I decided to start a page about suggestions for next years program... add anything you think is useful. TRAVEL: Get the 10 day Eurailpass Youth Flexi for $465. It allows you to ride much of the trains in Europe for free or discount, and gives excellent discounts on upgrades (from sleeper trains to Hotel Trains). 10 days of travel is good enough (you probably won't even need that many), so don't get 15. The pros and cons of buying plane tickets versus Eurail CELL PHONE: Although you can just use Skype if you bring or buy a headset, consider investing in a Vonage WiFi Phone. For $15 a month you get 500 outgoing and free incoming to any number back in the states, and you can use it at any wireless hotspot (including UPC's campus). Or for $25 bucks a month you get unlimited minutes and you can call some European countries for free (including Spain). If you do want to go the VoIP route, keep in mind that the internet connection in many rooms at Onix is ridiculously slow and may not work well with Skype or Vonage. This would effectively limit you to calling from rooms of those who luck out and get decent connections or from UPC. ITALY is not SPAIN! (which is to say, if you purchase a train ticket and it goes to Barcelona Castroreale, you are not going to the right Barcelona). Moral of the story, plan to be back from travel weeks on Saturday, instead of Sunday, in case something goes wrong. Don't put your blinds in "Bunker Mode" unless you want to wake up around 3 o'clock, guaranteed.
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