A good bicycle lock can be used to secure a backpack in / to many places.

Load google translate onto phone.

Avoid Ibiza. (Of course, that'sthe first place one of our kids headed on the european high school grad trip.)

Buy travel insurance. Medjetassist is an annual fee based medical evac service.....Don't dismiss the idea until youve needed it.....

There are tons of hostel reviews all over the internet. Its fairly easy to pick out the fake glowing ones.

Oooh, I love that Google Translate app suggestion! I didn't realize it can be used without internet. Definitely doing that as we'll be taking a trip in Sept. to five countries. We can generally bumble our way through but with regards to DH's lactose intolerance we need to communicate very clearly to restaurant servers. Thanks for the tip!

Get an unlocked cell phone that's usable worldwide and he can buy SIM cards along the way. Great for peace of mind (yours and his!)

We went to Dubrovnik (beautiful but very touristy) but I did REALLY want to see the Croatian countryside. It looks so lovely.

He could check out airBNB for rooms in people's homes if he gets tired of the youth hostel scene.

Dawnidea's comment made me think of this. It's (probably) not for your son but may help someone else who reads this thread.

My family members who are celiac carry a note card with the explanation and limitations of the disease in the language of the country they visit. They show the waiter before they order food so the waiter can help direct them to menu items that are safe. Even when the waiter speaks English, it was very helpful for full comprehension when he could read the explanation in his native language.

My 21 year-old son is in Europe now for a month of travel. He's not going to youth hostels, but using airBNB. He has a credit card with chip technology (I think it's hard to use a credit card there if it does not have a chip). Make copies of his passport just in case.

You can also register his trip with the state department (depending on where he is going this may be a very good idea). That way if theres a natural disaster (tsunami, earthquake, etc) or man made problem (airport bombing) he will be on their list to look for. Overkill, most certainly, but we got into the habit of doing it and it cant hurt.

For years i had a cellphone for European use, but verizon-sold iphone 5s and later are unlocked. Last couple of trips we purchased sim cards upon arrival (not at the airport though, they were more dxpensive there).

Your son should def take pictires of his passport (photo page and adjoining) and both sides of his credit or debit card and upload to the cloud in case he loses the phone too. When you lose your passport the first question is ..... What Is your passport number. Ask my DD how we know this :-)

Know where the US Embassy is in every city/country he'll be visiting. That's where to go in case of any unexpected trouble and he can't get out.

Kwsl, good idea to check what his insurance covers. And google translate, also good. And bike lock! Brilliant! The program he's with will give the students cell phones in their destination country, but before and after he will need something else.

Hmm, I hadn't seriously thought about AirBnB. Somehow I'm nervous about a young person using it. And I always found hostels were nice to have people to chat with at night.

There are plenty of cheap carriers that fly from German and Austrian cities to Croatia. Try http://www.whichbudget.com/ for an easy way to find out which budget carriers and charters go from point A to point B. These carriers typically don't participate on the travelocity and orbitz's of the world. I assume he'll be training it down to Vienna. (mmmm cake and coffee every day at 4!)

2nd the recommendation on a chip-enabled credit card.

ah yes, Ibiza, and the "rivers of puke" in the gutters of San Antonio in the morning. Actually, Santa Eularia is quite nice and the beaches throughout are quite lovely. Croatia will be much more beautiful.

Lol, Gooster! Santa Eulalia is more family oriented, absolutely, but my fave Balearic island is Menorca, far fewer hotels and some very nice enclaves of second homes, and a lot of people seemed to have moved there full time now. We've gone there on holidays for years, and last time I was there (2010) the population was up to around 80,000!

Sorry for the tangent, bpathome.....you can even fly British Air within Europe quite cheaply.

3rd the suggestion to call the credit card issuer and have them reissue a card that is EMV chip enabled. US Issuers are, in general, reissuing cards prior to Oct. 2015 due to changes in regulations, but he should call his issuer and explain he will be traveling and have his done before he leaves.

