Our daughter will be spending next semester studying in Europe. While this is a program through her own college, and she’s been given a packing guide of sorts, it seems pretty bare-bones. I haven’t been able to find a recent thread anywhere here on CC that covers study abroad tips/packing lists (particularly from a parent’s perspective). Would love to hear about any must-haves or must-dos, e.g., the best luggage or backpack or cross-body bag, or the most practical shoes, etc. Good holiday gift ideas as we prep and pack?
I’d also welcome advice re cell phones/SIM cards/data plans and money issues (use of credit card v debit card v cash). And any tips re safety/security? For example, we’ve heard of friends’ kids having their iPhones grabbed right out of their hands, or laptops taken from cafes (thankfully, no harm to the kids) – any special measures we can take beforehand to prevent this (other than commonsense ones) or maybe reduce the hassle of dealing with the aftermath? Is there any extra insurance we should consider for this?
My DD was in the Peace Corp, and my son did a study abroad in London.
Get the lightest weight luggage you can get. There is a firm limit on weight for international baggage. I believe my DD and DS had 40 pounds per bag.
Both got their cell phones in the country where they went.
Less is more. Don't pack one item that is discretionary.
DD never used an ATM or credit card but PC didn't recommend that. Hers was locked in a PC safe.
DS used a B of A ATM card. They had an arrangement with a bank in London and no transaction fees were charged at that ATM. If your kid chooses to use bank cards abroad, make sure you notify the bank...or that won't be a happening!!
If you leave your laptop sitting on a table...it runs the risk of being taken anywhere...even here. If you carry your cell phone in your back pocket...ditto...it can be taken. Kids need to be cautious...and NOT leave their things unattended or within an easy grasp. So teach your kid some "city sense"..,with regard to valuables.
Don't send anything that is valuable that doesn't need to go. So...no jewelry, expensive watches, family heirlooms, etc. just don't send them.
The reason that packing list is bare bones is because probably that is ALL the student needs. What do you NOT see on it that you think your kiddo might need.
My daughter did a study abroad in Denmark and a co-op abroad in Tel Aviv. She traveled a lot of the weekends when she was in Denmark. Here are some suggestions.
She had an unlocked cell phone, so she bough a sim card at her destination.
Get an external battery for the cell phone. They are small and light and critical.
A good, lightweight rain coat - it also doubles as an extra layer.
At least one pair of comfortable, water resistant walking shoes. Try to minimize the number of shoes - which was a challenge for her. Being in Denmark, where it was cold and rainy a lot, she had a pair of good walking boots. I can't remember the brand now.
She used an ATM card and credit card. There are credit cards that don't charge any foreign transaction fees. I think Charles Schwab offers an account that you can withdraw cash from anywhere in the world with no transaction feels.
REI was a good resource for the raincoat and backpack. We have one locally, so she was able to go pick out what she wanted.
A small, high absorbency towel - especially if she'll be traveling and using hostels. In many you need your own towel - this doesn't take much room.
Depending on her program and her plans, make sure your expectations for the study abroad are reasonable. My daughter is an engineering student - taking upper level engineering classes. Her travel definitely got in the way of her study at times - but it was worth it all around and didn't have a negative impact long term.
PM the poster if you want a link to the travel blog
ED
My daughter is heading for London in January. She is taking very little as it is a home stay with a furnished room, with linens and towels. It is suggested that she take a debit card, a credit card, and cash cards (Visa gift card) so that if one method is lost or stolen, she’d have an alternative. I just ordered a credit card on my Chase account ( no foreign transaction fees), just as a back up.
They had a meeting on Saturday with safety experts (FBI, program sponsors, past participants). They suggested not caring passport around, not to have much money on you when traveling. Daughter’s phone is T-mobile which is supposed to work worldwide for no extra charge. She has a raincoat and will search for shoes over the break.
@thumper1 – bare bones in terms of just not being very detailed (not that I have already thought of missing items).
@krnBoston --Thx for the helpful blog link. Travel towel is great idea, and I enjoyed your daughter’s posts re weekend getaway tips (and those sloths!).
And @twoinanddone – adding Visa gift cards to the list! We also added her as an authorized user onto one of our cards with no foreign transaction fees.
A large camping type backpack to use as luggage. A smaller book bag type backpack for carryon and to use for weekend trips, day trips, etc.
A camping towel - lightweight and quick drying.
My kids used their iPhones just for internet and social media abroad using airplane mode (no charges) and bought a cheap throwaway phone and pay as you go minutes for phone. Very cheap option in Europe.
Water bottle.
Little black dress that can be dressed up or down. Also doesn’t show dirt.
And make copies of that passport. Keep this in a safe place. My kids each had a couple of copies with them, plus we had one here just in case we needed it.
Make sure your kid has health insurance. We paid for medivac.
My kids took the sheets and towels on a one way trip…and they left them abroad when they came home.
What you need to/should will depend on what you have now (cell phone provider and credit cards) and where your daughter will be going. We found that cell phones and finances turned out to be much less of an issue than we thought they might be.
