Travelling (cheap) from Milano

By Txell Borràs, University of Bocconi, Milan, Italy

I know that being abroad is already an exciting experience: a new city, new people, maybe a new language and culture, and lots of places to see and visit. However, there is no shame on being a little bit too ambitious… Do not limit you experiences to your new home, but take advantage of the opportunity and TRAVEL!

From a very young age, I have always been obsessed with travelling, visiting new places and cultures, and the fact that I am never going to have enough time to see everything makes me really frustrated. But no need to get all deep! My main point is that when choosing my destination I wanted to make sure that I could travel to many places in a really affordable way, while staying in a country that I loved, and Italy was the place for that.

Travelling Nationally

We all know that travelling within the country where you’re staying is the most affordable option. However, while some countries can only boast about a couple of popular cities, I have come to realise that Italy is much more than pasta and pizza.

You can visit beautiful cities, where at every step you are surrounded by art, history and monumentality. I was lucky enough to visit Verona, Venice, Torino, Florence and Rome, and while Rome has my heart, non of the other cities disappointed me in the slightest way. Either by train or by bus, getting to know any of these cities did not cost me over 15€ round trip.

On the other hand, if you are looking for smaller towns with colours and a welcoming ambience, Varenna and Bellagio in Lago di Como or Cinque Terre is perfect for you! You will be able to enjoy nice food and drinks, and the most precious small towns, that will make you feel like you just woke up in a fairy tale. You can even take a swim at the lake of Como or the beach (Cinque Terre). No more than a 2h train ride away, any of these destinations are perfect for a weekend getaway, and no more expensive than 10 or 20€ both ways.

Finally, for the hottest seasons such as in September or May/June, when the hit gets unbearable and you feel the need to run away from the city and just lay in the beach all day, you can go to Sardegna or Sicily, Italy’s main biggest islands. I spent the last weekend in Sardegna and it was perfect to relax before the study season for finals started. We rented a motorcycle and explored the whole island and the amazing beaches it has to offer. Only 1h fly away for 15€ each way, an AMAZING DEAL.

Travelling Internationally

Now I know that you are probably thinking “Yeah Italy is cool but didn’t you want to see the world?”. Well… Not only does Italy offer many amazing and diverse destinations, but Milan specifically is one of the best connected cities internationally, with three different airports. This means endless options for each destination and chosen date, but also extremely cheap prices.

In November, me and my friends went to Bucharest for a weekend to a techno festival. Not only was it one of the best experiences of the exchange so far, but the flights were 15€ each way. Later in December we also did a route Budapest-Bratislava-Vienna-Praga, where the outward and comeback flight together was no more than 30€.

Extra Tips

Don’t let high prices or long distances get in the way and, most importantly, BE CREATIVE! There are millions of different ways to get from one place to another, but flights are not always cheap, so do your research and plan in advance. Consider other options such as travelling by train, renting a car or bike, or (personally what I consider my best option), travel by bus. I know it looks poor and too low-cost but it is practical, comfortable and most importantly, extremely cheap. We moved from Budapest to Bratislava, to Vienna, to Praga with bus, and it was the best idea we could have had. If you go to Milan, FlixBus will be your best friend as it was mine!

Hopefully this can help some of you looking for an exchange destination that has a lot to offer, but that is also well connected to visit other countries. Travelling is always possible, you just have to find the way!