How to Travel to Europe as a Medical Student

I had such a wonderful time over my Christmas break that I couldn’t wait to write about how to travel to Europe as a medical student. Medical students are notoriously financially strapped, but that doesn’t mean that your life has to suck for 4 years without any fun. I have a serious travel bug that didn’t get to go anywhere for a long time. So when my friend brought up that she was going to Europe for winter break, I had only one answer:

Below are 10 Dos and Don’ts that I learned while traveling. I hope that my tips make it easier for you to plan your finances and time to zoom away and get a much needed break.

Do #1: Travel with a buddy

Do not underestimate the savings when you split with a friend (or even a couple of friends). Everything becomes cheaper, and it’s so much fun to be able to share these experiences with someone else. One of my classmates (follow her on Insta!) mentioned randomly that she was going to Europe – on a solo trip. I was like girl you’re brave. But then she said she just couldn’t find anyone to go with. And I pointed out that she had forgotten to ask the best travel buddy:

Now, I’m wary about who I travel with because everyone is not a good travel buddy. I have some friends that I will not travel with. It’s nothing personal…I just want to maintain the friendship. So, when traveling with a buddy, make sure they have some characteristics that will vibe well with your personality. Traveling is stressful, so you want to be somewhat compatible. Before traveling with them, ask yourself these questions:

• What’s their cleanliness level?
• What time do they like to wake up/go to bed?
• Are they adventurous or laid back?
• What’s their budget?
• What’s their usual disposition?
• How do they handle stressful situations?
• Are they punctual, or not?
• What’s their budget?

That was no typo. I purposely put budget in their twice because that can create quite the strain on a trip, if you both are not in the same financial lane. Lucky for me, we are both two broke medical students so it worked out!

If you’re wondering how to travel to Europe as a medical student, find your people. They don’t have to be classmates, they can be friends or acquaintances. But find good travel buddies who match you on the list above.

Don’t #1: Not attempt the language

I’ve never experienced as much judgement as I did in Europe…and mostly it was because we were American. I don’t want to uphold any untrue stereotypes, but only speaking English did not vibe with the French, Swiss, or Germans. I know a couple of words in French (and now thanks to Emily in Paris I know a few more). But outside of hello, goodbye, please and thank you, I was out of luck. This was like one of the few places I’ve visited where my Spanish minor didn’t come in handy.

But what I’ve learned since returning, is their issue is not with us not knowing the language. It’s us not attempting and expecting to be catered to. Think about it, it’s almost an expectation that when we travel, someone somewhere knows English and can communicate with us. But when they come to America, they may have to fish through hundreds of people before they find someone that can communicate with them. There’s this entitlement of being a native English speaker.

It was not uncommon to hear someone in Europe flow seamlessly between French, Dutch, German, Italian and English. Meanwhile, many Americans have the sentiment “I live in America, why do I have to learn anything other than English?”

So, if you’re looking into how to travel to Europe, even learning a few phrases using apps like Babbel, or finding an online tutor, will take you much further and get you a lot less judgement.

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Do #2: Get a flight deal

Here’s the nitty gritty of how to travel to Europe as a medical student: find a flight deal. There is no way we would have been able to go if our flight had been the standard $1000-$1500. I would have been in Kansas City with my only Parisian experience being Emily in Paris and a local croissant. However, my classmate got her deal through Scott’s Cheap Flights. If you remember from my Hawaii trip, I also used this app to get a great deal on our Hawaii trip (also the only reason we were able to go there).

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By the time she mentioned the deal to me, it was gone, but I knew I just had to be patient and the deal would come back. And it did! Over the summer, I got the email and paid $535 for my ticket + $75 for my bags. Roundtrip. We flew with Air Canada and had a wonderful flight experience. There were no extra fees or charges that came up the backend (unless you want to upgrade seats). And everyone was so nice about switching seats, that even if my friend and I didn’t get seated together, someone was always willing to switch.

So, I suggest before shelling out a lot of money on a flight, look into how you can get a flight deal through a good airline. That handles the bulk of your cost.

Don’t #2: Underestimate the punctuality of public transport

I’ve never seen anything run more on time than European public transportation. It honestly is the best, and cheapest, way to get around. Before we left, we purchased an Eurail pass that covered our train and tram rides the whole time we were there. We were able to travel from Paris to Geneva; Geneva to Bern and back; Geneva to Andermatt; Andermatt to Chur; Chur to Zurich; Zurich to Frankfurt; and Frankfurt to Paris. Within the cities, we used buses, trams, trains, metros, and the occasional Uber. Because Europe understands that 26 year olds are baby adults, we were able to still get the Youth pass, and paid about $382 – a 10% discount.

However, the pass doesn’t cover some of the Parisian transportation. It did not cover the train into the city from Paris-CDG Airport. That was about 10 euros. Also, it doesn’t seem to cover the metro station within Paris city limits, or if it does, we had no idea how to figure it out.

What we did figure out was that the trains don’t play about leaving on time. We tried to catch a metro in Paris and the doors literally closed on me, like chopped me in half. And didn’t reopen. I was able to squeeze my body out but then my foot was stuck. I had to yank my foot out before the train took off, losing my shoe on the inside of the train! There I am, three hours in Paris, with one shoe on the platform. To this day I have no idea what happened to that shoe…a moment of silence.

After that, I didn’t play any games with the trains. We were at the stops early, and our phones were a huge help. Google and Apple maps tells you exactly what train, the time it’s coming/leaving, and will buzz you when it’s time to get off. Try to get an international data plan if you can. That wills ave you a lot of time and money when trying to figure out public transportation.

