Travelling to Prague - Not a want but a need

If you are considering studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, I highly recommend you place it at the top of your list. Many people oust it because they think they want the popular hot spots like Rome or Paris, but I strongly disagree. While these places are fine cities, they aren't as livable as Prague is (plus, Prague is waaaaay cheaper). Many people don't even know where Prague is, and this is why I debated sticking with it. I also had the mindset of wanting to go to a tourist hot spot city, and thought Prague was random and ultimately wouldn't be that fun. I was wrong. Choosing Prague was the best choice I could have made for several reasons.

Like I mentioned earlier, Prague is cheap. Very cheap. Of course no one chooses to go somewhere strictly on how expensive or inexpensive their grocery bill will be, but given the costs of studying abroad, it really is a nice bonus. Another way it's cheap is by its traveling costs. The Czech Republic is very centrally located and landlocked, making it inexpensive and very affordable to travel to surrounding and close countries. Though bus rides tend to get lengthy and uncomfortable, you can travel to almost any European country by bus for dirt cheap (this is the way to go. You will soon realize that 14 hours on a bus is nothing).

Another reason Prague is great is because of it's sheer size. Prague has a population of 1.2 million. This means that there is always lots to do. And since everything is so cheap, you can afford to do more for less. Given the size, you would imagine you would feel unsafe. I had one encounter that I was uneasy about, but other than that I never felt unsafe, even when I was alone in the city. Leah, our coordinator for the CISabroad program, was another reason I never felt unsafe. She was such a great guide and made sure that we always had access to her if we needed anything, and she showed us around and made us feel at home. Safety is an important factor when choosing where to live, and it also helps put your parents at ease. Prague is overall a very safe city.

Finally, Prague is a beautiful city. It's landscape is something I never grew tired of, and still miss to this day. The city is so beautiful, and my friends and I would often walk around just to explore and find beautiful new places. We could spend an entire Saturday walking around the city with no plans in mind. We were still tourists after months of living there, and it always seemed just as beautiful as the first day we arrived.

For all of these reasons and so many more, I hope that you choose Prague and fall in love with it like I did. Studying abroad was the best experience of my life, and if I could do it again I would in a heartbeat. I fell in love with the city and Europe itself so much that I am choosing to go back next year, and hope to someday work there. Wherever you choose to go, you will surely love it, but Prague is a definite recommendation.