning “between two lakes,” is a beautiful town lying just on the northern edge of the Swiss Alps. My eight friends and I went during November, which was a bit of a transitional time in the adventure capital of the world (just too early for the skiing season and just too late for the hiking season). Regardless, the beauty of the Alps made this trip one of the best weekends of my life.  

Believe me when I tell you that images of the Alps do not do them justice! 

Switzerland’s easy public transport allowed us to visit the nearby famous alpine towns of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. We were lucky enough to visit them during snowfall, making each town its own winter wonderland. We spent all day exploring the two towns and all agreed that it wasn’t enough! If there is one place, I am set on returning to at some point in my life, it is the Swiss Alps.  

The beautiful town of Lauterbrunnen. 

Switzerland was undoubtedly the most expensive place I visited. I avoided breaking the bank by booking my round-trip flight and housing a month in advance, which all came out to under $300. Buying warm clothes in advance made it so the only money I had to spend during the trip was on food.  

Dublin, Ireland 

After being in Italy for two months, hearing English voices in Dublin was far more refreshing than I expected. Combined with the early Christmas decorations and the long-missed tradition of big breakfasts, Dublin had a homey feel to it that made my first time in Ireland strangely nostalgic. The famous gray weather held true for the three days I was there, but I didn’t find it gloomy or oppressive. Instead, it added to the cozy feeling of the city that defined my time there. Hot meals and cold drinks in oak-adorned pubs, friendly locals and friendlier servers, and the Christmas-card architecture made Dublin one of my favorite places in Europe. 

My favorite part of the trip was our visit to the nearby Howth Cliffs. Only a thirty-minute train ride from Dublin city center, the escape to the green countryside of coastal Ireland completed my dream visit to the country. My two friends and I spent hours wandering the area, a memory I will always cherish.  

The cliffs of Howth! 

Dublin was nowhere near as expensive as Switzerland, but travel and housing bumped the price tag up a little bit. I only booked the trip two weeks in advance, making the flights and housing a little more expensive than they would have been otherwise. My advice for Dublin is the same as for Switzerland: book in advance and bring warm clothes! 

Florence, Italy 

Only a short train or bus ride away from where I studied in Rome, Florence is a beautiful city full of must-see art and architecture. Compared to the sprawling city layout of ancient and modern Rome, Florence is in line with the Tuscan tradition of fortified towns built to be contained entirely within city walls. This makes the entire city walkable and relatively uniform in its design.  

Two of the most incredible creations I have ever seen are in Florence. The first is the building that defines and dominates the Florentine skyline, the Cathedral of Saint Maria (more commonly referred to as “the Duomo”). The sheer size of the building rising out of the compact streets of Florence is as awe-inspiring as the design and artworks adorning it. If you get the opportunity to climb it, I would absolutely recommend you take it—as long as you are not scared of heights or claustrophobic. The winding spiral staircases will take you directly under the grand fresco on the inside of the dome, and the view from the top is utterly breathtaking. 

The massive Duomo appears quite unexpectedly in the streets of Florence! 

The second incredible creation is Michelangelo’s David, a statue inside the Academia museum. I didn’t quite understand what was so impressive about it until I laid eyes upon it. Its size and shocking anatomical accuracy make the marble uncannily lifelike and left me marveling at it for about an hour.  

Once again, pictures do not do David justice! 

Florence is slightly more expensive than Rome but extremely affordable by U.S. standards. The travel and housing were the cheapest of the three trips I mentioned, and I would recommend it to anybody. 

My final tips for traveling while abroad are, again, book early and utilize public transport. Both will save you hundreds!