Independent Travel

Use your passport. A lot.

It’s Friday afternoon. You and your roommate are going to do some on-site research in Rome. (Art History exam Tuesday.) But the choices are endless: 50 miles away, Milan. Four hours: Florence, Venice. Overnight train to Munich, Vienna, Paris. Then again there’s Eastern Europe. New faces. New music. New clubs. Exhibitions. Demonstrations. Changing politics. Languages to be learned. You need to be there. And one of the best things about attending Franklin College is that you can.

So how best to get around? The International Student Identity Card, available at the Office of Student Affairs, will help you obtain student discounts while traveling in Europe. Additionally, the following passes allow you unlimited travel on most of Europe's rail systems at a flat fee:

1) Eurail Youthpass - This pass is purchased in the US. The Eurail Youthpass is valid for 2 months and entitles you to unlimited 2nd-Class travel in 16 European countries. You must be under 26 years of age. Applications should be addressed to: Student Travel Services 205 east 42nd Street New York, NY 10017

2) Inter-Rail Pass - This pass is purchased at European railway stations and is valid for a one or two month period. You must be under 25 years of age. The pass allows unlimited 2nd-Class travel in European countries, plus Morocco. The Pass is not valid for the country in which you purchase your pass, but it does allow you to travel within that country for half fare. It is wise to purchase the Inter-Rail Pass in a very small country, e.g. Luxembourg, or in a country in which you do not plan to do much traveling.

3) Swiss Half Price Rail Pass - This pass is purchased at any Swiss railway station and is valid for one year. It allows travel at half the normal price of any journey within Switzerland either in first or second class. This pass also entitles you to travel on yellow PTT buses at half price and at a reduced rate on some of the funicular railways.

4) Air Travel. Easy connections from Lugano as well as Milan; Malpensa or Linate allow student for easy and affordable travel within Europe.

See the Swiss Rail Timetable or visit the Swiss Tourism Board Now start packing.