<p>I echo comments from Alexandre and others - Europeans aren’t anti-American people, just anti-our government. </p>
<p>I travel a lot, and people all seem very helpful (even the French). The only thing I would mention is to suggest to your son that he and his friends never make critical comments in a foreign country where anyone can possibly hear you. More people in Europe speak English than most Americans ever dream of. I have heard Americans speaking in normal voices about how horrible something is, then complaining loudly when they are suddenly treated badly by the locals. They never seem to make the connection !!</p>
<ol>
<li>Make sure his passport is new or nearly new. You don’t want him to have any extra reasons to go near the US embassy. Remember “they like us, not our government”. Truth be told, sometimes they are not keen on us either, but mostly that is if we differentiate ourselves through our dress or behavior…In reality, no one will know your son is American until he opens his mouth. If he is in a tough spot, he can just keep his mouth closed. Or pretend he is from Canada.</li>
<li>Make sure he has medical evacuation insurance and medical insurance. While the medical care in London/Europe is fine, you never know what might happen and this will give you piece of mind.</li>
<li>Get him an international drivers license, even if he has no plans to drive, just in case.</li>
<li>Have him call or email the US embassy or consulate in each country/city he is going to. Each location keeps a list of US citizens and in case of an emergency, in theory he would be contacted.</li>
<li>Do not use a Visa card for overseas purposes. Compared with other credit cards it is much, much more likely to be misappropriated (This is definitely true in Asia, no reason to think any less true elsewhere).</li>
<li>Do get him a triband phone which will work everwhere, and a multi=plug adaptor.</li>
<li>Get the Lonely Planet guide to Europe. It has the most age-appropriate and finance- appropriate listings for a student and has lots of excellent info about cultural issues as well as being hugely practical. he can tear it as he goes and just carry what he needs.</li>
<li>Review contingency plans with him…what if you are sick/run out of money/etc…</li>
<li>Suggest he befriend kids who are multilingual (European) as this will make his travel life that much more fun, assuming he is not multilingual himself…</li>
</ol>
<p>Can’t imagine that a semester in London would be anything but fabulous, really!!</p>
<p>Robyrm, Europeans do not like or dislike Americans…not any differently than they like or dislike citizens of other countries. If one is civilized, curteous and firm, Europe is not a problem. As far as medicine, European Medicine is excellent. I would not worry about that. Otherwise, your advice is spot on.</p>
<p>With all due respect, Alexandre, it is my experience that people from other countries(including though not exclusively Europeans) are sometimes inclined to dislike even those of us Americans who are courteous, civilized and firm!! On an individual level, once they know you, they may well like you very well- but at first contact, without knowing more than your passport country, a person might actually experience a somewhat negative reaction as a result of being an American.</p>
<p>I have been overseas for 12 years, and the reactions of some Europeans and others in the aftermath of 9/11, for example, was profoundly shocking. It was shocking especially because I see that Europeans know a lot more about America and Americans than we know about them! This is why the reaction was such a disappointment, honestly…</p>
<p>I just think it is overly simplistic to assume that our government can be disliked as much as it is without the slightest bit of that sentiment rubbing off on us as individuals, no matter our personal politics.</p>
<p>I agree about European medicine, but I think any traveler should have evacuation insurance unless they are comfortable with the idea of seeing through even a chronic illness in the location to which they are traveling. It is relatively cheap compared with other costs…</p>
<p>Since I am not American, I do not know how Europeans react to Americans. I do believe that Europeans just people as individuals, not based on their country of citizenship. I do know that over the last 20 years or so, American poltics have hurt its relationship with Europe. Also, in that same period of time, America has been gradually moving to the right whereas Europe has been moving to the left. This fundamental shift has made things difficult…not just politically, but socially too. So I can see how Europeans are a little more skeptical of Americans these days…and vice versa. It is not a one way thing. Americans are also skeptical of Europeans…especially of the French.</p>
<p>I would agree that this is a 2-way street, and complex, and disheartening as well.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, I think the son of the OP would be missing out on a great opportunity if he let these issues stand in his way. They are not omnipresent, just issues that one has to be mindful of and get on with…</p>
<p>OK, Robyn, some of your points are right - some are on the verge of paranoid. As note above my daughter, age 16, spent a good deal of time in Russia this past year, and I was also traveling in Western Europe so I’m speaking from recent experience. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Passport: It doesn’t have to be “new”, but of course it should not be expiring until after the intended date of return + a few months to be on the safe side.</p></li>
