Need suggestions for travel gift for student studying abroad

My daughter studied in Florence last semester. Her most prized possession, which we gave her for Christmas, was a little Canon Elph digital camera. It's small enough to fit into a little handbag, and it takes great pictures.

The other item she used daily was the cell phone we rented through PicCell Wireless (they are worldwide). It's a safety necessity, IMHO, for traveling students to have a phone and be able to keep in touch when going from place to place. Hopefully your daughter, too, will be able to travel weekends and see many, many places like my daughter did.

Will she be bringing a laptop computer? If so, another gift idea would be internet minutes. In Italy, at least, it was quite costly to go to internet cafes and buy time. But they like to e-mail their friends back home and keep in touch via IM, etc.

Study abroad is such a great opportunity for a student. Kudos for supporting it.

My son studied in Rome last year and traveled all over Europe. It was an amazing experience. A digital camera is a must! We also gave him a Coolmax travel sheet, microfiber towel, and travel pillow from REI, which he used on trains and in hostels. The travel sheet can be used alone or with a sleeping bag, but is also useful in hostels where the bedding is "used" or not provided.

An English German computer translator that even pronounces the words.

Lina's gives a really good suggestion! We didn't know until after the fact, how yechy some of the cheap student hostels can be. At one my daughter said they were given only had a huge PAPER towel for showering. And the bedding... I don't even want to think about that! But, the good news is, the students can afford these places and the experiences they gain are priceless.

A microfiber travel blanket, towel and pillow would be a fantastic gift.

I love my new deluxe Franklin French bilingual dictionary. It is the model that allows you to change a "bookman" card and change the dictionary. It is significantly better than the simpler, 5-language translator I was given - because it has a much larger dictionary. I see that Franklin offers a similar model, with a 5-language suite (plus Websters). It comes with a small bilingual German dictionary, but you can also buy a bookman chip and get the larger dictionary (which will be more useful to her if she's studying German). The other languages will be useful if she's travelling. The model I'm thinking of is SCD-1870-BL6.

Another gift might be a good passport/document holder (the kind that zips up and holds your passport, tickets, change and cards).

My problem with all-in-one passport/credit card holders is that if they are stolen or lost, everything gets stolen or lost.

For Vienna in January, I would head straight for the Winter Silks catalogue.

nessundoma:

That would be a problem if I didn't have copies of key documents. It's true that my passport is unique and it's in my travel wallet - but it has to go somewhere. And I keep several copies of it elsewhere. My "tickets" are actually copies of etickets, so theft isn't a problem. My "cards" are my frequent flyer/hotel cards, plus my secondary bank and credit cards. So, not everything is in one place - but all of the bits I need while actually in the process of travelling are easy to find and use.

KateW,

I wasn't questioning your decision to carry one. But were someone to give me such a wallet as a gift, I wouldn't use it. A student might not have a lot of need for it either since they really won't be traveling to a variety of countries in a short period of time.

Thanks for the great suggestions! I'm going to get the coolmax sheet and microfiber towel and a travel pillow for her. She already has a pretty good digital camera, but I think I'll get her an extra flashcard. I need to look into the translator - that could be pretty helpful because her German isn't very good at this point. I appreciate all the help.

Agree with Nessudorma, such a wallet wouldn't have worked for me in college.

I had a small inside pocket my grandma made that I pinned to the inside of jeans for my passport and most of my money. I only had what I needed for the day in an "ordinary" wallet or daypack. REI carries something better, Lewis and Clark's brand is kind of silky and not too bulky. It is one of several brands that go under your clothes.

I would lean toward the "travel sheet" rather than the "travel blanket." As I recall, it should be a sack shape so you would go inside it and not touch the blanket or whatever provided by the hostel. I took an actual sleeping bag instead.

I would add one thing that may seem obvious: A good, high quality larger backpack. I would shop for it with her to see about fit, and then she could bring a little shoulder tote or daypack in it for daily events. I wore my boyfriend's old Scout one and it didn't fit right (but free was good).

I would shop carefully for as few electronics as necessary when actually traveling (not in class), and consider size and weight.

The camera is always a good idea - but will she be doing some traveling on long weekends and holidays? My biggest expense in studying abroad was my "extra" travel. How about a gift certificate for an Eurailpass or airfare for spring breach?

Excuse me - spring break.

I got a silk sleepsack at Mountain Equipment Coop in Canada - you can probably find something similar at a camping equipment store in the US. Silk is lighter and packs down to a smaller size than the cotton sacks - and doesn't cost a lot more than cotton.

Another stocking stuffer-sized gift might be a motion detector alarm to hang on the doorknob of her room (you can also carry it in your hand when you're walking somewhere dodgy in the dark). I think it also incorporates a flashlight. My dad got me one at Eddie Bauer.

More about the travel sheet, etc: make sure you buy a Coolmax or silk. The cotton ones are cheaper but if it gets wet, it will never dry. Most sheets come in "mummy" or rectangular styles. If you don't use it in a sleeping bag, then rectangular is a little more comfortable. Some sheets have a pocket for a pillow, too.

