PatrickLondon

Relax.

Things will happen that are not in your plans. Things that are in your plans may not happen. Neither is the end of the world. There is a lot to be said for stopping for a coffee and a breather, and watching the world go by for a while - it's a holiday, not a route march.

Make a note of the things that you'd like to see next time, or that would make you enjoy it better next time - because you will be coming back, won't you?

Take some time, before you go, to play with the websites for the different public transport systems:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/15101.aspx

http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/tourists/
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

http://www.tmb.cat/en/home
http://www.tmb.cat/en/mou-te

DanielleJane

Thank you all! There's some really great & sound advice here. I had a good laugh at how Europeans see Americans.. I'm going to be so excited to be there I'll probably be grinning like an idiot the whole time anyway.
Thank you all again for your wisdom!

LSky

One little thing, it's not really a downer but it may seem like it at first.

When you get back, your friends and family will ask you about your trip. Their attention span will be surprisingly short. It's okay.
Come here and post a trip report, our attention span is endless.

kimhe

Have traditional Catalan food in Can Culleretes from 1786, the second oldest restaurant in Spain. Popular with both tourists and locals and run by a great gang of ladies: http://www.culleretes.com/
http://11870.com/pro/can-culleretes

Or go to family owned and very local feel Ca l'Estevet:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

Try to get a table a Tickets, fantastic tapas bar run by the world's most reknown chef the past decade, Ferran Adria and his brother. All tables are taken months in advance, but it has been said that it's almost always possible to get a table if you turn up early: http://www.foodandthefabulous.com/re...drias-tickets/

A night or just a visit to spectacular Art Nouveau Palau de la Música Catalana: http://www.palaumusica.cat/en

World class flamenco artists perform every night at Tablao Cordobés in Las Ramblas. http://www.tablaocordobes.com/tablao_flamenco/

suze

My best tips have already mostly been covered:
Pack light (can't stress this enough)
Comfortable walking shoes
Good city maps (can be found upon arrival)

Earplugs and a sleep aid (for the first couple nights to get you over jet lag and onto the local time)

bibliotecaria71

If you are sensitive to light when you sleep, pack a soft eye mask.

Ditto contacting your wireless carrier for an overseas phone/data plan. It's great to be able to upload special photos every day! Remember to call the carrier to turn it off when you arrive back home.

You will never regret carrying only one small suitcase, especially for a multi-city trip. Be sure any smaller handbag, etc., can be carried easily while towing the suitcase.

Bring a small collapsible (nylon?) shopping bag for bringing home souvenirs. On the the trip home I've been able to stash both my souvenirs and small handbag into it and call it my "personal item."

Take time to relax!

ChgoGal

Hi, Daniellejean.

If you haven't already thought of it...
a small kit of medicine you're used to taking (aspirin, cough drops, first aid cream, cold/flu medicine)
extra contact lenses (& extra case)
tweezers (the lighting in some hotel bathrooms is a revelation)
nail file
disposable razors
band-aids (for possible walking blisters)
zipper bags (for potentially leaky bottles of anything) and snacks you buy along the way

All things you can pick up overseas, but who wants to shop for dull things like these when you're on vacation? (Though the one thing I do and enjoy, is pick up shampoo, conditioner and a nice body soap of the brands I can't get in the US - too heavy to carry over, and I don't like to use the hotel stuff.)

Have fun!

DanielleJane

@chgogal - too funny! I will definitely be bringing tweezers.. yikes!

Revulgo

My last-minute tip is: RELAX and enjoy a wonderful time. Things will go fine.

Leely2

My mantra right before leaving for the airport is "passport, money, meds." Money = ATM + credit cards. I think as long as I remember to bring these three things, I'll be fine. And if you don't take any prescription medications it's even easier.

Have a great trip! I read on your other thread that you like modern art. I visited Paris in December and made it back to the Pompidou; always a delight for me and beautiful views from the cafe.

LSky

We always check our suitcases and bring totes with one day supplies for the plane, in case our luggage is lost for a while. I hate to have to babysit my suitcase during a layover and admire people who walk around the airport with nothing but a messenger bag.

I also bring a purse, the tote bag goes in the over head but the purse holds my book and things I want for the plane. That goes under my seat. In that purse I have a small crossbody bag with my wallet and passport so when I go to the toilet I don't need to take my purse.

BTW, "toilet" is the word you need acrossed the board for bathroom, restroom etc. Just say, "toilet" or look for the signs. It took me aback on my 1st trip. As an American we pretend we don't have toilets.