<li><p>For Russia: it’s very important to get the visa right - if a visa for Russia expires before the departure date, the visitor will not be able to leave the country without getting a new visa. Russian visas are expensive + tricky; runnersmom’s son might need two separate visa’s for his 2 trips - a multiple entry visa may be hard to get if the son has not finalized plans for St. Petersburg; also anyone staying in Russia for more than 3 months needs an HIV test and certificate of HIV-negative status. </p></li>
<li><p>US Embassies: Unlikely to be a problem in terms of safety to visit either in Russia or western Europe. But I agree that it’s inconvenient to have to deal with replacing a passport. </p></li>
<li><p>Medical insurance & medical evacuation insurance: an absolute must for Russia; probably not particularly important in western Europe or the UK, though of course you should check with your current health insurer concerning coverage. </p></li>
<li><p>Credit cards - Visa – neither I nor my daughter had any problems whatsoever. There are some basic precautions to observe, but I think the main one is to be able to monitor the card closely and be alert to suspicious transactions. You should notify the credit card company in advance of the intended travel – otherwise the company may disallow legitimate charges. Also - ATM/debit cards should be the kind that also carry a credit card logo - without that, the card may not work at many ATM’s. The card should also have a 4-digit PIN – European ATM’s cannot handle longer PINs. </p></li>
<li><p>More on money: I opened an additional bank account for my daughter before she left which was a joint account, linked both to my accounts & ATM cards and to hers. That way, I could add money to her account as needed; she could withdraw when needed while living in Russia. There is no need to carry large amount of cash or traveler’s checks; ATMs are widely available everywhere. But kids should note that there usually is a transaction fee of a few dollars for each ATM withdrawal – my daughter had a tendency to make very frequent, small withdrawals – which was silly & incurred unnecessary fees. </p></li>
<li><p>International drivers card is not necessary in western Europe - though I don’t think having one could hurt. I had to rent a car unexpectedly because of a transit strike - I had no problem doing so with my California license + credit card. </p></li>
<li><p>I agree on the triband phone – but note that if it is GSM service based in the US, then calls local to Europe will be expensive, with long distance & roaming charges added. But text messaging is great – and the phone can always be used for voice calls in emergencies. </p></li>
<li><p>I’m not going to knock The Lonely Planet – but these days the internet is a fantastic source of information. The site hostelworld.com is a great place to book cheap rooms, hostels, or train tickets – just about anything else can be purchased via the internet, too. When my daughter was in St. Petersburg, I purchased event tickets via online booking from home, for my daughter to pick up at the box office – just like Fandango, only it was halfway around the world and I got to select the seat assignment as well. There are web sites with info about current events and attractions for just about any major city.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Calmom,
Gee, I really don’t consider myself paranoid at all, or on the verge of it when it comes to travel. I have traveled more in Asia than Europe of late, however. If I suggest a high state of preparedness it is because of the experiences we have had in terms of medical events(even in countries with great medical care, you might find yourself in a situation where you would rather be at “home” and this can be very costly), passports with less than 6 months on them, Visa theft, etc…etc…</p>
<p>Robyn, I really don’t know about travel in Asia – this thread has been focused more on western Europe, with one parent having questions about Russia. I just think that all things considered, a traveler in Europe is much better off with a credit card than without one, and the same protections & restrictions on liability for stolen cards or fraudulent charges apply no matter where one is traveling. </p>
<p>I seriously doubt that there is any particular danger associated with going “near” a US Embassy or consulate in western Europe. I do believe that there are probably very long lines and a lot of red tape if a passport is lost or needs to be renewed - so just for practical reasons I think that it’s a good idea to have all the paperwork in order. There are also a large number of Americans at any time in any of the larger cities we have been discussing in western Europe - especially at or around the universities where most study abroad programs are located - so I don’t think Americans stand out in any way, unless they act in a way to draw extra attention to themselves.</p>
<p>The biggest problem I ever had in western Europe was pickpockets. On one single trip, I experienced 3 separate attempts ! But if that’s the biggest problem I ever have in Europe, I’ll be happy. To avoid pickpockets - especially since in some cases he’ll be taking all his stuff around with him - I would recommend some of those body belts for the passport, etc. </p>
<p>One interesting thing recently: I have had a higher number of people lately strike up a conversation and ask me what I thought of President Bush, and the war in Iraq. </p>
<p>Most people seem to know right away that I’m American - someone told me it’s the shoes. Have no idea what that means. But I wouldn’t count on blending in. I have listened to many exchanges that Americans have with Europeans and I would just say that if you treat other people with respect, chances are higher they will do the same. </p>