Cell Phone
If an iPhone, make sure it is unlocked. There are low-cost month-to-month (i.e. no contract) plans in many European countries that blow the doors off what you can get here in the States. For instance, in France Free Mobile has a no contract 20 Euro (about $21 or $22, depending on the exchange rate) per month plan with unlimited calling to the U.S. and many other countries (yes, that’s right), unlimited calling and text messages in Europe, and lots of data. International text messages to other iPhones are included, and international texts to non-iPhones incur a small charge. There is a monthly allowance for calls and texts when used in other European countries. Online research should provide all the details for whatever country and provider you want to look at. With an unlocked phone, you just need to buy a new SIM card for a few Euros when you sign up for the plan, and swap out for the SIM issued by your U.S. provider. Cancel the European plan and reverse the SIM card process at the end of the semester. One thing we learned is that you still must pay for the line on your U.S. plan, if you want to keep the same number, although you may be able to save a few dollars by doing a “reduce rate suspend” or something similar.
Bank Cards
Make sure any cards to be used in Europe have chip technology and will work with a PIN. You said that you already have a card with no foreign transaction fees, which is step #1. Some U.S. banks have agreements with foreign banks to waive or rebate ATM fees, but good luck getting the details on those arrangements. We were lucky enough to find that BNP Paribas (one of the largest banks in Europe, lots of ATMs) charged no ATM fees, so that was very convenient. As was already mentioned, make sure that your bank knows that a card will be used overseas for an extended period, or you may find that initial transactions are declined until the bank gets the ok.
To add a few things on cell phones: data with Free is unlimited, but it’s throttled after using 50GB/month. We purchased one month of overseas use from our U.S. provider for limited international calls and data, just to use with their SIM card until signing up with an in-country provider, and I think that cost was around $30. The host family had excellent internet, so FaceTime was a standard means of communication, with almost no problems (an occasional freeze up, but little to no lag).
My daughters both did study-abroad programs not in Europe. On the first or second day at their sites, the group went out as a whole and purchased used cellphones. They both took along their phones from home but had them turned off pretty much the entire time they were gone. Each of them had two credit cards, one debit card, and a lot of cash.
Bank cards. Did any of you just send a credit card and have your student withdraw money via ATMs with that (as opposed to a debit card)? Did you find that they used debit cards frequently, eg, in places like restaurants, grocery stores, drugstores? Or mostly cash? Had not thought of sending two credit cards…
@rosered55 – It would make so much sense for the program to have all the kids go together on Day 1 to buy phones or get a local SIM card – I will definitely inquire about that.
I’ve been looking at phone plans abroad and find it all confusing, i.e., how much data is needed (wifi is supposed to be free and reliable), will there be a lot of “roaming” charges when traveling by train, etc. and exploring new places (I’m thinking they don’t carry around the fat orange Let’s Go books I used back in the day). I see various student plans so assume she will start with one of those.
My kids have done both at different times - ATM cards and debit/credit cards used at ATMs. For recent travel, it has been the debit/credit cards because our old traditional bank doesn’t have a chip on their ATM cards. Each family member now has a bank account at Fidelity and it comes with a no fee debit/ATM card that has zero ATM fees domestically or abroad (plus zero account fees and extremely low foreign currency fees.
I say two bring 2 credit cards because one child did have a card eaten by an ATM which left her cashless once. She was able to borrow money from a friend and we had to wire money to pay her friend back which was time consuming and expensive. We learned our lesson about having a backup.
Student had a regular credit card (no foreign transaction fees) and an ATM/debit card, both from the same bank and both with chip/PIN technology. Both were used at various times to get cash at BNP Paribas and other ATMs. There were no ATM fees, but when the credit card was used at an ATM a 3% cash advance fee was charged and interest accrued until the cash advance was paid off.
The credit card was used predominantly (and frequently) for retail purchases, and the ATM/debit card was supposed to be used for ATM withdrawals and as an emergency backup to the credit card. The idea was to have easy and cheap access to cash if necessary, but not to have a lot of cash on hand in order to protect against theft and loss.
Oh, and just like here in the USA, tell your child to use ATMs at banks not in stores, cafe, and other “unofficial” places where the risk of fraud would be greater.
My daughter used her iPhone with a T-mobile plan in Europe and was very happy with it. I remember her saying her phone worked better than a lot of her friends.
I also recommend a fannypack…not for touring around wearing it, but at hostels. It sounds strange, but I had read that the bathrooms at hostels don’t have adequate counter space. She used it as a toiletry bag that allows you to keep your hands free and doesn’t require a hook to hang it. She could put her toothbrush, travel toothpaste, contact case, travel-sized contact solution, mascara, hairbrush, deodorant, etc. in it. She said it was a big winner and a lot of friends wished they had thought of it.
Sufficient prescription and nonprescription medications to last for the entire time abroad. Your insurer will probably agree to pay its usual amount for all the prescription meds even if its general practice is to cover only one month’s or three months’ worth at a time. Also get a letter from the prescribing physician(s) for any meds, for the student to carry with her during flights. She might need it for entering the foreign country.
My D set up a free Travel Blog for her study abroad - and was able to post pictures and stories about what she was doing - while she was doing it. This made it so much easier than Mom and Dad only reaching her via phone calls!
And now that she’s all grown up - and bitten by the travel bug - she still posts to the same travel blog - and we get to see and share her various trips around the world!