Hi everyone! I hope you had a rejuvenating spring break! As you all return to your classes this week, I am beginning my six-week-long Easter vacation here in Oxford (or “Vac,” as they like to call it). Actually, ‘here in Oxford’ isn’t quite correct, because I’m coming to you live from Budapest, Hungary. As you can probably guess, I’m going to talk a little bit about traveling today!
But first, a disclaimer: I’m by no means an expert traveler. If you can remember the first installation of this column — which truly feels like eons ago — I mentioned that coming to the U.K. was my first time leaving the east coast of the U.S. This spring break, however, I’ve decided to take this opportunity to expand my minuscule world view.
Let me give you the run-down of my travel plans: last week I was in Edinburgh and followed that up with a brief stay in London. Now I’m in Budapest, and soon enough, I’ll visit Rome and Greece. But how did I pull this off?
Well, dear reader, I live to serve, so if you too are a novice traveler, here are my tips:
- Trains are more expensive than you think! I assumed that a train to Scotland would be cheaper than flying, but it ended up being more expensive.
- Do not fall for the Ryanair deception! I’m not sure how Ryanair has established itself as the cheapest option for flights across the EU, but believe it or not, it can get cheaper. Shout out to the TV show Laëtitia for introducing me to Skyscanner, a website that compares flight prices, which has been an absolute lifesaver. I just flew on Wizz Air to Budapest, which was certainly nothing glamorous — no wifi, no water, nothing but a backpack — but it was cheap, which is all that matters!
- Skip the hotels! This may seem like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating. When picking out your accommodation, definitely go down the hostel route —or Airbnb if you’re with a larger group. However, don’t sacrifice safety for affordability; scope out the street view of the hostel before you book. If it’s sketching you out, it’s probably sketchy.
- Museums are the best cheap thrills! So many museums have free entry, or at least discounted entry for students. London in particular has so many museums, from the British Museum to the Victoria and Albert Museum to the Science Museum. Bring your Tufts ID abroad and enjoy the immersive history lessons.
- Do some cooking! A lot of Airbnbs have fully-decked kitchens, meaning all you need to do is pick up some ingredients and you’re good to go. I’ve been whipping up many a pasta dish and saving some cash.
- Last tip, and my personal favorite: Collect postcards! You don’t need an expensive memento from each city; a simple postcard is enough!
That’s about all I got! Honestly, I could still use more advice, so if you yourself are well-traveled, drop me a line! I want to be prepared before I say ‘buongiorno!’ to Italy next week.
Talk to you soon!
xx
Grace
