<p>D is leaving for UA Honors at Oxford next Tuesday. She is so excited! She’s just trying to get through the six books she was supposed to read in advance for the history class (still has three more for lit!). </p>
<p>Any hints or advice for the soon-to-be traveler? We are still trying to sort out how to handle the money. The last time she want abroad (high school trip) we sent her with a travel card loaded with euros from Travelex, but they are not doing that anymore. At this point we are think debit card, some cash, and perhaps a Visa Prepaid Travel card. She doesn’t have a credit card. </p>
<p>She is trying to select a non-American looking wardrobe, so isn’t bringing many t-shirts. </p>
<p>Words of wisdom?</p>
<p>I don’t have any words of wisdom, but am very interested in how her experience goes since my son is interested in doing this. Please share posts along her way!</p>
<p>DD2 is coming home tomorrow from Germany. We sent her with cash and a Visa debit card for day to day expenses, and a credit card (on our account) for train tickets and hostels for weekend (non-program) travel. That worked out really well for her.</p>
<p>Thanks, MereMom. How did the hostels work out?</p>
<p>We could not found any pre-paid cards that could be used outside of the USA that we could get in less than 10 business days. Seems you need to be one that is able to be used outside the USA, then call for a new plastic card with your name on it. Mailing of the personalized card takes 7-10 days.</p>
<p>If she will be using credit or debit card, please be certain to call the credit card company in advance and let them know country and dates. This way they will not lock the card when they see foreign fees.</p>
<p>After our pre-paid Visa debacle, I was able to get my son usage of my credit card. The credit card company was able to overnight us a card in his name.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how much free time she’ll have but here’s some thoughts:</p>
<p>Places to visit</p>
<p>The Eagle and Child pub on St. Giles (where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis met and discussed their work)
[The</a> Eagle and Child - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eagle_and_Child]The”>The Eagle and Child - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Blenheim Palace (it’s eight miles from Oxford but there’s a bus that goes from the railway station)
[Stately</a> homes in England, Historic Houses and Days out Oxfordshire](<a href=“http://www.blenheimpalace.com/]Stately”>http://www.blenheimpalace.com/)
[Blenheim</a> Palace Oxfordshire, Days Out in England and Family Days Out](<a href=“http://www.blenheimpalace.com/thepalace/Visiting_Blenheim_Palace/findingus.html]Blenheim”>http://www.blenheimpalace.com/thepalace/Visiting_Blenheim_Palace/findingus.html)</p>
<p>London
You can easily make this a day trip from Oxford. Here’s a link to a coach service. Marble Arch is a good stop to see central London attractions and shopping.</p>
<p>Tube map is handy
<a href=“http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf[/url]”>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf</a></p>
<p>If she’s interested in fashion leave plenty of room in her suitcase for purchases. Top Shop is popular with teenagers and twenty somethings.</p>
<p>[Clothing</a> - Topshop USA](<a href=“Topshop Clothing, Shoes & Accessories | ASOS”>Topshop Clothing, Shoes & Accessories | ASOS)</p>
<p>Hope she has lots of fun!</p>
<p>Wow, I’m so jealous. I begged son to do this, but he said he wants to do Europe with no classes. He’ll graduate next May, so study abroad has passed him by.</p>
<p>He loves both Tolkien and CS Lewis, so thanks for the tip on that place. </p>
<p>Son is saving his summer earnings for a post graduation trip to England and I’ll pass on this info to him when planning his dream trip next summer.</p>
<p>Thanks Longhaul. We have her debit card cleared for international usage. I’d like for her to have something in reserve in case of card issues. She will have some cash. I’m a bit concerned about the prepaid Visa card from what you’ve said. I’d read that I could pick one up at any Tom Thumb grocery store so I’ll try that later today.</p>
<p>AlbionGirl, thanks!! I will pass these along to D. Some of it may be included in her program (Tolkien and Lewis tour). She and some friends plan on some day trips to London. They are also taking a weekend in Edinburgh. </p>
