It’s quite appropriate that this is the topic for this week’s blog, as I’ve been traveling like a fiend over the past week. I was in Oxford last weekend, Madrid during the week, and Edinburgh (plus a day trip to the Highlands) this weekend, visiting friends from the States who are either studying or living abroad in each city. It was so wonderful to get out of London and see more of the world, as I really haven’t traveled up until now. Here are some tips I picked up in this week of madness:
1) Always bring your passport with you to the airport even if you’re flying domestically, as it’s needed as a form of ID. However, DO NOT keep it on you when you’re walking around day to day. Have a photocopy of it in your wallet, but keep the actual passport in a safe place where you’re staying (for example, I kept a folder of my important documents in my bag, which was locked in the locker at my hostel).
2) Print your boarding passes, train and bus tickets, and any other documentation you might need when traveling. I’ve grown accustomed to just using my phone when I fly in the U.S., but you never know what can happen so it’s always good to have a physical copy, even if it’s just as a backup.
3) Ryan Air has incredible cheap flights around the U.K. and Europe, so if you’re looking to travel in that area, I highly recommend using them. Easy Jet is always a popular choice. Make sure you check in online as early as possible though, as a lot of budget airlines such as these will charge you to check in at the gate, and even close online check-in 24 hours or so before. They’re also pretty strict about carry-on bag size, so make sure you know what’s included (and that your bag isn’t oversized) so you don’t get surprised by extra costs at the airport.
4) If you’re booking transport to and from the airport, always leave a lot of extra time because buses and trains can always be delayed, and going through immigration if you’re flying internationally can take a painfully long time (for example, I booked a bus home from the airport for more than an hour after my flight landed, but because of delays and insane immigration lines, I still ended up sprinting through Stansted Airport and barely making the bus).
5) If you’re traveling by train, invest in a railcard if they have them in the country you’re studying in. I have the 16-25 one here in the U.K., and it gets me discounted fare not just on the national rail service, but also on the local Underground and Overground trains.
6) Check your international/roaming phone plan before you leave the country. I have Three, and I was really glad I called to confirm how much data I could use when outside the U.K., because the information on their website was vague and incomplete.
7) If you’re staying in a hostel, check to see what they provide beforehand. Pretty much every quality hostel provides linens, but you’ll most likely have to bring your own padlock/combination lock and towels (I suggest a quick-dry towel like campers use, it’s so much easier to pack). Also, make sure you have the correct adaptors for the country you’re visiting. I’d also suggest investing in a portable charger, as I’m out most of the day walking around in each city I visit, and need to be able to charge my phone with it’s less than stellar battery life on the go.
8) Take a LOT of pictures, but also remember to sometimes just take a minute to take all of it in without a screen in the way (it sounds cheesy, but really be present in the moment). Also, I suggest Google Photos as a backup so you won’t lose all your photos if something happens to your phone, and you can save space deleting photos off your camera roll but still being able to look at them on Google Photos (all you have to do is open the app when you’re connected to WiFi and it will start backing them up, I can’t recommend it enough).
9) Most people don’t tell you how tiring travel is. It’s okay to not be energetic all the time. It’s okay to need to sit down for a bit and take a rest from all the walking and sightseeing. Prioritize the things you really want to do, and remember to give yourself breaks (it’s impossible to do everything, so don’t try or you will wear yourself out really fast). Traveling during your study abroad year will be one of the most fun, special, and memorable times in your life, but it can also be really hard and exhausting. So if you ever get cranky or worn out when you’re making your way around the world, know that you’re not alone.
10) Keep a journal. Write down what you do, see, eat, love, hate, everything you can think of. Write every day. Write even when you don’t think you have anything to say. Document this incredible time in your life, because it won’t ever be like this again. You won’t regret it.
My highlights from this week were of course the three beautiful cities I visited and the three wonderful friends I got to see in each one, so here are more specific highlights from each city:
Oxford, England: rowing a boat for the first time around the Botanic Gardens and the picturesque Magdalen College (one of Oxford University’s 38 colleges), and then rewarding ourselves with a delicious high tea at The Grand Café, the first coffee house in England.
Madrid, Spain: seeing Picasso’s Guernica at the Reina Sofia museum, strolling the Retiro (one of Madrid’s most beautiful parks), and getting free tapas!
Edinburgh and the Highlands, Scotland: hiking Arthur’s Seat (the main peak of the hills in Edinburgh—it was way more difficult than I thought it would be but we made it to the top for the panoramic view of the city and surrounding mountains), making new traveler friends on a pub crawl where we heard some traditional Scottish/Irish live music, literally just being in the Highlands (we saw Glencoe, Loch Ness, Nevis, and much more, and I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of this country. I didn’t want to leave!)
