When I was a child, I frequently remember my mother reading a book to me called “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” in which the mouse in the story continues to crave something after he is given the cookie. 

This story seems silly and probably doesn’t make much sense, but when I landed in Rome and went on my first week of adventures, all I could think about was how much I resembled the mouse in my children’s book. 

For the last two years, I’ve been talking about this experience: preparing and planning. I never knew what I would do once it actually happened. It wasn’t until my first weekend in Rome when it really hit me that I would be spending the next three months in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. As I strolled past the Colosseum, I realized that I couldn’t get enough. I have to see the world. 

For the next 11 weeks, I will be spending weekdays exploring Italy and weekends exploring Europe. Here are a few tips on booking flights, places to stay, and transportation: 

Booking Flights: 

Start by looking at Google Flights. They will give you the cheapest prices on the days you want to travel, even if the airline you fly with on the way there doesn’t match on the way back. EasyJet is also another wonderful place to look for cheap flights to live below the radar. 

Booking Stays:
When traveling in groups, Airbnb is the way to go. Look up places for multiple people, discounts, and access codes. 

Usually it is easy to find great places for low prices when split amongst members. When searching for good stays, look at the comments. If all the comments are beaming, it’s usually fake. Look for the comments that say one thing they didn’t enjoy, such as “the shower had poor water pressure” or “there wasn’t a lot of restaurants in the area”. This adds credibility to the reviews. 

Transportation: 

Most European cities are walkable. If you have the time and health, but not the money, this is the best way to do it. Get a paper map and go on an adventure. Most European cities as well, have developed public transportation that will take you everywhere you need to go. Practice looking at the transit maps and figure out your stops ahead of time to avoid the anxiety of crowded stations. 

Using these tips and tricks can help the girls who have that wanderlust in them. Because you know, if you give a girl a plane ticket… 

She’ll want to see the world. Best,
Kim Nothdurft