Hello all! And “Cheers” from across the Atlantic, where I am studying abroad at BU’s London Internship Program. I arrived in London a little under two months ago and have been having the time of my life: from taking in all the culture and theater London has to offer, along with getting to travel around Europe on the weekends!
Now the thought of traveling around Europe and studying abroad can seem daunting but with a few tips, you can make travelling around Europe easy and seamless (and most importantly… cheap). This is precisely why I have titled this short guide: Travelling Around Europe for Dummies.
Plan, Plan, PLAN.
- When choosing to go to a specific city, make sure you know what you want to do and how long you want to stay there. As a travel tip, get together with your travel companions the day before to plot out what you want to do and how you are going to navigate the city (walking, metro, bus, etc.). Also make sure your hostel (the cheapest and best way to book places to stay) is near all the major sights.
Pick your travel buddies carefully
- When you are choosing to book a trip with a group of friends, make sure everyone is on the same page with what you want to do. I was lucky enough to have great companions for all the trips I’ve been on so far – but some other friends were not as lucky on other trips.
Make a Checklist… But be flexible
- The greatest suggestion I have for travelling is to make a checklist for everything you want to do. For example, when I went to Paris, some of the things on my checklist were “See the Eiffel Tower, Visit the Louvre, Eat a Crepe, and buy a Baguette.” Make sure you allot enough time to do everything, but also be flexible.Some of the greatest things you’ll do abroad will happen spontaneously (such as when I found the beach in Barcelona or stumbled onto a parade in Paris).
No matter what happens… Stay Positive
- No matter what may happen, always stay positive and remember you are having a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel. Many people don’t get the opportunity to gallivant around Europe like BU Study Abroad students, so take in everything that the cities have to offer and don’t get worried if you don’t do “everything”.
Those are my top tips for travelling which have been helpful in my weekend trips to Paris, Barcelona, and Cardiff. I’m looking forward to the rest of the semester travelling to Rome, Venice, Dublin, Prague, and more! (and of course, getting to find all the hidden gems of London).
Thinking about going abroad? Shoot me an email (tschrank@bu.edu) and I’ll offer you plenty of tips and advice.
Cheers,
Tom
