$180 is hardly a lot compared with the total cost of a year abroad. And IMHO starting out with hauling a giant pile of luggage around will not make the process pleasant to begin with.

And agree about the German above. I assumed she had already studied German -if not - she needs to begin right way. Granted many Austrians speak at least basic English - but why spend a year abroad and not take full advantage of it?

Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences and insights. This has been enormously helpful. Forgive my delay in answering some of your queries; I had household needs to attend to (OK, one was my birthday...).

thursdaysd: I agree that the train from Vienna would be much better than from Prague. She has just been in Prague and Austria (and going to Munich) on a short school trip, so she's already had to get some of each currency. I think she would fly from Prague (rather than by train) if that were the cheapest airline route. Graz does seem to be a delightful place to be. My daughter had a chance to visit last Saturday, but hasn't been home to give a report. She just says, "I can't wait to tell you about Graz!"

tomboy: I've been known to say your statement about others (helicoptering)! Trust me when I say my kid is the one who says, "bye, Mom, see you later," before the car stops. Part of my questions here do double duty for when I book my own trip over (because you can bet I'm taking advantage of someone I know already there). Anyway, I finally got some good search results regarding customs/immigration wait times at various airports. It is helpful to know which airports are smaller and easier to get through vs the larger ones with multiple terminals and more flights arriving simultaneously. I think I determined that a 2-hr layover is an absolute minimum (and only if there's no alternative), while a 3-hr layover at any airport where immigration will occur is much easier. And all will be booked on one ticket. [side note: she threw discus in HS, but not that far...]

asps: Train and airport and item costs/suggestions/information from you, tomboy, and hans is very helpful. Daughter said while there now that she can't find SIM cards anywhere - I'm not sure how hard she is looking, but I recently found that the student organization at UTGraz has connections to deals on phones/SIM cards/free banking, etc.

nytraveler: Sorry to mislead. I've flown plenty, in the US and to South America, just not to Europe. I understand baggage claim areas, etc. And, yes, you can check luggage (<50lb) through to your destination on Amtrak (2 bags free, 2 more at $20 each). Anyway, thanks for the tip regarding relative clothing expenses: we are skiers (Rockies, not NC), so she's got excellent cold-weather clothing already. We also have vacuum bags to pack that fluffy stuff in, so we can ship those later-season items. Anything she's missing in that category can be purchased in Austria. $180 sounds like a lot for 25lbs to ship. The best I've found is the US Postal Service shipping 50lbs for about $150. That's why I wanted to know what she can just buy there (and sell/give away before coming home).

Hans: your financial information is useful. I will say that I found out (by the bank statements on current trip) that the credit union is charging that 1% on all transactions, not just point-of-sale, so I told daughter to just use the debit card on as much as possible. Live and learn. It's still a better deal than all other banking in our household currently.

joannyc: she will get picked up by students helping out - don't even need a taxi (am really loving the care local students show to international students - I'm sure US schools could learn something...).

KL467: I can't imagine learning only 2 German words in that time. I hope they were "please" and "thanks." Daughter has already been doing self-study online, but will take a 3-week intensive course in German before semester classes begin. Her classes will be taught in English, but she will definitely want to blend in with the locals and travel to as many amazing places as time and money allow. She picks up languages extremely well, so I have no worries for her in that department.

Coyboy1968: love your alias! I knew about the Berlin airport delay issue and agree about flying into Graz being 1st choice. Your point about the small planes and carryon sizes is a good reminder. One can live without the carryon items for those short flights anyway.
About the local phones: I have been seeing that there is a lot more business conducted by phone. Is texting sufficient or is a smart phone nearly a requirement? So far, we have avoided the smart phone expense in our household, but I realize this is new territory for us.
Thanks for the tip on OTCs. We use Young Living essential oils for most things, but a few OTCs and prescriptions are in our medicine cabinet.

Ibake: thank you for your succinct and helpful tips. How much was your SIM that included the phone? What features did you have/need/use (talk, text, data)?

