Travel - Tips

WHY PLAN?

Think of it this way, you will be investing a great deal of time and money for this trip, so if you want to do it right, you've got to prepare and plan for it.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS: Before you start planning, you should ask yourself these important questions:

What do I want to see? What do I enjoy and what are my interests? Am I interested in history, do I enjoy the arts, do I want to experience the different cultures of Europe? Do I like the hustle and bustle of a major City or do I enjoy the calm and relaxing pace of the countryside? Am I an independent person who doesn’t like structure? Am I a person who doesn’t want to be bothered with making decisions or having to do things for myself? Am I flexible with my schedule? At what time of the year do I prefer to travel? And lastly, how much money am I willing to spend on this trip?

Once you answer these questions, you’re ready to start making your plans! Go to My Favorie Links page and click on to my Favorite Travel Websites. Here you will find links to sites such as SlowTravel and Rick Steves will provide you with detailed tips for planning your upcoming trip. Have fun and enjoy the Journey!

MONEY MATTERS

For the most part, I used my credit cards to pay for major purchases and our hotel stays during our independent trip through Italy. For daily use and meals I used my ATM and withdrew 200 Euros at a time. This was more than enough to pay for some souvenirs and meals.

I opened up a separate Vacation Account and got a Visa ATM card with a 4 Digit Numeric Personal Identification Number (PIN). I had learned that ATM's in Europe used Numeric only PINs. There were ATM's located all over Europe and they were pretty safe and convenient to use. TIP: In Italy, although the ATM machines offered choices in different languages the key pads were still in Italian. The key locations for Enter and Cancel were pretty similar to how they are here, but I was still unsure if I was indeed pressing the correct key. It might be useful to learn the words for Enter and Cancel in the languages of the countries you'll be visiting just in case.

Make sure that you contact your banks (Credit Cards and ATM Accounts) to advise them that you will be leaving the country for vacation. They will ask you for the dates and destinations of your travel. I had no problems using both my ATM and my Credit Cards for the entire trip.

Most Important thing to Remember is never spend more than you can afford!

PACKING TIPS

Don't even think about bringing more than you can carry!

This was to be my biggest lesson learned on this last trip. I can't tell you how many "looks" we got from the locals. With a small grin and expression of "I can't believe the size of their suitcases!" Needless to say, it made for some really humorous adventures on the trains and getting to our hotel rooms. It was during one of those moments that I made a Scarlett O'Hara Gone with the Wind . . . "AS GOD AS MY WITNESS . . . " type vows to pack lighter for my next trip!

My advice is to read and to learn everything that you can about the ART and CHALLENGE of packing light. Get the opinions and recommendations from experienced travelers on discussion boards (they are more than willing to help a fellow traveler), read the packing tips sections from your guide books/touring documents, and spend time (okay, a lot of time on the internet). Once you have done your research: Compile all your information and create your packing list. Divide and organize your items by specific categories. Clothing, Toiletries, Electronic/Camera, Travel Documents (copies of passport, itinerary, packing list, guidebook, address book, camera instructions, journal, etc), Medications, Miscellaneous (ie., emergency kit, travel alarm, etc.).

Use the information that you learned from your research and maintain your list as a work in progress. Add and delete as you go along until you arrive at a final workable list that you feel comfortable with. TIP: Try to maintain a Master packing list for future vacation trips. I don’t really delete things off of my list. I simply indicate that I will not be packing the item.

Once you have your final list, do a Mock packing. Make sure that you leave enough extra space for those souvenirs. Then take your luggage and weigh it to make sure that they fall within the weight limits of your airline carrier. Once again, remember your return trip and make sure you leave some room for the additional weight. On this trip, I packed an extra fold up duffel bag to pack the over weight of items from my big luggage. On my next trip I would definitely pack lighter to avoid the extra weight and the need to expand to two luggage.

Packing Test: Take your luggage and move it around. Drag and lift it up a few stairs (because that's what you'll see a lot of - especially if you're using mainly public transportation). If you see the veins and biceps bulging from your arms - it's a definite sign that you've packed way too much!

