Get ready for your Erasmus+ exchange with our packing guide. This comprehensive resource will help you prepare for a smooth and stress-free journey. Discover essential tips and organisation strategies to ensure you're fully equipped for your adventure. Start your Erasmus Plus experience off right with our comprehensive Erasmus Plus packing guide.
Preparing for an Erasmus program can be overwhelming as students get ready for their journey abroad. Farewells to loved ones and organizing belongings for an extended period can create chaos and stress. To alleviate some of the burdens associated with this transitional phase, we have developed a comprehensive packing guide. This guide helps you efficiently prepare for your exchange, ensuring you have everything you need for the Erasmus Plus packing guide.
How to Pack Your Suitcases:
When moving with limited luggage space, it's important to pack wisely and consider potential climate variations at your destination. Make sure to pack a few T-shirts and a good jacket no matter where you're going.
To save space, there are a number of tricks that you can use. Special space-saving methods of rolling, folding, and squishing your stuff into your suitcase can be found all over social media. However, these methods may only take you so far. Packing cubes and vacuum bags can be your go-to tools for efficient packing during your exchange.
Space-Saving Options
Vacuum bags are ideal for year-long exchanges. Maximize space by using them to pack bulky items like sweaters and winter jackets
Packing cubes save space by compressing clothes into compact cubes. Place your clothes inside the mesh bag, zip it up, and you're good to go! These are especially useful as they also help you keep organized. Unpacking just one cube makes it easier to access items during layovers or before departure, without creating a mess. Remember, you're likely to acquire clothes and mementos abroad, so avoid overpacking!
Think about Luggage Shipping
Moving alone for your study abroad? Consider luggage shipping services to ease the burden of transporting bulky baggage through inaccessible cities.
Of course, your mind may jump to making use of your national postal service, which for some is a fine option for shipping a box of excess items. However, you may run into issues with insuring your belongings, and tracked posts could be very expensive. Due to this, specialist luggage shipping services can be a brilliant option. Services such as this are pros when it comes to sending excess baggage all around the globe, and some, such as SendMyBag, even offer student rates. This option is perfect for your treasured items, as insurance is often included. If you wish, you can even pay for extra coverage in line with the value of what you have packed. As well as this, you can track your baggage online every step of the way, which offers some peace of mind.
Travel Adapters, Cash (…and other practicalities)
Adapters and Electrical Items
Though extremely important, practical items such as travel adapters can be easily forgotten in the stress of preparing to pack for your exchange. You would certainly not want to have to pay for an expensive travel adapter at the airport when you could have gotten one for half the price at home or online!
Many students may believe that they need to pack an adapter for every electrical item that they own, but this is not the case. It is important to think about the items that you use on a daily basis and at what time. Most people can survive on three or four adapters maximum, for phones, laptops, hairdryers, and other items that can be changed around during the day. One handy tip is to bring an extension lead with numerous sockets from your home country, therefore one single adapter can provide power to multiple items that you have brought with you.
Cash and Banking
As well as this, it is vital that you carry some local currency with you in cash during your travels. Some banks or card issuers may not be accepted by ATMs or card terminals abroad, and others may temporarily block your accounts if they suspect that fraud has taken place. Due to this, you should ensure that you have at least enough cash to get you from the airport or train station to your accommodation. Ideally, you should carry enough to last you a few days abroad should anything happen.
Check your bank and cards for regional restrictions and inform them of your travel plans. Look for high fees and consider opening a local bank account for cost-effective transactions.
Sort out Your Travel Documents
There are a number of travel documents that are crucial to bring with you. In terms of travel itself, you will of course need your passport or identity card and boarding pass. As well as this, depending on the travel guidelines, you may need your vaccination information or a declaration such as the EU Passenger Locator Form. Of course, regardless of whatever the current guidelines are, you should bring these with you just in case the rules change in the future. It is also important to carry hard copies of these documents, should your phone die or lose connection.
Pre-Existing Conditions and Treatments
European Health Rights
European students should bring their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for healthcare access abroad. Renew it if needed and consider additional insurance. Carry your private healthcare membership card or letter with you if applicable.
Leverage the Power of Travel Apps for a Smooth Exchange Experience
One of the most basic applications to take advantage of is your local official public transport app. These tend to be more accurate than Google or Apple maps, as they are more frequently updated with the most recent information from the transport agencies, including issues such as collisions and diversions.
Skyscanner
can be a serious game changer when it comes to studying abroad, as you can find cheap flights both home and abroad. After all, Erasmus is as much about cultural experiences as it is about studying! When traveling,
CouchSurfing
Apps like CouchSurfing provide a platform for meeting and staying with locals wherever your journey takes you. This unique experience allows you to immerse yourself in the local culture, build new friendships, and gain insider insights into your host city or country to meet with and stay with locals, wherever you may find yourself.
UNBLND
A final amazing way to pack your phone before your exchange is to use apps to make friends. UNBLND, the ultimate Erasmus Plus Packing Guide, is a fantastic way to make friends based on your interests, even before your exchange period begins. Our super smart algorithm sorts you into groups before your very eyes, allowing you to create meaningful connections with like-minded people from the comfort of your own home.
You can download UNBLND on the Apple Store and Google Play.
