My name is Yu Qing, and I am currently pursuing my medical degree in the Republic of Ireland, Dublin. I have been abroad for about two years now, and greatly enjoy trying new restaurants and travelling around the United Kingdom and European Union. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing about the travel tips and hacks that I’ve picked up over the years.
1. Find your long weekends, plan and book early.
As with every country and school, you will experience public holidays and reading weeks.
As much as you will want to use the time wisely to catch up on schoolwork, you can actually plan early and use the time to travel to neighbouring countries.
It is always advisable to plan and book early as prices will be cheaper, with more availability. Holiday seasons such as Christmas and the New Year tend to be popular dates to travel so if you are looking to travel during winter, secure your plans early!
A little small tip: I do try to skip Fridays and Mondays if there is not much content covered so I can fly and start my weekend on Thursday evenings!
2. Budget Airlines are your best friend.
Besides planning early, you should always search up your flights with budget airlines. Popular budget airlines that are my go-tos include Ryanair and Transavia.
A round trip from Dublin to London can cost as low as 20 euros and a round trip from Dublin to Bristol/Newcastle can cost as low as 30+ euros!
3. Pack Light
Packing light can save you some check-in luggage cost and your air ticket can be up to 50% cheaper as compared to having a check in luggage.
Ensure your accommodation already provides towels and toiletries for you so you will only have to pack fashionable outfits to fit your photo stops!
If you’re a skincare junkie like me, buy small little travel sizes (left) which are less than 100ml per bottle so you can pack them with you without buying check in baggage allowance. I strongly recommend the Herschel Little America backpack (right) because it is definitely more than enough for a short trip of 2-3 nights and you save on check-in baggage!
4. Who says travelling can only be in the form of planes?
If you live in the United Kingdom, most places are easily accessible by the National Rail (if you use National Rail often, apply for a rail card and your trips will be much cheaper). Book early, avoid peak timings and your train rides will be a lot cheaper.
For those in other countries, consider renting a car for a 2D1N drive and you could even spend the night in the car parked at a public car park (only advisable for winter though, since you won’t be sticky and sweaty).
Do apply for the International Driving Permit beforehand since some car rental companies will require that.
5. Afraid of accidents? No worries at all, just make sure you're covered by insurance.
As a student who finds every opportunity to travel, getting an all-round insurance was very important for me.
Hence, I purchased an insurance plan (e.g. Student Assist by AIG Insurance) that is specially curated for students studying abroad and who love to travel around. With such insurance plans, you will be covered wherever you travel to for the whole year except when you’re back in your homeland (for me, Singapore).
6. Travelling to a place using a different currency? Fret not – just apply for a multi-currency travel card.
Being a student who lives 45-min by flight away from any part of the United Kingdom (and 3-hour drive to Belfast), I understandably frequent the United Kingdom a lot.
The currency used in the United Kingdom is Pounds, unlike the Euros I use in Dublin. Luckily for N26, I can save on bank fees and enjoy more favourable Euro to Pound exchange rates. You may also consider other banks such as Starling, YouTrip and Monzo.
These are the multi-currency cards my colleagues and I use! If you are Singaporean, you can consider using YouTrip because they are Singapore-based while the rest are UK/EU based.
7. Want to save on accommodation? Book with budget hotels and hostels.
If you are not all about the minimalistic Airbnb or having a personal toilet while travelling or travelling in a big group, you can opt to book for hostels and budget hotels. You can book one hostel room with bunk beds and share them with your friends if you are travelling in a big group.
Alternatively, you can opt for budget hotels which tend to have lower prices – try Travelodge and Premier Inn. Your last resort can always be staying with a friend, if you have a friend living in the place you are travelling to!
8. Feeling fancy and want to spend a little bit more on fine dining? Opt for lunch or early bird sets at a Michelin bib gourmand/star restaurant.
What is a holiday without nice food? For a foodie like me, I will never miss the opportunity to try fancy foods while on holiday. Search for early bird and lunch sets as they tend to be a little more affordable and you will be able to try scrumptious food while on a budget.
Michelin Restaurants do offer set menus that can be as low as 40 pounds in the United Kingdom and 39 euros in the European Union.
I personally tried Maze Grill in London (awarded Michelin Star in 2008, now closed) for 31 pounds and Benoit in Paris (awarded 1 Michelin Star in 2020) for 39 euros.
9. Give and take when travelling to more exotic places.
Travelling to more exotic places and islands can be more expensive due to the limited number of flights there.
But because those places are typically quaint towns, accommodation and food will be cheaper as compared to bustling cities. You can’t really have the best of both worlds sometimes – spend a little more on tickets but much lesser on food and accommodation.
You have to decide which aspect of travelling you value more, especially when you are travelling on a budget.
I ate those in Nice! Look at how big the portions were! But flights can be a little pricey. And the route? Fly to Paris and take a 6hour train!
10. Enjoy Yourself
As students, you will experience stress while studying. Holidays, regardless if you have work due or not, are meant for you to recharge and rejuvenate. Always remember that when you choose to take time off, you should not worry or stress about work but enjoy yourself so that you have the energy to continue on!
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Yu Qing is a Singaporean, currently pursuing her medical degree in the Republic of Ireland, Dublin. She finds interest in travelling as a student, especially around the United Kingdom and European Union. As a student that has been abroad for about 2 years now, she has travelled more than 3-4 times each year.
She manages a film account on Instagram (@35mm.yuqingjteo) where she captures places that she goes to on film. She is a foodie and loves to enjoy life in general but does not life to splurge, hence, always looking for deals that are value for money!
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