After a solid nine months of traveling and touring, I have picked up some tricks of the trade.  I don’t claim to be any sort of expert, but I have toured six countries and over twenty cities in less than one year, and did it all on a student’s budget.  So, here is what I have learned, through getting out there and trying, and I want to share it with all of you, especially people who are planning to travel or study abroad themselves.

Getting around:

In terms of getting from one place to another, Europe is a dream come true.  You can traverse countries in mere hours, and options for getting around are sometimes limitless.  But, I know too many people who have wasted too much money because they didn’t think ahead and travel smart.  Here are some tips.

1.  Plan ahead.  Sometimes, it’s nice to be spontaneous and decide during the weekday to get away for the weekend.  But, the fact of the matter is that most forms of transportation are so much cheaper a month or so in advance.  Many bus companies have reduced rates if you purchase tickets far enough in advance, and train tickets, especially in France, can be bought up to 50% reduced price if you know what you are doing.
2.  You are a student. TAKE ADVANTAGE of that fact.  (Sorry if you are not a student.)  But really, students have it good.  One of the first purchases I made in France was a carte 12-25.  It is a reduction card that allows me to get up to 50% off on my train tickets. Everywhere you go, students have reduced prices, from museums to restaurants, so enjoy.
3.  Flying.  There are several discount airlines that allow cheap flights all over Europe.  These include Ryanair, Germanwings and Easy Jet.  They have sales all throughout the year, and you can buy tickets for as low as 10 bucks!  Just one thing to keep in mind if you are going to fly with them.  Because these airlines are so cheap, most of their airports are in the middle of nowhere.  So, you may find a ticket from Strasbourg to London for 15 dollars, but, in reality, the airports are in Karlsruhe-Baden and London Stanstead and you have to pay for transport to and from the airport, which may include several different bus and train trips that can add up to more than a pricier, direct flight.  Like I said, plan ahead.
4.  Driving.  I am not a big fan of charter buses, so just google them.  In terms of driving, there are two options.  One, car rental, which is fun, and a great idea if you are over 23 (most rental places have an age limit) with a larger group to split the cost of gas and feeling adventurous about driving across Europe, which can be monumentally challenging at times.  Also, keep in mind that if you are traveling to a larger city, it may not be worth it to hold onto the car, because parking can be expensive and a huge pain, and most cities have amazing public transportation systems.  I love driving, but am too young to rent a car.  For this reason, I am eternally grateful for learning about car-sharing.  The easiest way to explain it is organized hitchhiking, I would say.  Basically, people post their driving route, when they are going and how many people they can take.  With that information, you can contact people and drive with them, for pretty cheap prices.  The best network is probably the German carsharing, Mitfahrgelegenheit.  The French version, Covoiturage, is less known, less extensive and a bit more expensive, but it is always worth a try.
5.  Group Travel.   Not only is traveling with a group of friends fun, but if you travel by train in Germany, you can find sweet deals.  The two that I have used so far, the Schönes Wochenende Ticket and the Länder-Tickets.  Both of these are group travel tickets that allow up to five people travel on regional trains for only 30 to 40 euros.  I have used these before, and traveled across Germany for under 10 euros.  Just keep in mind it is going to take a little while.
6.  Public transportation: amazing here.  No joke, I have gotten used to buses and trams and metros.  I recommend getting limitless day passes if you plan on moving a lot within a city.  Of the various types in the all cities I have been to, my favorites have been the U-Bahn in Munich and Berlin, and the Tube/buses in London.  The London system was so logical and straight forward, and helped you orient yourself in the city very easily, and there is nothing more fun than hopping on a bus, and watching London fly by from the front of a double-decker!

Where to stay:

In terms of housing, I have been lucky to know people in most of the cities that I have visited.  Staying with someone I know, and who knows the city has always been preferred for me, as opposed to finding a hostel or hotel.  For this reason, I am a fan of Couchsurfing as well.  It is an online network, not unlike Facebook, but more specifically, “a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit.” You can contact people in cities throughout the world and stay with them for a few nights, and see their city through their eyes.  I have done it a few times while in France, and have been very happy with the results.  I find it to be a great alternative to staying in a hotel, and a great opportunity to meet new people.

What to do:

When you get to a new city, where do you start?  I have developed a few rules and guidelines to make the most out of a city.

1.  Old towns, museums and parks.  Those are three things that I like to see in each town I visit.  European towns all have a pretty similar layout: a city-center, the older part of town with all the pretty, historical buildings, usually with cobblestone roads, and the rest of the city that kind of fans out from it.  Also, in case of bad weather, it’s a good idea to plan to visit one or two museums.  In London, most of them are free, and in Paris, many are free to students at European schools, so bring a student card.  Finally, parks are generally well maintained, very gorgeous and centrally located in cities.  It’s always fun to meander around and see some nature to take a break from a busy day of sightseeing.
2.  Free tours.  In Prague, I discovered New Europe tours.  It is a company that gives free tours in ten cities in Europe and is growing slowly.  I really enjoyed my tour in Prague, and although we had to listen to a bit of publicity for sponsored bars and museums in the city, I had a great time.
3.  Eating out.  Eating out can add up very quickly, so when I visit a city, I decide on a few key, must-have food items, e.g. fish and chips in London, Currywurst in Berlin and Pierogis in Poland.  Other than that, I like to find local supermarkets where I can buy food for picnics or cooking in.
4.  WWOOFing.  I heard about the World Wide Organization of Organic Farms before I came to Europe, but I had not found time to do it until this April.  It is a network of organic farms in a country, and once you become a member, you can contact organic farms and arrange for a time to stay and work with them.  I worked on a farm in the mountains for a week, and I had a blast.  They house you and feed you for the duration of your stay, and in exchange, you help out with daily chores.  The variety of opportunities available is impressive, from cheese farms, to bakeries, to ranches and goat farms.  It was a great change from the big city, and fast-pace tourism.  I met a lovely couple who had bought a house in the Vosges and are working on turning it into a bed and breakfast.  Around the farm I helped feed the animals, clear trees and brush, build a chicken coop and clean the goat’s stall.  It was a great time to clear my mind and reflect on the past year.

So there, a year of my knowledge, lessons learned and tricks of the trade, boiled down to 1,500 words or less.  Take note and travelers, I hope my tips help you wherever you go.  Bon voyage!