Are you considering studying abroad, but you’re not sure where to go?
If you’re indecisive like me but love to travel, narrow your choices down to somewhere in Europe. For my fall 2018 semester, I chose to study in Heidelberg, Germany and loved every minute of it.
Here’s why Europe is the right pick for you:
Prime location
No matter where you choose, you’ll get the best of many “worlds” (countries) just waiting to be explored, all of which are easily accessible through Europe’s Schengen zone, making travel easy with just a passport.
Culture
Europe is thousands of years old, unlike America, which is a baby compared to the continent. Each European country maintains their own rich and unique culture unlike each other. It is the birthplace of the Renaissance and you can visit fascinating landmarks tinged with history such as the Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, and the Berlin Wall.
Food and Drink
Some of the best food I have ever eaten was in Europe. Be prepared to gain some pounds and not regret it! Have pizza where it was invented (Italy,) and instead of turkey for Thanksgiving, have some tapas in Spain. Also, beer and wine are top notch in many European countries. Also try different German beers at the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, in Germany.
Cheap Travel
Europe is a great place to be in if you want to visit more than one country for cheap. You can book ridiculously inexpensive flights on the Irish airline Ryanair’s website. I got to fly to Krakow, Poland for 20 euros round trip. I also flew with Ryanair to Pisa, Italy for 10 euros one way.
However, you don’t always have to fly places. You can travel extremely cheap by bus to closer or neighboring areas. Flixbus is the bus company I used while in Europe.
Not too much of a culture shock
If this would be your first time out of the States and you’re worried about extreme culture shock, choose Europe. Yes, European cultures are different from American. Yes, there may be language barriers. However, Europe as a Western society is similar to America in certain ways and the switch between cultures would not be too drastic. In Germany, many people speak English, and the same goes for other European countries. If you are still worried about the language barrier, there’s always the UK or Ireland.
No matter where you choose in Europe, you certainly cannot go wrong. It will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
Photo courtesy of Julia Marnin