Preparing for a Trip to Europe

My lucky daughter is traveling to Europe with her French teacher and a large group of students and chaperones. But before she heads off, there are a few important preparations we’ll need to handle. If you have a trip planned soon, you may want to consider some of the advice we have been given.

Plan on arriving at the airport at least 3 hours early, it is required for international travel. Give yourself a good cushion in case of traffic delays along the way. It is better to spend an hour in the airport coffee shop than to miss your flight.

Keep the luggage weight requirements in mind when packing. If you plan on bringing items back but are at your weight limit, you will need to arrange for shipping when you make your purchases. You can bring one piece of carry on luggage and, ladies; your purse doesn’t count as a carry on.

Pack comfortable shoes and mix and match items that can be used in hot and cool weather if you are going during the summer. Layer your clothes to get the most use of luggage space and to keep comfortable.

Be sure you have your passport before you leave the house, in fact, make two copies of it, put one in your luggage bag and keep the other at home in an accessible place in case you need someone to locate it for you. Bring a copy of your health insurance card and make copies of your credit cards to leave at home in case you lose them or have any stolen. It will make calling them in much easier.

Speaking of calling, be sure to notify your mobile phone service of your trip so they can unlock your phone for international calling card use. You can also rent a phone prior to leaving that you will return when you get home. Phone cards are another alternative. You should purchase these when you get to Europe, because some do not work in certain areas. Hotel phone calls are extremely expensive, so plan ahead to avoid the extra cost.

If you are going on a tour while you are there, remember to tip the Tour Director, tour guides and the bus driver. Remember that Europe is generally more expensive than the United States, and the dollar is down right now. Make a trip to your bank and order at least some Euros to get you started, the exchange rate is better there, so make the bulk of your exchange in Europe. When you visit your bank, have them flag your account for the dates you will be in Europe to avoid a hold on your account. Also, make sure your PIN is four digits, most of the machines in Europe will only accept four digit PIN’s. Check with your bank to make sure there is no processing fee or service charges if you use your card in Europe.

Purchase a security belt before you leave to hold your money while traveling and never pull money from it in plain sight. Go into a bathroom stall to replenish your pocket money, if necessary. Avoid pick pockets by not carrying a purse or backpack and travel in groups when possible.

These are just some of the precautions to take before you leave on your trip. Take your time and think things through to get the most out of your trip.