So, forgive this long post, but please continue to send helpful hints and answers to my questions.

By the way, thanks for clarifying customs vs immigration. When I flew to Ecuador a few times, both happened more or less at once (honestly, it just felt like one long line after another of all kinds of checks, getting/giving bags, etc), whether coming or going.

In addition to the few questions peppered above, I still need to know: when should I go visit (least expensive but still can get around); is the wine in Styria allowed/worth shipping back to the states, or just enjoy and consume it there?

Re: smart phone - you need an unlocked quad band phone which you can buy on ebay or amazon, NOT from Verizon et al with a contract. I currently have an LG P999 (http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-P999-g2x - discontinued) from amazon, with a "global" SIM from telestial.com. But for one country use she should buy the SIM on arrival.

I think Styria is known more for its pumpkin seed oil than its wine.

Re. (also on) smart phones.. it is a bit a matter of choice.
Obviously, you still can stay in touch by "old" means of communications like voice and text, and you still can buy train tickets at staffed station desks instead via your cell phone or drop a money transfer order at your bank's physical mailbox.
I was trying to think more from the perspective of a young student, living a year abroad, and also having the need to stay in touch with her peers in Graz. And most if not all will have smart phones, arrange for meeting eachother by Facebook or Whatsapp, e-mail or send instant messages to a whole group instead of sending text messages, do mobile banking, check city buses' departures and so on.
This may be more important for someone who plans to actually live there for a year than for a tourist spending just a week in Austria.
In fact, a smart phone is not really a super expensive or high-end device anymore but more a commodity. It does not really have to be an iPhone, any smart phone which meets the technical criteria which PP mentioned will do the job.

Sorry to correct - but most Amtrak trains do NOT check luggage. perhaps a few do - but I've never seen it - and have ridden Amtrak many dozens of times (but yes, in the NE). And have not see european trains check anything (except for a few places in Switz - which is more a shipping service than a luggage carrying service).

There is a big difference between the Acela trains in the north-east corridor and long distance trains. For Amtrak's policy on checked baggage see: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...=1251621565010 - NB two free checked bags up to 50 lbs, two more at $20 each.

We've got two dual-band GSM phones, but they only have voice and text (the price was right...). Sounds like we need to buy a smart phone with quad band.
Didn't know about the pumpkin seed oil...
When should I go visit?
Thanks!

Yes - but it still doesn;t work that way in europe.

nytraveler - Who said it did?

wackcook - I would go spring or fall, unless you're into Christmas markets, but check http://www.wunderground.com/ for historical weather.

Thanks, thursdaysd. That's what I needed to know on timing of visit! Any wise words on timing of purchasing airline tickets in relation to the trip (how far in advance)?

Well, earlier is probably better, but I'd ask over on the Airline forum.

I think my phone was 30 Euros and it came with quite a bit of time, it was just a tiny phone, no bells and whistles. I think your daughter will find texting is less expensive than talking. The only issue I had was that someone else reloaded it for me as it was all in German. I did not have to prove my address, I told them I was interning at a resort for the summer. As for the shipping, I went through a shipping store and not the post office, so maybe that was a big mistake on my part.

For one year, a regular mobile phone plan plus SIM could be cheaper than just a prepaid plan. A typical mobile phone plan (not prepaid) would be €19.95 per month for unlimited calls and texts and a reasonable amount of data for mobile internet access- and a subsidized smartphone (usually discounted by more than € 100). Read the fineprint how long it will be locked.

As smartphones have also WiFi, the actual amount of data needed "on the go" is not really that much. The downside would be that she will need a bank account first - to subscribe to a mobile phone contract.
So it would take her a day or two in Graz until she gets everything done, i.e. residence registration (not just the permit), bank account, phone contract. But as her first days in the country will probably be filled with several bureaucratic errands to run anyway, it will just be another item on her list. And not as for a short-term tourist not wanting to waste an hour on these issues.

