国外冒险:在西班牙的阿利坎特航行

As someone with a grid-like approach to transporting myself from place to place, I’m going to offer a few tips on navigating a foreign city. I 在阿利坎特留学, 西班牙, 所以对于那些要去科斯塔布兰卡的人, there will be some more specific advice toward the end of this post. (Pictured above: Unedited image of a sunset over the Explnada along the 阿利坎特 marina.)

Beginning with your arrival to your apartment and initial city introduction by the on-site staff, noting the surrounding main avenues gives you a good base from which to start exploring. After all, when asking for directions, most will be given based on these. 无论你走到哪里, familiarizing yourself with the street names -- which in 西班牙 are written on tiles on the buildings parallel to the street -- is extremely valuable not just for navigating day-to-day but for if you ever find yourself lost or without a cell phone or map.

One main way by which people give directions and orient themselves is with plazas and recognizable buildings and landmarks. The names of main plazas are important to know in most European cities, since they’re places where you can find public transportation as well as popular restaurants and shopping.

One thing that helped me not only become more accustomed to the layout of my host city but also find cool places I wouldn’t have otherwise wanted to explore was running. 看到更多的城市变得更有效率, and I really enjoyed experiencing how the mood and atmosphere of my area changed depending on the time of day. Even if running isn’t something you typically spend your time doing, a jog through your new home might be something you consider in your first couple weeks there.

阿利坎特的技巧

Public transportation is going to be your best friend in this lovely city as well as those nearby in the province. The CEA on-site staff in 阿利坎特 will give you a transportation card that you will need to refill with trips every week or so, 这取决于你买10个还是30个 viajes (旅行). We’ve done the math; it is not cheaper to buy in bulk, 所以如果你害怕弄丢卡, 一次购买10次旅行可能是你最好的选择. Those trips on that card will allow you to take the tram every day from the city center to San Vicente del Raspeig where the University is located, a 26-minute ride with a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean.

You will also be able to travel to El Campello with those trips, but if you are wanting to travel outside Zone A on Tram Line 1, you will have to purchase a ticket from the same stations for the zone corresponding to your destination. 这是一个非常简单的交通系统, and the maps that the on-site staff will give you have almost all of the information you need to successfully navigate the tram lines for the duration of your time on Costa Blanca. I was able to travel north to Calpe and Altea using only the tram services, and I’d highly recommend going to those destinations at least once while there.

最后, 该卡还将适用于当地公交系统, and one trip within the city is normally the same cost as a trip to the university. There is also a quite reasonably-priced bus system that will take you to many of the cities and towns inside and out of the 阿利坎特 province, 包括埃尔切, 阿雷纳尔斯德尔索尔(阿利坎特南部的海滩), Novelda, Alcoi, 还有更多. I was able to travel to Santa Pola for less than 5 euros for a day trip one weekend.

关于国际旅行计划，我相信你一定有, you’ll be pleased to hear that there is a bus that goes directly between the airport and the city center, making stops near Playa de Postiguet and along Alfonso Sabio, 梅尔卡多所在的主要大道.

最后, I should mention the parking shortage within the city center. 如果你碰巧在当地认识有车的朋友, it’s important to know that the “P” signs that claim parking “自由泳” do not mean that underground parking is free; rather, it signifies that there is vacancy or parking available that is paid for by the hour. Free parking is available on the streets north of Alfonso Sabio as well as near the MARQ tram station on the northeast side of Mount Benacantil and in front of Playa de Postiguet.

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Holly Hiatt是CEA校友大使 在国外学习 在西班牙阿利坎特，在2019年秋季学期. 她目前是洪堡州立大学的一名学生.