By Mac Gilkison

Doing a semester abroad while studying creates many unexpected opportunities for yourself. I have chosen to study at the University of Liverpool in the northwest of England and found that travelling opportunities were much more accessible than I ever thought possible. The UK has a vast railway system that runs like a well oiled machine, making it possible to travel to almost anywhere in Scotland, England and Wales within a few hours. There are apps that help you plan your trips, and with a traincard you can enjoy a 30% discount on every train trip. Most students plan multi-week long international trips out of the country during the easter holidays or after exams, but if you want to explore somewhere new for a weekend the train is the way to go. Popular destinations include Snowdonia, Lake District & Peak District National Parks, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London just to name a few.

Traveling outside of England via plane is also very easy. Using skyscanner it is easy to find deals to European holiday destinations for as little as $60/70 return to places like Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany. Budget airlines such as Ryanair make this possible, but the reason why they can be bought so cheap is because extras cost more, flights only include a small carry on bag so if you want to take luggage with you that can be costly. Most cheap flights are late at night or early in the morning, so if you need accomodation it can be complicated with check in times. European airports are mostly more accessible than ones you would find in New Zealand or Australia however, with decently priced buses or trains fairly frequently.