Food & Drink Groceries per week, if you cook every meal at home €65 Breakfast at a restaurant €4-8 Lunch at a restaurant €16 Dinner at a restaurant €40 Soft drink €3 Coffee €2 Meal at a university dining facility €5 Personal Necessity Toiletries per week €8 Social Activity & Entertainment Movie €10 Theater performance €22 Museum entry fee €12 TRANSPORTATION Monthly Public Transportation Pass €41

The French monetary unit is the euro (€). For more information on the euro and related topics, consult The European Commission site. For current exchange rates, check the business section of any large newspaper or consult xe.com. Before departing for France, you should exchange between US$100-200 into euros to cover incidental expenses during your first few days in France. Euros can be purchased at most large banks and at most international airports. Keep in mind you may be charged an extra transaction fee, and exchange rates can fluctuate. When changing money, please make sure to ask for...

Most French electricity operates at 220 volts (which may differ from your home country), which means you may need a transformer or converter in order to use major electrical appliances. Past students advise keeping appliances to a minimum. You can purchase many appliances, such as a dual-voltage hair dryer, on-site for a reasonable price. You will need an adapter to plug dual-voltage appliances like computers, cell phones, and hair dryers into wall sockets in France. Adapters can be purchased in the US at most big box stores, some hardware stores, or a travel store. Please be advised to...

Becoming involved in athletic activities can be an excellent opportunity for you to meet and interact with other Germans. In the past, IES Abroad students have joined local sports clubs for swimming, fencing, soccer, climbing running or dancing. Running and Indoor Pools Berlin is a great place for running and jogging because of its many parks. In addition, practically every district in Berlin has an indoor pool for recreation and exercise. Fitness Centers Most private centers require a minimum one-year contract, but some offer short-term contracts. The on-site staff at IES Abroad Berlin can...

In Berlin, there is a variety of vegetarian, vegan, kosher, halal, etc. options in supermarkets, organic markets, and restaurants. Please let us know beforehand if your diet requires special housing arrangements. Major grocery stores, discount grocery stores, and markets can be found all over Berlin. Most stores are closed on Sundays.

German electricity operates at 230 volts (as opposed to 110 volts in the United States). Most laptop and tablet cords include a voltage converter, but other appliances do not. You will either need to purchase a converter or purchase some electrical appliances (e.g. hair dryer) in Germany. We recommend purchasing these items on-site to avoid carrying them in your luggage. Plan to purchase one or more travel plug adapters to bring along with you. You will need this to adapt the shape of your plugs to match the outlets in Europe. We urge you to conduct some research on adapters, converters, and...

Initiative to Diversify Education Abroad (IDEA) Our Initiative to Diversify Education Abroad (IDEA) strives to make studying abroad a learning experience accessible to all students, creating a student body that reflects the diversity of both the United States and US college students. We define a diverse student as someone who identifies as a racial/ethnic minority, first-generation college student, economically disadvantaged, LGBTQ+, and/or is a student who has demonstrated a history of overcoming adversity (a physical or learning disability, for example). We hope the information here will...

The German monetary unit is the euro (€). The euro is subdivided into 100 cents. There are eight euro coins denominated in 2 and 1 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 cent(s). Each euro coin has a common European face and a face designed by each monetary member state. All coins can be used in every monetary member country. There are seven euro bills which are differently sized and colored in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euros. Visit www.xe.com or www.oanda.com for current exchange rates.

The German monetary unit is the euro (€). The euro is subdivided into 100 cents. There are eight euro coins denominated in 2 and 1 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 cent(s). Each euro coin has a common European face and a face designed by each monetary member state. All coins can be used in every monetary member country. There are seven euro bills which are differently sized and colored in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euros. Visit www.xe.com or www.oanda.com for current exchange rates. We recommend that you exchange about $100-200 into Euros in order to cover incidental...

Berlin has a well-developed public transport system run by the BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe). It is organized in three tariff zones (A, B, and C). Tickets (Fahrkarten) are available for two zones (AB or BC) or for the entire area (ABC) which includes Potsdam outside Berlin. Berlin public transport tickets can be used on subway (U-Bahn), urban railway (S-Bahn), buses, trams (Strassenbahn), and regional trains. More information on Berlin's transportation and current fares can be found at www.bvg.de Commuting You will use public transportation to get around the city. A public transport ticket...