Very helpful. Yes, I’ve re: about buying used bikes. If I make her take a helmet, will she ever wear it? Probably not, right?
Thanks for the bank suggestion.
Regarding health insurance, we know they are purchasing AON student insurance for her. Under our health care plan, as long as our son is on the plan there’s no extra cost for her – it’s the same for 1 to 3 dependents. Though if it doesn’t seem like she needs it, we could switch him to student health insurance through his college.
She just bought a parka length waterproof shell with zip in down coat from ebay – so she’ll have 3 options – trench only, down only, or both!
She’s on the hunt for some all weather city boots
Thanks for the roller bag suggestion!
Cole Hahn often has their waterproof chelsea boots on sale…
That should be fine, although it might be nice for her to have both SIMs active and with her. I used to carry two phones when I traveled overseas (I traveled a huge amount pre-pandemic), but it was a pain.That’s when I finally switched to the dual sim. She will probably need the US phone if she comes for visits during her two years abroad.
If you buy on Amazon, make sure you read the fine print and Q&A to make sure it will work for her where she is going. Or, just keep the iPhone 12 for one SIM and get a cheap phone over there for the other SIM so that she’s assured of no connectivity problems. And make sure, as others have said, to get unlimited voice and data that will cover the various countries she will travel to on the Erasmus scholarship.
Totally understand if you/she wants to keep the iPhone. I suggest you call your current carrier to confirm it’s unlocked.
Just check to see whether it will cost her US-based family (and friends) to send overseas text if someone doesn’t use WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is a great solution for voice, text and VCs, but I don’t think its US penetration is as high as it is overseas.
Not to worry: there are obviously many here on CC that will point you in the right direction on mobile telephony! I have made some real blunders on buying phones without checking everything out, but it is most definitely doable. Feel free to reach out for help via IM etc.
Thank you – so helpful!
probably yes- but she can get one there just as easily
that’s what I did for years- works fine but get a container to keep the ‘other’ SIM card in, & put one of the little poker things on her key ring. Then as @mynameiswhatever suggested I got a 2nd phone (cheap, in the US, from a reseller), and kept the active SIM card in the newer phone. Finally this year traded in my trusty iPhone 6 for a wowy 13 & I don’t know myself it’s so easy!
mobile is so so much cheaper in Europe - and there are no roaming fees within the EU 
My kid is currently in Brazil. She has her US ATT iPhone 12 with an international plan added to her regular plan. If she uses her phone data or calls overseas, it is $10 a day for unlimited data etc. up to $100 max for a billing cycle. If she keeps it on wifi, there is no $10 charge for that day. The nice thing about it is I can call her number as if she is in the US. Do check what ATT and TMobile offer as far as international roaming.
That is really good to know. When we lived there, it was really expensive. That makes all the more reason to get the local SIM card there with a cheap phone. The no-roaming within EU is great, but make sure all countries are part of the plan. Some countries are part of the EEA but not the EU. But the point is very valid.
As @BunsenBurner mentioned, please do check your current carrier to see if they have options that make it palatable for D overseas. That saves a lot of headache if you get something reasonably priced.
I fully admit that the dual-sim card can be tricky, which then leans towards having two phones. One of the dual sim card phones I bought online turned out to be for the India market, which I didn’t know when I bought it. In India, if I understand it correctly it is required that a certain action on cell phone calls the India emergency number 992 (the US equiv of 911). On my phone, it was hitting the power button twice. I would often hit the power button once to turn off the screen, but I discovered that the phone would dial 911 in the US when I accidentally pressed it twice. I cannot tell you how many times I inadvertently accessed 911. The operators were kind and wanted to make sure I was really ok. I finally got rid of it, as I have enough troubles!
My S was only abroad for a semester in 2019, but he popped the SIM cards in and out. I want to say the plan was $30/month for 2GB of data. That summer we went back for 2.5 weeks and he bought another card from a different company. $40 a month for 4Gb I think. (Or maybe the plans were 4GB and 8. I can’t remember but it wasn’t any problem for a kid who usually uses a lot and traveled a ton on weekend. He was on WiFi at school) But the different countries covered is a good one. Both plans covered dozens of countries, but some were missing. For example, over the summer we went to Spain, France, Monaco, and Italy. Everything was covered but little Monaco. Fortunately, just a day trip for us. And $40 was a better deal for us than $10/day. My sister’s family did that.
I had never heard of a double SIM card before this. Sounds like a great idea, but the whole cell phone thing stresses me out. I made S figure it out for himself when he got there. It was no trouble for him.
I have an iPhone 10x and I use it for my international travel. My regular us line SIM has been changed into an e-SIM (Verizon but I think AT&T must have the same) so I have the regular SIM slot available for international SIM cards. So it is a dual SIM phone for all purposes.
I would check if that’s the case for your D’s phone, since it is a newer phone than mine I don’t see why it would not be.
This worked really well on my last trip. I was able to switch off my main line, make the other my main number while traveling and I still had my iMessages coming to my iCloud. Also, as others have said, WhatsApp is great for calls and texting when on Wi-Fi.
ETA: Just remembered this. She can keep her US phone number and pause the line or something like it. We did this for a family member, IIRC there was a small charge for that. This was Verizon but I know that Google Fi also lets you do that for a period of 3 months at a time.
