Hey guys! I’m Riya, I’m 21 and I studied law as part of my Queen Mary degree programme at Université Paris 1. I love travelling and my year abroad was an opportunity to get to know Europe better. Over this past year, I have been fortunate enough to travel to Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, around France and Norway – and at decent prices! I will write my thoughts about each country, give food and restaurant recommendations, tips, and an overall rating. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Reims, France (29th September – 1st October 2022)
My parents were visiting the Champagne region in France (Reims). They invited me to stay, and I travelled by train from Paris Gare de l’Est to Reims. We went on tours around two champagne houses: Tattinger and Moet & Chandon, seeing their cellars and vineyards, and after we explored the area of Reims and its magnificent cathedral, “Notre Dame de Reims”. I highly recommend going to Reims; the tours are so informative, interesting, and you get to try the Houses’ champagne at the end, and the city is beautiful. I will admit my parents treated me on this trip so I can’t list the costs. However, you can find tours online for less than €100, which is worth it if it’s within your budget. A bucket list moment – having champagne in the Champagne region!

Overall rating: 5/5

Stuttgart, Germany (4th – 6th November 2022)
I travelled by train from Paris Gare de l’Est to Stuttgart to visit a friend from school who was doing a placement there. Stuttgart is a quieter part of Germany, and if you are looking for things to do, I would recommend other places. However, Stuttgart has amazing bakeries, coffee, and, surprisingly, wildlife! Head to the Höhenpark Killesburg for a 3.1km trail walk, and as you walk, see the various horses, llamas, alpacas, flamingos (yes, flamingos) goats and birds. There is also a tower there which you can walk up to see a fantastic view overlooking the whole of Stuttgart. And of course, when in Germany, find a bar for a refreshing pint as my friends and I did.

Accommodation: free as I stayed with a friend
Food & drinks: €40
Train (return): €80 (booked 1 month in advance)
Activities: free
Overall rating: 3/5

Florence, Italy (8th- 10th December 2022)
There is no better place for art and architecture than Florence with the Galleria dell’Accademia (home to Michelangelo’s David), the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Duomo, its arches and lovely piazzas. I flew to visit a friend who studies fine art there (she is an extremely talented individual – check out her work at @jennatathamart on Instagram). Go off the beaten track to find a pizzeria for pizzas under €10, head to a supermarket for prosecco (€2 bottles – ridiculous!!) and head to a piazza to enjoy. My friend and I did this on my first day and then walked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for a spectacular panoramic view of Florence. And it goes without saying that on your way down, find a gelateria for the world’s best ice cream. On my second day, I visited the Galleria dell’Accademia and was mesmerised by David, but there were also other incredible pieces of artwork on display that shouldn’t be missed. A key tip is to reserve your ticket in advance to save queuing (queues can be so long) which costs €20 but if you are a student, I believe it’s €10, and free on the first Sunday of each month. I cannot recommend Florence enough; it was probably my favourite trip that I did during my exchange.

Accommodation: free as I stayed with a friend
Food & drinks: €30
Flights (return): €77 (booked 2 months in advance)
Activities: €20
Overall rating: 5/5

Spain
So, I have been to Spain twice during my year abroad. Once to Madrid, once to Valencia. I’ll write about each one in turn, but a personal note on Spain is that it’s one of my favourite countries in the world, for many reasons. The people are lovely, the prices are cheap, and the weather is gorgeous.

Madrid (2nd – 5th March 2023)
In March, I flew from Paris to Madrid to visit a friend who was on her exchange abroad here. We walked around “El Retiro”, a beautiful park in central Madrid, and then we booked to row across the lake for an hour for €6, which was so much fun! In the evening we had sushi at a restaurant called Sushita, which was the best sushi I have ever had, but it was a little bit expensive.

Then, whilst my friend was at uni the next morning, I walked around Madrid and saw la Plaza Mayor, la Puerta del Sol, el Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza de la Armería and finally Museo Nacional del Prado, which I got into for free as it’s free for all European students. If you do find yourself in Madrid, I strongly recommend you visit this museum: it is brimming with beautiful art and I’m a huge fan of Velázquez so seeing his original pieces in person was a real full-circle moment!

