1. Pack shoes with good friction on the soles. Often some older cities, such as Rome or Athens, have marble sidewalks that can make it very easy to fall! I’ve glided on the streets a few times wearing shoes that are too flat. Make sure to pack a shoe that can handle the smooth material well.
2. Pick the slightly more expensive hostel in the central location. You will have to pick between paying more in late night ubers and public transit (often in a language you don’t understand!) or paying more to be able to walk everywhere. I didn’t use transit once during my time in Berlin!
3. Pack a capsule wardrobe that matches with everything. Some budget airlines can be very particular about the bag size allowance. The easiest way to avoid that for longer trips is to pack a capsule wardrobe that can be mixed and matched!
4. Pay up for the night couchette on the train to lump hostel/transit costs together
5. Take advantage of the EuRail pass! Visit countries that are close to each other and can allow you to see multiple cities a day.
Danielle Davenport
Spring 2025
GW Paris - Universite Paris-Dauphine (GW Study Program)
Columbian College of Arts and Science
Economics and Political Science Double Major