What steps do I take so I'll be able to travel to other countries in Europe while abroad?

Question

I'm studying abroad in Spain next semester. While I'm there, I'd also like to visit Italy and Paris. I was wondering, what steps do I take so that I will be able to visit those two places as well? I've heard that you can get really cheap plane tickets in Europe. Do you recommend flying or taking the train? If you don't know anyone that's going, do you travel alone? What steps do you take so that you'll be able to "sight see" while you're there?

Answer 1

The cheap airlines sell their cheap seats first, then the seats get more expensive as the date comes nearer, (there are exceptions when they do have special offers or a flight does not sell at all.)
So it mostly is best to book your flights as soon as you know the dates you can travel.

Train travel is a way of life, you might love it, but some people hate it too.
Try it for a mid distance trip, like to one of the cities in the south of Spain, but for a weekend Madrid to Paris or Italy it will take too much time. (And it will most likely be way more expensive.)
If you stay in Barcelona Italy and south of France are within train distance.

I think you will have a debit or bank card to get your money from your own bank in Spain, that same card would work in other countries in Europe too. If you have a credit card, bring it too, but keep it for emergencies as over spending is too easy.
Do not bother with traveler cheques, expensive, bothersome, and false security. (The safeguards on your debit and credit card are as good or better.)
As said, check for the need of visa, but I am sure you can get them in person in Madrid, if that is where you study.

I always travel alone, and staying in hostels I do always meet people.
Lonely planet guidebooks have good listings of hostels and cheaper hotels, as well as sights and places to eat and go out.

Answer 2

I would personally save Northern Europe for another trip, since those countries do tend to be a bit more expensive, and travel may cost more as well, since they aren't so close to Italy. I studied abroad in Prague and did a lot of traveling in Eastern/Central Europe. Highlights were Budapest (Hungary), Bulgaria, Croatia (this one is a must!), and Slovakia. Prague and the rest of the Czech Republic are a must see too. Not only are these places stunning and CHEAP, but they are still less touristy than most of Europe, so you get a better sense of the real culture. And hostels are totally safe. Just check out reviews of the places beforehand to make sure you get a clean one with a good location.

Answer 3

IMHO, riding trains gets old really fast. Often the trains are slow, crowded and hot. The food on the trains is nothing special, just expensive. The tourist offices in various cities can give you info about citywide bus tours and many tours in English are available. The nice thing about a quick tour of a city is that you can get an overview and then decide which museum, historical building, etc. you'd like to spend more time in. Yeah, you can travel alone. Try to walk purposefully and keep your tourist map in your pocket (taking it out only when you need it). And carry traveler's checks and credit cards, not too much cash. Easy Jet and Ryan Air are two cheaper airlines, but there are many.

Answer 4

I can give you a link for a cheap airlines webiste....yes some flights can be cheap and cheaper than other options, otherwise train is an excellent way ot travel.

I would check with the embassies (online) to see if you require a visa to travel to the countries you are interested. I am from New Zealand and apart from my work permit for the UK I did not need any visas, but other countries sometimes do so its worth finding out prior. Apparently you can get some visas at the boarder, while others require you to send money etc to the embassies prior ( but you could get it in Spain).

I travelled alone for most of my travels ( I did lots of 1-2week trips)....you get better as you go, picking up little tips ( like getting on the right bus number, but the WRONG direction) etc. Don't feel nervous,if you take sensible precautions its perfectly safe to travel around ( I tended not to go out much at night, but started early and finished early)...I also did some day trips ( with guided tours) which gave me english info, but you got to meet people for the day...
Hostles are good ways to meet people too and cheap accommodation!!!
I got books ( well I got a Europe one) beofre I left ( but you can get them from libraries which might help you decide which one you like)...eg lonely planet etc....they were very useful in telling me what to do, but I usually did some reseach before hand ( and booked accommodation more often than not AND bought a map as well...maps are VERY useful...I liked the ones that were laminated so if it rained they were great and fold up better......this way I felt I could travel independently with confidence ( even on buses in knowing where to get off) and sometimes have info about the city on the map too....eg things worth seeing.
Be brave and go for it!!!! WELL worth it.

Answer 5

There are tourist agencies in every city who can be very helpful in setting up travel arrangements.