Grenoble has been an amazing opportunity to delve into French food, culture, sports, language and politics. Every day in class I feel as though I learn something new, and every conversation I have with my host family makes me feel as if the French culture is rubbing off on me a little bit more. But truly one of the best parts about living in Grenoble has been the opportunity to travel. I thankfully do not have courses on Fridays, so I have the ability to travel and explore everything that France and Europe have to offer.
My preferred method of transportation is that which is usually fastest and overall cheapest: airplane. The Lyon airport is only about an hour bus ride from Grenoble, so it is easily accessible and is a gateway to airports all across Europe and beyond. Think of Lyon as your quaint regional airport in the United States. The security lines are never very long, there are a few shops to buy some snacks but not an overwhelming barricade of duty-free shops and a relatively nice seating area. Security never takes more than 10 minutes, so I never have any fear that I will miss a flight due to the airport’s inefficiency.
But of course, one of the perks of Lyon is that many low-cost airline carriers fly in and out of the airport on a regular basis towards cities large and small in other countries. So far I have taken advantage of flights to Porto, Portugal; Munich and Budapest, Hungary; but I will be seeing plenty more of this wonderful airport soon with flight trips planned to London and Tunis, Tunisia. To get to these exotic cities, I usually fly with easyJet, a low-cost carrier that has flights all over Europe ranging from London to Krakow at extremely low costs, even only weeks before traveling. As a student abroad, I try to economize everything I do so, using airlines such as easyJet is a wonderful way to do so. For example, I bought round trip tickets from Lyon to Tunis only three weeks in advance for just less than 100 euros, which is quite honestly a steal. The opportunity to visit North Africa and discover a whole different culture at such a low cost is amazing to have.
Of course, sometimes there are cheaper options available compared to flying. For example, this past week our university in Grenoble had a small break, so my friend Catherine and I did a five-day trip to Italy, visiting Milan, Florence and Rome. It made more sense both time-wise and economically to forgo flying, so instead we took buses between the cities. The amazing thing about buses in Europe is that there are always overnight buses, so in lieu of paying for an Airbnb, you can instead sleep on an overnight bus between cities. It is a great way to save money while also giving you the time to capitalize on exploring the cities. Our buses arrived mid-morning in the cities we visited in Italy, which gave us the whole day to go to the sites, visit Roman ruins and soak up the delicious Italian food. While of course sleeping in a bed is preferable to sleeping in a not so comfortable bus seat, as a young adult, I can suck it up and take advantage of the opportunities it gives me in each city I visit.
Overall, traveling from Grenoble across Europe is extremely easy, whether it is through flying out of Lyon, taking a bus or riding a train. After all of the adventures I have had here thus far, I have a few recommendations for anybody who has the opportunity to visit Europe.
- Porto, Portugal: It is a city famous for its port wine and its seafood. There are also free and beautiful beaches to get a nice tan while away from the winter-themed Alps of Grenoble. It is also very cheap to visit, with meals being as cheap as three euros for multiple pastries at breakfast.
- Budapest, Hungary: While you must convert to the Hungarian Forint from the Euro in order to enjoy the city, it is relatively cheap with many cool things to discover, especially at the large market downtown. The city is also relatively flat, so it is very walkable, with beautiful architecture.
- Arles, France: For travel within France, I would recommend visiting Arles due to the great Roman history there, with a large amphitheater where bullfighting used to be held. In addition, you can visit the café where Van Gogh was inspired to paint his piece, “Starry Night.”