My son's sheet squished into a tiny pouch which he hooked onto his backpack, along with his towel (it came in a mesh sack) and pillow (the down squishes into a tiny sack as well). Small is better because you don't want these things swinging and hitting you! You might buy some caribeners (hooks) for your daughter for this purpose.

My son also had a metal mesh backpack lock that fit over his entire pack and he could lock it to the hostel bed during the day. I'll have to find out how much he used it.

I made a book of "coupons". Each was in fact a money order BUT these were not to be used as a slush fund. They were marked "dinner", a play, weekend away and each was for an amount of money that would probably cover the event. My niece had to email me after it was redeemed to report the event. I was delighted to see these coupons in her scrap book with pictures(in some cases) of the events.

Cash. She'll probably need money to do stuff (going out especially. or extra travel) more than she needs things...

She'll need an International Student Identification Card (ISIC), to receive student discounts throughout Europe. Her school may be providing one. If not, they're just about $20 and you can get one on-line for her. They are self-laminating, so she'll add her own photo to it.

I'm a big fan of the men's Magellene Travel vest. Its very light weight, and has tons of pockets, easy to carry passports etc without worry and easy to get into them if you need cash etc.

I would give cash in some form, a preloaded travel card, or buy euro, whatever.

I'm not convinced about some of these suggestions & would want to check the ideas with real young people.

They sounds to me like what my family would thoughtfully buy for me, but what I would never use. Maybe read over on Lonely Planet's forum for more posters who actually do stay in hostels?

i think a pillow, blanket, sheet, and towel may or may not be practical in reality. i know the money belt and passport wallet MY mom gave me are still in the boxes, in my dresser drawer!

I assume that your daughter is under 26.

She is eligible to purchase a VorteilScard under 26. Available at most all railroad stations - she just fills out a short application and provides 2 photos I think.

Cost is 19,90 euro for one year .
It provides 50 % off on train tickets within Austria.

Great for travel on a budget

A good map of Vienna and a tourist's map of some of the other cities she will visit such as Budapest. Good guide books can come in handy. I like the Rick Steves' as well as Fodor's and Frommer's. (one is enough).

Maps are good but guide books are often available at the homestay or apartment, left over from previous students. We loaded my son up with books and it was a waste of space. He easily downloaded hostel info and Rick Steve's restaurant recommendations from the Internet.

I asked him about the mesh backpack lock I mentioned in a previous post and he said he didn't use it as much as he thought he would. Many hostels provide lockers, so only a lock is needed. He said a travel sheet and microfiber towel are essential and the pillow was nice (he lost his somewhere along the way but didn't replace it).

My son studied in Torino,Italy one semester and then Prague the next semester while my daughter spent a semester in Ortigia/Siracusa,Sicily.I would recommend "constant" money being put in their ATM accounts from home for various expenses;the digital camera; but definitely the guidebooks or a good European hostel book. Both of my kids lived in their own apartments and really used the guidebooks/maps for traveling. (My daughter wanted to go to Malta and Tunisia while in Sicily-was the only one in her group who had thought ahead and had the guidebooks.) My son had some major guidebooks(Lonely Planet Europe is great) but also a couple hostel books which he used quite a bit in his travels. English guidebooks are very expensive overseas and sometimes hard to find and both kids agreed that they were glad that they brought some-others were always trying to borrow them.Do remind her that sometimes a cheaper hotel is really a better deal than a hostel and alot safer for a girl!Using the internet is not always easy overseas in terms of fees and finding one that is open when you want it.One more thing-I would also make sure that she has a traveling backpack,the kind that holds everything so she can travel on the weekends with just that on her back on the trains,ferries or planes without a hassle.Be prepared when she comes home for her wanting to move back...........

>> Do remind her that sometimes a cheaper hotel is really a better deal than a hostel and alot safer for a girl! <<

I disagree with this.

Hostels are usually full of like-minded young people who are more likely to look out for one another than not. "Cheaper" hotels are just that - a place where you can, for example, take your cheap date. As for "safer for a girl" - where do you think it's more likely her cries for help will be heard *and* people will actually help?

A personal gift, and it might take some preparation effort, but I'm quite sure she'll appreciate it a lot:

Make her a travel diary which she can fill in along her trip, and fill in some parts yourself: little messages, fill in people's birthday while she's away, little travel tips for Vienna here and there, a recipe of something typical from home, a nice picture, etc.
If she has the discipline to only look at it at the appropriate day, it will be a gift that lasts long.

The other pages she can fill in herself with memorable things she did, tickets of places she went, the occasional photograph, and in the end all her new friends can write her farewell messages in it.

I made a diary like that for my exchange in Barcelona and it's one of the dearest souvenirs I have!

I've been watching this thread because my daughter will be interning in Ireland next semester. I'm topping it in hopes of more responses! I'll probably post a thread of my own once we know for sure where she's going to be, what her living situation will be, etc. But for now, this post is giving me some good ideas!

Thanks, C3Baker!

