Lindsay Strong is a student at Creighton University and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is currently studying abroad with ISA in London, England.
Because of the way my timetable worked out for the semester I didn’t have the opportunity to travel to different countries on the weekends like some of the other students in the program. At first I was a little bummed, but when I realized I would be able to visit these countries over my holiday break I decided I would make the most of my weekends and take day trips from London to see more of England.
- Go on the ISA excursions
Especially because they are included in your program price! I have been able to see a lot of England through the excursions and get access to places I may have not known about otherwise.
On the ISA excursion to Windsor, my flatmates and I were able to take pictures next to a guard! - Plan early
As with most travel, the earlier you plan the more money you save. The train is a great option for trips but don’t forget to look at coach companies as well. My flatmates and I were able to book a roundtrip journey to Oxford for less than £10 using MegaBus! - Search for local activities
Since these trips are only intended for a short time, you want to make sure you get the most out of your time there. I like to use TripAdvisor and Pinterest for ideas of what people like to do when the visit the town.
For less than a fiver, you can climb the church tower at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford and get spectacular views of the city. - Go explore
When I visited Cambridge, all I did for planning was look at the top 30 attractions on TripAdvisor for an idea of what people do in the town. After my flatmate and I arrived in the town, we started to wander around the city and ran into most of these attractions at some point during the day. It is nice to have an idea of what there is to do in the town and you will find the trips are far more relaxing if you don’t cram your schedule but just have an idea of things to do.
Wandering around in Cambridge brought me to the backs where you can go punting on the river - Don’t be afraid to go on your own
It may seem daunting to do things on your own, but don’t let that stop you. In Oxford, I decided to walk around and do things that were interesting to me on my own and then met up with my flatmates for lunch and dinner. By doing this, I was able to see things that interested me and did not hold my flatmates back from what they wanted to see.
Want to read more about London? Check out “5 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your First 2 Weeks in London”