Traveling after Studying Abroad

Currently, I am on my twelfth train ride with fifteen more to go. So far, I have been to 6 different countries, 9 cities, and travelled around 3,500 kilometers. This has all been within the span of 11 out of 22 days, starting in Salamanca. 

I bought the Eurail Youth Pass for 22 days back in October 2024. I bought the 1^st class pass for a total of $473. The full price for 22 days of travel in a row was $636 so I would recommend buying it when it is on sale. I bought it with a 25% discount for their 25^th anniversary and my partner later bought it during Christmas with a 30% discount. You do have to activate the pass within 11 months of when it was purchased so that gives you plenty of time to buy it beforehand and at a good price. 

And I am so glad I did. I have never been on a train in my life and getting to ride first class for these long-haul rides was amazing. The extra seat space in first class and getting to take comfortable naps on the train were well worth the price. Although I sometimes felt a bit out of place in first class when there were more formally dressed people around there were other times were families, and other more casually dressed people sitting around me. I realized that no one cares and as long as you have a valid ticket the only real difference between first- and second-class seats is price and space. 

I will say having already traveled to Europe about 8 years ago has helped in making sure I do not overindulge or burn out from too much travel. It took a while, but I finally had a plan that allowed us to see multiple cities without getting too exhausted or over stimulated from the train rides. I would suggest to others that although you can take advantage of your study abroad time by traveling to places near you, be mindful of your physical and mental health. Many times, throughout my semester in Salamanca I heard story after story of people rushing back from their travels, delays, even having their phone stolen while in Paris. Although they did enjoy their trip and didn’t regret it despite the obstacles that appeared, I could see how tired and out of it they were after. Especially the people that did trips multiple weekends in a row. Although they did try to space out their trips, especially with class and projects, it is sometimes hard for people to resist the temptation to do as much travel as possible while studying abroad. Especially when people find cheap buses, trains, or flights to somewhere they have always wanted to visit. So do be mindful when deciding on traveling during and after your program. I personally reserved all my travel time to be after the program ended. 

I don’t regret that decision at all. I am sad my time in Europe will end soon and I will have to go back to the states, but I have quite enjoyed my time abroad. From living in a small city like Salamanca to traveling through Europe and even getting to fly to Iceland. It wasn’t cheap but choosing IES Abroad and getting scholarships to help pay for my studies was very helpful. I am so grateful to IES Abroad, IES Abroad Salamanca, and the donors for all of the scholarships available to us for giving me a chance to study abroad and learn so much. I hope whoever reads this while deciding to choose to study with IES Abroad or IES Abroad Salamanca can be persuaded just a bit into making the best decision they might ever make. I sure did and I would study abroad again with IES Abroad and IES Abroad Salamanca.