CarolA

USAA did not charge the conversion fee markup last time I checked, but you do have to have a "realtionship" to get it. (Mine is my father who was in the Guard so you don't have to have an active duty solider to get the membership)

Now, I have told the story of the $15,000 in LOST travelers checks and credit cards on here before so I won't do it again. However, had this stuff been SAFELY put in a moneybelt one of the members of my trip would not have wasted a full day of her trip to Europe dealing with police, credit card companies and Amex.

To be honest, Rome is the ONLY place where I felt I really needed the money belt at ALL times. If you take ANY public transporatation.... (I had some really entertaining trips and there was one man with his hand in my pocket... Pocket was empty! LOL! And that was not the wildest thing that happened to me on the subway...The strange story is probably at least PG-13 or R rated!)

I carry a few hundred in big bills in my money belt. All daily cash comes from the ATM, but in the event I lose the ATM card I could survive for a day or two off the cash in my money belt. The cash has always come home with me.

The WORST place to change money IMHO is the airport. I use the ATM machines there. Much better deal then those ripoff exchange places. (I just walked past the ones in Atlanta and they were ripping folks off so it is universal!)

bachslunch

lanejohann is right to mention being careful of Gypsy pickpockets in Italy; they were all over the place in Florence when I went, but apparently can be found in Rome (though I didn't see any there). They tend to hang out near the train stations and major tourist sights and are often young dirty-looking preteen children working in gangs. A common approach is for one to slowly approach you plaintively babbling something while holding a piece of cardboard or newspaper at belt level. Do NOT let any such person get near you, because if they do, they will either:

1. quickly rifle your pockets from underneath the piece of cardboard/newspaper.

2. be suddenly joined by one or more little colleagues, who most likely will swarm you while grabbing at pockets and anything else they can reach.

I had one of those little creeps approach me in Florence near the Chiesa di Orsanmichele. I stared her down, wrapped my arm tight around my day pack, and shouted at her to go away. She quickly spun away -- and she and her accomplices went looking for another victim, who they almost managed to rob.

Apparently one can also be victimized not just by Gypsy kids, but also women of any age with or without babies, who can be part of such gangs. I was approached by a couple such women in Paris (at the Eiffel Tower overlook at the Place du Trocadero) who feigned looking lost and wanted to "ask me a question."

suz1672

Bookmarking great tips!

brando

My first thought would be long pants. Wandering in Italy you may be a door away from a masterpiece tucked away in a small catholic church. I always brought the zip off pants/shorts- most of the time wore them as pants but it is easy to tuch away the legs into your pack, when you need them they are there.

elcon

As far as the money belt goes, i am planning on using one during my trip in May. My brother and his wife were in Rome and were robbed by a couple of gypsy kids after a woman threw her baby into my brothers arms. If he had the money belt, he wouldn't have lost too much.

worldinabag

Hi

I never rock up anywhere without local cash - the minimum amount is taxi fare and a few incidentals.
Bring a Swiss Army knife - invaluable!
Finally and this applies anywhere - think about tomorrow TODAY! Staying a step ahead can mean alot less travel stress for you.
Buon viaggio

WillTravel

elcon, was this a real baby?

LJ

In smaller stores, do make eye contact and say 'Buon giorno' when you enter and 'grazi' when you exit. It is considered very rude not to do so.

Take antacids if you suffere from indigestion...it is the one thing we found very hard to locate in Italian 'farmacias' whihc are otherwise marvelous and can even treat minor wounds/blisters etc.

missypie

Bring along an assortment of any over the counter drugs that you take if a bit ill -cold or decongestant tablets, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, allergy pills, etc. You can buy all of that over there, but those cities aren't exactly full of 24 hour Walmarts; take a few of each kind of medication, to tide you over until a store opens.

My husband prides himself in getting to know the local currency and using up his change (e.g. not just handing over a 5 for every small purchase.) However, I had to stop him from spending all the change when we realized that lots of the churches require you to put a few coins in a box to illuminate certain pieces of art. So save a few coins once you get them.

Assume that it will rain and think about what you would like to wear if you have a full day of rain. Is an umbrella enough or a poncho? I actually prefer a cap to a hood. Hopefully you won't need any of the rain gear. People will tell you not to bring an umbrella because once it rains, vendors pop up selling umbrellas. That is true, but if you're trying to sight see in a downpour, you might want a jacket, too. Just plan ahead.

A long those lines,you need to have TWO pair of well broken in shoes. I've been caught in such downpours that my shoes didn't dry for two days, despite trying the blow dryer on them, etc. Also, one pair of trusty shoes may suddenly give you blisters. That happened to me last year at Disneyworld....the same shoes that had gotten me through Paris and Barcelona with happy feet suddenly gave me a blister.

tbell

thanks - bkmk

carolyn

Take moleskin for blisters--available in drugstores--it's wonderful.

Lawchick

Bring lots of ziploc bags and washcloths.

missypie

Yeah, if you rely on washcloths, I got a package of 10 at Target this weekend for $2.99.

If you are using an ATM in Italy and it doesn't work, don't panic. I tried using mine for the first time on a Monday morning. The first two didn't work and my anxiety level was rising....the third one worked and we never had a bit of trouble again. The first two were just apparently out of cash.

hlocke1

bookmarking...

dutyfree

Sorry Litefoot-but everyone I know that flys to Italy on my airline crews uses the phone card from any Tabac stand to call home. It is 5 Euros(the Europa brand is the easiest and best to use) and you get almost 300 minutes. It can be used from any hotel by dialing their outside line without an additional charge.

Donna-don't ask for ice tea, sweet and low and decaf coffee along with complaining how horrible real Italian food is in Italy. The Italians are really tired of Americans whining about the above things!

2Travlrs

Bookmarking.

LJ

Yes, I, too, was surprised when I read the advice NOT to buy a phone card: I used mine all the time. It is much cheaper for all those calls to confirm reservations, book dinner whatever. It is only in upper end hotels that you are coerced into using their outrageously over-priced long distance service if you don't have a phone credit card.

Get a phone card at any Tabac.

lifeofmytime

When I went on my first trip aborad I was given some excellent banking advice that came in handy. PIN numbers have to be exactly 4 digits - mine was 6 so I knew to get that changed before I left. Also, I called my bank to check out what my daily spending limit was on my ATM card and had that upped. However, no one mentioned that there is also a weekly limit. I reached mine at the airport as we were headng home. Fortunately, I had my list of important phone numbers handy and was able to call and up that limit on the spot.

itsmesophia

bookmarking.

great tips. thaks.

Mrs_Smith

bookmarking