Travel Tips

PREPARATION

  • Participate in all meetings organized for your group. Read extensively about the places you will visit, about culture and current affairs. Use your library and/or the Internet.
  • Be interested!  Be knowledgeable about current events and major politicians both in the U.S. as well as in the country/countries you will be visiting.
  • Be interesting!  Prepare to share about your family, school, city, state and country.

FITNESS Be prepared to do a considerable amount of walking. Even if you are physically active, get your legs and feet used to a lot of walking. The more fit you are, the better your body will be able to adapt to the rigors of travel. Break in the shoes you will wear abroad well before you go! Do not take brand new shoes. Note: Flip-flops are for beach and home, not cobblestone streets!

WEATHER You must be prepared for both cool and warm days whether you travel in spring or summer. Take clothing that can be layered, and be prepared for rain. Check the temperatures abroad before you leave. Hotel rooms and homes may be chilly in cold weather or very warm in hot weather; they tend to use less heat and often do not use air conditioning.

MEALS Continental breakfast is included daily. Because we want you to use your foreign language skills as much as possible, lunches and dinners are usually not all included in the program (ask your teacher – some groups include certain dinners). Picnics are encouraged. Shopping at the local supermarket and small specialty food stores is a fun, less expensive way to eat. Remember to plan ahead as you travel, buying picnic supplies before stores close, or perhaps early in the morning at the market before heading off on that day’s excursion. Your teacher/leaders will help you with food suggestions. They will also help you select restaurants wisely. Trying new foods and being polite and respectful during meals is a very important part of your travel adventure.

During the family stay, you are considered a member of the family and all meals are naturally included, with the possible exception of outings with your host sister/brother, or school lunch, which you should plan to pay for. School lunches cost about $5 to $6.

PHONE Phone calls are expensive abroad. Calls from hotels usually incur a costly surcharge. If you must call, buy a phone card abroad. This is the most economical and convenient. If you take a U.S. phone card with you, make sure it is one that can be used abroad.

We recommend avoiding calls home because it is easy to become homesick when you hear the voices of your family and friends. Send postcards! Or, as a group, send out a group email or create a travel blog.

You are not allowed to bring a cell phone on an L&F program. Making and receiving cell phone calls and text messages would be disruptive to the group and detract from the experience. During preparation meetings, travelers have extensive practice on how to use local phones and phone cards. Your teacher can provide you with the Communication Expectations handout for further explanation.

INTERNET/E-MAIL Cyber cafés are found in major cities so you may be able to send an e-mail home once in a while. However, spending too much time on the Internet or on the phone takes valuable time away from your experience abroad. A good solution is a group e-mail or a blog to share your travel experiences with your friends and family. You have a wonderful opportunity; soak up all you can of your new surroundings! You’ll be home before you know it!

SOUVENIRS We recommend that you establish a budget before you travel and spend your money wisely. Great souvenirs can be fun and relatively inexpensive. The best souvenirs are pictures and a journal. (Be sure to have someone take pictures with you in them!) Another souvenir tip is to consider things that you can actually use that will be a fun reminder of your travels (and fit in your suitcase).

ADVANCE SELF-EVALUATION! Think about the grade you will give yourself, remembering that your approach to this experience will impact your group’s experience as well as yours!

___ Openness – willingness to participate fully in a new culture.

___ Contribution to a positive group dynamic – mixing with everyone in your group; being patient, being on time; following Program Expectations.

___ Selflessness – willing to do what’s best for the group; willing to consider how your actions and requests impact others.

___ Commitment – to use the language and to focus on learning as much as possible about the people and places being visited.