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- - Gift ideas for sister travelling abroad? (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=83537)

A good source for travel items is:

http://www.magellans.com/

Oh, one other thing...make her mix CD's (mp3 files) for the plane trip/successive trips. Up beat music works best.

And picture disks as well...slide shows of good times and/or a photo tour of the campus. People always asked what our campus looked like and it was hard to describe/get pictures.

Maybe a US map too, to illustrate where she's from. A sister sent me a Pennsylvania state flag, which was really nice :).

I liked the idea of getting her the EuroRail pass! That's something a bunch of people could go in together on. It's much cheaper to get it in the states before going than to try to buy it there.

Along the same lines, look into the low-cost airline websites (EasyJet, RyanAir, umm...Jet2, Zoom, etc). Some of those have "gift card" options, which would allow your sister to purchase a flight to another country for a little side trip/backpack. The flights are dead cheap (i flew to italy and back for under $30 USD) and it was nice to have a break. A note of caution: it may be hard for her to get a flight unless she's living in a major city...check this first because some of these airliners fly out of some really random airports.

Thank you guys SO much for all of the information and suggestions so far. It has been really helpful!

These were a few things that helped me out this summer in Australia:

Camera/large memory card
Phone card
Journal
ID holder
Travel Pillow

Two of my sorority sisters, knowing I'm going to Belgium this summer (yay for a second summer study abroad program!) brought me this which I am assuming that I'll find very helpful, and it's not super expensive either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul (Post 1377486)

But...and I know this is going to be "tacky" to some...but what I needed most when I got abroad was MONEY. Paying on a pre-payed cell phone, food, transport, etc etc was a big hit to the ol' pocket book. Especially since the exchange rate was horrendous when I first arrived. So a gift of $$ is always appreciated...maybe one of those prepayed Visa's or Discover Cards (note: not AMEX...really not as widely accepted as the other two).

Your so right on this one! AMEX is horrible to travel over seas with, Master Card or Visa is much easier. I had a friend over in Australia who planned on using her AMEX for everything, anywhere we went that took it she paid for us all so she could get the cash cus so few places took it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munchkin03 (Post 1377499)

-Travel alarm clock. This is something that I actually managed to remember, but it's good to have at least one.

-Some of the major health & beauty brands are either unavailable or stupidly expensive in Europe, like Clinique. A semester's supply of her staples would be a good idea, unless she's not choosy or doesn't have sensitive skin and can use anything.

Alarm clock is a great idea, I forgot mine this summer and because of that it became a pain in the ass.

I found shampoo to be really expensive over in Aussie, something the professor forgot to mention

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog (Post 1377655)

Yes - that I do remember, because I ran out and had to buy some in Paris. I don't really know how to describe the difference, though.

I thought they were...stronger. Even the women's deodorants (not the unisex) seemed more appropriate for a man. This, however, is from a continent that openly sells "4-day deodorant."

I highly recommend a really cool journal and large memory card. You can always write her a note in the front about how much of an awesome time she will have and remind her to actually write in the journal. I went to Italy, Greece, and France 2 years ago and we were required to keep a journal (student ambassador trip) and it kinda sucked at the time, but now one of my biggest regrets is not writing in it enough or in enough detail!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuriousWildcat (Post 1378614)

I look back at the journal I kept the summer I went to Rome and Israel in HS and I hate that there was so much that I left out...but I wrote in it every day, even if it was stuff that looking back on it, wasn't that important....and I did the same for Aussie this summer, I wouldn't let myself go to sleep or down to breakfast the next morning if I passed out until I wrote in it