Travel: “What day / time should I arrive in Barcelona?”
We ask students to please arrive at the hotel in Barcelona by 1pm on the first day of their itinerary's program.
Students arrive to Barcelona airport on their own, no later than 1:00 pm. They should take a taxi to the Gran Catalonia Hotel. Since many students will be arriving to the airport at around the same time it will be easy to arrange to share a cab. The list of arrival times for everybody will be distributed. The Forum-Nexus registration desk will be open in the lobby of the hotel from 9 am to 3 pm.
Travel: “Once I arrive in Barcelona…where do I go?”
Each student will arrive to the hotel in Barcelona on their own.
The address is: Gran Hotel Catalonia ****, Balmes, 142, Barcelona 08008,Spain — Tel: +34 93 415 9090
It’s near the intersection of Balmes and Diagonal Streets. It’s a very central location.
I recommend taking a taxi from the airport. The cost should be around 25 euros (US$32).
At 3pm we will leave the hotel together to go to the university for the opening session. If for any reason you miss us, take a taxi to the university: the name of the school is IQS and the address is Via Augusta 390.
What can I expect in Barcelona?
Before traveling abroad, we recommend doing a little personal research. One site you may find interesting is TripAdvisor guide to Barcelona.
Travel: “Do I need to leave my departure city right away on the last day (and come directly home)?”
NO! You do not need to go directly home after the trip is over!
While you do need to check out of the hotel on the last day of your itinerary, many students elect to remain in their last city for another few days to explore the sights and to take in the culture. Other students elect to explore Europe a little on their own before making their way back home (Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and more…)
Travel: “Are air tickets included in the Forum-Nexus price?”, “How should I book my air tickets?”
NO, air ticket prices are not included in the Forum-Nexus price of the program. This is because we have students coming from many different countries (Brazil, USA, Egypt, and more), and many different places within countries (some from New York, some from California, etc). For this reason, it is impractical for Forum-Nexus to try and include the air fare in our program prices
To book your tickets, look for “multi-stop” destinations. Arrive in Barcelona, leave from Greece. Using a service like www.kayak.com will help you find the best prices.
Tuition for either one or two courses (3 or 6 credits); transcripts issued by the European university
Accommodations in quality hotels (3 and 4 stars, double or triple occupancy, centrally located)
Buffet breakfasts in the hotels
Professional visits
All transportation within Europe, either by train or private coach, from the first city to the last city in the program
Boat trip from Italy to Greece with accommodations in sleeping compartments with bathroom
Health insurance
Welcome reception
Farewell dinner
Accommodations:
What about the accommodations? All accommodations are included in the price of our course. In Europe, we stay in “business-class” hotels with 3 or 4 stars (all of which will have conference centers, buffet-style breakfasts, internet access, etc). Everything you would expect if you were a business executive traveling to Paris, Milan, etc. A list of our hotels, with photos can be found here: Link
Insurance: “Im arriving a day earlier, or leaving a day later… can I get my insurance extended?”
Yes, just advise Dr. Hugo Hervitz of your travel plans.
Travel Visas: “Do I need a visa to Travel in Europe?”
For information about Travel visas, see our post here
If you are a citizen of the US, Mexico, Brazil or a EU country, you don’t need any visas to Enter the EU. You will enter as tourists doing a study/travel tour. For all others, please check with the nearest Consulate of Spain, which is our point of entry into the European Union.
Travel Side-Trips: “What side-trips can I take during the Forum-Nexus program?”
The following Side-Trips are available for students to take during the program:
Ibiza, Madrid or Seville (July 3-4)
London, Brussels or Amsterdam (July 10-11)
Florence, Venice or Rome (July 17-18)
Santorini, Mykonos or Istanbul (July 24-25 or July 30-Aug 2)
Travel Side-Trips: “Are the side-trips organized by Forum-Nexus?” ; “Are they included in the price?”
No, the side-trips are optional, and are not organized, nor funded by Forum-Nexus
They are optional.
