Travel

You are responsible for booking and paying for your travel to the program site abroad. Most flights from the U.S. to Europe leave in the evening and arrive early the next day; be sure to book your travel in order to arrive at the program site on the correct day!

If you arrive before the official beginning of the program, you must make your own arrangements for accommodations. If you are eligible for an airfare stipend, Smith College will notify you in May of the exact amount, which will be sent via check or direct deposit. Airfare stipends are determined on a sliding scale basis and estimates of average ticket prices to the program location.

Purchasing a round-trip ticket with a return date more than 11 months after the date of purchase is usually not possible. There are various ways to handle this problem:

• Purchase a round-trip ticket with the latest return date possible, then change the return date well in advance of the original departure date, and pay the fee for the change. STA Travel (www.statravel.com) offers a low change fee and good student rates, but it is always wise to check on the latest policies.

• Purchase two separate one-way tickets. Usually one-way tickets are outrageously expensive, but some airlines do offer competitive one-way rates.

Useful travel sites include http://www.Travelocity.com, http://www.kayak.com, http://www.studentuniverse.com, and http://www.itravelosophy.com.

It is important not to schedule final return travel until the dates of your academic commitments are firm. In many cases, examination dates vary by course and are not posted until mid-semester. As a student on a Smith College program, you are required to take all scheduled exams, unless you have specific permission not to do so, and you are expected to remain on the program until your academic commitments have been satisfied.

Pack light. You will need less clothing and fewer personal items than you think. You can buy almost anything you need in Europe, though prices may be somewhat higher than those you’re used to.

Take no more than two moderately sized pieces of luggage and a carry-on bag for weekend trips. You must be able to carry all your luggage by yourself, possibly up and down stairs, and on cobbled streets where wheeled suitcases become unwieldy. Before leaving, check your airline’s restrictions concerning the size and weight of luggage, and their fees for excess baggage. Label your luggage inside and out with your name and the address of your program’s office.

If you simply cannot fit your belongings into two pieces of luggage, you will probably find it most reasonable to pay excess baggage charges than to ship items via the post office or FedEx. Shipping personal belongings is not recommended because it may require you to pay taxes and customs’ fees and to retrieve your things at a faraway airport. If you must ship items, please be sure to list 9 the contents of the shipment as “used personal effects.” Never ship laptops or electronic devices, medications, vitamins, food supplements and energy bars.

Europe is becoming more Americanized, but you should know that Europeans still tend to dress up more than Americans. For instance, no European wears pajamas to class! Rather than multiple pairs of jeans, you might bring only one pair and diversify your wardrobe with trousers and skirts (especially if you plan to pursue an internship or volunteer work).

Pack items that work together and can be layered. You are also likely to do more walking in Europe than you do at Smith: be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes.