Traveling in Europe |
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Automobile
Most non-European students attend the program without a personal car being available to them. A combination of a heavy academic workload and set holiday periods for which public transportation is more than adequate, as well as the charms of Asolo, make life without an automobile completely possible. Some students missed the freedom of automobile travel. While parking is difficult in Asolo, there are convenient long and short-term alternatives. Cars can be rented from local vendors on a daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly basis. Students contemplating usage of a car should consider the costs of parking, insurance coverage, and operation (gasoline costs approximately 5 euro per gallon).
Please note, the leading cause of death and injury among international visitors is automobile crashes (often combined with drugs and alcohol). At a minimum, students are strongly encouraged to obtain an international driver’s license and a European travel book that provides a good summary of international road signs.
Train
Traveling by train is probably the easiest method of travel around Europe. Italian and other European trains are reliable, comfortable, reasonably priced and convenient. The Italian train system’s Web site and the German train system's Web site are valuable resources. The site includes schedules, prices, ticket purchases and strike information. Unique to Italian culture, the Italian rail workers strike often, but all strikes are scheduled and posted in advance. Strikes usually last for one day during specified hours in which no trains run and no one works in the stations. Sometimes, the strikes only affect local rail service, and major destinations are still serviced (from Venice to Milan for example). It always is a good idea to check for train strikes prior to traveling.
Discount Airlines
Some European discount airlines offer bargain deals on flights. The airports serviced generally are less convenient than major airports, but the cost savings may be worth it. In order to offer lower costs, airlines provide less “frills” to their customers, which can mean no free in-flight snacks or first-come first-serve seating. The following airlines often provide discounted flights within Europe:
- Ryan Air - Irish airline that services many popular locations for dirt-cheap prices;
- Volare - Italian airline servicing most of Europe’s main destinations;
- Easy Jet - English airline servicing 55 European destinations;
Buses & Taxis
Buses can be cheaper than traveling by train, but may take longer for long distances. Consult travel books about bus travel before choosing this method. Travel by bus is very common while within a city such as Rome. Routes are generally clearly marked and buses run on time. Taxis are also good means of travel; they are safe and reliable but the expense can add up. Traveling by bus within a city is much less expensive than using a taxi. |
