Trying to plan an unforgettable weekend while abroad, but not sure where to start? Today on GoAbroad, Weekend Student Adventures (WSA) CEO and President, Andy Steves, shares his advice on how and where to start your planning! Andy's experiences include 18 years of traveling to Europe with his family, and several years of traveling independently and working as a tour guide--making his tips to planning your next weekend adventure a resource for all types of travelers!
Make sure to check out Part One of Andy's advice as well!
Hello to my fellow backpackers. I’m writing this on the plane from Zurich, Switzerland to the Golden City of Prague. For this particular enlightening endeavor, I’d like to share some step by step insider info on what to do once you find yourself in this city you’ve ventured to. Let’s use Prague as an example.
Arrival
Alright, you’ve just landed at the airport. Along with the currency, they speak a language you’ve never heard of before. It can be intimidating and overwhelming, but we as English speakers are always at an advantage in Europe given that it is one of the most commonly spoken languages over here. As soon as you grab your things, head to the Tourist Information (abbreviated generally by a “TI”) desk usually right outside the customs gate. Ask there to find out the best, and cheapest way into the city. As a rule, taking a taxi is never going to be the most affordable. In Prague’s case, it costs the equivalent of a mere $1.50 to get into the heart of the city on a public bus—metro connection (much more affordable than the common $50 taxi fare).
Cash
Also before leaving the airport, hit the least-shady looking ATM. Ideally it is a bank that your home bank has some sort of partnership with. This way you can forego the foreign withdrawal fees. Before leaving, I’d recommend buying something small like a pack of gum or candy bar in order to break the larger bills. This can save you potential headache while getting on a public bus. It’s important to know exchange rates of the local currency to prevent yourself from being swindled during your visit.
Getting Oriented
Free, tip-based walking tours are immensely popular these days and deliver you as much value as you deem appropriate. They provide an entertaining, elevator-pitch style history of the city. One of the biggest companies out there has exploded in the last two years: Sandeman’s New Europe and they have tours (and countless flyers) across almost all of the cities you’ll ever want to go to. The drawbacks of these free walks are that you’ll be in large groups, and the guides are hardly ever local (they’re generally Australian). Sandeman’s prides itself in hiring only native English speakers. Personally, I prefer to get a walk through Prague by someone who has a Czech accent.
Getting off the Beaten Path
As you gain travel experience, you’ll pick up a number of techniques on avoiding the beaten tourist paths in each city you visit. Tourist paths are literally going to lead between the main tourist sights of the city i.e. between the Coliseum and St. Peter’s in Rome, or from l’Arc de Triomph to the Louvre in Paris. While the venues on this beaten path aren’t bad in and of themselves, they just won’t deliver the memorable experiences for which you’re traveling around the world in the first place. Over time you’ll learn to recognize that menus posted in 5 languages translate to overpriced, poor-quality meals whereas the restaurants that may be the most difficult to communicate in may deliver the best food around. Watch for locals—if a restaurant is packed with them, it’s a good thing.
To Crawl or not to Crawl
Pub crawls exist throughout Europe, but have recently been made illegal in places like Rome due to a number of crawlers’ deaths during a night of drinking. Personally, I’ve found them--at times--to be a good way to orient myself in a new city, while enjoying an evening out with fellow backpackers. When going on a pub crawl though, you might as well forget about meeting locals or having any sort of cultural experience of the city. You’ll be brought to dingy bars that can’t get customers any other way, handed sugary shots, meet tons of Australians and have an {awesome, terrible or anything in between} time on the crawl.
What has your experience been like in planning a weekend adventure abroad? Share your thoughts with us in the comments and explore GoAbroad.com for even more adventure travel opportunities!
Weekend Student Adventures (WSA) are tour packages designed for the inquisitive, adventurous and fun-seeking students studying abroad in Europe who want to make the most of their time and money overseas. WSA's primary mission is to foster fun, respectful, in-depth, stress-free and unforgettable travel experiences for students and backpackers.
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Great tips! Check what the local cab fares are though, while a bus will normally be so much cheaper, if you have a small group sometimes the first day arriving in a location it may be worth a bit extra on a shared cab, to get dropped off straight at your hostel or hotel. Especially if you know that there are known areas dangerous with robberies and what not. Once you get settled in to a location, I would agree, busses usually win out. Check if there is local shuttle services though too. I take one from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and its $26 and a four hour shuttle ride. The bus will cost about $8 total but could take 8 hours to get there with bus delays, and complications. Just make sure you know how much time your willing to sacrifice and how reliable the busses are. -Daniella