Meet the Go Abroad Team

Spending time abroad during your degree is hands-down one of the most exciting opportunities offered by your university. It can be a daunting thought to study or work abroad, but what you may not know is that there is a group of travel experts here at Aberdeen who are ready and waiting to help you all through the process: The Go Abroad Team!

The team have shared with me their top travel tips and stories that I’m sure will be useful for everyone the next time they go abroad, whether for a holiday or on study abroad. Remember to check out the FCDO travel advice and sign up to email travel alerts before you travel too!

Now let’s meet some of the team: First up we have Go Abroad Manager, Louisa Stratton!

Louisa is from Aberdeen originally but during her time as a student, she studied abroad in France and Germany, and worked abroad in Germany and Switzerland! One of Louisa’s favourite aspects of travel is trying new foods. Her top foodie travel destinations are Taipei, Cagliari, Mumbai, Lisbon, Vancouver and Berlin.

I asked Louisa for her top travel tips and she said: “Always pack essentials in your hand luggage, just in case your baggage doesn’t turn up”. Did you know that if your luggage does go missing, you can claim this back on travel insurance? You can check out advice for taking out travel insurance here.

 More tips from Louisa are:

• Bring a printed copy of your travel itinerary and bookings in case of phone coverage/battery issues
• Plan your route from the airport to your accommodation ahead of time - especially if you need to use public transport
• Be extra careful when travelling alone!

Next up we have Lead Go Abroad Officer, Melanie Viney.

Melanie has many years of experience abroad. Originally from Tasmania, Australia, Melanie has been living in Aberdeen since 2007. Her top three destination recommendations are:

1. Kenya
2. Wilmington, North Carolina
3. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Some advice from Melanie: “Do your research! Be prepared for the culture and environment you’re entering and not just the flights”. It is actually really simple to do this. All you need to do is find your destination on the FCDO’s A-Z Country Guide and check out your destination’s local laws and customs section to be clued up on all you need to bear in mind.

Last, but by no means least, we have Go Abroad Officer, Robyn Crabtree!

Robyn has lived here in Aberdeen for eight years and is originally from Essex. During her degree, she spent some time in Italy and since has travelled widely around Europe and the USA. Whilst Robyn has had great experiences abroad, she has sometimes forgotten to pack items such as charging cables - an easy but costly mistake to make! As such, Robyn said her top travel tip is “I always budget a little extra so I can replace anything that breaks or I’ve forgotten”.

Speaking of money, remember to check the currency used in your destination to avoid any hefty exchange rates! Another tip from Robyn is to pack as light as possible! “There is nothing worse than having to lug a heavy bag around tourist spots on a hot day before you can check into your accommodation and also pack different layers so that you can layer up or down if the weather changes.”

I can say from my own experience that the Go Abroad Team here at the University of Aberdeen are extremely dedicated and helpful to all students interested in spending time abroad. And as you now know, they really are travel experts too! If you have any questions about studying or working abroad you can email the team at studyabroad@abdn.ac.uk. Together with the team’s top tips and FCDO’s travel advice you will be more than prepared for your next trip abroad! For further travel info make sure to follow me on Instagram: @emma_cathro!