Travel tips

There are a few major things that you should know when traveling outside the country:

1. Flight arrangements

Cheap travel arrangement companies:

• WhichBudget
• Orbitz
• Travelocity
• Expedia

Travel agent

• Pricier, but comes with added comfort of not having to deal with everything yourself.

2. Travel documentation

Passports

• Make sure you have a current passport for international travel.

Visas

• If your passport is not at least 6 months away from expiration you cannot get a visa.
• Check the consulate website for the country you are visiting for complete details on which visa to get and how to do so.
• Remember that without the appropriate visa you cannot work legally in the country you are visiting.

3. Insurance arrangements/medical arrangements

Health is governmentally provided throughout most of Europe. You should make sure you know the status of the country you are visiting.

Be prepared to augment the local health services with insurance, etc. that you can purchase.

Check local diseases for necessary vaccinations, precautionary measures.

• Go to a local travel clinic to find out what is needed and get the vaccinations (Travel clinics often have more up-to-date information about necessary vaccinations than doctors do).

Don't be afraid to do your own searching (Google/Yahoo/etc.)

Some examples for places to get traveler's insurance:.

• Coverage for travelers from many countries for international travel: Worldnomads
• Coverage for global travelers from any country: Transglobal-Travel
• Comparison of many different travel insurance options: MoneySupermarket
• Medexassist
• Travelguard

4. Lodging

This section truly depends on your program and on the period of time you intend to be in a foreign country. Make sure to do your own research.

Host Families

• This is the best option of all for travel, especially if traveling for the purpose of language studies.
• Hardest to set up, generally program-specific.

Hostels

• Good for cheap accommodation and can be found throughout Europe if you do a little research.
• Hostelworld
• Hostel

Bed and Breakfast

• Not overly expensive and ok for most durations.

Hotels

• Only a real option for short-term stay as they can become very expensive very quickly.

Apartment/Rented lodgings

• Good option for long-term stay, but also can become expensive.

5. Read about the country in advance for a general feel

Buy a guide to the area from your local bookstore. They shouldn't be hard to find.

US governmental overview of countries - shows governmental notices as per local diseases, unrest, etc. Travel.State.gov

Incredibly useful overview of countries complete with all necessary travel information including: Basic country overview, Tourist sites, Important notices for travel purposes, Passport/Visa information, Currency information, Much more. Worldtravelguide

6. Packing tips

Pack light

• You don't want to be carrying around more than you need.
• If you need something, you can always buy it there.

Check the airline baggage restrictions before travel

• There ARE airline restrictions on weight and size of bags.
• You don't want to be caught unawares and with too much/too heavy baggage.
• Options for extra/overweight baggage are to pay for extra baggage or send the bags unaccompanied. Check the airline details.

SECURITY TIPS: (basic but incredibly useful and they apply both ON and OFF the plane)

• Always pack your own bags.
• Never let your bags out of your sight.
• Keep valuables in the bottom of larger pockets, not in external pockets that are easy to access.

Remember to check if you will need a converter for your electronics when you go to the other country. Not all countries are the same. Voltage may also be different so make sure to take this into account. For computers this will almost certainly not be a problem, but items like hair dryers may be problematic.

7. Tips for once in the foreign country

Telephones

• Calling cards. Very useful for calling back to your home country, but not very useful otherwise
• SIM cards. Requires an unlocked phone but is probably the best option. You can often purchase a phone and a pre-paid SIM card together for a relatively low price. Incoming calls are free in many countries.
• Calling codes. There are specific codes that must be added to a telephone number when dialing internationally - you can find these codes online: 1areacodescountrycodes

Food

• Try eating the local food. Be adventurous! It is usually very good and in some cases it is cheaper and/or of higher quality than imitations of what you're used to.

Money

• Travelers Checks. While a viable option, travelers checks add an extra degree of difficulty in usage and are not the easiest option.
• Credit Card. Simple, fast, and universal. These are great for traveling. Credit Cards however cannot be used in some locations in Europe as the banks demand a certain percentage. They are best used for larger purchases.
• Cash - ATM Card. Try to avoid changing money. It is cheaper and easier to simply make withdrawals with an ATM card. Always keep some cash on you, it is the easiest way to purchase anything you need and it is universally accepted.
• Checks. Only really used with any frequency inside the US. Do not try to use them. Stick to cash or credit card.

          Currency Conversion website: XE.com

Clothing

• Check the weather for while you are there: Weather.com (Pack raingear and clothing as is appropriate to the climate)
• Laundry. Make sure you know how you are going to do your laundry. Take clothes that require less care to eliminate hassle.

Electronics

• As mentioned earlier, remember your adapters. If you ever need help working out which is the correct adapter, ask for help.
• Many of the restrictions change depending on country, not just the power source: Videos, DVDs, etc.

Public Transportation. Make sure to do some research to check what method of public transportation is best in your destination.

• Buses. Very reliable, frequent, and widespread in Europe. Great for short-distance travel no matter where you are in Europe and at times the best choice for long-distance as well.
• Trains. For long-distance travel in Europe (other than by plane), trains are often the easiest route. They are relatively cheap, fast, and reliable.

Cars - a couple things to know for those who aren't accustomed to Europe.

• Gasoline in Europe is very expensive so using your own personal car is often not worth the price.
• Most cars in Europe are manual transmissions, not automatic.don't make the mistake of thinking you can drive them if you haven't learned how.
• Parking in Europe is heavily parallel parking and in very tight spaces. It isn't easy to do.

Measurements Not all countries use the same measurements. For reference:

• 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
• 2.54 centimeters = 1 inch
• 1 kilometer = .62 miles
• .94 liters = 1 quart

Internet

• There are easily accessed Internet cafes all over Europe which you can use usually for a small fee.
• Don't be afraid when you see a keyboard you don't recognize. Most countries have their own keyboards to aid in typing in their language.

Talking to people

• Often, you will be able to find people who do speak English, but remember that is not a guaranteed.
• Be courteous and ask for help, someone will help you.
• The police forces/hospitals/other national services will have basic English knowledge, but there are no guarantees beyond that.
• Judiciary processes also take longer. This extends from law suits to traffic violations.

Important points about the EU in specific.

• For general information about traveling in Europe go to: Europa.eu
• The inter-country boundaries are not as tough to cross as people are able to move between countries freely.
• The EU has its own currency, the Euro. You can find more about which countries use the Euro here: Europa.eu (Money)
• 112 is the emergency number to dial in Europe.
• In the EU the attempt is to lessen the presence of borders and make it more like one nation with individual states. Travel, work, etc. are not hindered as badly.