Around Europe

Visas

If you decide to use your time in the UK to explore the European continent, you should first check whether you need visas for the countries you are planning to visit. Even if you did not need a visa for the UK, you might need one for travelling to other EU countries. As opposed to most of the EU members, Britain is not a member of the Schengen area. However, since you are a student in the UK obtaining a Schengen visa should not be a problem. For more information on travelling to the Schengen area and the new EU member states see the site europa.eu, maintained by the European Comission.

By air

There is so much to see.Flying to Europe is easier and cheaper nowadays. Low-cost carriers are doing good business providing cheap air-tickets for off-season and weekday flights. The earlier you book the cheaper your ticket, so planning your journey in advance can save you a lot of money. Easyjet and Ryanair are probably the most popular low-fare airlines, but it can be useful to check for more offers at websites like jet2.com, Kelkoo, lastminute.com, Travelocity and Expedia, among others, someof which allow you to compare the fares of various airlines.

By train

For the train lovers among you, the Eurail Pass offers a great way of exploring Europe. You can purchase the pass as well as other rail passes from STA at 36 George Street, which you can try online. When buying a railpass, remember that some do not guarantee free seats; you may still need to pay a reservation fee to take a particular train. For travel to Paris or Brussels, the Eurostar can be an excellent choice if you book in advance. Tickets can be purchased for as low as £40, and St Pancras in London to Gare du Nord in Paris only takes 2 hours and 10 minutes.

It might also be useful for you to get the ISIC or IYTC student card in order to get some discounts on your European travels. Each card costs about £7 and can be used to buy discounted flights, accommodation and other tourist services. Both cards are available from STA. Note though that you can apply for an NUS card through OUSU (£10 annual fee), which doubles as an ISIC card.