Easy Jet is another low cost carrier within Europe. Everything is an upcharge (for instance, check your bag for $ because if it doesn't fit the overhead and we make you check it from on the plane it will be $$) and they are strict about what you carry on but they were still a good deal.

The Rick Steves website had many helpful, low cost, European travel tips.

I split my money and carried copies of my passport, license etc so if I was mugged I would have some cash and a copy (even though not valid) to try to help. I usually left the passport at my room safely locked up to follow up on K's suggestion. I also used a money belt that tucked into the front of my pants (think thin fanny pack worn on the inside lol)

I hope this next suggestion doesn't offend, but it is to be vigilant when drinking. A lot of beers in Europe are much stronger than they are in the States, so it's a good idea to be careful if drinking so he doesn't lose control of himself and get in a vulnerable state.

I forgot to mention, CouchSurfing is an even younger, cheaper skewing version of AirBnB. It is the full sharing economy taken to the limits (hey, I've got a couch you can crash on)

thread hijack alert @kswl -- We haven't been to Menorca, but love Majorca. It was on the list for a visit this summer, but we're heading to Sicily. DH still wants to buy a European vacation/AirBnB home.

Sreedesq, those a good tips! He has the thin waistband wallet from his school trip there, and then DH and I used it on our own trip. DS doesn't like beer, so he is usually the designated driver for his buddies. But I think he is too trusting, that worries me more. But, so was I, and I made it there and back at the same age unscathed despite a couple of never-wracking moments, so hopefully all will be well.

I'm calling the bank tomorrow for a new card, VERY good tip!

I'm thinking Prague would be good to visit...any thoughts?

"DH still wants to buy a European vacation/ AirBnB home."

How exciting!!!! Buy one and let us decorate it!

A lot of people like Prague better than Paris, which is the ultimate compliment. I would not go that far, but it is so very pretty, with its pale pastel colors, tile roofs, etc. A decade or two ago it was very "in", but of course now that I have been there it's standard tourist fare! Still, I say "yes".

Maybe Krakow (sp?). I am not sure how he would feel about it, but there was recent article in the NYT about the curators at Auschwitz. Not for everyone, but I mention it anyway.

He should bike along the Danube and take the ferries (you can bring the bike). From there you can get a train to Vienna (another fabulous city).

Prague is wonderful, but I agree with @Mtn. It's also gotten quite expensive. Frankfurt is not my favorite, but you can train and fly quickly to so many places. I prefer Munich -- plus the Black Forest and the Alsace region of France. Of course, with Vienna, you must head to Budapest. If you need any tips on Switzerland, just ask away. I lived in Lausanne a few years back.

@kswl -- yes, it's very exciting. But you all have to help pay for it! With the Euro drop, I've read the number of Americans buying has risen tremendously.

That's right, I remember now, Gooster likes Budapest and I didn't (I didn't hate it, but it still feels very drab Soviet Bloc to me other than having a super Four Seasons!)

Now we need Sochi to drop in, and tell us all again, town by town, where to go! Still daydreaming about that last itinerary she posted here.

Gooster, biking and barging is MY dream trip, maybe I should meet up with DS lol.

When we visited Vienna a couple of years ago our friends took us out driving and one high point was when we noticed the Hungarian border without sentries, so we stopped right along the road and strolled the walking path right in. Last time I was in Europe you couldn't do that without getting shot. (Yeah, it had been awhile)

You lived in Lausanne? Lucky you! I went to college one year across the lake a bit above Aigle. The homesickness cure for the Americans among us was to go to Lausanne for pizza or McDonalds lol! I don't think I could afford to live there, but what a beautiful country. Sigh.

@bpathome -- oh, barging down the Danube or traveling the canals would be great! I'd also recommend the Canal du Midi. Yes, we lived in Lausanne Ouchy, a few blocks up from the hotel where the recent Iran nuclear talks were concluded (for those who saw them on TV). It was not cheap, at all. I didn't spend much time in Aigle, but went on frequent excursions up the Valais and through town on the way up to Gstaad/Alps. Now, the American influence is felt as there is a McDonalds nearby Aigle near the Outlet Mall in Villeneuve.