<p>One last thought for your son: Americans who assume that American laws follow them across the water have another think coming. Some countries are tougher than others. Remind him he shouldn’t test them out.</p>
<p>Hayden, I’ve been told it’s the sneakers – apparently Europeans only wear athletic shoes while actually engaging in athletics. I wouldn’t know personally – after being warned of the “shoe” issue, I left my sneakers at home… and my daughter went shoe shopping the first week she arrived. (My daughter is one of these young women who thinks she needs a new pair of shoes every week).</p>
<p>Finally! Someone actually saw that movie! Thanks for the post.</p>
<p>There is a big difference between travelling as a tourist and living in a foreign country. A tourist is unlikely to encounter anti-Americanism. I don’t know an ex-pat who hasn’t encountered some resentment in the past two years. That’s not paranoia, it’s just reality. </p>
<p>As for the embassy dangers in Europe: the US Embassy in London actively discourages citizen visits to their embassy. Instead, they have an elaborate courier system in place. My S used the couriers last year when he had to have pages added to his passport while he was living in London and applying for a Chinese visa.</p>
<ol>
<li> Keep a current passport that will not expire within 6 months.</li>
<li> Pickpockets are a reality in large european cities, on metro, trains etc. Don’t be tired or unalert when on the move.</li>
<li> Always a good idea: wear the “robe” of the country you are visiting or residing in.</li>
<li>I second getting a phone that works everywhere. Son has a phone that works worldwide and we use it in the states when visiting for short, important calls. It isn’t that expensive when used in that manner.</li>
</ol>
<p>I echo the “they’ll know you are American”. It is mainly with the way people dress, & usually with the sneakers. It impacts guys more I think, because they are more likely to wear “jeans & sneaks” as their casual clothes.</p>
<p>I know that twice during my stay in England, after I had gotten a daring, streaked haircut & wearing “nice casual clothes” ( no sneaks or jeans), people with strong, cockney accents asked me for directions in downtown London. I think they were embarrassed when I offered them my well-thumbed London guidebook.</p>
<p>As people have mentioned, beware of crime. Pickpockets esp. when wandering in large crowds, etc. When we travelled as a group, one of us always stayed awake on trains & ferries or coaches, etc. even when on over-night trips to keep an eye on our belongings. Also be alert when sleeping over in a youth hostel, where many times you share the room with many other people. Usually you won’t have any problems, but it might be wise to sleep with money & passport, close to the body in a money belt of some type.</p>
<p>Also watch out for someone approaching you in a crowd & asking questions of you. It can be a distraction that allows their accomplice to pick your pocket. People who visited Rome said you would have women or children approach you to beg, & while you were dealing with that, someone would pick your pocket or someone else’s in your group.</p>
<p>Never lost a wallet or passport during my times in Europe, but an older Frenchman propositioned me in the Jardin de Tuilleries (sp?) to possibly “film” a movie with him!!!? I respectlyfully declined.</p>
<p>Good points. Also I would suggest not checking on your valuables before going into a crowded tourist place. Stand outside Notre Dame, and see how many men reach back, and touch their wallet to make sure it’s there. Anyone watching can just see exactly where the person keeps their wallet ! Nothing like helping the pickpocket. . . . .</p>
<p>Several points - my daughter, who is a sophomore at McGill, spent all of last summer studying Spanish in Cusco, Peru and traveled by herself throughout Peru - no problem.
We have 18-year old kids fighting for us - yes, for us - in Iraq. I wouldn’t be too worried about your son spending time in Europe. And it’s probably not the Europeans he has to worry about there.
Maybe he should be traveling in Eastern Europe - the Poles, the Hungarians, the Ukrainians, the Czechs, etc. actually remember what it was like to live under a totalitarian regime, they remember Ronald Reagan asking Gorbachev to tear down the Wall, they remember Reagan rightly calling the Soviet Union the Evil Empire. Just like the Lebanese, the Iraqis, the Egyptians, and the Syrians will eventually recognize that, as Bush said, “democracy is not foreign to the Arabs”. Let the Europeans have their 11 percent unemployment, their skinheads, their Nazis marching in Dresden.</p>
<p>As a Lebanese citizen, I would have the French and the Lebanese to thank for Lebanon’s future…not the US. I have always blamed the French and the Lebanese for Lebanon’s problems…and if Lebanon were ever fixed, the credit would rightly go to them. </p>
<p>And what defeated communism was communism itself, not the US. The Eastern block simply could not survive in the long run…not while adhering to the principles of Communism.</p>
<p>In Egypt, thousands of martyrs and civil rights activits have been slowly changing the country for the last 2 decades. The US had nothing to do with the change. </p>
<p>Iraq future will indeed be the US’s doing, so in the future, when the Iraqis have a stable, democratic and effective political system (I hope), they will certainly look back to the US.</p>
<p>I find your pratiotism admirable, but bashing Europe is unfair. It is an equally admirable society to the US. Different, yes…but equally admirable.</p>