Travel

So as an exchange student, one of your main jobs is to travel as much as you feasibly can. Now this, of course, takes a lot of planning and attempts at balancing budgetary constraints with the desire to have a pleasant time traveling (think of having a goal of no 20 hour bus rides). There are so many different ways to travel in and out of Tübingen, 

While obviously when coming to Germany, one must fly. Believe it or not, traveling to Tübingen via boat is not the most convenient option. Once you’re in Europe, while it is possible to fly a lot of places, it tends to run on the more expensive side. It can be the most convenient option, especially when dealing with a stricter timetable, but it’s definitely more advisable to buy your tickets as ahead of time as possible. Especially when it’s around a popular travel time such as Christmas or Pfingstferien. Also be aware of luggage requirements!! It helps to be aware of the luggage requirements when packing because you don’t want to end up with any surprises.  

When I have the time, I honestly prefer to take the train over any other form of transportation. I bought a BahnCard 50 at the beginning of the year and it’s been one of the best decisions I could have made this entire year. Spending the approximately €90 at the beginning of the year has saved me hundreds of euros when traveling. The train is the best option a lot of the time when it comes to day trips because there is a lot of flexibility. You aren’t bound to a specific timetable. So if you go on a day trip to Strasbourg and decide it’s amazing and want to stay longer, you would have the freedom to without having to book an entirely new ticket.  I find a lot of the trains are really nice and with the BahnCard50 it is extremely affordable to take an IC or an ICE for part of your journey. I have travelled once by train to visit the Netherlands, a journey that took about eight hours total, but it was an enjoyable experience because for five hours of it I was on an IC train where I had WiFi and an outlet. Honestly, what more could one need while traveling? 

Another option I used more at the beginning of the year was FlixBus. I am not super fond of buses as a mode of transportation, but that is very much related to my not feeling well after being on a bus for longer than four hours. However, for shorter trips, it is a very good way of traveling. It is very inexpensive which is good on a student’s budget. The only drawback other than the potential of being bus sick, is that when you travel with FlixBus, you are bound to a specific time table. For me personally, I find the train to be a better option, even if it is slightly more expensive. I also have friends who have been perfectly fine taking a 20 hour bus ride to go travel. It all depends on your personality and your budgetary needs. I’ve enjoyed learning about all of the different ways to travel this year and enjoyed learning about myself through travel.