Speaking of toilets. Europeans are very sensible in ways we are not. They don't bother with silly toilet seat covers. Something we could get rid of at home. Don't ya think?

Tulips

While in London, stand on the right on escalators; people pass on the left. Commuters get annoyed at tourists standing on the left on the escalator.

And watch out while crossing the road!

AJPeabody

Remember, you are going to civilized countries. You can buy anything you need if you forgot it except your passport. But not forgetting things does save time. Make a departure checklist, and use it. (My wife and I each thought the other had set the home alarm system, resulting in an aborted ride to the airport and a second departure.) Whenever you leave your hotel room, say "Key" and be sure someone has it. Paper maps are easier than online maps and do not incur download fees or risk having your device grabbed away.

In France, wine is cheaper than water, but you can always have free tap water (fine to drink). There is no ice. Try a new pastry every day. Don't look for food from home. No hamburgers. No pizza outside of Italy. No Coke or Pepsi. Eat French. In France, of course. In Spain, eat Spanish. In London, eat, well, they had an empire, so eat from everywhere. But no hamburgers!

Dukey1

Are you taking a cellphone? if so, you shouldn't need any other travel alarm.

Ice actually IS available if you ask for it sometimes.

You are NOT going to blend in and don't try

As someone above said, be aware that the unexpected may happen, you probably will not see all those things on your list, you'll "get there early" and guess what? so will everyone else so be prepared to relax a bit.

carry change/coins...you may need it to pee in places

the pickpockets in Barcelona are smarter than you are so the moneybelt idea is probably a good one and that means nothing is going to happen to you there other than fascination with the living statues

And in terms of that food from home..yeah, sure, watch as all those people you are trying to blend in with JAM the MacDonalds...I agree try "local" foods but there's nothing better than those fries INCLUDING those things in France!

Have a great trip.

LSky

Darn! I missed your other thread when you said you liked Modern art. The Pompidou will be high on your list with it's collection of modern and contemporary art. Plus back in the 70's the building was a pioneer when the architects (Piano & Rogers) turned it the architerture inside out.

(BTW, If you love Contemporary Art and are ever in Phoenix Az, don't miss their Contemporary collection.)

DanielleJane

No worries!! We are very adventurous with our food... plus I despise McDonalds here in America and can't imagine I'd like it much anywhere else! I think I'm actually MOST excited about trying authentic foods in France and Spain. And yes, Pompidou is on the list!

I do have a money belt and I am taking my iPhone (on airplane mode, we plan on using Skype and Voxer when we have wi-fi for communication).. Any suggestions about how to carry my phone? I am leery about carrying it in my pocket. I was thinking about getting a case with a wrist strap and carrying it on my wrist. Any harm in that?

welltraveledbrit

Great advice!

Google the scams for each city you go to(eg scams tourists Paris), it's always worth knowing even if it's unlikely to happen to you.

Load your iphone with offline maps (some of these are free) including the tube/metro/underground maps, we find these invaluable. You can also load walking tours and a bilingual food glossary. IMHO the iphone is very helpful even on wifi. I like tripit.com for our itinerary.
I have a discussion of this with links on my blog http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.fr/2...echnology.html

Things always go wrong when you travel. Things won't be perfect no matter how much you've prepared, try to manage any disappointment and focus on the good stuff.

Take advantage of the free museums in London my fav is the Sir John Soane, you'll be paying for them in Paris.

Consider per-theatre menus in London (even if you're not going to the theatre) they are often much less expensive. Arbutus in soho is a great example.

I agree with everyone who says take your time, don't exhaust yourself, hopefully you'll be back to all these places and more. Do what you like not what you think you should see.

Pret a Manger is a cheap chain but a good place for a quick/economical lunch in London.

Make sure to stop for a drink/tea/coffee and recharge, but in Paris be careful not to sit outside at a very expensive touristy cafe where the prices can be extortionate.


Have fun.

RobIm

We are flying from Barcelona to Paris on Ryanair in May. It's cheaper and quicker then train.

aliced

I would not take a wrislet, they can easily be cut off or unclipped; how about small-mid size cross-body w/ wide wired strap (online); I travel w/ clothes w/ lots of pockets and DH wears Scottevest w/ 21 of them, my vest but 4. (I'd add the Picasso Museum in Barcelona to your must list...)

carolyn

In some places it costs more for a drink if you sit down than if you drink it standing.

Moleskin, available in drugstores, is better for blisters than Band-Aids. After my first trip, I always have a piece of it in my purse even though I am wearing well-broken-in shoes.

The best thing about McDonalds abroad is the restrooms, mostly clean and always free.