Travelling in Europe – a practical guide for students

Within the Schengen area you normally cross borders without checks, but you still need a valid ID card or passport with you. Visitors from outside the EU now give fingerprints and a photo at the border (EES), and an online travel authorisation (ETIAS, €20) is coming. Here is what to carry.

Trains, long-distance buses and flights all come with EU passenger rights: money back or compensation when you are delayed, and help while you wait. Young people under 28 get cheaper Interrail passes. A quick guide to getting around Europe and claiming what you are owed.

The euro is used in 21 EU countries – Bulgaria joined on 1 January 2026. Paying or withdrawing euros in another EU country costs the same as at home, and shops cannot add a surcharge for card payments. What to watch out for in countries with their own currency.

With "roam like at home" you call, text and use mobile data in other EU countries at your domestic price – also in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine. Where roaming is not free, how fair-use limits work, the free emergency number 112 and a few words in local languages.

The free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives you public healthcare in other EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland on the same terms as local people. It does not cover private doctors, rescue or the trip home – that is what travel insurance is for.

Between EU countries you can take home whatever you buy for your own use – VAT is already paid. Coming back from outside the EU, duty-free limits apply: €430 by plane or ship, €300 by land, plus limits for alcohol and tobacco. Your consumer rights when you shop abroad or online.

Two European Capitals of Culture every year – Oulu and Trenčín in 2026, Liepāja and Évora in 2027 – festivals, free or cheap museums for under-26s and the European Youth Card with over 25,000 discounts. Ideas for what to see and do in Europe on a student budget.

The EU has three time zones, and clocks still change twice a year: in 2026 they go back one hour on 25 October, and in 2027 they go forward on 28 March. Which countries are one hour ahead or behind – handy when you catch a train or a flight.

To travel with a dog, cat or ferret in the EU you need a European pet passport from a vet, a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination – done at least 21 days before the trip. Dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland also need a tapeworm treatment.

Dial 112 for free in any EU country. Report a theft to the police, block your cards at once and contact your embassy if your passport is gone – outside the EU, any EU country’s embassy can help if yours is not there. How to complain about a delayed train, flight or a faulty purchase.