If you’re curious about how students studying abroad are able to pick up and jet off to dreamy destinations on a whim, I’ll fill you in on how it’s all possible.
Flights around Europe, once you’re already across the pond, are cheap. And I don’t mean a couple hundred dollars cheap. We’re talking only 14 euro if you can manage traveling with one backpack that fits under a plane seat. Accommodation is also very affordable if you book a hostel or split the cost of an Airbnb with travel partners.
With a two week break before finals officially commenced, I bought a ticket and packed a backpack. My first stop was in Nottingham, England to visit Jakob, another Linfield student who’s studying abroad. I was only there for two days before we both set off for a day trip to London. While the weather continuously shifted from blue skies to downpours, it didn’t stop us from catching sight of Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and a city view from 35 floors up.
We spent the night in a hostel before catching a train to the airport at 4 AM for a flight to Croatia. The rest of our holiday was spent in Croatia between two cities, Split and Zadar.
Both cities were breathtaking in their own ways. The atmosphere in Split became especially magical as we watched the sun rise over the terra cotta roofs, and then disappear into the ocean as it set.
From both locations we took day trips and even ended up visiting three national parks! The first park we reached was Krka National Park, known and recognized by its impressive waterfall. This park was gorgeous and very family friendly, but lacked the hiking excitement we sought.
We also went to Plitvice National Park, an area filled with waterfalls and complemented by incredibly clear turquoise water. This park was also less adventurous than anticipated, but again, beautiful and accommodating. We were able to create more excitement by renting a paddle boat and exploring the area further by water!
The last park we visited was Paklenica National Park. This was my favorite park out of the three as it provided us with some great hiking! It was really fun to be immersed into the Croatian mountains, summit a peak, and look out across the whole mountain range.
The rest of our time was filled with a bit more hiking, a visit to Ugljan island by ferry, and just some quality time in each city amongst locals and other tourists.
Spending my holiday in Croatia was more fun than I could have hoped for, and I’m glad I took advantage of visiting while I live so close!
Thanks for following along on my holiday abroad!
Best,
Laney Green