How I did it: There were rumors that my department in college was coordinating a trip to England. One of the professors knew a professor at the University of Reading, UK who helped us find a place to stay and plan our itinerary. I got my passport the summer before and I saved up what money I could. I signed the contract and a few weeks later I was on a plane to the UK. We toured London, Oxford, Reading, Bath, and Caerphilly, Wales. While, I didn't really know anyone before we left, I made three fabulous friends on the journey. We experienced a tube strike, walked through parts of London tourists rarely see, got lost, almost got run over by a bus, and grew as people. 

Lessons & tips:

• Take an umbrella. It was unusually sunny when we went, but we always had our umbrellas. I think it kept the rain away.
• Buy a train pass. They seem expensive, but they're worth it. We galavanted all over England and Wales and it would have cost a lot more if we would have had to buy individual tickets. 
• Get a map. I wish we had taken a good one, but luckily our rooms had internet connections.  
• Make a list of priorities and check times and locations. We didn't get to go in the tower of London because we arrived 10 minutes too late for the last tour of the day.   
• Go somewhere unusual. We spent a day in the tiny town of Caerphilly, Wales because we wanted to see a castle. We spent four hours there and it was worth every minute. 
• Exchange some money ahead of time. There are ATMs everywhere, but it takes a while to get oriented.  
• Take some granola bars to tide you over, while you're finding your way around. Food in another country always takes a bit to get used to. 
• Most importantly, relax and enjoy yourself. 

Resources: College, http://www.britrail.com/, and Google

Dec 07, 2008, 01:44PM PST | 2 comments | 2 cheers