Longer Trips

One of my readers (Cathy from Montreal) wrote me a letter a few months ago, and said that I should have included a few words for those who are going to Europe for a long while, say for a semester or a year abroad. She was quite right and you may thank her for the following advice:

- For those who are going abroad to live, rather than travel continuously, “travel light” should be modified to something along the lines of “travel smart.” Since you will have a base to store your things, you can bring a bit more stuff, but as always, bring what you need, and need what you bring.

- The normal airline limit of two seventy-pound bags plus carry-on should be enough to last you for quite some time, although if you are bringing books you may need another bag (at a cost of roughly one to two dollars a pound).

- I assume part of the reason you’re going abroad is to get a better understanding of the country you’re visiting. Don’t try to re-create home by bringing it with you. (For example, don’t bother with ten extra bottles of shampoo - Europeans wash their hair too and you’re sure to find a new brand you’ll like.) On the other hand, products like Walkmans, running shoes, cameras, and other consumer goods will cost much more in Europe (not to mention they use different outlets and voltage, discussed on p.69). They will be available of course, but at a stiff price. Bring these with you along with LOTS of film.

- Most European schools that cater to foreign visitors, especially those that specialize in languages, are not exactly bard-nosed about attendance. Most students seem to specialize in “learning by experience,” and much of that “experience” seems to involve cafes, beaches, road-trips, and bars. Bring a daypack to use on those four-day weekend “educational trips.”

- Don’t buy a train pass or bus pass until you know how much traveling you’ll be able to do. If you decide you need one, you can have someone buy you one in your home country and mail it to you.

- Take some time and find the cheapest possible way to call home (more about this in Chapter 10, “Communications”). Don’t use “phone home” services which connect you with an English-speaking operator, such as AT&T USA Direct, on a long-term basis - it’s way too expensive. You will probably find email is the cheapest way to stay in touch as often as you like, varied by the occasional phone call.