I am leaving for Europe with my sister next week and we are both students, do we need an "International Student ID card"? Does it really make a difference in hostel/museum costs? Which card (ISE, ISIC, etc) do you recommend? PLEASE HELP! THANK YOU!

I wouldn't go through the hassle of getting it as the discounts were too few.

There are many benefits to the ISIC card such as booking international flights and changing your return date for only $25. My daughter has been in Spain for 5 months and uses it as her ID. You can search discounts be country on www.isic.org.

It really depends on the museum/site you are visiting. My husband and I never use an International Student ID card. We show our university ID cards (they have "Student" printed on the front) and we've been given reduced admissions at sites in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and England.

Again, a regular university ID doesn't ALWAYS grant a reduction like I imagine the International Student ID would but it's worked for us the majority of times.

Back in my student days, I had an ISIC card. It certainly saved us some money. The ISIC came in handy (versus regular university ID) because the card is easily recognizable. Sounds like some folks were able to get by with their university student ID, but I've seen (though rarely) non-ISIC student cards turned down because there's no guarantee that they are not fake.

If you don't end up with an ISIC card, then bring along your regular student ID. That will probably get you in most places.

I had an ISIC card back when I was traveling around the UK and Ireland, and it definitely helped. The discounts I got, especially on travel costs, made it well worth it.

It depends on your situation, but I think that having another form of ID is a great idea, especially if it will get you discounts. Last year I was in Barcelona and I had my ISIC card on me at all times, which was very helpful.

What kind of ticket did you buy to go over there? I bought a student ticket and if I don't have an ISIC card, I can't get on the plane.

My (homeschool) students are 14 and 16, could look like college age. I'm thinking ISIC would be good idea for them? Or will passport be enough to establish their youth for getting discounts?

stokebaily- your teens are actually not entitled to discounts unless they have some form of student ID (as they are both over 12, the general cut off age). So, ISIC is a great idea for them, as they don't have another ID (unless you guys have the coolest home school ever). And yes, it is very helpful.

Laclaire, thanks.

I just used my drivers license that showed I was 18 for the few days I was. I ended up getting into the Louvre for free but other than that it never helped. You need to be at least under 18 or under 12 to get any good discounts.