Travel advice

I wanted to compile a big ole list of tips and advice for anyone planning to study or travel abroad who is looking for tips or advice. I tried to put in anything I thought would be useful or that I wished I knew or thought of earlier. It’s somewhat organized but sort of a mess, but alas I am tired and people are about to leave the country. Some stuff is specific to study abroad or London, but hopefully y’all can dig around anything that doesn’t apply to you if need be. And if you are never leaving the US, you can probably skip the whole thing. So, here goes: my super duper travel guide. Hooray!

Before you go

Packing

     I heard that you should pack 1.5 suitcases for one semester abroad, which I think worked well for me. You’ll be coming home with more stuff than you left with, so it’s good to have extra space. Check the average temperatures in the area for your trip and plan accordingly. Don’t look at just the highs but the lows too, and pack only what you think you will need, considering items that are versatile. I packed my clothes pretty well but did not bring the right shoes. It was definitely not cold enough for Uggs or moccasins while I was in London, although I probably would have worn them had I been at Bucknell. Flats, which I completely neglected, were definitely the shoe of choice. There are second hand stores for things you miss, though cheaper retail stores like H&M and Primark (which is super cheap) may be even better.

     You’ll need a plug adapter. If you are planning to travel in Europe, make sure you have a UK and European one. I liked my universal one that took and put out any type. Converters are often (but not always) separate from adapters but not always necessary. They are important for hair dryers, certain computers (Macs are fine and popular PCs like Dells will probably be ok, but I’d check just in case) and other appliances that draw a lot of current. Things will explode, so it is important to check the need for converters, but I personally never needed one when I was in London.

     Don't bother bringing any paper school supplies with you to Europe, like lined paper, binders or folders. They use different paper sizes there, and in addition their normal sized paper gets four holes instead of three. This standard size is A4, while bigger paper is A3 and half of A4 is A5. You'll figure it out, just know that there is no letter or legal sized paper there. Believe me, I looked.

Money

     British currency is the Pound Sterling, or Pound. The change is in pence or one penny (pence=pennies, essentially). Pound is referred to as quid and P. Five pounds=five P=five quid=a fiver. When written, pence is abbreviated as pp, but people will say pence. In Euros, the change is in cents or one cent. Check your bank’s policies on using your debit/credit card abroad, particularly when used at a foreign atm or as credit for purchases. TD bank is pretty great about both, and it’s the only reason why I have come off my grudge about being charged at Wawa atms. Note that most credit cards in Europe are chip and pin cards, and you might need to explain at times that you have a swipe card, and need to sign (it’ll be on receipt paper). It’s super fun and annoying. And by fun I mean just annoying.

     Fun fact- you can make the £ symbol on a mac by pressing option+3 (aka, the other pound sign). The € (euro) sign is option+shift+2. 

     Another fun fact- UK computers already have both on the keyboard. 

Budgeting

     London, and most of Europe in general, is expensive. Many things are similar in price, but often I found prices I’d expect to see in the US in dollars in the UK in pounds. For example, something that I’d expect to find in the US for $10 I’d see in the UK for £10, or about $16. I spent about $3900 in the four months, including all of my food and travel but not my flights between Newark and London.

Language differences

     Contrary to popular belief, Americans and Britons do not speak quite the same language. Neither do the French and French Canadians or Spaniards and Latin Americans. Checking slang before going is probably a good idea, because you may be confused as to why Englishmen go to bars to get angry or find yourself highly offended by frozen meatballs.

Living abroad

Food

     Don’t think that foods are consistent across cultures. It seems like every country has its own favorite cheese and its own version of bread, bacon and sausage. (Barcelona has sandwich-ready mozzarella slices, London has three kinds of sliced cheddar, the American northeast has swiss and provolone.) Eat the bread and cheese but not the bacon (the bacon is thicker, not crispy, and tastes a little different). Try the sausage but be careful. In England specifically, I like the sausage and am a big fan of medium cheddar cheese, ravioli and sauce (just not the bacon kind), and Sainsbury’s chicken kievs, but most of the frozen meals are terrible (definitely not as good as American ones for some reason). The Quorn vegetarian ones aren’t bad, though.

     If you haven't been diligently reading [though of course, why wouldn't you have been], you should know that England, and much of Europe, do not have grape jelly or tortilla chips. They have black currant jam and "lightly salted" Doritos, which do the job. Black current Ribena (a brand of juice) is pretty good. Black currant is like grape without, uh, the grapiness. It's hard to explain. I enjoyed the sparkling Ribena myself. Elderflower pressé is also another European/British thing to try, along with all the puddings (more like cake than our pudding) and pies. Btw, the typical British pie is made with steak and ale. Not apples and cinnamon.

     Finally, be sure to check all expiration (or "expiry") dates since they use a lot less preservatives. Milk isn't much different, but bread, hummus, veggies and the like often expired within two days of purchase. PS eggs are not refrigerated.

