<p>We all got VIBER app on the iphones. Works if you are in a wi-fi zone.</p>
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<p>Precisely. I really cannot imagine hauling jars of peanut butter to Europe. Try some wonderful cheeses and charcuterie instead. And toothpaste? I bet that they have toothpaste in Outer Mongolia.</p>
<p>Travel insurance: An emergency plane trip home is very expensive.</p>
<p>You may need converters and not just adapters. (not an expert here)</p>
<p>Bought my D the Longchamps tote. Not cheap, but you can pack enough for a weekend trip and not pay extra for luggage. (Thinking Ryan Air) I liked it so much I bought one for myself and never travel without it.</p>
<p>I would bring an extra charger for the laptop. My D’s charger broke when she was studying abroad and it was very difficult to find a charger that would work for her laptop. She wasn’t in a big city with more supply store options, plus I think it also had to do with the differences in output voltages(?). I had to send her one which took some time. </p>
<p>Some airlines charge more for an overweight luggage bag than for an extra bag. Highly recommend a luggage scale.</p>
<p>All copied into a document for D to review. Y’all are the best!</p>
<p>Hidden pouches are most definitely not overkill. I recommend having one big enough to keep passport in. Make multiple copies of important documents and have one in every bag/purse/backpack.</p>
<p>Make sure your child clearly understands what the daily withdrawl limits are on the ATM. Also look up what the banking hours and holidays are in the destination(s). Really, if you can get some cash beforehand, that is best. There is nothing worse than arriving in a foreign country only to find that the ATM’s in the airport won’t actually give you cash and that it’s also the start of a 3-day banking holiday…</p>
<p>Some drugs we consider over the counter are not so easy to get abroad. I was unable to find one of my kids’ usual meds abroad and it wasted quite a bit of unnecessary time, only to pay more for something less suitable. I’d bring anything you reasonably expect to want. Imodium for sure. </p>
<p>Depending on destination, you may want to check on the quality of the water supply. If it’s questionable, you may want to bring a water filter which addresses whatever the concerns may be.</p>
<p>I really would not haul around peanut butter. Are you going for the cultural experience, or are you not? Besides, it’s heavy.</p>
<p>Dictionaries and maps may be helpful.</p>
<p>Have her notify her bank or credit union (sometimes this can be done online while logged into the account) the countries she will be visiting and the dates she will be there. This helps prevent rejection or denial of her bank cards (debt/credit).</p>
<p>Also (may be able to do online) open a second checking account/bank credit card now before she leaves. That way, if the cards from her first account are lost or stolen, she can go online, transfer the money into the secondary account and notify the bank of the lost/stolen cards and close the main account.</p>
<p>Tell her to save all of her ATM and credit card receipts. If she has a discrepancy to dispute with her bank in the U.S. when she arrives home (regarding amount), they may ask for copies of the receipts for the disputed transactions.</p>
<p>After paying the $75 to ship a not so heavy box, I realize we would have done better to pay for an additional suitcase. Or investigated earlier the possibility of an airline card that offered an extra bag as a free perk.</p>
<p>She may like an inexpensive inflatable neck pillow for the long flights.</p>
<p>DS used a wheeled big suitcase (about 45 lb), a wheeled carry-on bag, and a backpack (laptop and other stuff). He brought a small blanket and then purchased bedding at Ikea in Singapore after he arrived. </p>
<p>We contemplated sending his tenor sax too, but even if we wanted to pay extra it would just be too much hassle… especially if he travels afterward. He did bring his sax mouthpiece - he’ll rent a sax if he finds an opportunity to play.</p>
<p>A digital thermometer…at least if your kid, like mine, thinks in Farenheit. Thermometers there will be in centigrade. Yes, I know you can convert temps, but when you are sick you may not be up to doing that. (Don’t take the mercury type because one might break.)</p>
<p>A deck of playing cards. It provides something to do if there are flight delays, etc. </p>
<p>A USB flashdrive–use to store copies of photos in case camera, phone are stolen.</p>
<p>A few days’ worth of feminine supplies. Traveling and living with other young women can affect your cycle. Yes, you can buy supplies there, but if a period starts while you’re waiting for a connecting flight, the machines in the ladies’ room may only take coins you don’t have and/or if it starts late at night, you don’t want to be wandering around by yourself trying to find an open pharmacy.</p>
<p>She should take skepticism; if something sounds ‘off’ or too good to be true; beware.</p>
<p>I third the suggestion to take some kaopecktate (sp?) or other otc meds one might want. In some places, even if the meds don’t require a prescription, they are kept in a drawer behind the counter in the pharmacy, so you can’t get them without a conversation with the salesperson using a vocabulary that probably wasn’t covered in your respective language classes.</p>
<p>I always take some food along when I travel. From a suggestion on another thread, I recently discovered Chia Bars. They are small and easy to tuck in your purse, but surprisingly filling.</p>
<p>Pseudoephedrine (decongestant) is example of a med that needs prescription in many countries. As others have said, you can’t just waltz into any drugstore and expect to find the same things that are common here. It’s a bother to go hunting for stuff like that when you don’t feel well even if you’re sure it’s available. Meds, unlike PB, are light and compact. But I’ll keep packing my PB anyhoo. I can do that and still get culture too.</p>
<p>Does the student need to file a tax return in April? You might want to apply for an extension…</p>
<p>Hmmm… had not thought of filing for an extension. Was gonna file for DS, assuming we get the summer job 1040 (via mail or electronically from him).</p>
<p>Dd swears by a pashmina as a bathing suit coverup, light blanket, elegant coverup, and light blocking tool. She never travels without one. she also loves her Samsonite tote a tons???large duffel bag things that collapse into a tiny square. $40 in her freshman year, and worth every penny. Would be nice to tuck one in her suitcase in case she needs extra space on the way home. We bought online at this list’s suggestion. </p>
<p>More than anything, a flexible attitude. many moons ago, I said to my DD “you know what they call people who travel and are inflexible?” “People who stay home.” Look for ways to get away from Americans and with the local people. Eat at local caf</p>
<p>Does she have a will and is it up-to-date?</p>
<p>When abroad, one gets an extension to file …and pay. Check the various extension forms.</p>
<p>As far as the value tips, it helps to define the country. Being in Prague might be different from Zagreb or Vilnius.</p>
<p>Why would a student need a will?</p>