You have your tickets, your hotel or vacation rental reservations, passports are up to date, and you are ready to go. Not yet! Here are four important things to add to your preparation list:
1. Prepare Your Bank
Exchanging money in Europe is usually easiest and least expensive through an automated teller machines in Europe. Be careful to withdraw using your bank ATM card rather than your credit card. If you use your credit card for withdrawing cash, you may find yourself taking out a high interest loan.
Must dos with your bank:
2. Safeguard Your Documents
Photocopy your passports and airline tickets and stick them in a few places in case something gets lost and you need to recover. Ensure some of those places are in your carry-ons.
A high tech way to keep track of your passport info and other important documents in case of loss is to scan them in and email the scanned document to yourself at an email address you can access from anywhere. For example, one of our guests in an apartment in Florence found herself locked out of her apartment, so she went to a nearby internet point, retrieved the electronic copy of her apartment information from her email and made the call to be let back in.
3. Buy a Good Map
If you are visiting only major cities, your guide books and the inexpensive maps you can obtain at tourist offices will be all you need. But, if you are driving, you need a good, detailed regional map.
If you wait till you get to the region you are visiting, I guarantee that you will waste time looking for your map and the only one you will be able to find for your region will be in Swedish. A map of the whole country is not detailed enough for driving, get a regional map.
4. Buy a New Guidebook
Be sure to take recently published guidebooks with you. Sights open and close, hours change, phone numbers change, and they move things around in museums. You will experience frustration and lose time if you take an old guidebook; take my word for it.
To avoid having to carry a whole book, pull out and take just the pages for the places you will visit. You can do this for the trip and for the day.
Don't count on finding a good guidebook when you arrive. I find the English language guides published in non-English countries are often hard to read and filled with stuffy direct translations from the original language.
Pat Byrne is the president of Excellent Europe (http://www.excellenteurope.com) a company that selects exceptional vacation rentals in Italy. She is also the author of the Kids Europe Italy Discovery Journal (http://www.excellenteurope.com) a resource book, journal, and guide just for kids traveling in Italy that has over 500 ideas for free and fun activities in Italy.
Kalamazoo taxi o'hare .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareSeasoned travelers often tire of the standard routine of airplane,... Read More
Vacation packages are a great way for travelers to book... Read More
Bahamas vacation villas are the way to go if you... Read More
I have a 17-year-old daughter who is finishing up a... Read More
Summer vacations - what better topic could there be for... Read More
The largest barrier island on the Atlantic coast between New... Read More
Enjoy your own luxurious lifestyle in our beautifully furnished, air... Read More
Before finding the answer to this dilemma, let's take an... Read More
You are the owner of a timeshare and have decided... Read More
Vancouver will receive a lot of attention as the 2010... Read More
Work-rate, health and even personal relationships may be affected if... Read More
The secret treasure of Davenport's and Kissimmee's townhouses.Though usually Orlando... Read More
The demand for a stay in an ice hotel has... Read More
When staying in Orlando, you really do have a lot... Read More
If you are thinking about renting a condo in the... Read More
After France, Spain is Europe's most popular holiday destination, and... Read More
Motels became prominent in the United States after the advent... Read More
There are a few patterns to consider when looking for... Read More
Have you ever done something spontaneous? Are you in love... Read More
Bahamas vacation resorts are great places to look into if... Read More
When vacation time rolls around, some people choose to stay... Read More
Each year, over two million people find their way to... Read More
Many people believe that the first thing you should do... Read More
Bahamas house rental or a hotel? Vacation rentals are becoming... Read More
Condo hotels, also known as condotels, are a relatively new... Read More
Chicago charter limousine service Hickory Hills ..Shropshire is England's forgotten county, but it is well worth... Read More
Rooms for rent! No, not the kind where you are... Read More
Hilton Head Island's mild climate, slow pace, and beautifully forested... Read More
The bed and breakfast experience is unique. You get the... Read More
So you may be asking yourself, why would I want... Read More
Have you ever done something spontaneous? Are you in love... Read More
The home away from home but a little bit more... Read More
The rental market and Vacation Home sale market is unsustainable.... Read More
As beautiful and modern as Cozumel is, visitors must remember... Read More
Plan your next vacation where most people call paradise...the Bahamas... Read More
India has always been an irresistible tourist destination for people... Read More
A Fabulous Guide to Florida's Best Rentals: Condos for rent,... Read More
Stay a week or stay a lifetime, the Emerald Coast... Read More
Vacation packages are a great way for travelers to book... Read More
The Algarve, and particularly the areas around Carvoeiro, Albufeira, Praia... Read More
You've thought and dreamed about it for months, planning each... Read More
What is a villa? Come to Orlando, Florida to find... Read More
Punta Cana is an affordable destination in a magnificent tropical... Read More
Did you ever worry when traveling about the weather? Most... Read More
It has been said that in real estate there are... Read More
When you venture to Orlando, Davenport, or Kissimmee, Florida, why... Read More
People often ask me why we keep returning year after... Read More
Lake Tahoe is a pristine recreational lake area. With high-stake... Read More
Vacation rentals are an option when you plan to go... Read More
Have you ever wanted to travel to far away places... Read More
Vacation Rental |