Scheduling your free time over spring break is complicated enough when you are a “normal” student. For example, you have to decide what you’ll do with your free time, or how late to sleep-in, and which friends you want to visit with. But spring break is even more confusing when you are studying abroad! There are so many matters to take into consideration: Where is my top destination to visit? Which friend do I want to spend an entire week traveling with? What’s my budget? And, do I actually know anything about the place I’m attempting to visit?
It’s Izzy again – Her Campus Emerson’s International Correspondent! With spring travel break just around the corner for me, booking my plans without any assistant from an adult was extremely stressful. There are a few necessary steps and questions that should be considered before booking your spring break when you are abroad. Listen closely!
Step 1: Where do you want to go?
This is the first and the hardest step. What’s on your “dream list” of places to visit? If you’re not sure, ask around. Ask friends who have studied abroad where they have gone for spring break the past few years. You can also ask your teachers or program directors. And if you’re studying in a cool climate, you may wish to travel somewhere that will be warm. Mainly, you need to ask around.
Step 2: Who are you going to be traveling with?
There’s a big difference between a friend that you can grab a quick dinner with and a friend that you can travel with. Deciding who you are going to be traveling with is an important factor to consider. There are some people who you may get aggravated with too easily when you are traveling, and that can most definitely ruin a trip. If you seem to get frustrated easily around a certain type of person, it’s best to steer clear from them for spring break. Think about what qualities are important to you. Dependable? Responsible? Fun? Friendly? Sometimes one friend is best, but other times a group trip can be ideal. Depending on how many people you are traveling with, it may be beneficial to get an apartment (check out airbnb.com), or get a private room in a hostel so it is just you and your friends.
Step 3: What’s your budget?
Even though many cities in Europe are expensive, there are several ways to cut costs. Check out the price difference between trains and planes. Believe it or not, with all the inexpensive airlines in Europe today, sometimes it is actually cheaper to fly instead of taking a train or a bus. Also, hostels are still fairly reasonably priced in most cities. At hostels you can also compare notes and get info from fellow travels on cheap eats. Again, another great way to save money is to go in on an apartment with a group friends.
There are definitely some cities that are more expensive than others. If you are on a tight budget, I do not recommend going to super cosmopolitan cities such as London or Paris. Try Prague, Dubrovnik and Budapest instead.
More to come in a few weeks when I have recommendations from Madrid, Barcelona and Budapest! Keep on traveling!