Summary: What you will need in Europe:

• 2 Major credit card - Visa, MasterCard, AmericanExpress
• 1 ATM card - From any major bank

Using ATM and Credit Cards

With the banking technologies of today most travelers do not have to worry about money as much as one use to. In most countries, arriving at your destination with some cash from your home country, credit cards and atm card is good enough. Most airports have currency exchange for you to exchange your cash for the local currency. Everywhere else you go will typically accept credit cards, and most major banks will accept your atm card and credit card if you have cash advance feature. Make sure to call your credit card company and inform them of your plans for travel. If you try to make a big purchase overseas, the credit card may think it’s from a stolen credit card and reject the transaction.

Exchange Rates and Pin Numbers

In general, for cash, bank exchange rates are better than money exchange kiosks. Credit cards are also a good way to purchase items overseas since many credit cards come with fraud protection and are easy to cancel in case you lose your wallet. But most importantly most atm’s around the world accept cards with a 4 digit pin number, remember the actual digits of your pin and not an alphabet associated with the keypad since not all atm keypads are the same.

Some banks, even major ones will charge an ATM conversion fee for each transaction in a foreign country.  Find a bank that doesn’t charge a conoversion fee or will charge minimally to save some money.  Otherwise try to minimize your transactions, take out a few hundred at a time to limit your cash withdraws.

Earn Miles on Your Day to Day Spending to Save on your Trip

A great way to save money and earn free airfares is to get a mileage reward cards. Many reward cards give you one mile per dollar spent. So when you buy that bottle of shampoo you are getting closer to your next trip!  Other rewards cards are also great for collecting a little extra to spend on vacation.  Some cards come with 3% back on your regular grocery and gas purchases.

Pickpocketing is the number one crime in most cities.  Losing your wallet or other personal belongings while you’re miles from home can cause quite a large headache.

If you are careful you can avoid them.

Here are a few tips:

• Be on the lookout especially in crowded places. Pickpockets often work in pairs: one may bump you or cut you off, while the other picks your pocket.
• Be careful of noisy people arguing or causing a commotion. Group pickpockets will stage a distraction while others come up from behind to steal your valuables.
• Avoid crowded buses and train.
• Don’t pull out large bills in public. Keep large bills in one place and smaller ones in another.
• If you can, avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
• Men should carry wallets in an inside pocket, under a coat or sweater and cash in front pants pocket.
• Women wearing a purse should wear it in the front as much as possible. Use a purse that is harder to open with zippers, fasteners etc.
• Keep your keys somewhere other than a purse, if a pickpocket snatches your purse, your keys at least will be safe.
• When sitting, make sure to keep your belongings in your lab, on your arm or between your feet. Don’t leave them under the table, under your seat or on an empty seat.

What The USA Uses:

• Electricity in the United States is at 110 or 120 volts and a frequency of 50Hz.
• Appliances in the United States typically use a double flat prong or three prong plug.

 
What Other countries Use: (Europe)

• Electricity in many countries is at 220 or 230 volts and a frequency of 60Hz.
• Appliances in those countries can use a variety of different prongs.

How to fix this:

To convert electricity you will need a converter.  Most converter reduces 220 volts to 110 volts for low wattage items such as hair dryers, irons and other devices. Some appliances come with dual voltage abilities.  For example, a Canon camera battery charger states on the back: input: 100V-240V AC 50/60Hz.  You will not need a converter to use the charger in a country that has 220 volts/60Hz.

From the previous Canon camera battery charger example, you may need an adaptor in some countries to plug the charger into the wall.  Different countries have different plug configurations.  You will need to buy the correct plug adapter that fits.

Many hair dryers, batter chargers and other small appliances have dual voltage abilities.  It will often be stated on the back of the plug.

You can often buy a converter with various plug adapters.  Buying a standard international set of plug adapters and you should be well equipped to tackle any country.

Aside from the usual toiletires I made sure to pack a few extra items.

Flushable cleaning wipes.  This is just in case the hotels we go to arn’t as clean as we’d like them to be.  Quick wipe of the toilet and germs are gone! 

