Gina Musco has spent most weekends this semester packing and unpacking her suitcase.

The first-year cell and molecular biology major has already traveled to France, England, Portugal, Croatia and Switzerland during her time at N.U.in Ireland — often leaving after her classes on Friday and returning just in time for Monday classes.

But she isn’t done traveling. Before Musco completes her semester abroad and returns home Dec. 21, she plans to add the Netherlands, Austria, Norway and several other countries to her growing list of destinations.

For many students in Northeastern’s N.U.in program, a semester-long program that allows first-year students to spend their first semester at the university abroad, weekend travel is a major, but voluntary, component of their time abroad.

Similar to a traditional study abroad, N.U.in participants attend classes at a host university — this year there are nine — in Europe, making it both cheap and convenient for students to country-hop in their free time.

Chloe Mondi, a second-year journalism and political science combined major who spent her first semester in Berlin, said that travel quickly became an integral part of the N.U.in experience for herself and others.

“The culture is very exploration-based where everyone is constantly traveling to new places whether that be for a short weekend or a longer break,” Mondi said. “It was very common that people traveled to other countries nearby or in different areas of Germany. I’m pretty sure every single person I knew from Berlin traveled at least once.”

Musco echoed her statement, adding that inexpensive transportation costs made intracontinental travel more feasible.

“I had only traveled to Ireland before attending N.U.in. I fully planned to travel a lot once in Ireland though. It would end up being a lot cheaper to travel from Europe to somewhere else in Europe instead of from the United States to Europe,” she said.

Joey Tracht, a second-year communications studies and media and screen studies combined major who studied in Italy last fall, shared a similar mindset. With so many major cities being close by, she felt it was natural to build trips into her time abroad.

“I planned on traveling to other countries while I was there because of how easily accessible they would be,” Tracht said.

While abroad, students learn to manage their own budgets. Gabe Pressman, a first-year international relations and international business combined major studying in Italy, found that simplifying his travel plans and selecting low-cost travel options helped him save money.

“I try to book budget places to stay and budget flights, which mostly leave at 6 a.m,, and, for activities, I focus on must-do things to keep costs low,” he said.

Other cost-saving options include bringing a backpack with the essentials instead of checking a suitcase, as airline baggage fees add up quickly.

For overnight stays, a popular choice for many students is booking an Airbnb and splitting the cost with friends. Other cheap options include hostels or staying with family or friends.

Mondi estimated that an Airbnb usually costs around $200 per person for the entire stay, with additional travel and food expenses at around $80 to $100.

To plan these trips, students said they use travel apps such as Google Flights, Sky Scanner and eDreams, which find the cheapest flight options for the input destination and dates. For many students, Ryanair is the go-to airline, offering some of the cheapest flights across Europe — often for less than the cost of a meal on board.

For Pressman, online resources played a big role in his travel research.

“To plan the trips, I research online, use AI tools and consult travel blogs to help decide what I want to see,” he said.

Despite the fast-paced nature of weekend travel, many students say it ultimately enriches their experience in their host country.

“I think traveling really enhanced my experience in Ireland. I not only was able to come back from a trip and appreciate the culture and life that I’ve made for myself in Ireland, but also be able to reset from the culture shock of traveling,” Musco said.

For some students, like second-year biochemistry major Karla Nighbert, the constant movement between countries raised questions about safety, especially for those traveling alone for the first time.

“Be smart when traveling,” Nighbert, who spent her first year in the London Scholars program, said. “Be aware that pickpockets exist, and if you are staying in a hostel, bring a lock for the lockers and do not leave valuables lying around.”

To support students who travel independently, N.U.in has its own safety system in place. Before leaving the host country, students must submit a Personal Travel Form at least two weeks in advance, detailing where they are staying, when they will be in transit, who they are traveling with and their full itinerary.

Before booking any flights, students are expected to look at Northeastern’s high-risk destination list on the Global Safety website to make sure they are traveling to an approved country. Travel to countries on the high-risk list is restricted, and students must receive prior approval for all trips, including travel to visit family members, to the places on the list.

For U.S. students, the university also encourages enrollment in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which helps the State Department locate and assist citizens in emergency situations.

After navigating everything from flight deals to safety, many students say traveling while at N.U.in has ultimately made them more confident travelers, and they hope future participants take advantage of the same opportunities.

Mondi had never been outside of the country by herself before, but as time passed during her semester abroad, she learned to navigate everything from airports to hotels.

“I became super independent and really learned how to do things by myself and trust my gut,” she said.

For those planning to participate in N.U.in in the future, past and current students gave consistent advice: Take the opportunity to travel while you have it.

“It’s going to be a lot cheaper than coming to Europe over the summer,” Pressman said. “Do cool things, plan trips you want to do and don’t leave with any regrets.”

Musco offered similar advice, urging students to not overthink their travel plans.

“Book the trip,” she said. “There’s not going to be another time in your life where [you’ll] be able to travel the world for pretty cheap with your friends. Take the jump and do it.”

*Chloe Mondi is a correspondent for The Huntington News. *