As a student, the only thing more exciting than having money in your checking account is going to Europe.

Having lived in Europe for a number of years, here are some tricks I’ve found for making sure you still have a positive balance when you return home to Orlando.

Unless you have military family overseas, have friends in a European country or have work connections, your requirements are pretty simple: flight, train and miscellaneous money.

Fortunately for U. Central Florida students, a direct flight out of Orlando to most European nations will have one layover, followed by a much longer flight. Bring an iPod.

Booking this flight at least six months in advance will save you a hefty amount of cash and provide you with the time to apply for your passport. This first leg, though, is the least of your concerns.

If you were to stay in Europe for two weeks and randomly stay in regular hotels in each country, your final bill would run into the thousands. Playing the lodging game smart has its benefits: miscellaneous money.

We’ll talk about this later.

If you want to enjoy the drinks, food, culture and attractions of Europe, you really have no other way than to pay for them. There are no coupons, free tickets or discount prices.

Absolutely everything is paid for in cash.

Seeing as how you’ll be on the train more than you care to think about, a Eurail pass is ideal for tourists. Eurail.com is the only way to purchase these tickets from the U.S.

According to the website, traveling 15 days within two months of train time on a “Global Pass” will run you 515 Euros, roughly $660. This includes all countries within the European Union and, in the long run, will be incredibly cheaper than buying tickets at the train station.
More information can be found at Eurail.com.

When you’re on that long haul from Berlin to Munich for six hours, get some sleep. If you time it right, you’ll get the rest you need while on the train, giving you time to see the city and saving you the cost of a hostel.

In Munich, you’ll want that extra money for when you visit the Hofbrauhaus. To provide some perspective, the Oktoberfest you’ve seen in movies and on TV shows can be seen here in the fall.

According to a Hofbraeuhaus worker, it is one of the most heavily visited locations in Munich and provides plenty of opportunities for tourists from all over the world to interact.

From there, run over to the hostel you (hopefully) booked months in advance. This shouldn’t cost you more than 30 Euros or about $38 per night.

Obviously, in places such as these, miscellaneous money applies. You’re in Europe, so you need to drink real beer and eat whole foods throughout the day. Powerbars and chips won’t cut it, so when you wake up in the morning, run downstairs to the local bakery and find a decent breakfast.

You’re going to need the fuel and a good pair of shoes because the amount of walking to be done will surprise you.

In Europe, just as anywhere else, there are some free, outdoor gems that can be found.

Some of the most noticeable are Germany’s rubble hills. The most well known of these can be found in Stuttgart, called the Birkenkopf.

After the bombing of the city during World War II, rebuilding efforts forced its residents to pile the rubble into a 1,677-foot hill with a monument placed at its summit.

The path that winds to the top is mostly covered in trees, but once at its summit, pieces of buildings and architecture can be seen.

The view provided by these hills is second-to-none, and its historical significance is invaluable.

Not only do you get away from the expensive cities and bars, but you also experience something very few people have or ever will get a chance to.

Also near Stuttgart, you can find the Mercedes-Benz factory, which builds a majority of the company’s models and provides free tours of its production plant. Entrance and the tour costs 8 Euros, a little more than $10. The same applies to the Porsche museum and factory, provided you pay a nominal fee of 8 Euros.

When you return home to Orlando, people will ask you about the big experiences: the Eiffel Tower, Berlin and Madrid.

What you’ll never forget, though, are the small memories that led to an incredible, affordable and positive trip that will have you returning time and time again, possibly even for a job after graduation.