Prague – the one city I was not going to miss.

So your on exchange. Great, but what now? How do you get out to experience the part of the world you now find yourself in? Well I’ve recently planned a 5 week trip through Eastern Europe so I have a few tips.

1 – Budget, Budget, Budget

Start with deciding on a budget.  This will help you pick where you go and how long you go for.  Is money tight? Have you been frugal to save money for this trip? This is the time to ask yourself a few questions. Hostels, hotels, or couch surfing? Planes, trains, or buses? Knowing these things are crucial to decide where you’re going to go and how long you’re going for.

2 – Timing

One of the annoying bits of being on exchange is that you’re still a student and have academic obligations, even if you try to pretend you don’t. This means that time is always in short supply so try to spot long weekends, midterm breaks, and general time off well in advance.  I get 5 weeks off for Easter because I now live in a ridiculous country which is absolutely perfect for travel, but there have been other chances for me.  A bunch of class cancellations can me almost a week of in my first term and I’ve had a lot of 3 or 4 day weekends as well.  Those are really great opportunities for shorter single-destination trips and are great fun.

3 – Where in the World Do I Want to Be?

Picking a destination can be easy or it can be hard; sometimes you have a city in mind as a ‘must-see’ city but other times you just feel like getting out into the big wide world and exploring.  A few questions to ask yourself might include: Is it worth visiting Paris for a week or would I rather 3 weeks in Eastern Europe? Is it worth flying a great distance when there are adventures to be had only hours away? Is there any city that I absolutely have to visit before I go home?

4 – Here are a few websites to help you out

It can be fun to dive into the world of travel but sometimes you don’t know where to start.  Here are a few websites that might help you out.

• Rome2Rio – A great way to plan routes, Rome2Rio figures out the approximate cost of flying vs taking the train vs busing vs driving.  Really a great resource!
• SkyScanner – If you type ‘Everywhere’ into the destination box, it’ll look up the cheapest destinations for flights from whatever airport you put it.  A great tool if you’re looking for a weekend getaway without caring where to.
• GoogleFlights – Another great tool for looking up flight information and surprisingly unknown.
• Seat 61 – A great introduction to rail in Europe, this guy has basically any information you might want when it comes to taking the train in Europe.
• Hostel World – If you want to pre-book hostels, you can’t go wrong with Hostel World.  It’s the easiest way to book hostels and has a massive selection.

5 – Don’t Sweat It

There is no wrong way to travel.  If you want to book everything in advance and plan every minute of your trip, go for it! If you prefer to just meander through a new country or city and take in the sights as you happen upon them, power to yah!  As long as you’re safe and having fun, travel is bound to be one of the best experiences of your life.  To use a fairly overused quote, “Travel: It leaves you speechless the turns you into a storyteller”.