ELECTRONICS/ADAPTOR PLUGS/CONVERTERS

While in Europe, you will need plug adapters and converter plugs. You can visit most local retailers in your area and find them in the Luggage section. Most Countries in Europe use 220 volts at 50 Hertz, rather than the 110 volts at 60 Hertz used in the United States. Additionally, there are several styles of wall socket, each requiring a different type of plug. There is the 3-Prong version (Used in London) and the 2-Prong (round) version used by others like Italy and France. For more details, you can refer to an excellent website by Steve Kropla's "Help for World Traveler" on his World Electric Guide: http://www.kropla.com/electric.htm

Tip: If you have multiple electronics to recharge nightly, bring a couple of extra adopter plugs so you can charge multiple items at the same time. I brought two extra plugs on this trip and it was very useful to keep both my IPOD and Camera batteries charged on a regular basis.

RESTROOMS

Public facilities may not be what we are used to in our own lives so it's best to be prepared. There will definitely be various styles and conditions of public restrooms available throughout Europe (also known as Toilet or WC-Wash Closet). For some of us, this experience will be quite adventurous. Remember to keep an open mind and consider this a part of your travel experience!

In some countries, expect to see an attendant for you to tip when using the WC. Generally, around 20-50 euros cents. Always, Always, and did I say Always, carry a small emergency supply of Toilet Paper (TP) or Tissues and antibacterial wipes with you at all times. It just might save the day!

I would recommend that you Read Rick Steve's Travel Tips on Health-When Nature Calls: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/tips_menu.htm

SAFETY & SECURITY:

For some reason, I feel safer in Europe than I do in some parts of the United States. On my first trip to Europe, I traveled solo. I felt completely safe for the entire trip. This is not to say that there are no security or safety risks when you travel to Europe. However, I feel that as long as you use common sense and good judgement you should be okay. I would highly recommend that you read Rick Steve's Travel Tips on Safety: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/theft.htm

Keep your valuables Safe: Use a hidden security neck pouch or a money belt to keep your credit cards, ATM cards, money and passport in. Keep only a small amount of currency in your purse/fanny pack/wallet that you will use for the day. Use a safety pin to secure your pockets, handbag or fanny pack. Also, try to use a handbag/camera bag that you can sling over your neck and shoulder and keep it in the front of you.

Pickpockets: Be aware of pickpockets on public transportation and crowded tourist locations. They are certainly aware of you. Be aware of who is standing close to you. If someone is standing right next to you on an empty bus, something is up. This actually happened to a tour mate during my last trip. She was pick pocketed by a man that stood next to her on a bus that we took to see the Trevi Fountain.

JETLAG-HOW TO AVOID IT!

There are several tips on what you can do to reduce Jet Lag after your Long Flight.

First of all, if your schedule permits, try to arrive one day early before your group tour officially starts. You don’t want to get there and then have to immediately start this long, jammed pack tour with out at least one day to sort of acclimate to your new surroundings.

Try to arrange a flight where you can arrive in the late morning or early afternoon of your destination.
While on the plane try to take naps. Drink a lot of fluid and avoid alcohol.
During Breaks, get up and stroll to the back to get your blood circulating. Stretch a little.
I usually like to take my IPOD/MP3 to listen. It makes me sleep a lot better Or I will read an interesting book. After a couple of chapters, I’m ready for a nap.
Bring a sweater or jacket on the plane as it can get cool. If you’re not comfortable you won’t be able to sleep very well.
Although, I don’t take sleeping pills (never have), I must take Dramamine for my motion sickness and this always puts me to sleep.
As soon as you arrive to your Hotel. Unpack some of your essential things.
No matter how tired you are, DO NOT TAKE A NAP!
You need to try to get on the same schedule as your destination. Go to sleep at your destination's normal time not yours.
Learn the transportation system and venture out. On my first trip, as soon as I arrived, I got on the Tube and visited the Tower of London, the Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly Square. Important Tip: Write down the name and address to your hotel before you leave. I forgot to do that. As luck would have it, when I wrote the name and address of a restaurant that I wanted to find , it was on the Hotel’s stationery pad. I hopped in a taxi and gave him the hotel's name. You’re so tired when you arrive that you just might forget to do the obvious.

