5 Tips For Students Traveling While Abroad

Exploring nearby countries and cities is part of studying abroad that shouldn’t be passed up. But traveling can be tricky, especially if your starting-point is foreign to you. Take a look at these five tips to help you expand your study abroad experience in a safe, cost-effective way. Happy travels!

1. Plan your trip

While last-minute excursions can be fun and exciting, you’ll get the most out of your trip if you plan it ahead of time. This doesn’t necessarily mean before you begin studying abroad; you may discover the best places to visit when you’re in your host country. But planning ahead will prevent you from wasting time trying to find a way to get from the airport to your destination. It will also allow you to look into what’s worth seeing and doing. Go into your trip with ideas of what to explore, but stay flexible. You never know what new opportunities might arise.

2. Look into traveling options

Going to Expedia.com and booking a flight may be the simplest means of transportation, but it’s not necessarily the best when it comes to price or experience. Depending on where you’re studying abroad and where you’re traveling, you could have a large variety of ways to travel. For example, if you’re studying in Germany and want to spend a weekend in London, look into cheap European airlines such as Ryanair. Want to travel to Spain? Check out the train. Buses are another travel option, or you could even look into biking depending on what type of trip you want to take and how much time you have.

3. Use your resources

Don’t rely solely on Google to help you plan more trips. You’re studying abroad through a program with real live people helping you along the way. So why not use these same people to help you with your travel plans? Your professors and program directors know a thing or two about your study abroad destination, so don’t shy away from asking their opinions on must-see locations or using their ability to help you coordinate your trip.

4. Bring the essentials

Hopping around Europe or South America may seem simple enough, but don’t forget that you’re traveling to different countries. You will need your passport and possibly a visa, and you’ll need to spend time going through customs. Use your budget to decide how much money to bring with you on your trip. Check to see if the currency will be different, and if it is, make sure you check out the exchange rate. It’s a good idea to keep a copy of your passport and any credit or debit cards in a safe place at your host country if anything were to happen during your excursion.

5. Travel with friends

Traveling to different countries can be tricky, especially if there’s a language barrier, so go with friends. Traveling with others is always more fun and less risky; a real win-win situation. You can even inviting someone you just met while studying abroad. Exploring new countries together is a great bonding experience to share with friends and acquaintances alike.

Make sure you grab a copy of Lonely Planet travel books to help guide you during your travels