<p>Feel better knowing that I am not missing some easy solution. I thought I heard tales of people sending luggage ahead and not dealing with it at the airport but that must have been domestic.</p>
<p>Rodney, haha yes, she has asked me to visit to help her pack. Guess it wouldn’t justify the price of ticket but could use it as an excuse to visit. Also, considered using miles to upgrade her to business where she would have more generous baggage restrictions but we have no miles on that airline. </p>
<p>I did learn by paying extra on an overweight bag to put books in carry-on if you only have a couple as they are very heavy. She wore her boots…hassle in security. I have cautioned her not to buy much but who knows what she is doing.</p>
<p>ALso told her to throw out all shampoo, contact solution, tampax, toothpaste etc for the way back.</p>
<p>They are beginning to weigh carry ons in Europe. DD definitely had carry ons weighed between countries in Europe and just last month Iceland Air weighed her Carry on coming back from the US to the UK, I think she was allowed 6kg and hers was 11kg. Oddly, they checked it for free? Even though she had 2 checked bags weighing 49.9 lbs each.</p>
<p>Anyone considering travel from North America to Europe, do check Iceland Air. They are sort of Southwest like. One way fares that are reasonable, small flight change airport so less hassle than Heathrow. Generally just a good experience on multiple flights.</p>
<p>Unless there’s a volcano. But I’ve also heard great things about Iceland Air.<br>
(And my favorite Iceland Volcano joke: “Iceland goes bankrupt, then it manages to set itself on fire. This has insurance scam written all over it.”)</p>
<p>Anyway, not sure where your D will be, and whether she’ll have to take a domestic flight to get to her international departure airport. If so, she needs to find out if there are more restrictive rules on the domestic segment, especially if that is ticketed separately than the international segment.</p>
<p>Interesting side note - after living abroad for 4 months with only 2 suitcases of stuff, D decided she has more clothes/shoes than she really needs and took much less back to college with her in January. I am glad she is realizing she doesn’t need so much, but all the excess is taking up storage space in our house for now!</p>
D2 did a semester in Costa Rica. We told her that we were visiting since we had always wanted to go there. Worked out well to meet her at the end, vacation together and spread her stuff into everyone else’s bags. H and I travel light. She flew down there on miles and then when we suddenly needed to change her return it could only work by upgrading her. Since our son was on the same flight Dad felt generous and upgraded him, too. (Son’s an adult, was paying for his own airfare and hotel rooms) So, D2 got to check more baggage, she and bro flew home first class direct while DH and I changed planes in Atlanta and flew coach. Some serious brain f@rt was going on when the tickets were booked!</p>
<p>Ugh! D2 just got home from a semester abroad in Dec. D1 last Dec. The whole weight and number of bags thing caused much distress. </p>
<p>Some advise for folks with kids wanting to study abroad. Your kids need to get by with as little as possible. Sending packages overseas, either direction, is very expensive.</p>
<p>Both D’s went to places that started in summer and ended in winter. 3 seasons! D2 got to take only one large suitcase (and a carry-on) because of restrictive travel conditions later on in her semester. Seeing her pictures from her semester abroad, she seems to always be wearing the same few outfits. I wonder why!</p>
<p>She did buy some clothes while abroad, but it is expensive. Coming home, she threw away worn out or not longer wanted stuff.</p>
<p>We found that UPS was much more expensive than the USPS in sending small packages abroad. And we had no trouble with loss, etc. All packages arrived pretty quickly. We did not send any large packages.</p>
<p>DD is not doing study abroad, but she is doing Peace Corps service. She was allowed two bags and a carry-on. She came home at Christmas after 18 months and brought home all of her books so she won’t have to deal with them this summer. (She also brought homemade wine and a silver daggar, lol). She left her large suitcase here when she went back since she is leaving all of her clothes and linens there except her good coat. The water is questionable and the clothes are pretty trashed. They were warned to take no white at all because of the laundry situation, so she didn’t take anything good with her. </p>
<p>The cheapest way to send stuff is via the USPS flat rate boxes, but it is expensive. I have sent her stuff, but probably wouldn’t have if she was only doing a semester abroad, not 27 months, and was in a different locale where stuff was more available.</p>
<p>Lands End has very reasonable shipping overseas if they need clothes. DD ordered shoes from them because she cannot buy them in her size where she is.</p>
But I’ve also heard great things about Iceland Air.<br>