Although you can never run out of things to do and places to see in London, as an international student I wanted to make the most of my time here in the UK. Some breaks during term time and between terms give you the perfect opportunity to travel and explore the UK and other neighbouring countries. Here is a list of some of the trips I took outside of London and what I did in each of these places:

Bath

This was a simple day trip to nearby Bath with my friends during our first reading week. We took a short train ride from London to Bath on a weekday and spent a few hours in the lovely city walking around. If you go to Bath, you HAVE to visit the Roman Baths and the Royal Crescent. The city is entirely walkable and there are some lovely restaurants and cafés you can pop into every time you feel like a break. We walked around the city centre a little bit before making a stop at the Pulteney Bridge and the Bath Abbey. If you are a Bridgerton fan you can walk around the neighbourhood where they filmed some of the scenes, see Lady Danbury’s house and the Modiste shop. Overall, this was an easy first trip to take outside of London and catch a break from the busy life in the capital.

Edinburgh

This was a longer trip from London that I took with my friends during the winter break. We went to Edinburgh and Stirling for a total of three days, a week before Christmas. You can take a train or a flight to Edinburgh. We decided to take the latter. We spent our first evening walking around the city and going to the Christmas market. On the second day, we took a trip to Stirling; a lovely town that is about two to three hours away from Edinburgh by train and bus. We were so lucky to see the sunset from Stirling Castle, a view that I will never forget. The next day was spent in Edinburgh, visiting Edinburgh Castle, the St Giles’ Cathedral and walking around the city centre. If you’re a Potterhead make sure to take the Harry Potter tour so you can see some of the inspiration behind characters and places in the books.

Budapest

If you are looking to go outside of the UK for a short break and looking to do it on a student budget then smaller countries like Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia might be good options. During Summer Term, I planned a very short trip to Budapest with my friends, just to catch a break from the exhausting process of writing a dissertation. Our itinerary included the Budapest History Museum, Hungarian Parliament Building, Hungarian National Museum and just walking around the city and the Danube River. Most of your money will be spent on flights and accommodation but if you’re able to afford it, definitely make use of the ease with which you can travel to Europe and the free time you have on your hands before life gets busy again. Make sure you apply for a Schengen visa on time, if you’re an international student.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the mini-trips I took outside of London; they provided a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. Always make sure you’re getting the best deals, travelling safely and making the most of your breaks.