Food stores

     In the area of London I was in, there were four food stores: Tesco is the cheapest, Sainsbury’s the next with somewhat better food (the kievs were much better, the juice selection different, but otherwise similar), then M&S simply food (who charge you if you take plastic bags) and little Waitrose, the most expensive. I shopped at Tesco for daily stuff and Sainsbury for particular things I wanted from there… or whichever was closest. I think I spent about £55 a week, which translates to about $90.

Store hours

     New York City is the city that never sleeps. Not London, or a number of cities in Europe. They go to bed or take naps while you sit hungry, wondering why you can’t get any food at 7pm. I was surprised at how early many things in London closed. Most pubs close at 11pm, and stores and coffee shops at around 8 or 8:30. The Tesco by us closed at 11 most nights but at 6 on Sundays. London generally closes early on Sundays. Yes, they still do that. In some places in Europe (I noticed it in Sicily), many things will be closed or open for very limited hours on Sunday. They also take siestas, and so places may be closed from 4-7pm. Yes, they still do that too. (But maybe not much longer? Recent political reference?) When I visited Italy and Spain, most people did not eat dinner until 8 or 9 pm. Prepare for that if you visit southern Europe, since if places are even open before that they will likely be dead. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Personal travel while abroad

     Traveling throughout Europe is pretty easy. Kayak.com was a helpful website for finding cheap flights, but be careful of your travel to and from airports. There are four or five airports in London, and the ease of traveling to and from them depends on the airport. Although early flights are often cheaper, keep in mind that you will need to arrange transport to get you to the airport 1.5 hours before your flight, and the tube may not be running at the time you need it. This slight oversight is not so fun when you need to catch a bus at 3 am after being on an all day field trip that got you home at midnight. But, you do what you have to do.

     Findings places to stay is also not super difficult and they can be relatively cheap, but it does require some work and planning, like finding good flights. A really helpful to find hostels and hotels was hostelworld.com (I know, the website sounds totally legit). You can check prices and select the kind fo place you want. I stayed at a bunch of places on there including a number of hostels, and used the ratings to sort out good ones. I never stayed in a "dorm" style one, with different groups of people sleeping in one room- I was either in a double with a friend, a single, or a larger room with all four of my group. Some of the places were kind of weird, but it was kind of fun as part of the experience.

Remember to leave unnecessary items at home or in a safe location. Your purse or wallet can be lost or stolen. Keep that in mind always. When in your home city, you have a better understanding of the place, have all your supplies at hand, and need certain things on a daily basis. It’s not the same when you are travelling elsewhere for a weekend.

     Two more tips: try to learn some of the language of the place you are going and borrow or buy a guidebook on the city/area you are visiting. These two things can be lifesavers. Numbers, greetings, and polite phrases (I’m sorry, etc.) will make dealing with people in the foreign country easier and a lot less awkward. Most people do speak English, but they generally appreciate you attempting to learn their language, especially in small everyday interactions. Barcelona, Rome and Istanbul were very English friendly, Sicily and Paris not so much.

     The guidebooks have tons of information, including some language basics and usually maps. They have information on transportation, places to eat, things to do, and just about everything your little heart could desire. They are very helpful for planning pretty much the whole trip other than your flights and perhaps where you stay and eat if you are looking for something especially cheap (they tend to list things that don’t fit a broke student budget). We found some restaurant guide brochures around though that helped immensely with finding good cheap food. Bucknell In programs should have books left from previous students. Lonely Planet is great, but Frommers and a number of others are pretty great too.

Transport

Cabs

     They have these things called minicabs (in London and Paris and probably other cities as well) which are less expensive but sorta sketchy, which I never took. They look like normal cars and you have to order it/text a number for them. However, I have used the iconic black London cabs (which are often covered in ads and thus decidedly not black). They are pricey, but when in a bind they are awesome. London cab drivers have to pass this test called “The Knowledge” on all the streets in London in order to become certified to drive a cab. It often takes multiple tries, and it means that cabbies know their stuff. They won’t know clubs or things like that, but they know streets and often important buildings and hotels. Your best bet is to tell them an intersection near where you want to go, using full street names. Bloomsbury Street and Bloomsbury Way are not near each other, and definitely not the same thing. Cabbies expect the full name (not just Bloomsbury) so they might not know what you are talking about if you give just the first word.

Walking

     Note as in the cab section that the last word of the street name is important- Way, Street, and Road are by no means interchangeable and will screw you up if you aren’t careful when looking at a map. Believe me, there are about ten streets with the first word “Holland” in Kensington, and I found about five of those before finding Holland Park Road because I was expecting only one “Holland”. Also, street names will change without warning (Bloomsbury Street turns into Gower Street, for example), and five-point intersections are a London favorite. Get down the walking directions home from a place if you go out at night, and practice crucial walks during the day if possible. And most importantly, have maps! My London Moleskin saved my life multiple times. A tube or metro map is also quite handy. Honestly, maps are extremely useful. You can find some in the city or pick some up before hand. I recommend getting a handy, foldable, not-super-touristy one before leaving the states. And, of course, make sure you actually know how to read maps.

