7 Tips for Travelling Outside of Your Study Abroad Location

One of the best parts of being abroad is the opportunity to travel to places you would not have access to otherwise. I would argue that traveling outside of your study abroad location is one of the top three most valuable parts of your experience, so here are some tips for travelling!

1. Plan ahead for bigger trips

You may think that you have all the time in the world to travel while you are abroad, but the time flies faster than you would think. When you get to your study abroad location make a list of places you would like to visit and the weekends you have available to do so. The sooner you start planning or booking things the less expensive they will be.

Colonge, Germany

Zürich, Switzerland

Brussels, Belgium

2. Use student discounts to your advantage

Student discounts are the best thing ever. Whenever you are traveling ask if they offer student discounts at shops, for tickets, restaurants, and a majority of the time they will have one. Even if it is small, it does add up.

3. Invest in discount cards

If you plan on travelling a lot, most trains and buses have discount cards that will in the long run save you a lot of money so jump on it early!

4. Don’t be afraid to travel alone

I promise it is not as scary as it seems. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone. I promise it is so doable and absolutely worth it.

Hallstatt, Austria

5. Look into the places close to your town

Travelling does not only need to be to other countries, but it can also be small day trips to the surrounding villages of your town. You would be shocked with how much history you can find when you look at what a 5€ train ticket can get you.  

Le Mans, France

Rochefort-en-Terre, France

6. Sites that are super useful

There are plenty of sites that can help you find affordable bus, train, and plane tickets as well as sites that can just give your ideas on how to get from one destination to another. Here are some of my favorites!

Rome2Rio

Rome2Rio gives you all the ways you can travel from one destination to another, including buses, trains, and planes, with the estimated travel time and prices. I found this super helpful to compare the cost and travel time of different modes of transportation, which really influenced which mode of transport I ended up using!

SkyScanner

I love a deal, and like most college students a very large deterrent for traveling is cost, however, Skyscanner works to find all flights with every airline. I was able to take a flight from Paris to Nuremberg, Germany for only 25€... I promise it is worth taking a look at.

GetYourGuide

If you are interested in taking different tours to museums, monuments, or towns you are visiting this site is perfect. It has well-priced tickets and lots of different types of tours, some you may not even have thought were possible.

7. Stay in the moment

It may be super cheesy but enjoy your time in every place you visit. It may be your only opportunity to go there so do not waste all your time scrolling through your Instagram feed or texting your friends. Take a moment to just appreciate the experience and soak it all in. And do not forget to take a lot of pictures!

Brynna GARDEN 

Kalamazoo College

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