Travel Neccesities for a Semester in Europe

[mkurtz57]

I'm going to be studying abroad at Regent's College in London this coming fall. The school only has classes four days a week so that we can travel during the three-day weekends. I'm going to be doing the whole cheap flight/hostel thing in as many counties as I can. I was wondering what you would bring with you to make that experience more pleasant. I've heard sleep sacks for the hostels and a good backpack, but I'm sure I'll need more than that. What do you think? Any advice is hugely appriciated.

[kaekae909]

i was in london last spring, and theres a million things you'll need but will forget- so dont worry. i actually found it to be more practical to buy most of the little things over there, but it is super expensive.
most important id say, is you will need a good jacket (or 'jumper' as they say) thats waterproof. it really DOES rain all the time. and good walking shoes; i was in east london ( i dont know exactly where regents college is), and did alot of walking.
as for the traveling, you'll need the 2 things i listed above, plus everything youre gonna need for however long you travel. haha its alot to remember/ pack, but i traveled for 2 months and was alright. i would make a list of everything i needed and then pack, re-pack, and re-re-pack. you wind up picking things you want according to how heavy they are and how they pack vs. how much you really think you need things haha.
as for actually traveling, get a rail pass and work it for all you can. in spain and italy, DO NOT fill in the date of your traveling until they make you because alot of times they forget to check, and SCORE you just got a free day of travel. this doesnt work so well in the northern countries though (like germany, france, austria). and dont get the 15 day pass, i got that and wound up wasting a few days. buy a smaller one and save your days for when you really gotta get somewhere- for short trips, its usually not too expensive to just buy a student ticket.
hmmmm what else.... in london, make sure to go to all the museums you can, theyre all free and totally worth the effort to get to them (especially the tate modern). and take some days and just walk around central london; not going anywhere, just walk and look around. its such a big city, youll see something new everytime. oh, and be sure to go out every night you can and enjoy the beer ! i miss it so.
lemme know if you have any other questions, hope this helps
have fun in london !

[lzickus]

I studied outside of London last winter and it was just fabulous - you're going to love it! Some suggestions:

A small lightweight umbrella, you'll need it. And i'd stick w/a solid colors - You'll stand out like a sore thumb if you have a crazy one.

As far as a bed roll or whatever - i just brought a "quillow" it's a blanket that folds up into a pillow - it was the greatest thing for traveling and easy to pack.

If you have a digital camera be sure and bring lots of memory cards or something to download your pictures. My friend ran out of space in Paris and, not only was it expensive to have someone put them on a CD, when we got back to London and checked the CD the pictures weren't all there!

Rather than packing shorts, pack skirts... they are very versitile and can be worn during the day for touristy stuff and out at night. Also, for clothing, think layers rather than packing lots of clothes. Don't forget sandals for the showers, you never know what you might encounter.

Also, a good travel book is a neccessity - i bought Lonely Planet - Western Europe and loved it. It's about the same price in London as it is at home and weighs a lot so I'd just buy it when you get there. Bring locks for your suitcase.

I got money via ATM during my whole study abroad session but always carried american travelers checks w/me, just in case. Lucky for me because in Rome - my last trip before I came home, the ATM wouldn't give me money - apparently for no reason. I ended up having to exchange my travelers checks (which was expensive) but it was better than being stuck w/no money.

Good Luck and have a safe trip! If you have any other questions just ask!

[ehorntulane]

I studied in London last spring and absolutely loved it. You'll have a blast!

I had five-day weekends every weekend (I know - it's ridiculous!). I travelled like mad. I flew EasyJet and RyanAir everywhere and bought rail tickets as I needed them. I have heard that the rail passes are not the most cost-effective way to go. Tickets are generally cheap anyway, and you can usually get students rates. The rail passes often charge you more, especially for add-ons like Channel tickets, etc.

Book ahead with EasyJet and Ryan Air and you'll get the best deals. I flew for an average of $60-$80 everywhere. The most I paid was $140 for a last minute trip to Nice for Carnival. Get a National Express student pass to save you on bus fares to and from the airport (Luton, Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick). It also saves you on fares around the UK and Europe. Use the student pass twice and it pays for itself.

I used a small carry-on instead of a backpack like I did during my semester in Paris. I thought the carry-on was so much better! First of all, you don't stick out quite so much with basic luggage. Second, you are not carrying all of your stuff on your back! Backpacks are great for long trips (2-6 weeks), but sort of a burden for shorter ones. I brought both with me to London, but only used the carry-on. The longest I was away at once was 2 weeks and I did just fine.

In London, defintiely check out the museums. They're great. I especially loved the British Museum and the Portrait Gallery. Watch your money - the exchange rate is shocking! Be sure to check out The Standard indian restaurant. It's near Queensway in West London. There will probably be a bit of a line, but it's worth every moment and every pound. The Indian food in London cannot be beat!

For day trips in the UK, check out Bath and Oxford. Both beautiful towns within an hour or two of London. I did not make it to Edinburgh, but I have heard incredible things about the city. I went to Dublin and after drinking at the Temple Bar, checking out Trinity and of course, the Guiness Brewery, I was a little bored.

Have fun and write if you have more Q's.
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[Kooky]

I'd suggest that you bring some sort of traveling alarm clock. Some people have them on their cellphones, but if you're not going to have a cellphone while you're there, then having one on a watch or one of those small battery powered ones is a good idea, unless you're just one of those people who can wake up whenever they need to.

I'd also suggest bringing a CD player, or an iPod/MP3 player. It seemed like a lot of travel books suggested that it would just be something else to lug around, but if you're like me and really love music, it's great to have something to listen to on flights and long train rides. Of course, if you're traveling with other people, which you probably will be, you might not need it that often, but there will always be times when you're alone and bored on a bus/train/plane, and you'll wish you had something to listen to. I wish I had brought my iPod!

[kaylynj9]

If you are planning on traveling a lot those weekends, look into Hostel World. It was the best for finding a lot of hostels and allowing the group I went with to agree. If you plan on using them, get the Gold Card. Ten bucks that saves you two each time you use their site. Well worth it if you are there for four months and are going some place once a month if not more. I had to buy a hikers backpack when I got to London, I wish I would have purchsed one in the states, if not borowed one. I would have gone insane if I had to walk up and down all those stairs when I was traveling with a rolling suitcase. The airlines they suggested are great. The prices are low and get you everywhere. I also recomend traveling within the UK. I only got to see London and Canterbury. Two cities out of the entire country, I look back and wish I would have seen more. A digital cam is a must. I didn't take a computer with me so I ended up spending 2 pounds every three weeks to unload my disk at a store then uploaded them onto the internet at school. Boots the chemist and Jessops have cheep prices for that. Travel alarm clock is a must. I got one with army time on it so I could practice. (They don't talk in the same time as we do...) Umbrella and tennies are a must. I took two pairs of tennies and ended sending one pair home because they didn't fit well. Make sure they don't hurt your feet before you pack them. Heels were a pain in the butt. I think they were on my feet twice in the three months I was over there. Banks are good with ATMs. They don't charge you for takign money out, usually its just your home bank that charges. I had $1.50 per withdrawl. Hope this helps a little more!!