Making Travel Arrangements
Many study abroad programs take care of participants' international travel and housing arrangements. If this is not the case with your program, then it will be your responsibility to arrange for travel to your program site and/or find your own accommodations. You may also want to consider making plans for your own transportation and housing if you decide to do additional traveling at the end of your program.
Housing
If housing is not provided for you by your study abroad program, give yourself plenty of time to arrange for it. Since student housing is at a premium in most countries, ask for housing recommendations from a representative from your program. If you are enrolling directly in a foreign university, contact the university to see if there is a student housing office which can assist you in your search for accommodation.
Youth Hostels
When traveling on weekends, during school breaks or at the end of your study abroad experience, you may want to consider staying in a youth hostel. Hostels are much cheaper than hotels and can range from dormitory-style room to private rooms. They may have restrictions. For example, they may impose curfews, require you to bring your own bedding or limit your stay to a certain number of nights.
In order to stay in hostels, you may be required to have an International Youth Hostel Pass, another form to obtain before your departure. The pass and a handbook with locations and contact information are available from:
Hosteling International/American Youth Hostels
National Office
P.O. Box 37613
Room 804
Washington, DC 20013-7613
Many countries also have student hostels, which are restricted to use by university students. These usually offer more conveniences than youth hostels, such as food service, and are a great way to meet other international students. You may need to have a valid International Student Identity Card to prove your student status. Lastly, some independent hostels exist, open to students as well as to other travelers.
HostelBookers.com
Your study abroad experience starts here. Whether you're looking for a place to stay for a few days or for a longer stay, Hostelbookers can find you budget accommodation with other students. These days Hostelbookers is still the only major online operator who doesn't charge a booking fee.
http://www.hostelbookers.com
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Other Accommodations
Other options for accommodations when you travel are bed-and-breakfasts, pensions, and budget hotels. Talk to your travel advisor before departure about budget accommodations at your travel destinations. You can also browse the travel section of a local bookstore for travel guidebooks aimed at college students. You can also browse accomodations in Lonely Planet Guidebooks
which are largely geared to the student traveler.
Anglo American Educational Services
Anglo-American Educational Services specializes in assisting US colleges and universities in developing their own unique study-abroad programs in the UK and Europe that will enhance student learning and cultural awareness.
http://www.angloamerican.uk.com/
Air Transportation
Some program sponsors include group flights to and from the program site. Others require you to make your own arrangements. If you do need to arrange your own transportation, be sure to do so well in advance of leaving, especially if you plan to travel during the summer or any other period when air travel is heavy. Make sure you know what arrangements have been made for the arrival of students in your host country before finalizing your flight reservations. Often a designated meeting place and time are established so that program staff can greet students upon their arrival. Many countries list a round-trip ticket as one of their entry requirements.
iStudentFares.Com
We are an international travel company specializing in selling discounted airfares to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
http://www.istudentfares.com/
CSA Discount Travel:www.csa-travel.com
Even though you may not know when you want to return home and you may have to pay a surcharge to change your return ticket; it is still cheaper to buy the round-trip ticket instead of buying two one-way tickets. Shop carefully to find a flight that best suits your needs. Compare the price of open-ended tickets, in which you return at any point within a specified length of time, with the price of a ticket bearing a stated return date. If you are planning to travel on your own after your program ends, you might want to investigate "open jaw" fares, which let you return from a different location from your point of arrival.
Council Travel is an excellent source of information about student travel. It publishes the Student Travels magazine which is distributed free to over 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States. With your International Student Identity Card
, you can sometimes get up to 50% off of commercial airfares through Council Travel. More information about Council and its travel services is available on-line at www.ciee.org. Another student travel agency offering airfare discounts is STA Travel
.
Information is also available on-line at www.statravel.org. Free travel literature is usually available from the government tourist office, consulate or embassy of the country or countries to which you travel. You can also learn more about discount airfares from the following websites:
Hotwire.com
Find Cheap Flights from 100+ Sites with One Click.
Orbitz Low Fare Promise
If you lose your airline ticket, contact the airline, travel agency, or other agency from which you purchased the ticket. If you bought your ticket from an airline, you will have to fill out a claim for a lost ticket and buy a new ticket. You'll be refunded the cost of the replacement ticket, minus a fee. The fee varies with each airline. It takes about six months to get your refund. If you purchased Student Tickets, issued by STA Travel and other agencies, you don't need to buy a new ticket; you simply pay a $25 fee and your ticket will be reissued.
Don't buy a one-way ticket, even if you don't know when you want to return home. Most foreign countries require visitors to have a round-trip ticket before they are allowed to enter.
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Rail Passes
In many countries, rail travel is probably the most widely used mode of transportation. Buying a rail-pass in the United States prior to your departure can greatly reduce your costs. Rail passes, such as the Britrail Pass or Eurail Pass, can be obtained from most travel agents. These passes usually offer unlimited travel for a specific amount of time. Just as there are special aifares for students, there are also special rail passes for students available at Railpass.com
and Eurail Pass
.
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Travel by Car
If you are planning to travel by car, be aware that renting a car abroad and filling it with gasoline can be quite expensive. Just as in the United States, each country requires you to have a valid driver's license. Some countries will recognize your current U.S. driver's license. Others may require you to obtain an International Driver's Permit. Contact your local AAA (American Automobile Association) Office or the
AAA National Headquarters
8111 Gatehouse Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
Remember also that other countries have different "rules of the road." Prior to departure, you may also wish get some information on international road travel. One source is:
The Association for Safe International Road Travel
5413 West Cedar Lane, Suite 103C
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-983-5252
Email: asisrt@erols.com
Website: www.asirt.org
Make sure that you also check to see if your U.S. automobile insurance covers you and rental cars overseas.
Travel Light
Aim to travel light. Keep in mind that, for most international flights, you are allowed to check only two pieces of luggage. Some airlines have restrictions for the weight of each piece of luggage; check before you pack. If your program is a study-tour, you will have to carry whatever you bring, so restrict yourself to one or two moderate-sized bags and a small carry-on bag in which to keep valuables, passport, and camera equipment.
Insure your baggage and personal effects for the full period abroad. If you bring a camera, buy a lead-lined film bag. Contrary to posted airport claims, some X-ray devices ruin film.
Luggage for study abroad students.
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