Staying in hostels was one of my favorite parts of traveling around Europe. In some ways, hostels are even better than hotels. They’re definitely a great way to meet people and a cheap option. While many hostels are pretty similar, there are some that go above and beyond. Here were my favorites while backpacking all over Europe:
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While you might’ve heard some horror stories about hostels, if you choose the right one, then you can certainly get much more out of it than you would by staying in a hotel. If you haven’t read my last post, or if you don’t believe me then check it out and find out why staying in a hostel is better than a hotel. Read on below to find out how to pick the right hostel for you so that you can certainly get the most out of the experience.Read More »
If you’re young and have ever looked into traveling abroad then you’ve probably heard of hostels. They make traveling cheap, and they’re a go-to place to stay for many young travelers. But you’ve probably also wondered what it’s really like staying in one of these places. You’ve probably heard the horror stories – dirty living conditions, theft, harassment, etc. While certainly some of these things could happen, there are many hostels where you wouldn’t have to worry, and where, in the end, you’d get so much more out of your travel experience than you would by staying in a hotel. If you’re wondering why on earth anyone would ever want to stay in a hostel other than for it’s cheap factor, then read on because staying in a hostel is better than a hotel for many reasons.Read More »
On Wednesday, I shared with you the things I love about Spain and the city I’m studying in, Sevilla. While there’s a lot to love about exploring and living in a new country, there are some things I miss about the United States. Here’s the list:
Going into study abroad, I knew I’d face challenges, especially in a country where they speak a different language, but I guess I just hadn’t anticipated there to be so many. Even simple tasks here sometimes seem difficult, even when others claim them to be so easy.
For example, everyone always talks about how easy it is to get SIM cards in Europe, yet, I had immense amounts of trouble. I tried to buy an Orange SIM card twice, and both times they couldn’t activate it and didn’t know why. Their best advice was to just come back tomorrow… So that’s when I decided to try Vodafone, yet Vodafone still didn’t work, so finally I just decided to go with the overpriced SIM cards that my program has a deal with just because of convenience and their customer service. When I had issues with Vodafone, I couldn’t even contact their customer service, and when I went in person, they simply told me that my phone was to blame. Alów on the other hand was easily reachable by email and very helpful – worth the price tag just because of the customer service.
Packing for four months? Really? This is something that I’ve known that I’ve had to do for a while now, but it’s definitely been one of the parts of my study abroad experience that I’ve been dreading. No matter how many lists I’ve made or looked up on the Internet, nothing really seemed to ease the overwhelming feelings I got when I realized that I was leaving in less than a week and hadn’t yet started to pack.
I am proud to say that I managed to fit most of my items in just one carry on travel backpack. After doing a lot of research over winter break, I found the Aeronaut 45 travel bag by Tom Bihn, which I got for Christmas and absolutely love (I was pretty much sold after reading about how this blogger packed for one month of backpacking in this bag.).
So here it is – my packing list for four months in Sevilla, Spain! Here’s my list of what I fit inside my travel bag (mostly by using Tom Bihn packing cubes), as well as the few items I’ve put in my relatively empty suitcase and my purse.
