European Travel Tips
Train Travel and the Eurail Pass
A recent survey of former castle students revealed that students traveled, on average, to nine countries during their semester abroad.
Before deciding on whether to purchase a Eurail pass, you first need to decide what kind of traveling you want to do. If you do not purchase a rail pass, you may still have train costs associated with your time in Europe. Many destinations you may want to visit are not accessible by air. This is why you need to think about what mode of transportation best suits your travel style and budget. We found that 87 percent of castle students do NOT purchase a Eurail Pass.
Most students who purchased a Eurail Pass chose the Flexi Pass, 10 days of train travel within 2 months, and the Select Pass 3–5 countries. Prices for the Eurail Pass vary, depending on which type of pass you select, your age, how many countries or regions you would travel by rail, and which class of travel you prefer. For more information on rail passes, take a look at the Rail Europe website.
The Kasteel Well Office of Student Affairs and the External Programs Office have prepared a booklet called Traveling in Europe that details the pros and cons of purchasing rail passes, travel to/from various EU airports, public transportation in The Netherlands, and how to book international train tickets. Please read this document.
As a non-European citizen, it is possible to buy the pass in Europe from the Eurail website or at select train stations. However, prices are about 20 percent higher than in the United States and not all types of passes are available for sale in Europe! If you purchase online in Europe, it will be shipped to your address in Europe.
Train Travel Apps For Your iPhone or iPad
There is a handy app you can download that has the best European timetable for trains: DB Bahn
Travel Facts
- The nearest train stations to the castle are Venlo (30 minutes by bus) and Nijmegen (one hour by bus). These two train stations offer direct connections to international destinations.
- The small train station at Venray (15 minutes by bus from the castle) has direct connections to destinations within The Netherlands only.
- Buses don’t run all night. If participants miss the last bus from the train station to Well, they are faced with an expensive taxi ride (€80 in some cases).
- If participants travel by air within Europe and they miss their flight, they often have to buy a new ticket.
- You will need to carry your passport with you while traveling.
- Düsseldorf Weeze Niederrhein Airport (NRN) is a regional airport approximately 20 minutes by car from Kasteel Well, and should not be confused with Düsseldorf International Airport (more than one hour by car from the castle.)
At nearby Weeze Niederrhein Airport, several airlines fly to different European cities. Kasteel Well has an agreement with a local taxi service to transport students to Airport Weeze for approximately €35 for one to four passengers.
View Directions to Airport Weeze in a larger map
Travel Considerations
- Decide what kind of experience you want to have and how you plan to see Europe.
- 90 percent of students travel in groups. Plan to talk to other students about planning trips together before you leave for the castle.
- Make your weekend and excursion travel plans early. The earlier you plan your trips and buy your tickets, the cheaper it will be. Book at least three weeks in advance to get the best price.
- You will usually need to spend extra time and money taking the bus/subway from the Ryan Air hub airport to the city center you are trying to get to. Keep this in mind when planning your budget.
Youth Hostels
83 percent of castle students book hostels for their independent travels. 13 percent book apartments to rent. We recommend doing lots of research including:
- reading the hostelworld sidebar
- reading the reviews (check the average scores)
- checking the age limits
- checking the comments
- looking at the photos
- checking the location: hostels near the city center will save on transportation costs and be closer to the attractions you want to see
- checking the price range
Remember, buses, subways, and taxis can really add up! You should look for hostels that offer free amenities such as Wi-Fi, pillows, sheets and towels, lockers, etc. Some hostels will even offer free dinner. You can rent private rooms for your group and there are even some hostels with ”apartments” for rent. Make sure you take down the hostel info, detailed directions, map, and registration information before you go.
You can visit the websites listed below. Castle students recommend these websites for finding and booking accommodation:
Culture Shock
Culture is a system of norms, notions, values, and standards. It influences behavior, attitudes, and perception. Everyone sees the world through his or her own "cultural glasses." Studying in a different country is an exciting challenge, but it can also be a stressful experience. Almost everyone experiences "culture shock" to some degree. Culture shock includes the shock of a new unfamiliar environment, meeting people who speak a foreign language, and finding out that things are done differently.
Symptoms may be both physical and psychological: feelings of sadness, loneliness, insomnia or the desire to sleep a lot, feeling vulnerable, angry, etc.
People who are experiencing culture shock complain about all aspects of life: the food, the weather, the people, and idealize their own home country. People often do not fully understand culture shock until they return home, when they start to see their own country from a new perspective. The process of adaptation to a new environment has clear stages, which last different lengths of time for each of us.
| Stage 1: | Excitement | Everything is new. You find everything interesting and people seem to be friendly. |
| Stage 2: | Crisis | Everything is difficult and confusing. You feel homesick and isolated and complain about the new country. |
| Stage 3: | Adjustment | You feel more confident and relaxed. Customs and traditions become clearer; the culture in general seems more familiar. |
| Final Stage: | Integration | You have recognized that the new culture has much to offer. You find differences valuable and important. |
Keep in mind that culture shock is a normal and temporary experience. Try to ease the grip of your own culture and adjust to the new one you are experiencing. It is necessary to sacrifice some part of yourself to cultural adjustment when you travel outside of your own country. You can't expand your mind if you remain unreceptive and trapped in your own cultural bubble.
To help minimize the effects of culture shock, you should obtain as much information about the countries you wish to visit ahead of time. Learn as much about the people, the culture, and history as possible.
Train travel in Europe
View of Florence (Firenze)
