Student Bloggers
Traveling While in Europe
Date
November 15, 2021
One of the amazing parts about being in Spain is your proximity to other European countries. Since everything in Europe is so close, I highly recommend traveling to other countries while you are here.
There is a small airport in Granada and a bigger international airport in Malaga that is only about a two-hour bus ride from Granada. I suggest booking your flights out of Malaga, since they are very cheap and are often direct flights to other countries. Since I have been here, I have traveled to Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; and Athens, Greece. I also have trips scheduled to Marrakech, Morocco; Lisbon, Portugal; Prague, Czech Republic; and Venice, Italy. Almost all of my flights were $200 or less (round trip), which makes traveling affordable. You can also cut costs by taking early morning flights, staying in an Airbnb or hostel at your destination, or buying food from local markets and grocery stores to avoid eating every meal out.
As great as it is to visit English-speaking countries like the U.K., it is even better to go to a completely foreign place. Going to Austria and Hungary was an amazing cultural experience that I will never forget. I was able to try Goulash, Sauter torte, Knödel, and snitchels. I saw cultural landmarks and remnants from World War II and learned about the history of the cities. While I was in Budapest, almost everyone spoke Hungarian and used the Hungarian currency; although it was hard to communicate—and I ended up getting on the wrong train—it was amazing to experience a different way of life in a Slovic country.
I am especially excited to experience Africa and the Arab way of life in Morocco. One of the unique things about the Arcadia in Granada program is that you will be able to visit there with the staff from your school. Arcadia is there to help to ensure that you travel as much as you can and go to places that might be outside of your comfort zone.