Euro Trip

Bonjour, Guten tag, Ciao, Hola and Hello mates. Let me explain to you the joys and struggles of that very intriguing Euro trip. Let me start out by saying the pros list far outweighs the cons list. What is so cool about Europe is it is the same general size as America. Fun fact France is the relatively same size as Texas. A continent the same size as a whole country. This is a really good this because imagine driving from New York to New Jersey but instead of them being different states they are entirely different countries. A whole new language, food, culture, music, etc. That is what Europe is like and it is one of the many joys. It's new experiences right at your finger- tips!

The College Route

Everyone wants to backpack their way through Europe in college, and everyone should. Many people choose the study abroad route which is very cool but has a very big price tag. It can cost you thousands upon thousands of dollars of paying middlemen that are not necessary at all. It is great to add to your resume/ CV but you can also add travel experience to a resume without actually taking classes there and spending thousands of dollars. But as college in America is already has a massive price tag so stretching

A picture by moi of my cute friend Miriam in Montmartre

it a little might not seem so outrageous to you. The simple truth is that there are far cheaper ways to Euro-trip. Just do it in the summertime and it will save you some money.

Money Saving Tricks:

The first thing I would say is to try to make friends, which sounds weird, I know, but the more connections that you have the better. My mom started learning Italian in her 50's and made tons of Italian friends of all ages from an app called talk share. These are friends that she now visits one or twice a year. If you offer an exchange place to stay when your Euro friends want to visit in America it makes for a great relationship. After all the most expensive thing when traveling is finding a place to stay.

If you have limited or no connections, or if that scares you to reach out beforehand there are other cost effective options such as hostels. That's right hostels, not hotels. and no do not think of that incredibly creepy horror movie, that is just fiction. That doesn't happen in real life I assure you. Just like how the movie "Taken" doesn't dissuade me from pursuing my travel dreams... Great movie though. Hostels may sound very dirty or shaddy to you but most modern hostels are clean, simple and have handy electrical sockets near or apart of your bed frame. Just do your research beforehand to find the right one, preferably near were all the action is happening. Additionally, booking your hostel in advance will help to save you even more money.

Also it is important to remember that where you stay is just a place to lay your head at night. All day you will be adventuring and exploring that fabulous European city. And at night you won't even be there that much because you will be chatting at a pub or going to that cool nightclub and making new friends. I have also found that staying in a hostel is a great way to meet new people from all over the world and make new friends, and even make life-long friendships. Most hostels have a lounge or hangout area where people play cards, drinking games, guitar, music and just chill. Often hostels hold daily events such as "Thursday is Sangria night "at 7! ... I warn you the sangria will be terrible but it will be free and you will have a reason to force yourself into being social. This is good for people who find it hard to get out of their comfort zone.

Another major costs is transportation, flights/ trains etc. But again I recommend doing your research and check budget airlines such as Wow airlines, Easyjet and Ryanair. As well as checking websites like skyscanner.com and cheap-o air. The earlier you book the better. For trains some travelers chose the Euro-rail pass which allows so many train rides within a period of time and it has a great value for your buck. The cheapest way is to go by bus and if you are really tight on cash this might be an option especially if it is not such a far distance such a milan to venice. A good company for european bus travel is Flixbus. But it is good to remember that your time is very valuable you don't want to spend most of the trip in transportation so pay a little more and see a lot more.

Moi in Paris visiting the Eiffel Tower.

Not a Vacay

Many people when I returned to the States said "Hey, how was your vacation in Europe this summer?" And then I proceeded to tell them all about my trip through the European countries that I visited. I warn you unless you have a lot of money going on a Euro-Trip is not a vacation. It takes motivation and work. It is not like America where we drive everywhere we need to go. Uh uh. You have to force yourself to get up relatively early to make sure you do all of your sight seeing and its very probable that you will be doing this hungover. There is nothing like the nightlife in europe. It is tough initially because of all the walking around you have to do, honestly my back would hurt a lot as I just wasn't used to that much walking in a day. But it is important to understand that when you get there it is all so worth it. I have regretted taking a "relax-day" for when I felt too tired to go to that museum or famous sight. I regret not seeing as much as I could. Remember that you've invested money in yourself by traveling and making experiences. So you need to go out and do as much as you can! My advice is if you are hesitant or shy about taking a tour or going out, is to just freaking do it! Taking opportunities when they arise is what life is all about. No matter what happens you will carry with you life-long memories.

Travel Tip: Using websites like hostelworld.com to find a good cheap hostel helps.