ATM, Theft and other Money Woes

I have been looking into necessary preparations for Vienna and I recently discovered another one. ATM cards. Before leaving for Vienna, I decided to check what kind of fees I could incur withdrawing money across the pond. With my card, I could expect a 4 euro charge from the international bank, and up to a 5% charge from my little withdrawal. I got to thinking that my reason for working this summer was to buy pretty things, not pay a banker for convenience.

I went on a search and found that there are a couple places that have no international fees and any ATM charges are reinbursed by the bank. In addition, the bank had a great rate at 4.5% for smaller accounts like myself, up to 6% APR for those huge depositors. I suggest switching to a bank that doesn't charge for every move you make on your semester trip, but that is just me.

Other tips were to make sure that your ATM pin is only 4 digits. You should call your Customer Service Office to let them know that you will be going abroad so that they don't freeze your account. You should request an additional ATM checkcard to store in case yours becomes stolen or lost. In addition, photocopy everything and leave a copy in the States. This means passport, credit cards, check cards, student discount card, driver's license the whole bit. Anything that you would be sad and worried if someone stole it from you, photocopy (front and back).

Now for the cash.

Tips from some say to purchase a money belt or pouch.

I looked at beltoutlet.com and the travel pouches are bulky and ugly, the money belts on the other hand have some hope. There are leather belts with hidden compartments in the leather for you to place your currency. They even have tooled western styled belts available. There are also leg belts and arm belts that can fit your passport.

The prices range from $15 to upwards of $60, but it seems like a good investment after hearing about a friend getting mugged while with 8 other friends in Spain.

However, I think if you are careful and don't carry enormous amounts of cash, there shouldn't be a problem.

The realization that I am actually going to Vienna hit me when I received Stella's "pre-departure" email. I started thinking about what I should pack and how many bags I can bring.

The result, I found out that British Air only allows one bag and it has to weigh less than 50 lbs. This was going to be a problem. I found a great website that outlines what people should think about bringing. It is a little too thorough, (baby powder and insect repellent are on the list) but it gives a good idea: http://www.ricksteves.biz/

I've been told to learn about the culture! Soo, on my quest I found this site that outlines it pretty well. There are some books on it too, but I don't think that is really a good spend.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/austria-country-profile.html

www.Skype.com
For cheap international calls from the computer or to your mobile.

That is all I have so far and the fact that Pimsleur on the morning commute can sometimes be really annoying. :)

Oktoberfest

During our semester in Europe, several notable festivals will be taking place one being the notorious Oktoberfest. Some people have expressed an interest in attending and personally I don't think I could stand to be so close to Munich and not go to this 'notable' event...

Oktoberfest occurs on the last two weeks of September and the festival lasts approximately eighteen days. The opening ceremony is the tapping of the first keg and then lots of food and drinking in semi-permanent tent structures placed all around Munich. It seems absolutely unforgettable..

So I decided to look for prices of hostels and train tickets and the like only to find that most hostels are already booked! Apparently people prepare for this event waaay too far in advance... but I have not given up hope and was wondering if there would be an interest in having a large group go to Oktoberfest together... we might actually get a cheaper rate.

Something I did find though was a hostel that is a tent... literally a tent... a friend who went on FPU's Walk across Europe was psyched, it would be like reliving the Good 'Ole Days. I am however, slightly more skeptical. Hostels are tricky. I found one that looked like pink hell, another that looked like a prison and even another that seemed to come straight out of the GreenPeace catalogue. I will keep looking, because if nothing is found, we'll just sleep in the street. :)

Pre-Vienna Prep

This upcoming fall I will be going to Vienna, Austria for a semester. I am completely psyched and find it difficult to focus on other things. As part of my procrastination and under the guise of providing a service... I have decided to create a blog highlighting the adventures of the Fall 2007 FPU Vienna group.

Our group of 16-17 will be led by Professor Donelan, the resident Philosophy Professor (yay!), his family and Josh Poisson, a previous Vienna student. The program entails three mandatory courses created and offered by our leader, a course from a Viennese instructor, and an option to take a course in German. I hope that this blog will provide an opportunity for us to write about great places we have been, organize trips to events (Oktoberfest Anyone??) and gripe about any problems we encounter.

As any extremely excited borderline-obsessive individual would do, the moment I was accepted to the Vienna program I began scouring the Internet for information regarding hang-outs and things to do. I have found some sites that I found to be helpful and have listed them below:

1. Official Vienna (Wien) Tour site: This site has some great information regarding things to do from Rock Climbing to the best Nightclubs and Restaurants to visit.
2. Vienna Wiki: This is an awesome site! I must admit that I have a hidden love for wiki sites and this one is quite good. It lists special bargains, places to go, it even lists an Archaeological Excavation of Roman Ruins that you can reach by train...
3. About Vienna: The first site I came upon and really one of the only ones that addressed the culture and food difference. It lists a bunch of restaurants and events, but the listings are generic. It is great and geared for people that don't know a lot about the customs.
4. This is an interactive city map. I want to make one with all of our recommendations on it by the end of the semester, but I guess this will have to do for now..
5. Virtual Tour: Pretty pictures and informative descriptions, gives us stuff to look forward to and what could be bad about that?
6. Essential Vienna Information: This site discusses all practical aspects of travelling covering everything from the customs requirements to the daily weather.

These are just a few that I have found and I will be adding to this list as I find more. If you find any, comment and I will put it into the main post.

I think this is enough for today... Auf Wiedersehen!