Tube and bus

     Super fun fact: the tube closes at midnight. Yes, midnight. Repeat that. Remember that. Most stations won’t close until about 12:15 or 12:20, so you have a little wiggle room. However, the extra entrances will close around 11:45, so you will most likely need to find the main entrance if it’s late. In other countries, the hours for the metro is different. Check and remember them! In London they normally do engineering work on the trains on weekends, so look out for closed stops and lines. You will be very unhappy when you find out at 11pm that you can’t get home the way you planned. Night buses run 24 hours, you just have to check the schedule to figure out which you can take. Navigating bus stations is a bit difficult, as you need a station to end at (you may need to try a few), the bus lines (that are still running) that will go to that stop, and a nearby bus stop that caters to that line, going in the right direction. It’s not that bad, but it’s trickier than the tube. This goes for most cities, I think. In London, travel cards work on either.

     Another note on the tube and bus: go to the front or end car of the tube if you can (it’s often less crowded) and sit in the front upper level seat on the bus. It’s awesome. Oh, and you enter in the front doors of the bus and exit through the middle. Not that I ever got that down.

Losing your Oyster card

     This applies specifically to London and is probably the most important thing I can say. So I’m going to put it in caps. Ready? DO NOT LOSE YOUR STUDENT OYSTER CARD. If you won’t be needing it, you don’t need it with you. Keep it safe, and don’t keep it in your wallet, purse, etc. when you are travelling in a different city. Side note: Do not take your passport with you anywhere except to the airport or place where you will need it. Your passport belongs in a stable, lockable place, not in your purse, which can be stolen. DO NOT RISK LOSING YOUR PASSPORT WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO. DO NOT RISK LOSING YOUR OYSTER CARD WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO.

     Ok, I think you might get it now. Student Oyster cards specifically are a pain to replace. You can’t transfer funds over to a new card, refunds take weeks, and you will pay a bunch of extra fees in the meantime. Be careful with your card. (But be even more careful with your passport!) That goes for credit cards as well, but I think that’s something you’d expect. Well, hopefully.

     If you do lose your Oyster card, here is what to do (yes, I am an expert on this):

     -Decide how many days you will need the tube or bus. Keep in mind it takes 3-5 days to get a new card. If, beyond that, you will need to travel 3 or more times, it’s probably best to report your card stolen or missing and pay the £10 for a new card. Call right away, do not wait. Get a police report number for stolen cards if possible, and tell TFL. Check out your options and decide on the best way to travel during those 3-5 days.

     -If you have an ADULT Oyster card, call TFL as soon as you get the new one and have them transfer over your funds, and voila! Life is peachy. If you have a STUDENT (16+ or 18+) Oyster card, especially if you have a seasonal plan (aka you go to any stop in zones 1 and 2 “for free”) you’re pretty screwed. Check if your bank takes international checks (TD Bank, the newest love of my life, does). Then call TFL and request a refund (you can probably do this when you report it missing). There are 2 options: have the funds transferred into a UK bank account in 5 days, or have them send you a UK or international check in 4 weeks. If you don’t have a UK bank, and your bank doesn’t take international checks, you are going to need a friend with a UK bank account or a US bank that takes international checks, or else you are not getting a penny back. Make sure to tell them if you need an international check and give them your home address if it’s not the one on the account. Have this all settled or else they might not process your refund. You get an email when they do (which might take 4 weeks anyway).

     -If you have a seasonal student Oyster card (you ride in zones 1 and 2 “for free”), they will give you a refund for however many months or weeks are remaining on your card out of the whole. It’s probably cheaper to just do pay as you go once you get the new card rather than paying £75 a month for the seasonal. Check with your program- they might help you out but mine did not. I only spent £45 in my last month. Be careful about running low on money, as you can sometimes incur extra fees. How you can even get on the tube in the first place when you are low on money is beyond me, but the fees are very real. You can explain any problems or situations to an employee in a station, but beware that TFL has pretty bad customer service in the stations themselves. About a third of these workers are the personification of "disgruntled". Some are very helpful and nice, but you're probably better off just avoiding any problems. Keep tabs on all your charges online or at a station. Don’t stay within the tube for an hour or longer. They will think you left and came back without touching out or back in, resulting in an £8 charge. Not that this has happened to me. Or anything. (Check those repair schedules, my friends.) Remember to keep calm and carry on.

Welp, that’s all. I know it’s a lot of information. And a bit of melodrama there at the end. But hopefully this is remotely helpful. Have fun, safe travels, and if you see the homeless Londoner with the dog, give him a sandwich for me.