A First-Timer's Guide to Europe

I’ve had my fair share of time in Europe so I thought this post would be a good idea to share some tips I think would be useful to know before ones fist time traveling to Europe! SO many people are beginning to study abroad now and traveling to Europe in general. If you plan well and aren’t frivolous, it is most definitely possible for college students to afford a trip!

Travel

When booking your flight, try to book it out of a major city closest to you. Boston Logan, and JFK in NYC are both 2 1/2 or 3 hours away from my house. I typically always chose Boston because it’s a much easier commute than dealing with NYC traffic. You’ll notice that flights out of a large airport are cheaper than your local airport and you most likely will have a direct flight. For example, if I flew out of Albany Airport when I am at home, or Providence Airport while at school, it’s usually a few hundred dollars more and has a stop in Atlanta or Detroit.

Once you’ve arrived in Europe (yay) you’ll probably want to travel to different countries. It’s VERY convenient and reminds me of just traveling state to state in the US! Flights are affordable because they’re only an hour or two long and very common there. Europeans call them “budget flights”. You also can take a train to your destination which is even easier! The train system in Europe is much better than in the US and it will take you right to the city center. This could be a better alternative because you won’t have to worry about commuting to the city center from an airport if you flew.

Be prepared to walk, walk, and walk some more. With this being said, comfy shoes are a must! I absolutely love walking around because it allows you to see so much more that the city has to offer. Half of the most fun times I’ve had were from stumbling upon something cool just from walking around without a plan.

Where to Stay

I cannot rave about Airbnb enough! I’ve stayed at one in Florence, Prague, and Paris so far. They’re extremely affordable and truly all you need. I usually chose the “Private Room” option on the site and with that comes a room to yourself and access to the bathroom. There may be others living with you as well but you have your own room so it’s not weird at all! You don’t need a fancy hotel or anything because chances are you’ll barley be at home anyway.

Food

If you’re going to be in Europe for a few weeks or even months, it’s pretty unrealistic to eat out every single meal, unless you have that much money to spend. When we’re traveling we always go to the grocery store for breakfast and lunch. I have a very very big appetite for my size so trust me, I want to eat good food too. But when traveling, I really don’t care what I eat as long as its decently healthy and filling because I’m more concerned about exploring. At the grocery store a baguette is literally 55 cents! I usually find some jelly, peanut butter, avocado spread or something to put on it. Fruits and veggies are cheaper in Europe than in the US so thats a plus! We always have some apples, bananas, nuts and other snacks in our backpack throughout the day too. We usually find a bench to eat at or somewhere in the city to sit and people watch which is always enjoyable, lol! And off course, we’d stop at a coffee shop if we felt like it too and would find an affordable restaurant for dinner 🙂

GPS/Cell Phone

While traveling, I’m sure you’ll have certain tourist attractions in mind you want to stop at! But as Americans, we obviously can’t use data in Europe unless you happen to buy the super expensive plan (no thank you!) When you’re connected to wifi at your Airbnb or a store/restaurant, you can screenshot the GPS route on your phone and follow that! I never found it necessary to get a phone plan or anything because you can find wifi at tons of places!