If your D is heading to Sweden, it has become largely cashless (perhaps also the case in other parts of Scandinavia) so a local ATM card (or equivalent) is critical for daily transactions (as well as to store euros).
I’d also recommend light, fast-drying clothes as clothes dryers are not always available and damp weather means longer hang-drying times.
As others have mentioned, mobile phone plans are relative cheap in Europe. In the UK, for example, you have 30-day rolling SIM only plans (with EU roaming) for £10/month (VOXI). Strongly suggest getting an EU/local number if she’s going to be in Europe for 2 years - will be helpful for EU friends to contact her, 2-factor authentication, etc.
I’ve just started using Wise for currency conversion. It’s much more convenient and cheaper than traditional banks. They also offer a debit card allowing for ATM withdrawals in a variety of currencies.
A few other things might be helpful: Set up an Uber account, store copies of critical documents in the cloud (e.g., iCloud drive), suitcase with good, strong wheels (and effortless to roll) and not too large so that it won’t fit in (smaller) dorm rooms or public transport.
When my nice was doing a post doc in Germany, my sister got good at using Amazon in Germany. I was just playing with Google translate and Amazon Sweden and it looked useable for someone that doesn’t know Swedish.
Have her take photos or scan every important document you guys can think of- her passport, eyeglass prescription, etc. I’ve had my passport stolen overseas- it’s time consuming (but not painful) to replace the passport at the nearest US Consulate office; it’s time consuming AND painful to do it without a copy of the photo page showing the digital code that runs across it. And any optician can make her a pair of glasses in a hurry with the prescription, but getting an eye exam or having her eye doctor call in the details, etc. just adds needless complexity.
Etc. For anything that might get lost, damaged, stolen, etc. Backup on the cloud, on mom’s phone…
Congrats on your D!
Note on the luggage - if she’s going to fly in Europe between countries note that their carry on sizes are much smaller than ours. Often times their fees for checking bags is much higher as well.
I’d plan on the smaller carry on bag being small enough to meet European standards. That will be easier for her if she’s doing some vacation traveling for long weekends and such.
Be sure the bags can be stacked on top of each other so she can manage all her luggage herself. She’ll need to get them them in/out of her apartment (not just the airport where a luggage trolley is available).
Also second getting a lot of quick drying clothes. Dryers are not always readily available in Europe.
So exciting for your D! Hope you can go visit often!
Good point about carry-on bags. And besides the small size, we found that sometimes they’re strict about the WEIGHT, so check that out ahead of time. I was surprised occasionally at how little weight they allowed.
Quick-drying underwear is the best, ha.
And up and down stairs in old buildings (think Paris!) as well as subway stations (again Paris!). Nonetheless, a great adventure awaits!
Yes, this can be awful. Stuck at the airport trying to find things to throw away that won’t be missed.
I think most people have covered everything.
We have done it the other way - son in the States from the UK. Not sure all info I give will be applicable in Europe but pretty much the same.
Son has one phone with two sim cards. His US card is on a US plan. Here in England he has a pay as you go. Very, very cheap and you can buy them in any supermarket or convenience store. You most probably can pick them up in a ‘electronic’ store in the airport. You pay a £1 and then top up via either by buying a voucher from the till or on our card via the phone. I am pretty sure this is how they do it in Europe. He flips the sim on the plane. Obviously has to buy one first in Europe. But very, very easy and so much cheaper than the US.
Your choice of topping up can be no data - 4 gigs/free texts - all sort of combinations. I use absolutely no data and go with free wi-fi at places I am. But I’m an old fogey and don’t stream. But son is always downloading and only spends about £10 a month!
Check insurance and remember to have dental. Not always included. Check the small print. Yes you can get ‘free at point of access’ but this really only works for emergencies. Anti-biotics for strep you will need to pay for but birth control is free at a birth control clinic. (Both for males and females - though most males will just buy over the counter.)
Any questions just PM me.
One thing for the suitcase that has come in very hand for me: packing cubes. It’s amazing how much volume they reduce in the suitcase/luggage.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t help on weight allowances for the airlines. Volume is reduced with packing cubes, but not weight.
Make sure her luggage meets the weight/dimension restrictions, as the airlines are very strict on this. Our family just got back from a college trip, and I strained my back carrying the suitcase to the car. Realizing the bag was likely overweight, I took an empty smaller suitcase to the check-in desk, and we were 7 pounds over. No sympathy at all from the airline staff. We took stuff out of the overweight suitcase and transferred that to the empty bag, packing in the check-in line!
And yes, airlines like Ryanair are super-strict on carry-on weight and size. Be careful there too.
Check US ATM and credit cards to see what fees or surcharges there may be for currency conversion (and use of another bank’s ATM for ATM cards). It may be worth looking for lower or no fees and surcharges before leaving (US banks with relationships with banks in Europe may be another option in some cases).
Check US mobile phone plans for international roaming costs. It may be worth changing to a plan with lower international roaming costs (e.g. Google Fi). But also look into which Europe plans to get so in order to know what to get once there.
As noted above, airline carryon size and weight limits may be smaller than in the US. Some wheeled carryon bags commonly used in the US may consume most of some airlines’ carryon weight limit even when empty. Backpack-type carryon bags tend to weigh less and offer more interior space for a given exterior size, but the larger interior space can tempt the user to fill it up past the weight limit.