Handy wipes.  Since we’re going to be spending most of our day outside I don’t know how often we’d get to wash our hands before eating meals, snacks, etc.  It’s also good for after riding in trains and holding on to railings that only a hundred other people have touched.  The wet ones wipes are great since they’re individually packaged and it’s really easy to just drop a few in the daybag or in a pocket.

Travel toilet seat covers.  Great to have since majority of the restrooms didn’t have them the last time I went.  Feels a bit gross since all the public restrooms have them nowadays. Sometimes the toilets in Italy don’t even have seats!  I wonder how people manage.

Travel size toilet paper.  I could’ve grabbed a regular roll and parced them out into little rolls, but they had these neat travel size toilet papers in the camping section so I figure why not, too cute =P

Imodium. Just in case, for the tummy aches.

I’ve always hated airplane pillows.  First, they’re really small and really flat.  And second, I worry about their cleanliness.  With all the airlines going out of business and declaring bankruptcy, they probably don’t spend much on cleaning their pillows or buying pillow cases.  The other day when I was browsing a department store I saw a bunch of throw pillows on sale, just a few bucks each. They were the perfect size for traveling.  I thought, why don’t I just bring my own pillows!  I can use them on the plane, while waiting and even in the hotels.  I picked out two that were a decent size, not too small, not too big, and had a good measure of stuffing. 

The pillows didn’t have a removable case since they were decorative and not meant for washing. I went to a nearby fabric store and picked out 1 yard of a nice soft material and some stitch wizard to ‘glue’ the fabric together  since I didn’t have a sewing machine and was too lazy to hand stitch.  Scissors, an iron and some water later, my pillow cases were done!  Now I have my own travel size pillows for under $5 each!

A regular school size backpack usually does the trick for daybags.  For girls you may also want to pack an extra small purse for evening outings.  Nothing looks sillier than walking around with a backpack in your evening dinner outfit.

One thing to keep in mind is that your day bag should be as light as possible! You will be carrying the bag whenever you are out of the bus. A bottle of water, light jacket, and room for your camera and sunglasses is all you really need to carry with you. 

Make sure to bring a combination lock to lock your main compartments to keep pick pockets away!  Also, in extreme cases, if you’re in a large crowd and really don’t feel safe with your valuables hanging behind you, you can always wear your bag in the front.  You may look like a kangaroo, but at least you know no one will cut the bag while you’re distracted.

Remember, you’re only allowed 20kg, depending on the number of days you’re going, it isn’t much.  Pack a few items that coordinate well, colors such as black, blue, beige.  Don’t bring your favorite or most expensive clothes, it could get damaged in the public washers, get permantly stained or lost in the wash services. Stick to stuff that does not need to be ironed, bleed or shrink. Solid colors is good and one nice top for the group pictures and dinners. You will not have time in the morning and will be too busy at night to prep your clothes before they are worn (ie iron). but for special occasions some places do have irons avaliable.

Shoes:
Bring one good broken in walking shoes.
Bring a pair of casual/dress shoes.
Bring a pair of sandal/slipper/thongs to wear in the showers.

A lot of people email me with this worry, my only answer, don’t worry!  Imagine the excitement and energy of everyone in your tour on the first day, everyone wants to make new friends and have the trip of a lifetime, afterall lots of personal time, money, planning has been invested.  Typically, there is a large group of single people, and from day one they start eying each other.  Those who are already paired up or have signifigant others back home will find each other and naturally groups will form. Also, the first day you board your bus your tour manager will encourage everyone to find someone new to sit with.  If you’re on a long trip your tour manager will also encourage sitting with new people during the long bus rides.

Suitcase!

They have wheels, they keep your breakables safer, they can be expandable. It’s easier to find items (you don’t have to dig or dump out your entire backpack). Easier to load on the coach…they stack suitcases and backpacks.

Do they really enforce the luggage weight ristriction? Yes, they do weigh your bag right before you leave!

But, they don’t weigh your bag afterwards. So buy whatever you can carry.