Global Entry Program: If you haven’t already applied for this program, do it now. Cost is $100.00/ea but it really does fast track your entry back into the US. Our last trip, clearing customs took less than 15 minutes. Google “Global Entry”. I checked today and the next interview is available in April, don’t wait.
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): Program is offered through the US State Department. Once enrolled, you can add your itinerary to the embassies in countries where you will be visiting. If you lose your passport, they will have your information and a replacement will take minutes instead of hours. They will also help evacuate US citizens in event of catastrophe or state of emergency. Sign up and register your trip.
Cell Phones: Check with your provider on International calling.
Bank and Credit Card companies: Call or email each of these companies and let them know your travel plans / dates. Most have an online form you can complete that lets them know you’ll be out of the country. This way they don’t lock your card or restrict your cash withdrawls.
Weather: No one knows for sure how the weather will be from day to day so be prepared, dress in layers and always throw in a small travel umbrella, just in case.
Electricity: European power is 220v, 50 cycle which is not what your appliances use. There are usually adapter plugs for shavers in most hotels and rental homes, most also have hair dryers, but if you plan to bring a phone, laptop, Bluetooth speaker, hair dryer, curling iron, etc. you will need a converter – not only an adapter!
Converter versus adapter: A converter will change the input voltage to 120/60 cycle, making it correct for your appliances. An adapter will allow you to plug your appliance into an outlet, but it will not change the voltage! All converters have an adapter plug and most have USB plugs along with standard USA type plugs to charge your phones, etc. Be advised, hair dryers and curling irons suck a lot of power! Using one of these power hogs can still blow your converter or burn up. They just draw too much energy. Travel size hair dryers and curlers may work fine but it’s so much easier to rent a place that has these available, then you don’t have to pack one!
Checked baggage: We use a hard-side, smaller suitcase, a 26X18, with 4-wheels. We found that this does a couple of things, 1- it is easier to handle; 2-keeps us from packing too many clothes. Bought ours at Kohl’s for around $45.00. Best part, they weigh less than 7#’s empty!
- Do not pack anything of value in your checked luggage. No jewelry, electronics, cameras, chargers and cords, or anything you can’t do without. No personal information should go in these bags! Checked baggage should be considered “public domain” so nothing you value should be placed in it.
Checked bag tag: All airlines require you to have a tag on your bags just in case it gets lost. What they don’t tell you is having a tag with your home address on it will not necessarily help find you in a foreign country. If lost, your bag needs to be delivered to where you are, not your home address. We always insert into the luggage tag on our checked baggage, a card that has our full name and the hotel / apartment at our destination, (not our home address in the US), and a phone number where we can be reached (include country code +1). This helps the airline find us and deliver our bag quickly. You should have a card for each new destination you are flying to.
Make two copies of each destination address card, one for outside your suitcase and place the second one on top of your clothes inside your checked bag. If your suitcase gets lost, they will open it and see where it needs to go. Don’t rely on the lost bag form to make sure your bag finds you.
Carry-on Luggage: If you use a small backpack for your carry-on, chances are it will travel with you. It can always be placed under your seat so the airlines rarely (like never) tell you to check it.
- Pack all cords, chargers, converters, cameras, e-readers, phones, and jewelry items in your carry-on luggage, not your checked bag.
- Pack prescription meds in their original bottle with prescription Don’t re-pack in an unmarked container such as a day-to-day carrier.
- Pack a change of underwear, socks, clean shirt or blouse in the carry-on in case your luggage is lost or delayed.
- Keep a copy of your passport, credit cards, contact numbers, etc. in your carry-on, NOT YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE!
- And if you still have room, pack anything that is heavy, like shoes or books.
Clothes: Dress in layers, it’s easier to adapt to changing weather. Decide on quantities. This may seem unnecessary but having the same number of underwear means you need to do laundry at the same time. We’re not sure what you plan to see & do while on your vacation, but most of Europe is casual dress. Jeans, golf shirts, skorts, shorts, blouses, etc. are the norm. Sleeveless may draw more attention than you want, as might tee shirts with nifty sayings. If you plan to visit cathedrals, remember to dress appropriately with knees and arms covered, ladies with a scarf (not always necessary), men without hats.
