StudyAbroad.com’s The Globe

There’s been plenty of chatter recently about the inflated cost of studying abroad in Europe. But England, Italy, Spain: they still remain the most desirable destinations. Why wouldn’t you want to study in London or Rome or Sevilla? They are some of the most spectacular places on Earth.

So the solution, then, is to find a study abroad program you can afford. And one of the best ways to ensure that is to find a program with trips and excursions built in.

One example is John Cabot University, a Rome-based school with more than 200 available courses in liberal arts and sciences. This particular university organizes day trips to famous Italian tourist spots and offers lectures by prominent guests in famous courtyards. The school even takes it a step further with wine-tasting seminars and gourmet cooking classes held on the university’s top terrace.

Programs like these are great for a number of reasons. For one, visiting a location with a group and having a tour guide tell you all about it is always more fun and more enriching. But two, if you pay beforehand, through your school, you are paying in U.S. dollars, instead of trying to get a train or cab with euros, which will cost much more.

So when planning to study abroad in Europe, make sure the program you are considering has some great excursions built into the summer, semester, year or whatever. It’s truly one of the best ways to make the most out of your study abroad experience.