RESERVATIONS: Are You Going To Have a Trip At All?
Planes? Trains? Automobiles? Hotels too? If you're going to go at all you need to make reservations in advance. Check our traveling section on the front page of this site for advice on how to take care of all the above.


WHAT TO PACK:
You need to be able to travel light. This does not mean not taking things which will probably need. It means being efficient. Here is the list we gave our students for one month in Europe during the summer:


CLOTHING:

• 1 pair of walking shoes (black is best)
• 7 pair socks
• 7 pair underwear
• 2 pair shorts (for Italy and Spain, white or kaikhi)
• 3 skirts / 3 pants
• 3 t-shirts tan, black, whites, grey
• 1 dark pullover (for chilly evenings in London and Paris)
• 1 light jacket (dark color for evenings)
• 1 nice outfit (dark colors, preferably black)
• 1 raincoat (a must for London)
• 1 umbrella (small so that it can be carried in your raincoat pocket)
  

COLORS:
Note that our color reccomendations are mostly to save you time and to keep you cooler in the warmer climates. Chart a color scheme to get the most flexibility from a limited number of clothes: choose a neutral shade of black, gray, navy, or beige as a base. Neutral colors without any logos or designs not only tend to look better and help you fit in with the natives (except in Germany), but mix well and save you time trying to decide what to wear every morning.

In Italy and Spain, you need to mix tans, whites, light greys as it will be hot. You can wear white at night.

In London and Paris prepare for rain and cool evenings, and wear black at night. Everyone in Paris and London wears black. You should too.


MEDICINE AND TOILETRIES:

• toothbrush and toothpaste
• soap and shampoo
• comb and or brush
• sunscreen for Italy and Spain
• moisturizer, cosmetics
• deodorant
• small first aid kit (especially with band-aids & aspirin.)
• small packs of Kleenex
• tampons (or what not. we'll leave that up to you ladies.)
• razors
• sunglasses
• eyeglasses or contact lenses and cleaning solution
• prescription medicine (if you need it.)

MISCELLANEOUS:

• address book with phone numbers
• notebook
• camera and film
• a carrying pack: small simple and dark. try to make it look as little like a back-pack as possible.

HOW TO PACK IT:
Some people like to roll their clothes to avoid wrinkles. Others say it only makes the problem worse. Use your best judgement. The main thing is to make sure that you have as few bags as possible. On bag for carrying things like a camera and maps and identification plus a bag for all your clothes and toiletries should be all you carry. It makes everything ten times easier, expecially when getting on and off trains.


I.D. MONEY & OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF:

You should always have...

• Your passport
• Your international student ID card (get it from STA months in advance)
• Your tickets
• Your traveler's checks or cash
• Your ATM card
• A phonecard (one for each country)
  

...on your person at all times. We find a money belt helps greatly. The thin kind you wear under your clothes. NOT a fanny pack because, lets face it, only silly Americans (and maybe Germans) wear thoes and you want to stand out a little as possible (not to mention that they are easy to pickpocket).