Packing those cases: I know everyone has packed a suitcase but there are some tricks that maximize the space. On our last adventure, our suitcases weighed 35#’s each, and that was for a 3-month outing.
- Rolled up clothes really do take up less space than flat packed. Sounds crazy but it’s true. Roll everything that won’t be bothered by wrinkles, such as pajamas, sweats, pool coverup, etc.
- Roll up your smaller things like socks, underwear, tee shirts, etc. and fit those inside your packed shoes. Inside shoes is usually wasted space but it can hold lot of stuff.
- If an article is going to be worn under your sweater, don’t worry about wrinkles, no one will see it so roll it instead of packing it flat.
- Pack your extra pair of shoes in a 2gal zip-loc bag or a plastic grocery bag. These bags help keep your clothes clean and can be used for other items (like storing unused laundry soap and repacking with dirty laundry).
- Pack a light weight bag that can hold shopping items, laundry, multiple bottles of wine, etc. We bought ours at the Container Store. It rolls up smaller than a hairbrush handle but unfolds to carry tons of things, and they weigh nothing.
- Not so much now as in the past but some hotels and B&B’s don’t provide washcloths. We go to Target or Walmart and buy a pack of 5 for $2 to take and leave behind.
Laundry Time: Sooner or later you’re going to need to do laundry, unless you plan to try to pack 20+ days of clothes! I’ll assume you want to do laundry so here are your options. 1) Wash things out in the tub and line dry in your hotel. Some hotels don’t allow this, they will have a sign or tell you in their welcome package it isn’t allowed. Some don’t care but remember, if you chose to self-launder in your room, you’ll need a clothes line and clips to hang your clothes. 2) Find a laundromat and do the self-serve thing or sometimes they offer drop-off service. The self-serve option is cheapest, wash can be around 4-6EUR per load and dry about 1-2EUR. Drop-off can vary but we’ve found places as cheap as 10EUR for 12 kilo’s, washed & dried. Beware, they may wash every item in one load and dry the life out of it. 3) Use the hotel service. Better have a co-signer for this is the most expensive laundry you will ever do. No exaggeration, 1 bag of laundry can be as much as $35.00USD!
We try to rent apartments (another benefit of an apartment!) that have a washer / dryer listed in the amenities. In Europe, that can mean a single machine that does both functions horribly, or sometimes two separate machines like here in the US. Always ask the owner before renting to see which they offer. If it is a single machine, a very small wash and dry load can take over 2 hours and not with the best of results.
Best bet, find a laundromat and have some fun figuring out how use the machines, how to buy soap and do a little people watching. More times than not we’ve met other travelers in a laundromat and had some great conversation. It can be a fun 2hrs.
Important items / documents: Make a hard-copy of the items below and carry them in your carry-on bag (not in checked luggage), separate from the originals.
- Driver’s license – (front & back)
- Credit cards w/contact numbers – (front & back)
- Bank ATM cards / with contact numbers – (front & back)
- Passports
- Your travel Itinerary with contact information for rentals, tours, etc.
- All confirmations, vouchers, reservations, tickets, etc.
- Medical insurance / alert cards
You won’t need library cards, shopping cards, blood bank cards, pictures of the family, gas cards, AARP cards, business cards, etc. The idea is to make your wallet as light as possible so it fits in your front pocket or around your neck in a travel bag.
Pick-pockets / thieves: As long as were talking about wallets, let’s talk about pick-pockets. All of Europe and the US has a thriving light finger business. Nothing should go in your back pocket unless you want to get rid of it. Same for a backpack or purse, nothing of value goes in it if you place it behind you. Purses with over-the-shoulder straps, neck pouches, even money belts are where you keep your valuables. Keep these things in front of you.
Cell phones are popular theft items. If you use your phone for taking pictures, take a quick look around before snapping that shot to see who’s watching you. Never lay your phone down on a table or bench, keep it and all your valuables in your possession.
Not trying to scare anyone, just remind you to be aware of your surroundings and the people near you.