Travel Help And Advice For Study Abroad Students

The Top 10 Best Hostels In The World

The Study Abroad Blog’s list of the world’s best hostels

Wombats Hostel Germany Austria Booking hostels is an important part of the trip planning process. Just because they’re less expensive than their hotel counterparts doesn’t mean they have to be low-quality, and in fact, a good hostel can add a huge boost to an already awesome trip. Judging by my own experiences, and thanks to a little help from the reviews over at Hostelworld.com, here are the top 10 best hostels in the world for student travelers. (more…)

Things I wish I had left off my study abroad packing list

What Not To Pack Abroad Packing lists have become somewhat of a specialty here on The Study Abroad Blog, with a packing list for a year abroad, one for weekend trips and travel, and of course, how exactly to pack in these situations. One thing I haven’t covered though, is what you don’t want to pack for study abroad. Since packing seems to be one of the most dreaded parts of the pre-study abroad prep period, keep reading to learn what you should leave behind. (more…)

Tips on how to avoid the crowds, evade the masses, and still see the sites

Crowded Street Avoid Crowds While Traveling Abroad

Because being stuck in a sea of people isn’t fun

Everyone has some horror stories about traveling abroad in Europe, myself included. Whether it’s involving a cramped flight, 18 man hostel rooms, lines that last for days, or naked men wrestling at 2 am (true story), most of this misery is related to one problem: too many people. While I always advocate going to both the touristy spots as well as those off-the-beaten path, here’s how to avoid crowds wherever you are, or at least reduce the depressing effect that they can have on your trip. (more…)

Lonely Planet – always a solid travel resource for study abroad students

I’ve heard from many people that it isn’t worth it, that it’s a waste of money: they’re out-dated, they’re heavy, they list sites that are closed, why a book when we have the internet, etc. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion and all of those things may be true, you won’t always have access to the internet, it’s paper i.e. not that heavy, and yes, it’s not updated every year which just means it should be used as a great reference book and not necessarily your sole travel bible. Here are 10 reasons why I think every study abroad student should get a Lonely Planet country guide. (more…)

The Ultimate Weekend Travel Packing List

Two Men Backpacking Weekend Travel Packing List

Backpacks – totally superior to the rolling suitcase

Other than your inter-semester break (if you’re abroad for a year) or the occasional week-long vacation, most of your trips while abroad will be for 5 days or less. The common method is to leave Thursday night, skip class on Friday, travel for the long weekend, and then head back to your university on Sunday night. While I’ve written a number of posts in the past about prep and packing for studying abroad, I’ve yet to cover what you should bring on these long-weekend adventures. So, inspired by both the success of 2 Suitcases + 1 Year = Study Abroad Packing List, as well as my recent trip to Southern China, I decided to create The Ultimate Weekend Travel Packing List. (more…)