by Maisy Dyhr
“You don’t need to be rich to travel well.” -Eugene Fodor. As a college student, this quote hit me in the right spot. Since I can remember, I have had a traveling itch. I spent endless hours dreaming with my cousin and making bucket lists about the places we would one day visit. New York, California, France, Italy- they were all dreams that we wanted to write into existence. Now, as a 22-year-old college senior, I can proudly say that I have been “scratching’ that traveling itch.” I spent a semester abroad in Sevilla, Spain on a tight budget. Although I had created this budget, I still traveled to 8 other European countries. In this blog post, my goal is to give some tips and tricks about European traveling.
To start, the biggest expense you will have while traveling abroad are your departure and arrival tickets from the United States. But, there are still ways to save money on those airline tickets. As a student, you have access to a website/app called Student Universe. This app gives student discounts and makes it much easier to compare airline prices. Additionally, an app called Sky Scanner will be helpful when searching for multiple flight destinations. Once in Europe, there are 2 main, money-saving airlines that I absolutely recommend: these are Ryanair and EasyJet. With these airlines, you can fly from London, England to Milan, Italy for 12 euros (around 13 US dollars). Traveling from country to country is a breeze in Europe, so take advantage of it.
When inside a country, ground transportation is fairly easy and cheap. FreeNow is the Uber app of Europe and it is a must download!! For trains and long bus rides, the app Omio is great for finding deals. For example, if you are in Milan, Italy a bus is a great source of transportation to Venice. Additionally, if you are meandering around a city, walking long distances is very normal, but trolleys and public buses are a go-to.
Finding where you are going to sleep is my next tip in this blog post. This tip is all relative to your comfort level. When I lived in Spain, I luckily had a few friends in other countries that I could stay with, but if not, I slept in hostels. It is rare to see hostels in America, but abroad they are community living spaces that do not cost much. Usually, there are options to stay in all female or male rooms or book a private room with you and whoever else. To find these deals the HostelWorld app was the most beneficial for me.
When finding things to do while bouncing around countries, I often did a five-minute google search. The EU often offers free museum entrances and free tours. One free tour company that I enjoyed is called Sandman. I took a tour with them in Rome and Paris and loved it. Ensure to tip your tour guide if they are free!
Traveling internationally has had such an impact on my life. While learning and adapting to new cultures, I made memories that I will have forever. Furthermore, traveling does not need to be about staying in the best hotels or flying first class, but about making your own unique, unforgettable experiences. Doing it on a budget is very doable with these tips and tricks. So, what traveling experiences are on your bucket list?
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