Today I'm gonna share with you my tips for study abroad packing. I studied
abroad in Florence Italy and honestly it was one of the best experiences of my
life!
I know that it might be a little bit scary to start packing but I promise
you it's gonna be amazing and it will be all worth it!
Also just so you know I've
included a list in the description below so you'll be able to find these items
easily.
Remember it's better to pack light!
This will be cheaper and easier for you and
you'll need room for all your souvenirs that you bring back from your trip!
If
you really need something and you forget it you can always buy it over there.
A large backpack to take on weekend travel.
I got mine at REI.
You're gonna
want to take cheap flights over the weekends on budget airlines such as
Ryanair and easyJet. These companies are really cheap as long as you don't check
a bag! So you're gonna want your backpack to be small enough that you can
use as a carry-on.
Make sure the size is under the carry-on size for these
airlines. Ryanair's size, for example, is 55 centimeters by 40
centimeters by 20 centimeters.
So I'll put that down in the description as well
below but this is the kind of thing you're going to want to think about!
Also I would recommend not bringing a rolling backpack or a rolling suitcase
because often you'll be on areas with cobblestone streets and so it'll be
difficult to roll this over those cobblestones for long periods of time.
And so it's easier just to put on your backpack and walk.
Comfortable shoes!
You're gonna need some comfy shoes because you're gonna be doing a lot of
walking. When I was abroad, I walked over a mile a day just to school and around
town.
And then on the weekends during weekend travel up to ten miles a day, so
bring some shoes that you find comfortable, whatever that may mean for
you.
You're going to need some travel size bottles for toiletries you'll need
these to put in your carry-on on these budget airlines to avoid checking a bag.
You're going to need some casual shoes such as flip-flops to wear in those
yucky hostel showers.
A microfiber towel this small towel can be folded up and put
in your bag and it can also double as a blanket in a hostel.
Also at hostels
you'll have the option of renting a towel for a small deposit.
You're gonna
need a sleep mask, neck pillow, and earplugs. This is great
for traveling on a plane or train and sometimes in hostels you'll have a
stranger in your room that keeps the lights on all night,
so this is great for those situations.
A purse that crosses in front of your
body. This way you can keep your belongings in front of you and away from
pesky pickpocketers.
Extra copies of your passport in every bag. You might wind up in a sticky
situation with your passport stolen and this will make things easier for you!
For clothes you're gonna want to pack basic pieces that can be mixed and matched so
that you can use them in different situations.
You're not going to have a
lot of room for clothes so maybe something that can double as a fancy
shirt or something more casual depending on what you wear it with.
If you're a scarf
person, you can bring a couple different scarfs to diversify your outfit so it
doesn't look like you're always wearing the same thing. Or you can buy them over there.
A warm jacket depending on where you're going of course, and the time of
year. But this is an item that you don't want to have to buy when you're over
there and it's better just to have it and be prepared.
And if it's raining
where you're going you can get a warm jacket that also doubles as a rain
jacket.
I recommend looking up the weather online before
and search what the weather was like last year in your location.
Now here are some things to not pack!
Don't bring a hair straightener or a
curling iron. You can probably live without these items for one semester.
If you can't, go ahead and buy it over there.
I brought my hair straightener
from home and ruined it within the first week by using a converter.
Don't bring
high heels, especially if you're going to Europe. There are so many cobblestone
streets and you have to do so much walking to even get to the bar or club that
it's not worth it when you get there.
But if you really can't live without the
high heels, just try and bring one or two, you don't need a lot of pairs.
Here's some other tips that might be helpful when you're packing for studying
abroad.
As far as phones, you have a few options for your phones.
If you have an
iPhone, you can get your iPhone unlocked which you would do now in your home
country.
This means that when you get to the country you would get a new SIM card
over there with a local carrier. This would be if you want to use your iPhone
data.
Or you can buy a cheap phone over there, temporarily cancel your data and
put your phone on airplane mode so that you only use your phone when it's on
Wi-Fi and this avoids roaming charges.
This is what I did so I basically use my
iPhone as a camera and I used the little cheap Italian phone for actual calling
purposes and this way I can also leave my iPhone at home if I thought it was
particularly a place where there are a lot of pickpockets and I didn't need it.
For instance, the club.
You might be laughing when I say the club is a place
for pickpockets, but it really is because everybody is close to each other and so
when people are bumping up into you, you don't really know if
they're stealing your stuff or what. And this is also what happens on the metro.
Then what I would do is I would use viber or whatsapp to do free
international phone calls and texts home over the app, instead of paying for an
international plan.
It is okay to bring your smartphone you're just gonna have
to use your common sense and be very careful in your surroundings.
You might
be a little bit confused between adapters and converters.
Adapters change
the shape of the plug, while converter changees the voltage.
For most
products such as camera and Apple products, you'll just need the adapter.
This is something that you plug into the wall that connects to your own
electronic device.
If you travel a lot, you can buy a world set of adapters so
that when you go to different places you'll have an adapter for each location.
For certain products, you may need a converter.
For me, that was my hair
straightener which I ended up blowing up the first week I got there and my
electric toothbrush which I couldn't even figure out how to use. So I would
recommend leaving these products at home, if you can and just focusing on the
adapters.
As far as credit cards, be sure to check with your bank what the fee
will be when you spend money abroad.
You also might want to notify your bank
that you're gonna be abroad so that it doesn't raise any questions.
As far as
medication, you're gonna need to get your doctor's permission for four months of
medication, or however long you're gonna be there, before you go. Pack these in your
carry-on in case anything happens to it.
You also might want to pack some basic
medication such as Tylenol and allergy pills while you are here in your home
country, because when you get there everything might be in a foreign
language and it could be confusing so you want to just be prepared.
Also remember that most people get sick at least one time when they study abroad,
so it's best to have these medicines beforehand.
Good luck packing I hope this video was helpful to you ! If so, please give it
a thumbs up and subscribe for more travel videos.
By the way, if you have any
questions, please comment them below and I will answer them.
I hope you have an
amazing time abroad!