Again, plans exist by the hundreds - and again, student discounts are numerous. Most will come with a 1-year minimum contract - but that should not be an issue in her case.

In a nutshell: I would wait till she gets to Graz.

Thanks, Ibake and Cowboy1968. She bought an iPhone 4 (factory unlocked, no contract, etc) and hopes that an Austrian SIM card bought locally will do the trick. We'll see how that works out! Her priorities are Face Time and texting locally. I think she wanted to have that phone in hand before getting over there.
Wondering if getting an adapter to have two SIMs at the same time is worth the effort.
We are narrowing down flight possibilities now.

I do not understand how she cannot find a SIM locally. When I am in Austria (usually Innsbruck, not Graz) I find a lot of cell phone stores (going to a shopping mall could be a good bet).

Talking about shopping mall, I understand there is a large one near Graz, Shoppingcity Seiersberg. As you were concerned about clothes, I would have a look at the Peek & Cloppenburg branch there. They sell about every possible clothing item.

As for the wine, I find that Austrian wine does not travel well. As much as I may like it on the place, when I come back with some bottles in my car, somehow I find I cannot live again the magic.

The major cell phone operators in Austria are:
A1, T-Mobile, Orange and "3".

She won't be able to walk around in "downtown Graz" without stumbling over one or more store within five minutes.
If she wants a plan, shopping around and comparing rates is important - and also mentioning that she is a student (to get the proper discounts) and that a good number of calls (probably?) will be made to the US.

my daughter also will be studying in Graz for the year also. They are telling her she does not need to apply for a residency permit, until she gets there. But we have an appt in NYC this week, just in case. What did you need to bring with you?
As for packing she will only take 1 suitcase and 1 carry on. There is a weight limit of 50 lbs for the suitcase. Her winter clothing we will be shipping, and we will use the space bags to save room. She is trying to mix and match clothing to see what she will get the most use from. As for shoes and everyday boots. She will wear boots on the plane to save space.as for winter boots time will tell if she needs them or not. Can always send over.
Please if you can let me know what paper work to bring to consulate. I would appreciate.

If your daughter is going to study the school should be providing everything you need for the visa - including proof of enrollment. And student visa is not the same as a residency permit.

I think she was not familiar with some of the stores for SIM cards. The one she did try to buy didn't end up working in her phone. Terrific salesclerk let her get a refund on the spot. I'm sure she will have better luck once there with help from other students!

mbp06: congratulations for your daughter as well! This may be old news for you now (sorry!). She can do the application for residency later, but I think you will agree that it is much better to start the process in the US. We made one two-day trip to Wash DC and ended up at the office several times to get it all straight. There is a complete list of what paperwork is needed from the Austria website (http://www.austria.org/going-to-aust...sidence-permit). Our main hang-up was answering the long application, only available in German. Before we went to the Embassy/Consulate, we got a criminal background check (10-minute wait) and new birth certificate (30-min wait), then take both of those to the Secretary of State office (luckily we live very close to our state capital) to get the apostiles attached (1/2 day wait). Everything else was pretty self-explanatory, I think. Don't forget to also take photocopies of everything you turn in.
As for shipping - if I get her on a plane all the way to Graz (the plan), then she will probably take two big suitcases and a carry-on. Yes, we will be compacting in vacuum bags and large ziplocks, and some things she will just buy and discard over there (sheets, towels, etc). Good luck, and let us know how the consular visit goes.

My daughter is going to Graz too! ...but just for a semester. It has been interesting reading these posts as we have been dealing with the same issues. She flying all the way to Graz. We got our airfare from Sta travel. It was the best I could find at the time. Lufthansa also has a student airfare website called Generationfly. She needed a different visa for 5 months but we were lucky to have an honorary consulate to turn in our paperwork at and got the visa back in one week. Still figuring out the snow boots and phone. I think she will have 2 bags as well to contend with. Glad to know IKEA is in Graz.