Wanderlust

By Christina Reynolds

Wanderlust

[won-der-luhst] noun: a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.

 

The urge may not be there upon leaving America, but it will definitely be tugging at you left and right once abroad. Once given a little taste of the unknown, the travel bug gets to you, leaving you craving it more and more. Thankfully the fantasy of exploring each and every country can soon become a reality during your time abroad.

 While studying abroad in Valencia, there were many opportunities to venture to other countries. With the class schedule ending on Thursdays, students always had a three day weekend to take off to wherever their hearts desired. Besides the planned program trips to either Madrid or Barcelona, there were many weekends available to see a different part of Spain, or more commonly a completely different country!

Many students took advantage of their time off from class and made group trips to a multitude of exotic places. With the Mediterranean views of Portugal being a short plane ride away, students made the trek to Lisbon to discover a side of Spain not offered around Valencia. Additionally, with France being the next closest country, many spent their weekend under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. While the proximity of these countries made traveling a little easier, distance did not stop students from exploring other parts of Europe. Amsterdam and Ireland also seemed to be popular destinations to travel to. Being about a mere three hour flight to either location, it goes to show just how easy it can be to travel around the continent from the home base in Valencia.

While the urge to explore each and every place may be strong, the only issue that stands is how to get over there. Although students may shy away from the idea of flying because of the expenses, there are many European airlines with incredibly affordable rates, like Ryanair. Being one of the cheapest airlines throughout Europe, it is no wonder it is one of the most popular ways to travel for students abroad. But be careful; one of the cheapest can quickly turn into one of the sneakiest if you’re not paying attention!

A few tips on Ryanair:

Make sure to print out your boarding pass ahead of time

I’m not exactly sure why printing out a boarding pass is such a hassle for the airline attendants, but apparently it is, and will cost you all of 50 euro as well.

Try to do carry on

Checking your bags is another 50 euro, and not worth the risk of losing.
 
Make sure you measure the size of your carry one bag before taking it
Ryanair is a stickler for oversized bags, to the point of measuring your bag for you prior to boarding your flight. The worst thing that could happen is your poor suitcase not fitting in the size measurer, and their insistence on you checking that bag. My advice? Bring a duffel bag. It’s moldable enough to fit their size standards, regardless of how full it is.