Part of the reason I wanted to study abroad in the first place was to be able to explore more of the many different countries in Europe. Salzburg College, knowing that many other students have this wish, do not schedule any classes on Fridays, allowing for three-day travel basically every week. During my semester, I was able to go to Prague (Czech Republic), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Bratislava (Slovakia), Athens (Greece), the whole of Cyprus, Budapest (Hungary), Zagreb and Rijeka (Croatia), and multiple smaller trips to Germany and other parts of Austria.
Because I cannot choose a favourite experience, I would rather talk a little bit about each place so readers can make their own decision. To begin with, Prague is perhaps the most famous destination for college students abroad. It can certainly be a good starting point as it is super touristy meaning that everyone speaks English. However, the downside is that the city is packed and does not feel real. As one of my friends said later, “it’s the Disneyland of Europe.” By making it our first trip, we set our standards low and loved everything else we did a lot more.
I chose to focus a lot of my travels on seeing Eastern Europe, as I had never experienced what life was like there before. With the exception of Budapest, the cities I saw were a lot smaller and quieter, though there was a large focus on tourism. In addition, I felt the most safe in these cities than most other cities I’ve been in Western Europe, such as Rome or Munich. Finally, as an added benefit, everything is remarkably cheap. I really think Americans have a biased view of these countries having never truly seen what life is like in them and I would truly urge students studying in Europe to take the chance to visit one of these capitals (Ljubljana was my favourite).
Out of all my travels, I found Greece and Cyprus to be the most different to anything I’ve ever experienced. Athens was entirely not what I expected; it was dirty, run-down, and busy. This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the visit, but it was something new. Cyprus was similar, but on a much smaller scale. The history in both countries was amazing to learn about and see first-hand.
When studying abroad, it is highly important to take the time to travel and learn more about yourself and the cultures around you.