I am bookmarking this thread as there is lots of good info. and our son, now a college soph., is planning on studying abroad for the fall semester of 2007. He also is planning on going to Vienna.

C3Baker--has your daughter been to Vienna before? Our family spent 4 nights there in the summer of 2004 (coming from Germany and then onto Prague and Berlin)and loved it! In the summer months of July, August and Sept. (every night) they have this wonderful music festival (some live concerts and some on a big screen t.v.) in front of their beautiful flower-covered city hall. There are all kinds of food/beer booths set up.
I am sure your daughter will love Vienna!

I studied abroad in Florence 2 years ago... I didn't have a travel "sheet" or blanket and really wish i did. I would also recommend a travel pillow, they're easy to bring with you and necessary for staying in hostels.

I would also suggest the Fodors travel book, the best cities in Europe, or something along those lines. It had the top 10-15 most visited cities in Europe, those she will probably be most likely to visit, and the guide book has tons of suggestions on all expense accounts. I also had Let's Go, Europe 2006, and I often cross referenced between the two books as Fodors was more upscale then Let's Go!

Another thing I wish I had but luckily my roommate did was a portable DVD player. Not that there is a lot of time to watch TV, but when you are in your apartment and just miss all things American, it's nice to be able to put in your favorite TV show or movie. Also, if you buy her a DVD player it will give other family members the chance to buy her DVD's, so presents will be easy for Christmas.

Sorry if this is redundant, I did not read all the replies. But obviously a journal. Also an empty address book that is small for her to add the addresses of all the new friends she is going to make. I used scraps of paper that were eventually lost. Def. extra memory cards for her digital camera. Also, a can opener, bottle opener and wine opener. Even if she doesn't drink alcohol they come in handy for travel, opening fruit cans or old fashioned sodas that you still find in Europe that require bottle openers. I probably bought a million of these on my European trips, esp. as a study abroad student!!! Books are heavy, but I got one of those Let's Go books and ripped it apart by country, that way, when I travelled I only took the country I needed and left the rest behind, then threw it away eventually so it did not take up souvenir space. Speaking of, an extra bag for souvenirs is great, she will find lots of things to bring home for her awesome parents that gave her such a great opportunity.

Hey Princess of Penguins-both of my kids felt that some of the less expensive hotels were a way better deal than hostels especially when there might be 4 in a room with several beds to share the price .(Think B and B or guestroom?)Hostels aren't always that cheap or safe! I think that my son who is a world traveler best summed it up-"when I opened my hostel bed and found bloody sheets,I knew I couldn't stay there." On a personal note-I "hosteled" through Europe many years ago and even then you had to sleep with your passport and money under your pillow in case of them being stolen. Some hostels and cities are great but others are not that great or safe.Same premise as the Eurorail pass maybe worthwhile or the cheaper airlines might be a better deal when you figure out time and effort?
C3 Baker-forgot to add that "space bags" are wonderful for traveling and can now be bought at Walmart.

dutyfree - I've never had any problems with hostels when it comes to things like safety or cleanliness. I was once "stuck" having to go to a cheaper hotel because the hostel was full. I could have taken some veeery interesting photos there, though I probably would have gotten shot

The great thing about study abroad is being able to travel on the weekends. I'd minimize the amount of 'stuff' your daughter is expected to keep track of, in favor of travel money for her adventures.

I have heard hostels in Italy can have really filthy bedding, but Austria is so impeccably clean, it could be a different world there.

In Florence, my daughter was able to connect with a group which offered many package trips for the students. It was a group that socialized together while in Florence, too, so she was able to hear about other students' travels and their recommendations. It was a great network of info. and resources for her. She even won a couple of free trips in contests they hosted. At least two group trips she took were to Capri, and skiing in Switzerland. She said it was much cheaper to ski with the group than trying to go with one friend or two.

I'll bet your daughter's school will know of similar travel groups for the students in Vienna.

So, I think the idea of travel money is a great one.

If you give her everything everyone suggests, you'll need to buy her an extra suitcase to put it all in!!

I know I already had my vote, but traveling light is the aim, not a bunch of stuff to take along. I would never buy someone something as personal as a journal. Maybe she wants to use one maybe not. For me I take notes in a series of little 3x5 spiral notebooks only.

You said she has luggage, but is one piece of a small size, like a day pack or messenger bag, something that could be used for long weekend traveling, but smaller than a normal suitcase perhaps.

c3baker:
My daughter is currently studying in Freiburg, Germany and having a wonderful experience. We are talking over the computer using www.skype.com. It is a free download and our connections are crystal clear. She also has a piccellwireless phone, which is great for my peace of mind, but our connections have been hit and miss. If she is bringing a computer with her, I would make sure she has a microphone and earphones so you can communicate this way if you choose to.
Good luck! Safe Journey for your daughter!

Skype is great for travelling - and msn messenger but I think facebook is taking over these days! For something material and nice have a look at Scarlett's travel charm http://www.scarlettjewellery.com/Travel-orderby0-p-1-c-6.html

I think one side can be engraved which is pretty cool.