(Photo courtesy of Jordan Hamilton)
Last week was spring break which meant travel travel travel for a lot of us at Champlain College Dublin. I know people who went to Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal, so we were all over Europe. I went with a few of my friends to Nice and Paris. Despite the rainy weather the first two days, when the sun finally came out it was amazing. We struggled a bit at first with the language barrier, but eventually we put our heads together and figured out how to get a taxi to our hostel and settled in for the night. We spent three days exploring the beach, shops, and the winding streets of Old Nice. We didn’t have much of a plan when we got there, but found a lot to keep us busy by walking around the city.
Last week was spring break which meant travel travel travel for a lot of us at Champlain College Dublin. I know people who went to Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal, so we were all over Europe. I went with a few of my friends to Nice and Paris. Despite the rainy weather the first two days, when the sun finally came out it was amazing. We struggled a bit at first with the language barrier, but eventually we put our heads together and figured out how to get a taxi to our hostel and settled in for the night. We spent three days exploring the beach, shops, and the winding streets of Old Nice. We didn’t have much of a plan when we got there, but found a lot to keep us busy by walking around the city.
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| Young & Happy hostel (Photo courtesy of Jordan Hamilton) |
On Tuesday, we left for Paris and by that time, we were a bit more confident in our ability to speak basic French phrases. Our hostel, Young & Happy, was on Rue Mouffetard which is a quiet street with a lot of markets, shops, and restaurants. The room was just big enough to fit a bed and a sink, but it was only a ten minute walk to Notre Dame! We spent most of our time checking out the city and the big attractions like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and the Seine River. There was so much to do and so many delicious things we wanted to eat! The one speed bump we finally hit was when we found out that our PARIS On Tuesday, we left for Paris and by that time, we were a bit more confident in our ability to speak basic French phrases. Our hostel, Young & Happy, was on Rue Mouffetard which is a quiet street with a lot of markets, shops, and restaurants. The room was just big enough to fit a bed and a sink, but it was only a ten minute walk to Notre Dame! We spent most of our time checking out the city and the big attractions like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and the Seine River. There was so much to do and so many delicious things we wanted to eat! The one speed bump we finally hit was when we found out that our PARIS Beauvais airport wasn’t in Paris, it was an hour and a half away. After panicking briefly, the hostel staff told us there was a bus that could take us there at five in the morning. It was a bit of a disappointment, but we eventually worked it out and learned that RyanAir doesn’t always tell you that their airports aren’t always in the cities they appear to be. airport wasn’t in Paris, it was an hour and a half away. After panicking briefly, the hostel staff told us there was a bus that could take us there at five in the morning. It was a bit of a disappointment, but we eventually worked it out and learned that RyanAir doesn’t always tell you that their airports aren’t always in the cities they appear to be.
Once we found our way to the airport and were finally back home, we were relieved to be back in our own rooms and taking real showers. After reflecting on everything, we realized that while it’s really exciting to travel and visit new cities around Europe there are a few things you need to take into account:
1. Over-prepare. Print out maps, addresses, and phone numbers for hostels, bus stations, airports etc.
2. Talk to the staff at the hostel if you need help, generally they will have the answer.
3. Learn a few basic phrases of the language of the country you’re going to. Most waiters and taxi drivers will know a small amount of English, but it definitely helps if you know a few words in their language.
4. Pack light, but bring a variety of clothes. This means a raincoat, sneakers, and a few changes of clothes. Don’t bring a winter coat, umbrella, or laptop because these things take up unneeded space in your backpack.
5. Be aware of how much you are spending. Some tourist cities like Nice, France are very expensive, so you have to be careful of how much you spend. Plan out a budget during the semester and set aside money specifically for spring break if you’re worried about having enough.
6. Last but not least, HAVE FUN! Try new foods, explore new places. You might feel burnt out after a few days of walking and spending money, but you don’t want to miss out on anything.
I hope I didn’t scare you with all of my warnings because spring break can be a really exiting way to explore Europe and new cultures. You just need to be aware that things may not go as planned, but you will find a way to fix it even if it means calling Stephen Robinson, our director, to fix them. I hear he’s a pretty good problem solver.
Until next time, cheers!
-Allyson