McKenzie Tate

McKenzie discovered a love for European travel during her semester abroad in Ireland.

Home University: Texas Tech University

Host University: Dublin Institute of Technology

Major: Marketing

How has studying abroad in Ireland been?

Ireland is fantastic! I never want to leave. I am seriously considering looking up the job market here. I have made some really great friends.  My roommates in my apartment are great. We get along really well, so that is definitely a good thing!

Tell me about the travels you've done so far and what you have planned.

I love how much traveling there is to do here!  I was in Cork a couple weekends ago and Galway last weekend. We went to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands. I am going to Amsterdam this weekend and Glasgow in a couple weeks. During Easter break I am going with some friends to trail Italy for a week then to Barcelona for a few days and then London for the last few days of break. We are supposed to have a trip to Belfast soon too hopefully. I have done so much already. 

What travel tips do you have for other study abroad students?

• Always ask around and look online for the cheapest airline. Ryanair is the cheapest here. Make sure you know that it is cheap for a reason and there are limited luggage allowances, etc. For weekend trips this is always the best. I will be going to Italy soon and we are traveling throughout it for a week. We are flying into Rome with Ryanair. We are going to take the train everywhere else and fly out of Venice. Be sure to see if its cheapest to do a one-way like that or do a round-trip.
• Buses are a good way to get around too. They are usually cheaper than the train depending upon how early you book a ticket.
• Hostels are always cheaper than hotels. Hostelbookers.com and Hostelworld.com are the best to look at. You can look at the map view of the hostels on these and see which is closest to the city centre and which is the cheapest. Always check the reviews, though! Try to book hostels in advance because it tends to be easier. Also, on those two websites, you just put 10% down and then pay the rest in cash upon arrival to the hostel. I usually won't pay any more than 25-30 per night for a hostel and 30 is really pushing it. There are nice hostels out there for 20 per night so definitely look around. Don't just pick the first one you see.
• Always check if a towel and linen are provided at the hostel. Most hostels will provide linen, but many only provide towels for a price (usually about 2 euro here). Bring a towel to be on the safe side.