PRE-TRIP

Do your homework before you leave - Research the guidebooks; find one that agrees with your own travel style. If you are more e-inclined, surf the many sites on the World Wide Web pertaining to the places you plan to visit. Start with the ones on the links page. Print out any useful pages to bring with you. You can jettison the pages as you leave that country, or better yet, pass them on to a fellow traveler who has just arrived, and may be in need of the very information you possess. Internet information is free; pass it along freely.

Record helpful hints and tips - Friends who have been to the places you plan to visit are a great source of free information. Invest in a small notebook (one that will fit in a shirt pocket), and take notes when offered suggestions. These jotted-down ideas will prove very welcome when you are hungry, and need to recall that "tremendous restaurant in Paris" that your friend told you about.

Going solo? Why not! - You are single. All your friends either don't have vacation time when you do, or have no means or interest to make the trip with you. You really want to go, but are reticent about being alone. If you are deciding between going alone, or not going at all, allow me to offer you some hors d'ouevres for thought, free of charge from Destination Europe:

1. When alone, you can go anywhere you want, do anything you want. If your idea of a guilty pleasure is being in a museum from opening to closing, feel free to indulge. The same goes if you prefer hanging out in bars. The continent is your playground, and you have no one to answer to, short of the local authorities.
2. You will be more open to talking to new people, and making new friends. If you find a kindred spirit and decide to team up for a while, you are doing so out of a desire to share part of your trip with this person, not a sense of obligation. Remember also that travelers are a nomadic lot, and those with similar budgets tend to congregate in the same part of whatever town they may be in. Thus, don't be surprised if you run into the friends you made in Paris two weeks later in Prague.
3. Eating is also your call. If you want to live on local snacks or slices of pizza for the day, be my guest. When the time comes to splurge on a good dinner (an urge you should indulge in, at least a few times), your budget is the only one that need be considered.

Test/take care of photo equipment - If you are purchasing a new camera or lens for the trip, shoot a roll or two of film before you leave, to see what your new equipment is capable of doing. Same thing for a video camera. If you already have the photo equipment you need, have it cleaned prior to departure. If film is cheaper where you live (as it is in America), remember to stock up prior to departure.

Credit cards, ATM, traveler's checks - which is best? - In this age of plastic, travelers are becoming increasingly aware that cash or traveler's checks are not necessarily the best way to finance a trip. According to an article that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, you can get from 1% to 4% more 'native currency' by using ATM's, as opposed to cash or traveler's checks. Find out what your bank charges for overseas withdrawals. Mine wanted a flat $5.00 per transaction. Another bank in town offered the same service for $1.50 per transaction. Needless to say, I will transfer some (if not all) of my funds into this second bank prior to my next departure. Most European banks will not assess a fee for using their ATM's, even if you are not a customer there. You will get a favorable rate, maybe even a little better, by using your credit card to charge items, although your bank may impose a 1% processing fee. Remember to check the date on your card(s) before you leave -- you certainly don't want a mid-trip expiration. Having said all this, I would still recommend bringing a small amount of traveler's checks, in your own currency, for those times when ATM's may not be all that accessible. It is also a good idea to, before you leave, get a small amount of cash for each of the countries you plan to visit. This way, you'll have enough for a meal or taxi ride should you arrive at an inconvenient hour.

Packing - Make a little go a long way.  It has been written on numerous web pages, but bears repeating here...Pack as lightly as possible. Basic, black and white clothing will work for both casual and more dressy occasions. As an added bonus, black clothes don't show dirt as readily. Consdier the "multiple use" theory.  For example, a sweater will keep you warm, and serve as a somewhat dressy covering for a nicer restaurant. If you can't justify multiple uses for anything you pack, consider if you really need it at all. Some travelers have packed T-shirts or other inexpensive items that they plan to discard along the way, thus creating room in their limited bagspace for souvenirs. If at all possible, try to make it so that the only bags you have are the carry-on kind. No waiting at the baggage carousel, no potential for the airline to lose your luggage, and easy portability for your entire trip. Hauling numerous heavy suitcases on and off trains is no fun, especially when you are tired, don't speak the local language, and the conductor is yelling the local phrase for "Final Boarding". While that wheeled luggage may work very well in the nice, level airports, you'll find that European cobblestone streets are another matter altogether. Thus, a backpack is a very practical alternative.

Plan to arrive mid afternoon - If possible, try to time your arrival to be mid-to-late afternoon. You will be very tired and disoriented from the long plane ride, but excited to finally begin your journey. This arrival gives you a chance to check into the hotel, walk around the immediate area, have dinner, and still get to bed early. You will then wake up early the next morning, raring to go.

THINKING AHEAD

Plan ahead, to eliminate problems upon return - The trip will be great, but unless it is a permanent change of residence, you will have to deal with day-to-day life upon your return. You can make this process easier for yourself. If you rent your dwelling, and are planning to be gone for more than a month, write out post-dated checks for your landlord. He won't be able to cash them until the date on the check arrives. Any bills that would be subject to late fees, try to pay in advance. You won't know the exact amount on bills that vary, like electricity and phone, but should be able to estimate, especially given that you won't be using the utility in question while you're gone. The amount you pay in excess of the last bill you send in before you leave will be credited towards next month. Often, having the credit will avoid late fees, even if it doesn't entirely cover the next amount due. After all, you don't want to worry about these mundane things while exploring 800-year-old castles, or marveling at Renaissance masterpieces.

Create a lived-in look while you're away - If you live alone, or all members of the household are travelling, try to recruit a friend to come over to your place during your absence, to water plants, walk the dog, take in the mail, etc; things to make it not appear that you are gone for a length of time. Maybe internet or cable access would be a sufficient bribe. Allow them free reign of the refrigerator; the stuff will only go bad anyway. If this is not possible, remember to use up, or give away, perishable food before you leave. Otherwise, the vegetables in your crisper will be a smelly science project greeting you upon your return. If you don't want to come home to barren cupboards, your last trip to the food market before leaving should concentrate on frozen and/or canned food. I have also relied on restaurants or take-out for a day or so after the flight home.
 
 

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Last updated on 03/14/2001