2. GET THE NECESSARY TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

International Student Identity Card

Now that you've committed yourself to European travel, the next step is to stop by STA Travel (1-800-777-0112), which is a travel agency that caters to students. These people know their stuff.

When you get there, you should first buy an International Student Identity Card (ISIC). Well worth its $20 price tag, an ISIC gets you tons of discounts and offers you plenty of services. While you must be student to get an ISIC card, there is $15 card for all youths under 26 that offers similar (but reduced) benefits. Some of the services an ISIC card can get you include:

  • Travel discounts
  • General student discounts anywhere they are offered throughout Europe
  • An email address
  • Voicemail
  • Phone card service

Plane tickets

Now that you've got your card, unless you're a really good swimmer, it's time to purchase your plane ticket. This is where the student travel agencies really shine, as they can sell you flexible return tickets at much lower rates than offered conventionally. This means you can change your return flight date for as little as $25 if you give proper advanced warning (as opposed to the standard hundreds of dollars) and you also can return out of a different city than you flew into. The cheapest places to fly in and out of are London, Zurich, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. For more info about flying around the world at really cheap fares, check out SoYouWanna find cheap airline tickets?

Passport

OK, so let's hop on that plane! Woah, Ugly American Cowboy/girl - you still need to get your passport. It's really easy:

  1. Gather some proof of your citizenship (e.g., a birth certificate)
  2. Go to your local copy store and get 2 passport photographs taken
  3. Got to any post office or state/federal courthouse
  4. Pay $65

The passport will be good for 10 years (unless you're not 18 yet; then it's only good for 5). For more info, check out the U.S. State Department's Passport Services web page.

Hostel life

Nothing is more associated with European backpacking than staying in hostels. Similar to a YMCA, a European hostel provides you with a place to sleep and a bathroom to use. Depending on the hostel, you may have to share a room with others, and you'll probably have to share a bathroom with many.

You should definitely shell out $25 and buy a Youth Hostel International Card (YHIC). If you plan to only visit big cities, there will be plenty of independent hostels and you won't need it; but if you decide to go off the beaten track, many smaller cities and towns only have one hostel (usually one that requires you to have a YHIC card). If you happen to go to a town that only allows YHIC members, don't cry; you can often buy one there, or you can pay a fee and get a temporary membership for the length of your stay. Do this 6 times and you'll have a full membership, albeit a more expensive one. You can also consider purchasing a $16 Hostels of Europe card, good at over 250 independent hostels.