The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNH chapter.
Studying abroad can be a challenging experience to navigate. Last semester, I studied abroad in Lisbon, Portugal, and it was the time of my life! However, I went through a few ups and downs and tried a bunch of different things to figure out what worked. Here are some of my favorite apps and tips I learned along the way.
- Bags: If you decide to bring a bag out with you definitely make sure it has a zipper. Zipperless bags are much more likely to get pickpocketed out of and it is much easier for pickpockets to steal phones and wallets out of. Even if it does have a zipper, make sure it is secure on the body and keep an eye on your belongings. In many cases, the cities are safe and pickpocketing is out of mind, but if you leave your bag unattended it is a recipe for disaster.
- Sky Scanner and Google Flights: Sky Scanner is a great resource to use when trying to find the cheapest flights and compare different companies. Google Flights was the best when putting in dates and seeing what cities are the cheapest to get to. In many cases, my friends and I would find the cheapest city for that weekend and travel there!
- City Mapper: City Mapper helped me so much when it came to finding my way around public transit in new cities. This app works all over Europe and you put your location in and it shows you all the public transit routes. You can put in where you want to go and it shows the route and different options. It’s like Waze but for public transit.
- Bolt: Similar to Uber, many countries in Europe use an app called Bolt. In Portugal, Bolt would often be cheaper and faster than typical Ubers or Lyfts.
- Scams: A lot of different cities are known for their scams. Some recognizable ones to look out for are the bracelet scam and people trying to put their items on you. Many times people will have animals or jewelry that they will just put on you without asking. After this is done, they demand money. Be aware of this with flowers, animals, jewelry and even taking pictures of street performers.
- Hostels: Staying in hostels is fun and cheap! Make sure to read reviews on all your stays and look into the location of the hostel. A good hostel tip is to always lock your bags away in the lockers and carry extra locks with you when traveling.
- Say yes: Such great advice I got before I left was to say yes to opportunities, food, experiences and last-minute decisions. Going abroad is just as tough as it is fun, but being able to just say yes is super fulfilling.