@mtn -- I do like Budapest, but mainly the old City and Spas, especially on a budget. The area surrounding the Danube is still quite nice, I feel. It's not on my short list for Europe, however.

Lucky him! First time I went to Croatia while in University (so long ago, 1990) we got around by train. Older women were waiting near the trains with pictures of their homes and you chose the nicest place and friendliest lady and stayed there. Dirt cheap. 1990s version of couch surfing I guess, or Airbnb.

Here is my thread from January, but I was imagining a car trip for this one.

Cesky Krumlov is a great recommendation and worth doing. You can easily fill two or three days in both Vienna and Prague, it is a tough choice. Maybe only do two nights in each if your interest in the drive through the Alps and along the Adriatic is stronger than your city interest.

Start in Prague if possible, drive south to CK then through Austria to Vienna. I'm not certain of driving times, but head south to Bled. Bled is beautiful, but very small. If you can stop here for lunch for a couple of hours en route that is enough. You just have to see it, which doesn't take days. One night there if necessary.

Drive on to Slovenia's capital Lublijana (spelling off a but, sorry). Lubijana is the capital of Slovenia and is a magical place, full of dragon bridges and beauty. Spend a night here.

Then down to Split, you could easily do two days here as you visit the islands of Hvar, etc., from Split. Split is lovely too.

On to Dubrovonik, or Mostar (Bosnia) then Dubrovonik, depending on routing and timing. One night and a full day is good for Mostar, at least two for Dubrovnik. Mostar is truly special and so dear to my heart (I worked there after the war, arriving just days after the Dayton Accords). It is a little off the regular tourist track, but it is remarkable and I'm sure you will love it.

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/11/10-best-european-islands-holidays-greece-italy-france-spain

Just came across this article a few days ago, another great Croatian island. I prefer the Adriatic and Croatian islands over the Greek islands I think.

Odysseus was allegedly held captive here, for seven years, by the nymph Calypso, but it can’t really have been all that bad. One of Croatia’s southernmost islands, it’s best known for exceptional local produce and wild beauty. There are great hiking opportunities around the two saltwater lakes in Mljet national park and it is possible to hire a sailing boat to reach the 12th-century Benedictine monastery on Melita Island. Scramble around the island’s shady trails and swim in some of the clearest water in the Adriatic at Blace Bay. Choose a bottle of local red for your sundowner – Dingac and Postup are produced on the island – and try the plates of raw mussels drizzled with lemon juice, a local speciality.
Stay There’s only one hotel and it’s right on the coast – the three-star Odisej Mljet, with doubles from £33 B&B.
Getting there It’s a 90-minute ferry from Dubrovnik to the bay of Sobra on Mljet on Jadrolinjia lines.

Well, Sochi, that does it. DS is staying home and I'M going on the trip! We will check out that itinerary and see if he can do it by train (guess I'd better see if Croatia is part of the Eurail pass, huh?)

Is English going to serve him there? Does he need a Croatian phrase book?

Thank you so much for the itinerary, I've never been there and have no idea what to see or what to expect.

Lol bpa, go for it! Younger people will speak some English, but a phase book is a very good idea.

So I have an odd worry. I traveled around Western Europe and Scandinavia and because I love languages I could always figure out what signs etc said and could work out simple communications with the rare person who had no English, even if I hadn't studied the language. But I've never been to a country with a language completely foreign to me, like in Eastern Europe, or with a different alphabet or writing system. I think I'd feel really at a loss! Wait, yes I did when we popped into Hungary, but it was close to the border and so many Austrians went there for the cheap dental care that there was plenty of German and English to be seen. I'm sure that's not the case everywhere.

DS took French in high school (and Latin in middle school) so I worry most about communications and even just figuring out train information.

How do you handle that?

Between french, English, gesticulations,and google translate, these things should not be a worry. You can get good local maps that show you in English, but as long as have connectivity you don't even need that. I basically used my blackberry (years ago) or my iPhone to get around in cities that don't use the same alphabet. Often, in tourists areas, the signs will also be labeled in English.