Do #3: Search for great hotel deals

I’m not knocking all hostels…they just aren’t for me. I am a 4-5 star type of girl. I’m boujee and stuck up. I know this about myself. There’s no shame in my game. And none in yours either. If you just need a place to lay your head down, then you can find some great hotel deals. But, if you want something with some extra glitz and glam, then you can find some great deals.

We booked a majority of our hotels on Booking, because we could book now, pay later. That option is a bit more expensive, as it normally costs less if you can book it right there. But, when you’re working on limited funds – like medical student loans – sometimes it helps to just have an idea of how much you’ll need months away. We each spent about $730 on hotels for six nights. Below are the names of the hotels we stayed at:

• Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile – $246.89 for 1 night
• Warwick Geneva – $131 for 1 night
• Zurich Renaissance Tower Hotel – $511.00 for 2 nights
• Frankfurt Marriott – $218.00 for 1 night
• Canopy by Hilton – $335.00 for 1 night

The hotels got better in quality throughout our trip and they all were great geographically, saving us time and money on travel. The Hyatt was about a mile walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Warwick Geneva was literally across the street from the train station. The Renaissance was very close to public transportation and about a 10 minute train ride to city center. In Frankfurt, the the Marriott was a couple of stops from the major train station. And the Canopy was right next to the Eiffel Tower.

If you’re wondering how to travel to Europe, especially on a budget, determine what qualities are most important to you in terms of lodging.

• Location
• Ratings
• Reviews
• Price
• Amenities
• Security
• Privacy
• Membership affiliations

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Don’t #3: Underestimate the seriousness of Covid

Covid is a very serious matter in Europe, and they act like it. You cannot do anything without being vaccinated. In all the places we visited, they needed a QR code or vaccine card and passport to even sit. I had to get tested before I went and to come back. And they all had to be negative.

In Zurich, we were actually denied entry to a bar because we didn’t have a Swiss Covid QR code. Although you cannot get a Europass for covid (unless you’re member of the EU), see if the country you’re going to has something you need to be aware of. It will save you a lot of frustration when you go over there. Your airline should also tell you what’s necessary before getting on the plane. Start Planning Early.

Also, everyone over there wears masks all the time. It amazed me how compliant people were, without issue. Businesses had no shame in authoritatively asking you to wear a mask. Masks were required in all public spaces. The uniformity in their approach to covid is admirable.

So if you’re wondering how to travel to Europe in a pandemic, do not assume that the rest of the world is as defiant as America. If you are one of those defiant people, do not think they will cater to you in other countries. Your “freedom” means nothing to them when it comes to their healthy and safety.

Do #4: Use public transportation

Public transportation (outside of Paris) was the easiest system to navigate. We mostly used our phones to plan trips which gave us the easiest path to our destination. Tickets are really easy to purchase, there are kiosks at all the stops. But walking and public transportation are your cheapest options.

Traveling between countries was so easy. We mostly used high-speed trains to get from country to country. Those were an extra 30 euros to reserve our seats, but our Eurail pass covered them. There are plenty of trains that go from city to city, so it’s easy to see different spots of the country within a day. Sometimes you have to use buses or trams, especially in Switzerland and Germany.

Traveling around Paris was a bit more complicated, so we mostly walked, or took Ubers if we were traveling from a far destination, or had our bags. But as far as reducing costs when planning how to travel to Europe, public transportation was the way to go.

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Don’t #4: Eat at American chains exclusively

Everywhere you go in the world, you will find a McDonalds, KFC, and other American chains. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t stop into a McDonalds (everything else in Geneva was closed and I was starving). But when you’re in a different country, you don’t want to eat the same food you can eat at home. Yes the chains may have different foods, but the chicken nuggets were the same. Get out of your comfort zone. Eat something new.

I tried something new in every country. Or, I at least tried foods the country was known for. In Paris, I tried escargot, and it actually wasn’t too shabby. In Germany, I had the best sausage and beer I’ve ever had. Of course, I couldn’t visit Switzerland without trying chocolate.

All we did was just experience new things, and I encourage you to do that too. Don’t plan a trip to Europe if you aren’t trying to be adventurous and try their foods.

Do #5: Plan ahead

The best thing we did was plan our trip out before we even left the States. Traveling from city to city can be fun, but it also takes time. If you plan ahead, you can be efficient. Our entire trip was basically a circle. There were some changes that were made in the last second. So, even though you have a plan, you want to be flexible, too. That’s exactly what we did – made an itinerary that had the skeleton of what we wanted to do. Then, when we had to make changes, our plan allowed us to do that.

Planning ahead saves you a lot of time in money. You don’t have to have a strict itinerary. But one of my key tips for how to travel to Europe includes making sure to have at least an outline. That way, you can travel in a way that makes sense. You can also account for the strict train schedules or any sites that you don’t want to leave without seeing.

When we planned, we wrote down the things we absolutely wanted to do. I didn’t want to leave without visiting the Lindt Chocolate Factory in Zurich. We made sure to do that as well as things my friend wanted to do, like the Christmas Markets in Germany. Our travel plans included time to do those two things and we went from there.

Don’t #5: Forget to take lots of pictures

Pics or it didn’t happen right? Of course you don’t want to be all consuming in your phone. But, it’s nice to document the things you did. Use them for inspo on your next trip. Share the memories and stories with friends and family. Look back on them in the future and remember how great of a time you had. Whatever you do, don’t travel to Europe and forget to document your time.

I had a blast on my trip and I hope you all enjoyed my list of how to travel to Europe. Hopefully, I’ll have some more tips on my med school travel adventures, but I would love to hear about your travels too. Make sure to leave a comment about your most fun trip and some tips to make it happen!

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