Traveling within Europe is much easier, cheaper, and faster than traveling from the US to Europe. Flights tend to be much cheaper and accessible, but there are also busses and trains that are affordable and make travel easy both within and among countries. I have had the privilege of taking 3 excursions with my program to Cordoba and Granada, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal. Each excursion has allowed me to experience different cities and see many amazing things, such as the Alhambra and different mosques.
I have also been able to take a few independent trips along with one of my friends. We have had a few longs weekends and 2 full weeks of holidays that have given us the time to travel without missing class. Our first trip was to Rome where we spent 3 days, and then a few weeks later to Zurich, Switzerland and Munich, Germany over a 5 day weekend. Our first holiday week, we were able to go to Paris, France where we spent 5 amazing days and got to see places like the Eiffel Tower, Disneyland Paris, Palace of Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre. Our second holiday week, we went to London, UK and Dublin, Ireland for 5 days and saw places like the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the Cliffs of Moher. All of these trips were amazing and allowed me to experience so many beautiful and wonderful things! I hope to take at least one more small trip to the coastal region of Spain to see the ocean before I leave.
To maximize costs and experiences, it would be helpful to create a budget and set certain travel costs (such as flights and trains) that you are unwilling to go above. Additionally, hostiles or Airbnbs split among a big group of students are a good way to save money on housing expenses. Most attractions within cities offer free or discounted admission to EU students aging 18-25 years old, so make sure to show them your student visa at the ticket office to get this major cost saver!