Maximizing Your Time and Experiences Abroad

I was sitting in the Wroclaw Airport in Poland on New Year’s Day, feeling as good as most of us do on National Hangover Day and a thought completely overpowered my “exhaustion.” The thought of how insane my Spring was going to be: the places I’m going, the people I’ll meet, the cultures I’m going to dive into, the food I’ll eat, the pictures I’ll take, and the people I’ll be spending it with.

When I studied abroad in the Spring of 2009 in Florence at Lorenzo De Medici I made those5 months in Europe the best of my life. I took a fairly easy course load and also took out a large loan to make sure I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, with whom I wanted to do it with. A great perk of studying/traveling abroad is that all of your classmates are doing it for the same reasons as you! These were and still are: To become more of a complete person, to visit to your European roots, take unique courses, see structures/cities you’ve only read about in European History classes, eat at places only Samantha Brown and Anthony Bourdain have dined at, and document all of it.

Looking back, being “Captain Hindsight” and a more experienced traveler now, there are a few changes I would have made to save money and see even more of Europe than I was able to 3 Springs ago. I’ve been able to right some wrongs and revisit many places since I made it back to Europe with the leading Student Travel Company, Bus2alps Ltd. A serious thought to keep in mind is to not limit yourself to your city in which you study in. Your class time shouldn’t be too extreme, so go wander around and check out your beloved Rome or Florence on the weekdays. You can think of a particular museum or structure to visit before or after classes everyday. This is vital because it frees up your weekends to indulge into the other various cultures around Europe!

Below is my Ideal Spring Travel Schedule with where I’ll be going and why. I feel that I’ve conquered Rome and Florence and want to branch out to revisit Europes hotspots at their best times of visitation! I’m a diverse traveler because I love museums and I also love a drink (more like 5) but these places accomodate each of these interests. I’m thinking museums and historic cities early in the Spring and then beaches/parties towards the end.

February 2nd – Interlaken, Switzerland

Starting my Spring off with high-adrenaline activities and spectacular landscapes sounds about right. Canyon Jumping is still the most ridiculous activity I’ve done, I think my Mother wants to smack me everytime I post it so I’ll tell ya to check my Facebook videos for it My brother is a Sponsored Skier out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and even he gets jealous when I tell him I’m taking some turns in some serious powder in Interlaken.

February 9th – Prague, Czech Republic

This is one of my top cities in Europe with it’s unbeatable architecture and night life. It’s located in central Europe and has the craziest fisads and spires all over, not to mention the Czech women bring the word Babe to another level. I always try a bit of Absinthe and give the local dumplings a shot. Sleeping is my last option here because I take full advangtage of the clubs, cafes, and themed bars in this old city.

February 18th – Venice Carnival

Taking pictures in goofy masks/costumes and riding on gondolas is a good way to spend an Italian Saturday. I waited til last year to go to Venice by bus because of the train times and scary prices. I knew I’d get more time and resources going with a tour.

February 25th – Morocco Weekend

Ride some camels, snowboard on some sand dunes, and check out the food markets which can make Andrew Zimmern (ya I kinda like the Travel Channel) open his eyes in amazement.

March 1st – London Weekend

I’m a football fanatic and I support the craziest club out there, Manchester United. Even though a game at Old Trafford isn’t feasible, there are Fulham, Chelsea, West Ham, and Arsenal games right in this big ol’ city.

March 8th – Berlin Weekend

Head up to the old divider of Western Europe and Soviet Europe for wild nightlife and daytime tours/history.

Spring Break – Northern Loop or Eastern Loop

The always full Northern Loop hit Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris in 10 days. I always meet some of the most fun, intellectual students on this trip and we do it on a budget. The cultures you join, the people you bond with, and the stuff you see in just 10 short days is unbelievable.

The younger brother of this would be the Eastern Loop and this visits Budapest, Krakow, Prague, and Munich. Three of these countries are among the cheapest in Europe and they all are the richest in history. Geographical location is a common trend for civilizations with power control issues and Hungary, Poland, Czech Rep, and Germany are certainly in that boat.

March 29th – Barcelona Weekend

Bartha, bartha, bartha…try and speak Catalan and bike through this giant city for a weekend. Hit up the Bus2alps reps in the city for a weekend with no sleep as the nightlife in Barcelona runs through the morning. Maybe catch a Barca soccer game…or don’t…Messi sucks!

April 5th – Greece Easter

Greece is the cheapest country in the Eurozone and I love it. The natives are unbelievably friendly and proud of their great country. Drink some Ouzo, put on a Pink Toga at The Pink Palace and leave your peer ,judgements on the cruise ship…seriously

April 12th – Croatian Weekend

Waterfalls, rafting, rock jumping, and bar crawl through the old Royal City of Split, Croatia

April 19th – Amalfi Coast

4 Southern Italian towns in one weekend. Stay in Sorrento at Seven Hostel and enjoy their rooftop terrace and bar. Hop on the ferry to Capri for the day and go on the boat tour to the Blue Grotto. Spend a day in Positano cliff jumping and cave swimming, and then check out the Pompei ruins on your way home. So much in one weekend, but one of my favorite places in the world.

April 26th – Munich Springfest

Forget Oktoberfest for the moment, the marginally smaller and more convenient Springfest is where it’s at. Ride the carnival rides, dance on tables with your friends and newly-made German friends, bike through historic munich with Frankie’s Bike Tours to tell your rents you saw more than the inside of the beer tents!

May 3rd – Cinque Terre

Spend your last school weekend close to home and visit the 5 towns on the coast of Italy. Hike through the trails and enjoy the bomb Limoncello and gorgeous scenery.

Once classes were over, I made my way to Poland to visit a few close friends for a couple weeks. After Poland, I made my way down to Rome for a few days to revisit this old city everyone fussed about before I flew back to the states. I think it’s necessary to change your flight or book it for a few weeks after classes end to make it to a destination you missed.These cities are never as accessible and affordable to you as they are during your time studying abroad! I must admit seeing my friends and family was an amazing feeling, but I never left Europe mentally and that’s why I’ve come back. The easy-going lifestyle, friendly people, delicious food, and historic sites are endless. Everything about this continent is remarkable and I don’t have the literary skills to describe it in a way I think would be absolutely accurate and appropriate. Enjoy this Spring everyone as it will go down as the most epic months of your lives!

Just a weekend in Amalfi Coast