LONG BUS/TRAIN RIDES

Whether you are traveling on a group tour or independently, be prepared for long bus and/or train rides:

Use the time to take short naps, read up on your next destination, or just relax and listen to music.

When we were on the trains, I took the chance to take pictures of our experience and our ride. It was also a wonderful opportunity to take some pictures of the country side along the way. Whenever I could I would take pictures of the signs at the train stations we stopped at. Point is there are many things that you can do to use this time well.

If you are group touring, the TD might play some music on the bus, which was okay. But if you prefer to listen to a certain type of music you should bring your own. If you are traveling independently by bus, train or plane, listening to your selection of music will relax you and keep you entertained. Personally, I like it as it brings a little bit of "home" with you on the road!

If you are group touring, as soon as you hit your rest stops, immediately go to the restroom. Many other tour groups also use these stops, so you want to get in line as soon as possible. Tip: Your TD will ask the group to limit their use of the on board facilities to emergency situations only.

I used the rest/lunch stops primarily to stretch my legs and take pictures or hunt for possible souvenirs rather than sitting and having a meal. I packed several bags of trail mix, which I used to snack on during these stops.

If you are group touring be prepared to rotate seating. It’s a fair system. On my first tour we didn’t rotate seats because most people just preferred sitting in their same seats. However, you should be prepared in case your tour requires it.

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO

Camera or Video or Both: On my first trip I brought both my still and video camera and did not regret it once. There are things that a still shot just won’t capture such as a gondola ride in Venice! However, take more stills than video!

Film versus Digital: As far as I am concerned, Digital is King! On my first trip I had to lug around 20 rolls of film. I never knew if my pictures came out okay until I got home and developed them. Some were great and some weren’t as great. I was also concerned about the effects that airport x-ray machines would have on my film. I had to go through the hassle of removing my film and giving them to security to hand check them.

With Digital, you can preview your pictures immediately after taking it. You can then choose to re-take the picture for a better result. You can purchase memory cards that can hold up to hundreds of shots (depending on the resolution and memory size of your camera). You don't have to worry about changing rolls of film after each 36 pictures that you take. Literally, you have have up to 200+ frames to take before you have to switch memory card and/or download into a portable storage device. Tip: Personally, I never delete any pictures. With the proper software you can improve any pictures. Who knows, these shots may very well be your best composed pictures of the trip. Lastly, memory cards take very little room and will not be affected by airport security x-ray machines.

Create interesting category shots for each city and country: Interesting Sights, Interesting People, Restaurants/Cafes you ate at, Delicious Cuisine (maybe a cup of steaming hot coffee and croissant that you had for breakfast one morning or a local fruit market that had vibrant colors streaming across your lens). Interesting pictures that can tell a viewer a lot about your experiences and about the places you visit or the people you meet.

In addition to taking pictures of those wonderful fountains and historical sights. A picture of locals shopping at an open flea market or young children playing soccer on a cobble stone road can tell a viewer so much more about life in Rome. Take pictures of interesting street signs, quaint cafes, playful animals, flowers, interesting buildings, sunsets/sunrises, flea markets, shops, people conversing along a country road, children playing in a piazza, etc. Try a close-up of a crashing wave off the Amalfi coast or a picture of a flower pot sitting on a windowsill as you cruise down the narrow canals in a gondola in Venice! How you frame your pictures and what you choose to take a picture of will tell a lot about you the photographer. What are your interests and how you see the world around you! Very interesting for your viewers.

Use lighting, framing, focusing, shadows, unusual vantage points and other composition techniques to help make your pictures interesting. Often times it's not just the subject that is the center attraction of your composition, but the surroundings itself! Experiment taking pictures using different composition techniques. I did it for my first trip and I regretted not doing it more. Trust me, these pictures will bring back special memories.

