Student Bloggers
Traveling
Date
October 12, 2018
Ciao a tutti!
One of the coolest (and arguably most stressful) aspect of studying abroad is traveling. My goal during this semester is to travel around Italy, as much as possible, while taking maybe one large trip abroad. So far, I have been to Siena, San Gimignano, Cinque Terre, Florence, and Assisi. Many of these trips are actually through the Umbra Institute and not on my own budget (always a major plus).
My first piece of advice when it comes to travel is to take it slow and really get to know the city you’ll be living in first. I went to Cinque Terre the third weekend and found myself missing Perugia. I would also implore you to use sites such as sky scanner, trenitalia, and FlixBus to book your travel arrangements. Even if you come abroad with a large budget, it is easy to blow through money while traveling. For one weekend my friend, Spencer, and I each brought €40 for food. We ran out of money on Saturday with an entire day left. I also recommend a backpack because it is easy to carry anything that you don’t want to leave in an AirBnB or hostel.
A few friends and I are planning a trip (possibly down into Sicily or London) and we couldn’t be more excited. The hardest part is trying to balance travel with school. Remember while abroad your primary responsibility is studying. Missing a class isn’t always the end of the world, but make sure to talk to your professors before scheduling any trips. Also take the syllabus into account while planning travel. That being said, the most important part of travel is sharing your experiences with others. Invite friends and take a ton of pictures. These are memories you might want to remember for the rest of your life!
Safe travels!