Traveling While Abroad

Traveling around Europe was a must for me once I decided I was studying in Italy. At first, I was nervous that I wouldn't make friends who would want to travel. I PROMISE that won't happen. While some exchange students may want to travel more than others, you will always find people to travel with!

I want to use this post to give you some valuable information for when you travel.

1. Flights. I used sky scanner to find the cheapest flights available. You will be amazed at how cheap it is to travel in Europe. (I paid 13 euros to go to Sweden). At least at Bocconi, we were able to buy an ESN card for 10 euros which is basically a card that proves you're an exchange student in Europe. You can use this card for many things,  but I really took advantage of the RyanAir discount! You can go onto their website and fill out your card information and gain access to amazing flight deals. One more tip is to make sure you have a small bag/suitcase to use as your carry on. I mean VERY small. Not your typical American airlines size carry on. The cheap airlines in Europe only allow very small bags on the plane.

   

2. Accommodation. I only stayed in a hostel once in a while I was traveling, but I know other students that used them frequently. They are really great if you're on a tight budget! One thing I will say is make sure you stay at one that has lockers for you to lock up your things. I had a pair of really nice sunglasses stolen when I stayed in one! As for me, I mostly stayed in Air BnB's while I traveled. If you book ahead of time and have a group of people, they can be very cheap too! I would recommend staying in one that is close to public transportation so you can get around.

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4. Make plans ahead of time. This is a big one that I have a habit of not doing if I'm going to be honest. If you are only going to be in a new city for a couple of days, I recommend researching it a little bit to see what the best things to see and do are. I found myself missing out on some great sights that I didn't know about because I didn't plan ahead. Buy tickets ahead of time for big attractions. (If you want to see the Ann Frank House, tickets are booked weeks in advance so make sure you do that early!) Another big one is The Vatican in Rome. They won't let you book ahead of time less than 4 days in advance. I learned the hard way on that one. I waited 3 hours in line!
5. Transportation. I used the app, "Citymapper" my whole time in Milan as well as in every major city I went to in Europe. It makes it so easy to get around unfamiliar cities and I highly recommend it! I know Google Maps is helpful as well in this area, but I always thought Citymapper was better.
   

   

6. Embrace new cultures and try new things! One of my favorite parts of studying abroad was all of the different cultures I got to experience. I'm a little bit of a picky eater normally, but I tried EVERYTHING while I was in Europe. If it sounds weird and different, eat it, you won't regret it:) Go to museums, talk to new people, and find cool areas of cities that aren't on a typical tourist's list. You will be back in America sooner than you think so embrace it while you are there!