Some students choose to visit one of these cities during our weekends off, and are free to do so.
Often a group of students elects to organize and engage in these side-trips
Note: If you do choose to leave Paris for the side-trip to London, for example… your hotel in Paris is still being paid for, so you are welcome to go for a day-trip, and return to the paid-for hotel in Paris.
If you elect to depart on one of these side-trips, you must inform Forum-Nexus prior to doing so. If you plan on sleeping overnight in any of these locations, we need you to inform us in writing with contact number of the hotel (in case your loved ones from home call looking for you, we need to know where you are!).
How old are the other students?
What age group should I expect from a Forum-Nexus experience? Most people that enroll in Forum-Nexus programs are in University, either studying at the “undergraduate” or at the “graduate” level (masters degrees). But, we also have some alumni, and executives who have just finished their degrees that elect to travel with Forum-Nexus to improve their careers.
Networking: “Where can I meet the other students also going on this trip?”
We have a special facebook group page for those attending each of our programs. We suggest that you join today and introduce yourself to the group and share your background, excitement, ideas, plan, itineraries, suggestions for cultural or sport events during the trip, etc. Go to our main fan page, and look for the program you wish to take, and click “attending” to confirm that you are going. Then, feel free to introduce yourself, share photos, and meet the others going on the trip…
Other ways to interact:
Financial Aid: “Is there still time to qualify for discounts?”
YES! While it may be too late to sign up for our traditional “assistantship” position, there is still time to bring a friend and save $500 for each friend you bring!
see the class syllabus and find out which books you need
Visit our online bookstore to order your books before you travel.
Each student is responsible for buying the required books before the course starts. You can buy the books online from the Forum-Nexus Online Bookstore, serviced by Amazon.com; the web address is http://www.forum-nexus.com/books/
If you feel that you will not have enough time for getting the books in your country please let me know and I will make arrangements with a bookstore in Barcelona.
Preparing for the trip: Culture Shock:
Before you leave home, check out the “world citizens guide” for American travelers abroad- from MSU global business school is excellent! http://wclkl.tk
Student Id Cards
Please email Forum-Nexus a couple of digital pictures of yourself, for use as a student ID.
We will be traveling a lot and if you bring too much stuff you will regret it! Seriously… some students really suffered last trip. Its not easy to lug around really big, or really heavy suitcases around Europe. We will be moving hotels alot!
You are allowed one moderate-sized suitcase and a small side bag or small backpack for day trips (just bring what you know you can carry!)
Laundry
Laundry service at the hotels is possible but not recommended (too expensive!). In each city we will suggest a self-service laundromat nearby.
Travel tip: purchase laundry detergent at a supermarket in Barcelona (and a ziplock), and use it throughout your trip. It will be cheaper and easier that way.
What to pack? Dress code:
For classes, we can dress casually.
For professional visits it should be business casual. No blue jeans. Decent shoes. For men, no need for jacket and tie.
You will do a lot of walking, even when you are dressed up! Bring comfortable shoes! Also you probably want to bring comfortable sneakers.
Money:
Don’t bring too much cash. Always have some cash around, say 100-200 euros.
Credit cards are widely accepted and ATM’s are all over the place, but can be lost or stolen, so please photo copy and keep the phone numbers to call in a separate place
Traveler Checks are a good idea
Budget? While it depends on the person (how much you shop, dine out, drink, etc), a good approximation is 250 Euros per week (thats what I spent last July)
Transcripts + Credits
Two issues here. The official transcripts for the Forum Europe courses will be issued by the Catholic University of Milan. I need each of you to give me a full name and address of where in your university do you want the transcripts sent (if possible, email address too).
The other issue is submitting an updated transcript of yours to Forum-Nexus. If you haven?t done so you must request your registrar to send as soon as possible an updated transcript to:
Forum-Nexus Study Abroad
1031 Ives Dairy Road, Suite #228
Miami, Florida 33179
If for any reason this is a problem you may be able to submit via email a scanned unofficial copy.