<p>Montegut, my niece did the ‘summer backpacking Europe after graduation’ thing a couple of years ago. No classes and plenty of free time sounds like a dream. Especially if there is enough money attached to it! BTW, my hubs and I are spending a couple of days in NOLA after we take D back to school in August. He’s never been but I think that (as an architect) he will just love it!</p>
<p>Our son landed in London yesterday morning for a 7 week paid internship. He doesn’t start work until Monday so has 4 days of exploring…cant believe how much he has already done in 36 hours…!</p>
<p>We sent him with cash in Pounds and US, his Wells fargo ATM /debit card which he had activated for use in Uk and Europe and a Mastercard, also activated for use in Uk and Europe. There are ATM’s everywhere and all of the "big " banks ATM cards will be useable in UK and Europe. If you bank with a smaller community bank you may want to check withem on overseas ATM use…</p>
<p>The other thing you will want to reasearch is cell phone plans for use in UK…we have ATT and added International roaming plan for data, texts and calling. I am sure your daughter knows what Viber is…It’s a free app for cell phones that allow for free texting and calling if both your daughter and you are on WiFi…you both need to download the apps to your phones…works great on texts and pretty good on calls…it will allow you purchase add on plans that are less expensive for data, texting and calling for those times when either you or she willnot be in a wifi zone…try to use Viber as much as you can to communicate with each other…</p>
<p>Hope this is helpful</p>
<p>Thanks, Searchguy. That is helpful. We researched phones and almost added the AT&T international plans (works for you well with the one month increments), but she prefers to purchase a phone there. We may try to get one here at a repair cell phone place, though that has been kind of low on our to-do list. She feels certain she will be able to get something for pretty cheap in Oxford and then just add the minutes/texts. </p>
<p>She will turn off data and put her phone on plane mode. We will skype, facetime, and imessage with wifi. At least that is the current plan. I’ll look into viber though it sounds like it accomplishes the same thing? </p>
<p>What a great place for an internship!! And paid to boot! Congrats to your son.</p>
<p>You guys are awesome! What great tips! Subscribing to this thread!</p>
<p>(Wow!)^3</p>
<p>These opportunities sound so fantastic! I have a D1 that isn’t interested in going abroad. 
I would have liked to visit her! We studied Shakespeare together and I had always hoped she would go to Oxford.</p>
<p>Searchguy: Congrats to your S. What sort of internship did your S get abroad? You and Searchmom could go and visit your S!!</p>
<p>Montegut: I believe your S was an NMF. Isn’t there a $2000 or so part of his scholarship to be used for study abroad or research? If he had that schollie, I believe he needs to ask for it if he hasn’t already. I remember M2CK’s S didn’t use his and he just got it credited to his account. At least that is my memory of it.</p>
<p>Happy travels!!!</p>
<p>Yes, you do have to apply for the summer study scholarship. It’s not automatic. Son is doing research this summer, so he does have an application in for the scholarship.</p>
<p>Although 2K nowhere near covers the expense of studying abroad, I do wish son would have taken the opportunity to travel as part of a protected group. Just a worried parent here. Thankfully, he’s not into backpacking, but I do appreciate the money saving tips, as he thinks he will spend the summer in Europe on his earnings from the past two summers. Yea, right!</p>
<p>For others reading whose NMF students aren’t able/aren’t interested in going abroad – my daughter is a NMF who won’t be able to study abroad, though she would love to. She was selected for a prestigious summer program in the US in her field this summer and applied to use the funds for that program and was allowed to do so. Betsy Escher assisted with this request.</p>
<p>If AT&T is your carrier here in the states, call customer services and ask for the international team. When you speak to them, ask them for the unlock code for your phone. With the phone unlocked, your student will be able to buy a pre-paid SIM card in the airport when landing. This will give you local phone service (with data) at a price FAR cheaper than buying a phone or getting on the international data plan, etc. This will prevent you from getting a $3000 cell phone bill while abroad. You can only spend what amount you add in credit to the SIM card.</p>
<p>rolltide, this is news to me (and good news at that). Do you know if this will this work with an iPhone?</p>