Always be prepared to take a snap shot - On my first trip, I was walking along a well known bridge in Paris. There were a lot of security and people along the side of the road. I remember thinking to myself, "what was going on?" Who could be so important as to close down a busy Paris bridge . . . "the Queen of England?" . . . Guess what! All of a sudden, an entourage of cars started coming and low and behold it was the queen of England. She was apparently here visiting Paris. Since I had my camera ready I took a picture of the Queen as soon as I realized it was her. I got her waving her gloved hand to the people along the road (me included!).

For more tips, go to my Favorite Links and check out the recommended Links to detailed tips: Travel - Useful Links

SOUVENIRS

To make for interesting souvenirs, I like to collect Hotel stationery/brochures or drink coasters from restaurants or cafes that I ate at. Put these items next to the pictures of your hotel and of the restaurants in your scrapbook. This will bring great memories of your trip to life!

Try to learn what items are unique to the places you will be traveling and set aside some money to treat yourself to a little souvenir. Venician glass, Italian gold in Florence, swiss army knife or swiss watch, etc.

Pictures - It takes some time out of your touring to take a lot of pictures. You won't realize how valuable they are until months or even years after your trip. Make an effort to snap as many pictures as you possibly can. You will not regret it.

How about those ticket stubs, restaurant receipts, subway tickets, entrance tickets, etc. I even kept my notes about which trains to take and the stops to exit. I figure they would go well with the pictures that I took while using the underground in London or the Metro in Paris.

Most important souvenir is to keep a written journal of your experience. Don't just write, "today we saw the Spanish Steps." Wouldn't it be more interesting to write about what first came to your mind when you saw the Spanish steps. For me, my first thought was watching Audrey Hepburn eating Gelato while sitting on the Spanish Steps in the classic movie, "Roman Holiday." When you add your journal notes next to your picture, and the napkin of the Gelato that you purchased and ate while sitting on the Spanish Steps yourself, you will bring life to your scrapebook and picture album. It will give you a very fond memory of your vacation.

HIGH TECH TRAVEL GADGETS

There are a couple of things that I did different on this 2nd trip to Europe. I brought my IPOD. I also purchased a special accessory which turns your IPOD into a voice recorder. While on the bus, our TD would give us some very interesting history regarding the cities and towns we were passing through. I recorded many of these sessions. This has helped me to remember things that I would not have been able to take notes on by hand.

I also used my IPOD to record my daily journal. After each day, I took a few minutes to record my thoughts and feelings during the evenings. I would record what we did, what we saw, who we met, etc. When I go back and hear some of our recordings, I am surprised at the things we said. The recordings are almost as entertaining as my video clips. Very, very, very funny!

The new world of Digital Cameras has also changed how we travel and what we take. I got a portable storage device to download my pictures from my memory cards. This allowed me the freedom to take as many pictures as I wanted without any worry of running out of memory. This was far more convenient than having to find internet cafes to download my memory cards to Cd's and it was also quite cost effective. There are many different devices out there in the market these days, some of which can be purchased at a very reasonable cost.

All high tech gadgets are battery operated, therefore, you must make sure to keep them and/or their batteries charged at all times. I brought two extra batteries for my cameras and two extra adapter plugs for the countries that I visited. Tip: As soon as you arrive at your hotel, you need to start charging your batteries. To keep everything organized and in one place, I kept all my electronic things (chargers, cables, adapter plugs) in one bag. When we arrived at our hotel, I would pull out this bag and start charging my equipment.

A Travel Blog will allow you to post "LIVE" accounts of your trips while you are on the road! All you have to do is to find an internet cafe, sit down, sip your cup of coffee or glass of fine wine and type away.

This is an absolutely fantastic way of recording your thoughts and feelings about your experiences. I have a short attention span anyway when I'm traveling so this will help be a lot. I can also post photos "live" on what I'm seeing and where I'm visiting. This is a very cool way of sharing your experiences with friends and family back home.

So here's my new Travel Blog . . .