How much to pack for a semester in Europe?

Luggage for a longer stay like that is more a personal decision than anything else. Just remember that they do have washing machines over there ! ;) And remember you'll be stuck carrying around whatever you pack until you get to Valencia. A large sized rolling suitcase, a small rolling suitcase (for your European travels), plus a knapsack should give you lots of space. Carefully coordinate your wardrobe so you can mix and match. Use compression bags or zip-lock-style bags to compress the #*%$! out of everything, since you can always iron it when you get there. And you can always "freshen" your wardrobe at some inexpensive stores over there. As for travel....generally speaking, rail passes are cost effective only if you will be doing a lot of train trips...every day or two. With advanced planning, point to point tickets can be much cheaper, but have little or no refund possibilities. Against these advance-purchase deals, discount airline travel (also with little chance for refund or changes) is usually only more cost effective once the train journey is, say 5 hours or longer. For example, Valencia to Paris would be best booking ahead at a discount airline, since the train journey is very long. To check out some sample fares, and book tickets, you can look to renfe.es, voyages-sncf.com, and bahn.de . For discount airlines, check whichbudget.com and flylc.com

I feel your luggage pain. I went through the same thing as you last January.

My advice is to only bring as much luggage as you are able to comfortably able to manage carrying to your destination. That means if you know you have to travel on public transportation between the airport you land in, and the place you'll be living in, you have to be able to lift it all up and down stairs, onto subways, etc. If its an easy journey, then bring as much as you'd like.

Most people on this site, will probably be horrified with the amount I packed. I brought 2 giant suitcases, a RS carry on backpack (I checked that as well), a carry on sized suitcase andd a large stuffed purse. I regretted that when I realized what a hassle it would be to lug back, (a cab was arranged to pick us up) since I had to take trains, buses, and metros... and sent my largest suitcase home with my parents. (I still got sick of my clothes)

Make sure to leave room, becuase you will buy things in Europe. Bring reminders of home, pictures of family, friends, and what your home and town look like.

I traveled after I finished school and just stored my suitcases until I was ready to head home.

I didn't buy a railpass, it wasn't worth it for me. I did my exchange in France and bought a youth discount pass that gave me 25-50% off all trains around, and leaving or entering France. You should find out if Spain has the same kind of deal. I used discounted flights for the majority of my travels, and used my Rick Steves backpack for those trips.

Our study abroad program (also Spain) advised min luggage and clothing -- no more than a week or so BECAUSE the student will want to buy local clothing to match their peer groups. When we visited over spring break we bought home all of our student's Am clothing. Also do a search on this site. This question is frequently discussed.

Lauren, I studied abroad for 9 months, but it was in 96-97. I brought an embarassingly large amount of stuff, and I didn't get charged extra which makes me think that the restrictions were lax at that time. I had a Rubbermaid TRUNK, along with a monstrous suitcase. Of course, I did overpack. You're a GIRL, and you're going to SHOP your butt off and probably double your wardrobe. So pack as little as possible... Your parents can always mail you something that you find you absolutely need and can't buy there for some reason. Your only obstacle will be that you're going to be traveling/living in a place where the temperatures are going to vary so much, so you'll need both summer/winter clothes...
I do not envy you trying to pack with the current limitations on luggage!!! But it may be worth it to pay $50 or whatever the fee to bring along an extra suitcase. I have always been a heavy packer, and a lot of people on this site are the type that will try to cram everything for a one month European vacation into a CARRY-ON. More power to them, but let's be realistic, you're going to be gone for over 6 months, and one suitcase will be difficult. I'm assuming you're a 20-ish year old woman, and one suitcase for over 6 months, even taking into account shopping, will be hard... I say, take two large suitcases, and pay the fee for extra one. But don't completely pack the 2nd one. That way you have room for your wardrobe that will most definitely GROW! :)
You're going to have a blast, savor every minute and take TONS of pictures!!!

I'm of two minds here. On the one hand I agree with those saying to take as little as possible. You do want to be able to handle everything by yourself. That means no more than 2 mid-sized suitcases (up to 24/25" can be rolled through train aisles) plus a daypack on your back.

On the other hand you'll be there for winter and summer climates which would indicate the need for more clothing. I don't know your financial position but when I studied abroad for a year I was a poor student who financed the entire year by herself. My choice was France because I didn't have to pay tuition there and couldn't have afforded to go to Britain. Had to work as a nanny part-time to make this possible (I have a European passport which allows me to work). I bought exactly 2 pieces of clothing the entire year: a winter skirt and a summer dress - very French ;-) But if you do have the means it would definitely be much more fun to check out the Spanish fashion and buy missing clothing there instead of carrying to much luggage. And you get exactly what you need for the weather at the time.

Thanks for the responses. How much shopping I'll do there isn't something I have thought about, but I guess I should. I'm on a budget, but being a girl, I really can't see myself surviving 6 months without dishing some money out for some new clothes. I guess I should bring about all the pants and stuff that I plan to use because I don't see myself dying to have a certain pair of jeans over there, but maybe I should leave room to buy some new tops or dresses and things like that.

