Visiting Continental Europe

The UK is a gateway to the rest of Europe.  From here it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to get to other European countries, whether by plane, by ferry or by train through the Channel Tunnel, and city-to-city journeys are generally quick.

There are many discount airfares for students, and your students’ union should be able to tell you about other special student fares. Ask a travel agent for details of inexpensive package tours.

One popular way of travelling around Europe is with an Inter-Rail card, which entitles you to one month’s travel in twenty-four countries. The current price is £265 if you’re under 26 or £379 if you’re older.

Find out more about Inter-Rail.

Before you go

If you decide to leave the UK, remember to look into immigration issues before you go!

1. Check whether you need visas to enter the countries you want to visit.

2. Check that you have the appropriate documents for re-entry into the UK (this will depend on the length of your course in the UK), and have a document with you confirming that you’re a full time student.

3. If you are intending to take a vacation in Europe, and visiting a number of countries outside the UK, you may wish to consider applying for a Schengen visa. This visa allows free movement of a person in ’Schengen space’, that is, you simply apply for one visa that allows travel within all the territories that are currently signed up to this agreement. These are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The UK is not part of the Schengen Agreement. Please contact the embassy of one of the European countries signed up to the agreement for further details.