Europe cheat sheet

Traveling to and Through Europe

I am a student at Texas State University, currently studying in Strasbourg, France. My suggestions are therefore going to be more applicable, and related to areas near this city. Nevertheless there are countless short cuts I could have really benefited from if I heard about them before traveling this way. 

First off you need to hop on a plane and get over here, but even if you book your flight months and months before your departure, the price will be expensive. Possibly between $1200-$3000, from any part of the U.S. to Europe with multiple connections. That was definitely a problem for me, luckily my sister had been abroad many times in Europe, and somehow, almost through magic, found me a flight there and back for $800, with less than a month until departure and with no connections between flights. 

My advice from what I learned is to find an airline from the country where you are traveling to, or the country next to it. Go on their website and search for one way flights and also returns, comparing both prices. Also compare the prices on different dates, even if they are one day after or before, it can make a huge difference. If you want to save more money, sometimes the cities near your final destination could end up costing a more decent price than your final destination. I will discuss the easiest and also the cheapest types of transportation in Europe later on. Doing this type of research will obviously not guarantee a cheap flight, but it will definitely increase your chances of finding a suitable one if you are trying to save money. 

When I got to Europe, I arrived in Frankfurt, Germany. I had to take a train to Strasbourg, which cost me around 70-80 euros for a two hour trip. It didn't seem too bad, but being in Strasbourg for a split second taught me that there are significantly cheaper ways of getting to your destination. Your options are: plane, train, bus, car ride, and renting a car. The most affordable options are car rides, and buses, depending on the situation. Most of the time though, the car rides are the cheapest and most comfortable option. Bus rides usually take twice as long as a car ride, and you have to ride with many people. There are several car ride businesses, but the only one I truly invested in was "BlaBlaCar." The rides are done by people who are simply travelling to a certain destination in Europe. They offer a ride on the website. When you finished booking your ride, they will pick you up and drop you off on the specified date, and at the agreed location. The prices for BlaBlaCar usually vary between 8 euros to around 50 euros.

The transportation you will want to take within the city will depend on whether you are simply visiting, staying a while, location, and weather among other things. I will write another blog soon regarding the ups and downs, and the factors involved in each of the types of transportation available.