As far as how I'm going to travel after my program, I'll probably take a train from Granada to Valencia to stay there a bit and drop off my luggage. Then I'll take a plane Paris to visit and then a plane to Stuttgart (or I may flip flop Paris and Stuttgart). Then I'll return to Valencia by plane for a few days, collect my luggage and return home!

I'm nervous, but excited. I've had mixed experiences in my travels in the past so hopefully this will be a good one (especially considering the length of time I'll be stuck there!).

Lately I traveled light, but since I love clothes and try to be in style everywhere I go, having just a few sets of clothes it was very boring.I was gone just for 3-4 weeks only. Since you are going to be in Europe for 6 months I would say that you should take at least one big luggage with you. IF you are going to purchase things while in Europe, to save money and space, you can get a large duffle bag and take it with you empty.
Last year I got a 30" one at Target for about $25.
About train pass. You might pay less money if you fly. I check air fares on skyscanner.com. It's an execellent web site. It allows you to check from one country to another, or from one city to all cities in a specific country.I personally believe that train passes are very expensive, unless you will use it every 2-3 days.You also can purchase individual train tickets.

10 years ago I took the equivalent of a body bag, a hiking pack, AND another duffle. That was dumb on a million different levels. The guys I were into were either too brainy to notice or into the crunchy-granola-don't-wash look. Ha.

Also - Americans look frumpy unless they grew up in a big city or are just into the modern-hip look. I live permanently in Germany now, and tend to cringe when I see jeans with tennis shoes - hi US tourists! I say pack a backpack for your clothes b/c that's what you'll use when you end up traveling at every chance available with your new and old friends-you're in Europe after all! Take a small rolling suitcase for the books you'll have to buy for class and then lug home. You may trust the friend in Valencia, but do you trust their roommates/living quarters? You may need to drag the little rolly guy with you, be prepared. Really try not to stuff your bags leaving the US.

When the mood strikes, hit the local H&M when you want new duds. H&M is Europe's Old Navy - cheap throw away clothes that look very hip. In the US it looks like clubbing clothes or city chic, but in Europe it's the norm ;) OH - if you need a hairdryer, just buy a cheapie one when you get to Spain, don't bring the whole converter thing, what a pain everywhere you go!

Traveling: Airlines can sometimes have cheap deals - there are threads about that. Check Rick Steve's PDF on Rail Passes. It's enlightening and lets you know where to draw the lines at what's worth it and so on.

Have fun prepping! Semester abroads are SO FUN! =)

Oh, now you have me worried about looking too casual for europe. I was in Germany for a couple weeks 2 winters ago and I remember on the way to the airport to catch my flight back home my German friend commented on my sweatpants. I was of course thinking that I'm going to be on a plane for 10 hours and I want to be comfortable, and I was like, "what's wrong with my pants?" And he says that girls just don't wear things like that around there. Luckily, he has been to the States (which is actually where we met) and was well aware that it is not abnormal to see girls my age dressed like this here. Still, I felt subconscious on the train all the way to the airport. haha

I guess I better start adding more trendy stuff to my wardrobe!

Make sure to bring comfy, but cute foot wear. I love flats and wear them all the time, so I made sure to buy a few pairs in neutral colors before I left and broke them in, and did 80% of my travel in them. Flats look much nicer than runners and are much more common in Europe. I didn't bring any heels with me, I was in a place with a fifteen minute walk to the nearest transportation and lots of cobblestones, so I didn't miss them. Any girls who wore heels had them chewed up by the end of the semester.

ha - so true about the heels, they will get trashed, but nothing a black Sharpie can't fix for a student budget. Def. NOT fun to walk in around Europe in heels btw.

I swear by my Privos! by Clarks, totally comfy. Tall black or brown Bjorn flat boots are also ridiculously comfy and get mileage with the wardrobe. J-41 and Keen have some shoes w/some oomph now too and are super comfy. Check Zappos website and read the reviews - gosh those reviews have been SO helpful!

yeah...sweats...I have some modern looking fitted gray yoga pants that I used to do grocery runs in the US with, but my German husband actually has asked me not to go out in them here. ha!

Hi Lauren,

When I spent a semester in London six years ago, I took a big traveling backpack, a 28-inch or so expandable suitcase and a small backpack on the plane. I had more than enough clothes, but I don't think I would have done it differently. I did end up buying a good amount of clothes, but I sent some stuff home with my dad and boyfriend when they each came to visit. I think two somewhat large suitcases would be fine. I also traveled after my semester, and had to go back to London to fly home. Luckily, I could leave my boxy suitcase in the house I lived in while I traveled. Maybe you can work out some plan like that. Otherwise, you could look to shipping a suitcase home. I can't imagine it's cheap, but if you weren't planning on returning to your same spot other than to pick up your suitcase, the costs might work out.

Good luck! You're going to have so much fun. I had such a blast during my time abroad (I also spent a summer in France), and it's such a great learning experience. I still have friends all over the US.