Leaving Home for the First Time
First flat, first Erasmus semester, first interrailing trip — exciting, and also the first time a lot of this is entirely on you. Here’s the practical groundwork that makes independence feel like freedom, not chaos.
1Before You Leave
- Back up all your documents. Passport, ID, visa, insurance, prescriptions — photographed and saved somewhere other than just your phone.
- Register with your embassy for stays abroad. US citizens: step.state.gov. Check your own government’s equivalent.
- Share your address and rough itinerary with family. Even a loose plan is better than nothing.
- Get proper travel or health insurance. Don’t skip this to save money — it’s the one thing you can’t easily fix after the fact.
- Save embassy and local emergency numbers. Before you land, not after you need them.
2Your First Flat or Dorm
- Check the locks on day one. Ask your landlord to change them if you’re unsure who else has a key.
- Meet a neighbour or flatmate you can trust. Handy for emergencies, borrowed sugar, and everything in between.
- Know your building’s fire exits and meeting point. Find out on day one, not during an actual fire.
- Keep your address off public posts. Don’t geotag or share it in a way strangers can find.
3Interrailing and Backpacking Smart
- Keep a digital and paper backup. Rail pass, bookings, and ID — both formats, in case one fails.
- Split your cash and cards across bags. Don’t carry everything in one place.
- Use station lockers. Rather than dragging your whole pack around sightseeing.
- Message someone your rough plan. Each time you move to a new city.
- Pick hostels with recent good reviews. Check specifically for lockers and 24-hour reception.
4Staying in Touch and Staying Safe
- Set a regular check-in time with home. A weekly text is genuinely enough.
- Agree a no-questions-asked rule with your parents. If you ever need picking up, bailing out, or emergency cash — you can ask without a lecture.
- Learn a few key local phrases. ‘Help’ and ‘where is the hospital’ go a long way.
- Keep contact details somewhere other than just your phone. Written down, or with a trusted person back home.