Traveling around Europe during the COVID-19 Pandemic!

One of the aspects of studying abroad I was most looking forward to is the opportunity to travel around Europe. Ever since I can remember, I have dreamed of traveling to countless European cities and I really wanted to make the most of that opportunity while abroad. As you can imagine, the pandemic has made traveling much more difficult than it once was; however, I have kept my mission to safely travel while ensuring I follow each country’s COVID protocols.

I have been in Strasbourg now for about two months, and I have come to learn that weekend trips are very common. I ensured that when I scheduled my classes, I kept my Thursday afternoons and Fridays free which has given me the ability to take many weekends and three-day trips around Europe. Although Strasbourg’s airport does not have any discount airlines such as Ryanair or EasyJet, I have found that it is so easy to travel by train and bus to many of the destinations on my list. Additionally, Strasbourg is only a short and cheap train or bus ride away from multiple airports that do offer flights such as Basel, Frankfurt, and Baden-Baden. Another way I have been able to travel is through school-organized trips. I have found that there will always be people up for a trip that you can travel with!​

With all this in mind, I wanted to use this post to give travel tips regarding traveling around Europe from Strasbourg.

1. Trains, Buses, and Flights from Strasbourg

I have found that there are a wide variety of options when it comes to traveling to and from Strasbourg. When it comes to the trains there are a variety of apps including Omio, SNCF, and Trainline that I and many other international students use to book trains. You would be surprised about how many different cities you can travel to on the train from Strasbourg. Additionally, there is an option to buy a discount card that costs 49 euros but basically pays for itself with just two trips to Paris! It can also be used for many other destinations and offers a great array of discounts!

Another common choice of travel transportation is the bus. I have used Flixbus multiple times to travel and have found the buses to be quite clean and spacious. Tickets are often really cheap compared to trains and flights. The only downside to using buses as a means to travel, is that they often require longer travel times and may come with more uncertainty through delays or reroutes. Nevertheless, I have had an enjoyable experience with them and have even taken a Flixbus from Strasbourg to Milan!

Flights are also a great way to get to destinations farther away from Strasbourg. Strasbourg is in a great location as it has access to three airports that offer flights from discount airlines. While many of these do require a bus or train to get to, the flights are often priced at an insanely low price compared to what I am used to back home. One key thing to remember is that these discount airlines do charge for extra baggage. I have found that it is possible to pack in just a carry-on bag or backpack for a weekend trip and that buying the extra baggage is not necessary.

2. Accommodations

During my time abroad, I have had the opportunity to visit 6 different cities so far. Before my time abroad, I had never stayed in a hostel before and this perception was that they were dirty or crowded with a bunch of random people; however, this has not been my experience at all. I normally travel with a group of 4-6 people which has allowed us to book private rooms in hostels that include bathrooms and showers. While bunk beds are something I had not seen in a while, I quickly came to expect them in my accommodations. It was kind of like I was having a sleepover with my new friends every night! I also found that I really didn’t spend much time in my room, so as long as I had a place to sleep in a safe part of town, the accommodation was not the most important part of the trip. I found that I would spend around 40-50 Euros for a three-night accommodation.

3. What to do in the Cities you Travel

I have found that it is incredibly helpful to have recommendations or a plan in place before arriving at whatever destination I have chosen to visit for the weekend. Often times, many of my friends here knew people who were studying abroad in the city we were traveling to, so they were able to give us food recommendations as well as the best tourist attractions to visit during our limited time. We found it so useful to have a plan in place and a general idea of what we wanted to do each day, so that we didn’t have to waste our time wondering what to do next.

4. School Organized Trips

Here at EM Strasbourg, there are many school organizations that organize trips for their clubs. Each weekend I have gotten different messages about them such as a weekend trip to Berlin, a ski trip to Italy, or a weekend trip to Paris. Although I have only gone on one of these school-organized trips, I found that it was so handy to have the transportation all organized for me as well as the accommodation and food included in the price. I ended up going on the trip with a bunch of other international students. One thing I would recommend with these school-organized trips is, to go with a group of students you already know, since many of the students on these trips already have their own friend groups and may not be looking to make new friends.

Although COVID has made traveling a bit more difficult, I have found that it is possible to travel safely as long as I check the country entry guidelines and France return guidelines before going. Many countries have changed their COVID protocols multiple times since I have been abroad, so I find it best to check the week of my travel and ensure I have all the forms I need, filled out. Additionally, I have found that it is quite common to plan trips only a week or two in advance which is quite helpful given the ever-changing fluidity of the pandemic.