My friend and I headed to a pizzeria called “Hot Now”: the pizzas were so delicious and reasonable (€9.50 for a Margarita pizza). If you do go here, go sooner rather than later as Spaniards tend to eat late and the queue to get in gets longer (this place doesn’t take bookings). If you leave them a review, they might give you a free shot (or 4, it depends on the night…). We then went out and tried different bars in Madrid which were fun, lively and the cocktails were no more than €10.

Accommodation: free as I stayed with a friend
Food & drinks: €80
Flights (return): €117 (booked 2 months in advance)
Activities: €6
Overall rating: 4/5

Valencia (29th May – 2nd June)

In late May, my friends and I headed to Valencia on a girls’ trip. We had planned to spend most of our time on the beach, but the weather was slightly too cold to do so, with only 2 days out of 4 spent there! But, if you’re in the same boat, no stress as there is good public transport to take you into the city centre, where there are lots of shops, restaurants, and museums to see, such as “Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias” (arts and science museum) and the “Oceanogràfic” aquarium. If you are in Valencia, you must try their paella. I recommend the restaurants “El Trompo” and “La Pepica” (El Trompo’s paella was better in my opinion). Also, head to an outdoor food court called “Mercabañal” which has an amazing variety of food and a great vibe.

Accommodation: €118 for 4 nights
Food & drinks: €100
Flights (return): €113 (booked 1 month in advance)
Activities: €0
Overall rating: 3.7/5

Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Tilburg, The Netherlands (21st-24th May 2023)
I went by train from Paris Gare du Nord to Rotterdam Centraal to explore the Netherlands! We spent a day in Rotterdam, where we visited the “Bojimans Van Beuningen” museum, which is the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. So, not only do you get to see cool contemporary artwork, but also you can see pieces stored which is a unique experience. We also met and spoke to one of the resident artists, Neo Muyanga, who created a fashion exhibition and was collaborating with a Rotterdam choir.

The following day, we went to Amsterdam, and I would say it is worth the hype. We had restricted time there so couldn’t visit anything, but we wandered around, sat by the canal and had some typical Dutch fries (a must in the Netherlands!). I have been recommended to visit the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum and Vondelpark.

Finally, we went to Tilburg, which is where our friend was staying. It is home to Tilburg University which has a lovely campus to wander around, nice shops and little restaurants. A short trip away from Tilburg is “s’Hertogenbosch” – a quaint, beautiful town home to the artist Den Bosch. You should visit the Jheronimus Bosch art centre which is located in a cathedral and where Bosch’s original works are kept, alongside modern adaptations of his works which are so interesting to look at.

Tip: A great way to travel around cities in the Netherlands is by bike – they are cheap to rent, safe, and give fantastic views.

Accommodation: free as I stayed with a friend
Food & drinks: €100
Flights (return): €89 (booked 2.5 months in advance).
Activities/transport: €50
Overall rating: 4/5

Oslo, Norway (1st – 4th July)
My friends and I decided to finish our exchange in style and booked a cabin east of Oslo (1.5 hours’ drive away from the city) in the forest. It was stunning, quiet, peaceful and the detox we all needed after our resits in busy Paris. The wildlife was amazing – we saw moose, horses, cows, llamas, alpacas, hares – all of it! However, we were right next to a lake which is prone to mosquitos so take your insect repellent!

On our final day, we went to Oslo city centre and saw the Oslo law school, the Royal Palace, but my favourite was going to Vigeland Park. Not only are there outdoor sculptures, but there is a rose garden, and the smell of the roses is just divine.

This was a brilliant trip but note that Norway is a very expensive country, the people are polite but very reserved, and most importantly (!) alcohol is difficult to obtain in supermarkets. Also, it is freezing if you visit outside of summer months, with little to no sunlight during winter so take all of this into consideration if you’re planning to travel there.

Accommodation: €60 for 3 nights
Flights (return): €216
Car rental: €120
Food/Drinks: €100
Overall rating: 4/5