City, Country: Pre-Departure Planning Guide Template [Duplicate this page]

Preparing you for your trip

Event schedule: find your program dates

Pre-departure

• Packing Considerations
• Consider the Season:
• Walking Shoes:
• Casual Clothing:
• Luggage:

• Non-Obvious Things to Pack
• Respectful Attire:
• Travel Adapter:
• Small Umbrella:
• Medications:

Contact information

• Split Community Manager: email and Whatsapp or Openphone

• European Operations: Jennifer Phillips-Page: +1 (848) 800-4224 or Whatsapp +351912142275

• Hours of Availability
• Our Community Manager is there to support your experience. They will be physically present at community events, and that is a great time to talk to them.
• Outside of community events, the Community Manager is available via Whatsapp from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. As they have families and other obligations, we ask that you respect these hours for regular messages.

• Emergencies
• In the event of an emergency, you may call or text the Community Manager at any time via Whatsapp.

In-country

• You will receive your exact check-in instructions two days before the start of your program. You are responsible for getting to your apartment from the airport.

• If you arrive at the [Location] airport, you have a few options:
• Taxi:
• Metro:
• Bus:

• If you arrive by train you can get a taxi at the train station.

• Public transportation

• Car rental
• Consider if you really need a car:
• Insurance:
• Tolls:

• Parking
• Driving in [Location]:
• Parking:

• Cash vs. Credit Card:

• Using your Credit Card:

• ATMs are called [XXXX]:

• Look for Major Banks:

• Avoid Euronet ATMs:

• Check Fees Before Withdrawing:

• Inform Your Bank: Let your bank know you'll be traveling to avoid any issues with using your card abroad.

• Carry Some Euros: It's always a good idea to carry some euros in cash before you arrive. This will help you cover any immediate expenses in case you have trouble finding an ATM or your card doesn't work.

• Cell phone
• Check with your carrier about international roaming plans and what is included and not included.
• SIM card:

• Messaging
• We encourage you to use Whatsapp for text messaging, this is what people in Europe use commonly. You can also use it for making calls on wifi.

• Wi-Fi
• Public wifi: Many cafes, restaurants, and hotels offer free wifi. This is a great option for basic tasks such as email and text messaging.
• Apartment wifi: Your apartment will have high speed wifi that you can use for FaceTime and other messaging apps such as Whatsapp, iMessage, Zoom.
• Download Offline Maps and Apps: Having offline maps and apps like Google Translate downloaded can be helpful if you lose signal or wifi access.

• Local calls
• You may need to call local businesses or people. We recommend that you use Whatsapp to make local calls, and to avoid incurring international calling charges.

• Tipping
• Not Mandatory:
• Small Gestures:
• Check for Service Charge:

• Restaurant Reservations
• Fine Dining & Popular Spots:

• Casual Eateries: Reservations are generally less necessary at casual restaurants. However, if you have a large group (more than 4 people) or are visiting during a busy time (weekends, evenings), it might be helpful to call ahead and secure a table.

• Making Reservations: The most common apps for making reservations are Open Table and TheFork, however, many restaurants still take reservations the old fashioned way - with a phone call!

• Many restaurants have websites where you can book a table online.

• Language Study

• Gyms & Yoga
• ClassPass (https://classpass.com/search/barcelona/fitness): Buy credits allow you to book at thousands of different yoga studios, gyms, pilates studios, & spas. Use them however you like in order to create a personalized fitness and wellness routine.

• Pharmacies
• Many pharmacies have staff that speak some English.