5 Countries In 11 Days: Europe Edition

Author: Lauren Whooley (Class of 2025)

Hi there!
Studying abroad in Florence was one of the best experiences of my life, but the highlight of my semester was our 11-day spring break. My Brothers Merari Roque, Colby Snow, Izzy Marone, and two other friends and I decided to see how many places we could pack into just eleven days!

​With only one backpack each and a strict study abroad budget, we set off to explore five amazing countries: England (London), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), Finland (Rovaniemi), Belgium (Brussels), and France (Paris). If you’re thinking about planning your own European adventure, here’s some insight into our trip and some tips to help you do the same

Step 1: Planning
When you have the freedom and ability to explore so many incredible cities, it is essential to plan out your itinerary carefully. As a group, we came together with our individual wish lists of destinations and experiences, then mapped out our route based on feasibility, travel time, and budget constraints.
Top things to consider

• Prioritize destinations: Identify the must-visit spots for each person and try to balance those with realistic travel times
• Set a group budget: Establish a clear budget for accommodation, food, transport, and excursions. Using apps like Splitwise can help with expenses if one person has to put a card down. (We did not end up doing this for this trip, but I used it with another group later on and found it very helpful)
• Book early: We booked flights, buses, and housing in advance to save money and ensure we all made it on the same transportation (Hostelworld, Skyscanner, and Trainline are lifesavers)

For us, we specifically wanted to plan our trip around seeing the northern lights, so we needed to figure out the best way to get to Rovaniemi, Finland. From here we were able to find affordable flights from Brussels, which allowed us to piece together the rest of our itinerary seamlessly

Step 2: Packing
Part 1: Pick the Right Backpack: I recommend something that opens from the front rather than the top for easier access. Also, make sure it will fit within the budget airline size guidelines. This is my backpack recommendation (affordable & comes with organizers too!)

Part 2: Layer Strategically:

• Base layers (thermal tops, leggings)
• Mid-layers (crewnecks, sweaters)
• Outer layer (warm jacket)
• Winter accessories: hat, gloves, scarf

Part 3: Pack a Capsule Wardrobe:

• Shoes (I recommend one nicer pair and one comfy walking pair)
• Pack more base layers, but rewear your outer layers
• Wear your bulkiest items (boots, coat) on travel days

​
*We booked hostels except for Finland, so having an Airbnb halfway through let us all do laundry to reset for the rest of the trip)* - Highly recommend 
​
 Part 4: Smart Extras: Medicine, power bank, and travel adapter

Additional tip: If you plan to shop during a long trip and do not want to bring just a backpack, purchase your extra bags when buying your ticket to avoid extra fees. These airlines will try to charge you for anything.

The Trip
Day 1 - 3 (London)
Day 3 - 4  (Amsterdam)
Day 5 (transportation to Brussels and Finland)
Day 6 - 8 (Finland)
Day 9 (Brussels)
​Day 10 - 11 (Paris)

London 
London is my favorite city in the world. It has such a rich history and endless things to do. On this trip, we packed in as much as we could: walking around the city, seeing Big Ben and Tower Bridge, shopping at Piccadilly Circus, trying food at Borough Market, watching the Changing of the Guard, and an evening at the Sky Garden. We even went to high tea, which was such a fun and classic London experience. We also ran into Diego, who was also traveling here! That’s honestly one of my favorite things about studying abroad, getting to share these amazing places with all your friends- it makes the world feel so small.

Amsterdam
Amsterdam was such a cool city to explore, even though the weather didn’t exactly cooperate. It poured rain for most of the day, but we didn’t let that stop us from making the most of it. We did two days of sightseeing, including walking through canals and taking in the architecture, and tried traditional Dutch pancakes and frites—which were absolutely delicious (two of my favorite foods I tried abroad).

Finland
The Arctic Circle is seriously the coolest place ever—literally and figuratively! Finland wasn’t just the best part of this trip; it’s honestly one of my favorite places I’ve ever been. If you ever get the chance to go, do it—you won’t regret it!
We planned our entire trip around seeing the Northern Lights, but when we got to Finland, our 8-hour lights tour was canceled because there was 0% visibility. While it was disappointing, we didn’t let it ruin our time. Instead, we made the most of it and had the most incredible experiences: visiting Santa Claus Village (yes, the real-life North Pole!), meeting reindeer at a reindeer farm, and snowmobiling through the Arctic wilderness. Fun fact: we now have reindeer licenses valid in Lapland until 2029. And here’s another fun one—there are more reindeer than people in Lapland!
What made the trip even more special were the people. We got to talk to so many locals from Lapland about their lives growing up there, and they were all so kind and welcoming. Hearing their stories made the experience even more unique and memorable. Finland is such an amazing place, and I can’t wait to go back someday!

Brussels
We spent one day in Brussels, and honestly, it felt like enough time to see what we wanted. The city is very pretty, and the Grand Place was absolutely stunning—definitely worth a visit. While we didn’t feel like there was much more to do, it was a nice stop on our trip.

Paris
Anything under 48 hours in Paris is simply not enough. If I could go back and change anything about the trip it would be less time in Brussels and more time in Paris. Paris has so many things to do/see. Some of us focused on visiting museums, while others spent the day sightseeing around the city. Seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night was unforgettable. I was able to run into my neighbor from home who was also studying abroad! Another small world moment!

Thanks for following along and happy traveling!

Lauren Whooley