necessary things in a foreign country?

Question

what should I take with me going to a 3 week language course in a castle near berlin/germany?

Answer 1

Having lived in Germany...
(1) passport (duh), a map of the area you'll be in, and your dictionary
(2) Credit Card with an International symbol on it (not all regular Visa/MC/AMEX/DISC cards work in the ATM's over there! Check with your bank before you go.) Don't take traveler's checks - they're way too big of a pain.
(3) an electical converter. They're available at Radio Shack, sport chalet, etc. It converts any edison plug into what will work over there, and also adjusts from 110 to 220 for you. It's important if you take a laptop, hairdryer, alarm clock, etc.
(4) Clothes that will allow you to dress in layers. Germany can be freezing cold one day and sunny (though rarely!) the next. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes - leave the flip flops at home! - that will give you traction on hills and cobblestones. Castles are always at the top of a hill! Take a coat that is treated for rain - because it WILL rain - and definitely an umbrella!!
(5) A sense of humor! (Americans: I mean this as a caution, not in offense - Your country's politics don't exactly allow you to be popular overseas, especially near a big city like Berlin, so don't head into a pub with headstrong conservative opinions. Leave your American flag clothes, patches, keychains, etc. at home as you won't ever see a German wearing his/her flag, aside from on football/soccer shirts! If all else fails, say you're Canadian!!) Be willing to try new things, go to new places, and listen to the opinions of new people. You'll walk out of there with new friends and lots of stories, guaranteed!!!

Answer 2

I spent a year in Austria. All you really NEED is a passport and money. Like the previous poster said, you can buy anything else you need there. If money is a huge concern though, you might want to bring your own clothes/toiletries/etc, because it is slightly more expensive there now as the Euro is worth more than the dollar. Oh, and may sure you pronounce it "Oy-ro" or they laugh at you (not in a mean way, but they'll still laugh.) Do bring a camera. Since you are taking a language course, they should give you a list of other things you will need.

Forget bringing anything you need to plug in, even with the adapters they tend to blow out and you end up buying a new one over there anyway.

Have fun!!!

Answer 3

3 weeks aint bad, you can get by with 2 changes of clothes and your toiletries. They do have washing machines, can wear twice before washing someplaces do much less than that. Should be able to get anything you need there. I'm not sure about german prices. Sometimes it's better to buy your stuff local if the economies cheap. I imagine Germany to be on par with the rest of Europe and America on prices (and standards) so doesn't matter if you carry it or buy it there. Castle might be out of the way though. Most important thing is your german dictionary, but your going for a language class so. Depends if your a guy or girl, how old, what you do for fun.

Dictionary, leisure book, camera, little bits of unique America to give the locals you may befriend (match book with a flag, Marlboros, key chain of the statue of liberty, i love ny t-shirt etc), hacky sack :^), you can buy soap and what ever else there, also expect to buy at least one outfit local if you'll have weekends for wandering, Journal, you don't need anything special germany's a modern place.

Answer 4

1. Passport - make copies!
2. Money - use an ATM card if possible to avoid having too much money on you at one time.

These are obvious. The following are not absolutely neccesary, but I highly recommend them:

3. Journal - I recommend writing in it everyday. You'll forget all the details if you don't write them down...
4. Camera
5. Calling Cards - don't buy them ahead of time. Ask around when you get there to see which card is the best deal for calling home.

If you can, consider staying after your program to travel. I guarantee 3 weeks will not be long enough! Enjoy!

Answer 5

most neccessary things in a foreign country are passport and money. one more thingisthat you should know the language of that country.

Answer 6

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