Most hospitality students dream of traveling after their internship.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to do my hospitality internship in Tarragona, Spain in a Michelin Star Restaurant named Villa Retiro. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I even had the opportunity to participate in a video that you can see below.
Honestly, I couldn’t stop thinking about and planning my Eurotrip as soon as I arrived in Spain. At first, I felt a little frustrated because there were so many places I wanted to visit in just one month. That’s why I want to share my best tips for you to enjoy this unbelievable experience:
Buy a map: Start plotting your route. I recommend you create a document in Google Drive, share it with your friends, and plan at least 3 routes through the countries and cities you want to visit. Give priority to those you want to see most.
Get specific: Start looking for the best transportation options, make comments in your docu
ment, and do not forget to include the price of each train, plane, or bus ride, as well as the cost of accommodation.
I recommend you search for the transport in Go Euro – it gives you options of flight, train, bus, and BlablaCar (do not be afraid of this ride-sharing service).
For accommodation, I highly recommend you stay in hostels. I use HostelWorld, it’s cheap and easy. I also once stayed at an Airbnb; however, there is no better feeling to have a local friend with whom to stay.
Time to invest: Before buy
ing your tickets, confirm your finishing date with your manager, this will help you avoid many problems. The most important thing, something that you should never ever forget is CHECK YOUR DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL DATE BEFORE PURCHASING ANY FLIGHT. Twice, I made a mistake and bought tickets for a month before or a year later! We do not want you to stay in the street or learn that your trip has to be canceled just for a little oversight. The sooner you buy it the cheaper it will come out. I also recommend you buy it on Tuesday night and at the same time look at several web pages to compare prices that fit completely into your budget. Google Flights is a great site for comparing prices.
Tetris experience: It’s time to pack. Bring the essentials and basics, jeans/shorts, basic t-shirts, underwear,socks,and very comfortable shoes. Remember that you can always find laundry with a dryer very close to your accommodations or you can ask which is the closest. I’m sure you’re going to find an outfit, too, in one of your destinations – so pack light!
Here we go: Let the adventure begin! Before arriving at any destination, look for the best way to get to your accommodation. You can rely on Google Maps or CityMapper. Public transportation in Europe is usually very efficient so only in extreme cases I recommend using a taxi. In many cities there is no Uber yet, so be prepared to pay a little more than you expect.
Be a local tourist: There is nothing better than when a local tells you about some secret places to visit. You also have to try some local dishes and you cannot miss the nightlife. Be open to people you may meet, even in McDonald’s – they’re usually the most fun people and can become friends with whom you can explore the city or sh
are your route with.
If you’re looking for more adventure and you don’t mind to get a bit out of the way, do not miss the opportunity to go to Morocco with Viaje en Marruecos.
Finally, the best advice I can give you is to enjoy, live in the moment, learn as much as you can, and open your mind to new cultures.
