Being able to travel so freely across the EU, specifically within the Schengen zone, has been such a unique experience. Going from a country as large as the U.S., to a continent that is slightly larger has changed my entire perspective on travel. The various modes of transportation from country to country, whether it be bus, train or plane, has been so exciting to navigate as every place does it differently. Florence, my home-base for example, mostly relies on buses and taxis to get across the city, but thankfully it has been very walkable. Getting to other cities from Florence has been manageable, too. The nearby train station, Santa Maria Novella, has routes all over Italy, as well as the ability to go to nearby countries. Typically when traveling to a new country however, I have found it to be most convenient to fly out of nearby Bologna, as the flights are a bit cheaper, and its only about a thirty minute train ride out of Florence.

Some countries have better transportation than others for sure, but it has been so fun to try to figure out how each place does it. My favorite transportation so far has been Paris. When I first landed, I was a bit overwhelmed looking at the map of the metro, train and bus stops, but after getting some help from a transportation worker, I realized how easy and efficient it was. Paris is a pretty large city, but through the various modes of transportation, you can get to just about anywhere in the city in under an hour. They also have an amazing app that tells you exactly where to walk, time between connecting trains and even what train car to get on to have the most efficient exit from the station. Overall, coming from an area in the U.S. that lacks means of public transportation, it has been such a fascinating way to move around, all while letting you explore parts of the cities and country that you may have never imagined or thought existed.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Florence University of the Arts