Daughter going to college in Berlin

I was just in Berlin for the first time with a friend who went to shop. I thought I was in the US with the selection of stores. Your daughter will be able to easily find what she needs to start school at reasonable prices. We were not there to sightsee this trip but I loved the city and will return soon.

Our daughter is getting her undergrad degree in Europe, in the UK, rather than Berlin, but we had similar questions when we moved her over. Basically she brought from the states her clothing and toiletries to get started. We spent part of one of the days when we got there purchasing bedding and towels. She has since purchased kitchenware over there, but she didn't need that when she was there the first year. Amazon seems to be everywhere, so if anything is missing you can order and have delivered. We bought her good boots before she went over and wished that we had waited as they took up a lot of room in her luggage. We also used some of those vacuum bags where you vacuum up the air...saves space, but makes the luggage heavier. If she comes home in December, she can bring more items over then. She will soon learn where she can find anything she needs locally, so no need to purchase a lot in the US just to move it over there. And be careful of sending her gifts from the US. We need to be very careful in the UK or we need to pay customs duties. It's more cost effective for us to order from a local business and have a gift delivered than to pay the duties in addition to the high postage from the US.

I would imagine that the university your daughter is going to attend in Berlin has an international student office that might be of assistance in providing the information you seek. If this is a study abroad (semester or year) situation, your daughter's home institution and/or the organization sponsoring the program should provide lots of information. At least that was the case when my daughter studied abroad in Italy a few years ago. If your daughter is an American citizen, there are also visa issues to deal with. Health insurance is another important consideration.

Hi,

At which university will she be studying? Tech Uni, Humboldt, or Freie Uni? I am familiar with location of the first two...nice areas and the Mensa (the student cafeteria) is open to the public at TU. If she is there for the winter, then some good sweaters, which the Germans call "Pullover"

You'll find everything you need for your daughter in Berlin! Just take her personal items like clothing, shoes, and a few basics for the first few days. Don't pay to take extra suitcases or boxes...everything you could possible want will be easy to get once you're there.

Ikea is everywhere. Buy in Berlin - electrical appliances, chargers for existing electronics (cell phone, iPod, power supply for laptop . . . ). In general clothes are cheaper in the U.S., but styles may be so different . . .