PACKING TIPS that may just save your life.

Before leaving for Spain I probably spent HOURS adding things, removing things, panicking, shopping, and waking up in the middle of the night wondering what the heck else I could shove in my 1 suitcase for 5 months abroad in a different country. Of course theres never a right way to pack, but shortly after arriving here there were sooo many that I wish I had packed or left.  Boy, did I wish I would have read a blog telling me helpful hints on what to pack. Don't worry folks, I'M HERE FOR YA.

Here's a list of the tips that I know now, that I wish I knew before:

















OVERPACKING: First of all, remember not to stress out over packing too much. Whatever you don't bring you can usually always buy in the country you go to. I can't tell you how much I brought & seriously never used. Especially with clothes & accessories. If anything, you'll find that Primark is sooo flipping cheap & you'll wanna buy tons of clothes there to bring back home with you. 


SHOES: 1 pair of hiking shoes, 1 pair of regular tennis shoes, 1 pair of nice dressy shoes, and maybe some boots for winter is the ideal. You could pack a ton of fancy shoes to keep up with the fashionistas of Europe, but ill tell ya now, while traveling, you're gonna pick Nikes over cute shoes any day of the week.

PLASTIC BAGGIES: Can someone please tell me why it's so hard to find zip lock baggies in Europe?! Pack a box of those in your suit case and you'll be glad you did. Or you could be like me and carry your trail mix, snacks, and toiletries around in the thin little "fruit holder" bags you find in grocery stores.

FOR GIRLS: Make sure you pack a decent amount of lady products. Some of the options offered in Europe are a little scarce, and its just a good thing to have decent supply of those anyways. 

REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE: When traveling around Europe this will be one of your best friends. Drinking fountains are not always the easiest thing to find and a lot of restaurants will make you pay for your water. Plus they are good for the environment (:

                                                        

PORTABLE CHARGER: I can't tell you how many times I was out exploring a city for hours when my phone died. A portable charger will most definitely save your life in this situation when you need to look up bus schedules, get home, or communicate with someone! 

AIPLANE PILLOW: This ones pretty funny but I think it's worth the mention--on your flight to your study abroad destination, if they have those tiny little airplane pillows... TAKE ONE. It will be your best friend over your travels for the next couple months. They're so easy to carry around & long bus rides, sleeping in the airport, & plane rides wouldn't have been the same without mine 😝. 

                                        

TRANSPORTATION, MUESEUMS, ECT: Book everything online ahead of time. It's so much cheaper. 

STUDENT DISCOUNTS: always ask for student discounts. It will often times save you a few bucks! If you know that you're going to be visiting museums or tourist attractions, bring your passport so that you can prove that you're a European student.

                                      

CHEAP FLIGHTS: when booking flights, think twice about the cheap RyanAir or Wizz flights. In most cases, the budget airlines are amazing deals. Yet sometimes they end up costing the exact same amount as if you were to fly with the bigger commercial airlines. Here's why: many budget airlines fly you to an airport that is literally IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE. This practically forces you to pay an arm & a leg for a private bus or some sort of transportation to get you to the main city center. They know you have no way else of leaving the airport so it's often around $15-$20. For this reason, keep this in mind while comparing flight prices & always check what airport you are flying into ! 

Side note: Paris Bourdeaux airport royally STINKS. 

DAY PACKS: Get yourself a good day pack. My day pack consisted of an old Jansport backpack and boy was I greatful for it. Make sure it's large enough to carry water, cameras, souvenirs bought along the way, snacks, your wallet, & all that jazz. 

PICK POCKETING:  Never ever EVER put your phone, wallet, or purse in the front pocket of your bag or your back pocket. I'm not kidding, pick pocketers are everywhere & they are SLY... you'll never even notice it's gone. I caught a girl reaching into my over the shoulder bag that was hanging by my side. Always be aware, especially in the metro stations.

                                                 

ATMS: when paying with a card or withdrawing money from the ATM, the machine will often ask you if you want to charge euros or dollars. Always chose euros. If you chose dollars you are paying extra for them to make the conversion for you. 

HAVE THE BEST TIME EVER: Walk everywhere, speak the language, get lost, explore every inch of your city, make friends, stay out all night, write in a journal, travel. It's gonna be some of the greatest months of your life & it's gonna go by in a blink of an eye. 

                                  

I hope these tips helped you as much as they helped me! Pass them on & enjoy your trip!

Finance Recommendations and Things to Consider

As I’ve just completed my time abroad, I wanted to share a few personal finance tips that I have acquired through my experience, and what I have discussed with fellow students traveling abroad.   Rather than remind you that traveling and living abroad can be costly, I am going to share with you tips to save money, and have a more pleasant experience spending in foreign countries. 

           

The first thing you must consider is that it may be difficult or impossible to open a bank account abroad.  Yes, there are some instituions that have partner banks around the world (I’m talking about you, Barclays), but for the most part, you should be able to get by without opening a bank account.  My recommendation is, prior to leaving the USA, open a free checking account with Charles Schwab (specifically Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking, found at http://bit.ly/1fYJ3OO).  This account is completely and totally free (no minimum balance, no minimum required to open), will charge NOTHING to spend abroad (no foreign transaction fees), and will reimburse ATM fees WORLDWIDE.  This was my favorite perk.  I could use any ATM in London, and I was reimbursed if they charged a fee.  I saved A LOT more money than my friends by having this perk.  Also, the account will give you a lifetime of free checks (even though I don’t think you’ll use them ever).  Seriously, it’s a great deal.  Full disclosure, they do a credit-check prior to open (hard-pull), so having credit history may be helpful.  Also, their customer service can be accessed worldwide, and I had zero issues at all during my time abroad. 

If you’re a bit worried on spending, and you want to try to keep emergency funding in your bank account, I recommend opening a credit card that charges no interest for a promotional period. I did this and put most of my purchases on it, and with the additional perks, was able to get a free plane ticket home (thank you, Delta Skymiles Gold American Express). Make sure it offers zero foreign transaction fees – otherwise, you could end up paying a lot more, like 3% per transaction more.  It would be best to consider MasterCard or Visa, as American Express is not accepted at all places you’ll be spending.  I used the CapitalOne VentureOne Rewards Card.  No foreign transaction fees, no annual fee, and I was able to secure more cash-back on my travel to save me more money.  When I opened the card, it offered no interest for 12 months, so if I did have a balance, I wasn’t charged interest.  This gives you a little more freedom in financing your time abroad – but, please be careful, and keep your parents notified of your spending if they are assisting you financially abroad.  If you have no credit history, you might need a co-signer, and please remember that your credit will be affected after opening/applying!

           

            Prior to doing additional traveling, you need to consider additional spending that migh arise due to your traveling. For example, if you purchase a cheap Ryanair ticket, do you know how you are getting to the airport?  Ryanair usually occupies airports outside of city limits, requiring a $10-15 shuttle ride per direction. This can add up quickly, so please do your research ahead of time.

Consider my trip to Milan, Italy from London.

·      RyanAir round-trip ticket: $32

·      Shuttle to London Stansted Airport from Central London, and return: $22

·      Shuttle from Milan Bergamo Airport to Milan Central, and return, $30.

So, you might have figured you got a REALLY cheap flight… but when you add in the extras it will take to get to/from airports, it can add up quick.  Just please consider this before making your arrangements!

So, just be conscious of how you’re going to be paying for additional fun while you’re studying abroad.  And always over-budget when you’re preparing.  Contact me if you’d like more advice on credit cards, and banking services… I have a lot of experience in both, and I’d be happy to share my advice!