Am so excited that I just have to tell someone and you fodorites are probably the ones who will understand...

I've made my first bookings for our great Italian caper in May next year. I've been dreaming daily about this trip for more than three years and saving hard. It was so exciting to hand over my credit card number yesterday and book an apartment in Venice for a week and also our canal boat for the following week when we go from Precenicco to Casale.

Am feeling very pleased with myself and uber excited, can you tell??

Have a good day guys.

Loveners

Great news for you! We are starting to think about our next trip. Have to cash in air miles for an upgrade, so gotta do it in the next month.

Good for you!
Here are some tips that may help.

TWENTY TERRIFIC TRAVEL TIPS !!


After enjoying 26 trips to Europe, most of them in the past 25 years, here are some tips that we have found helpful. We hope that you agree:

MONEY:
1. Use your CREDIT CARDS for most major expenses[ hotels, car rentals, Ristorantes ] It will provide the best exchange rate and give you a good record after you get home.
2. There is no reason to get local currency until you arrive in Europe. Use the airport ATM for cash. ATMs are everywhere in Europe and work just like your hometown machine—even in English.
3. Bring 2 credit cards and both should have 4 digit PINS. Be sure to tell your CC companies that you are traveling in Europe—check your limits.
4. Forget TRAVELERS CHECKS—they were obsolete years ago.
5. Keep several 1E & 2E coins easily accessible---very convenient.

PACKING:
6. Pack lite and pack smart ! It is too much luggage that signals a typical novice traveler. Your primary rolling bag should not exceed 24”—check it ! Take a smaller carry-on bag that should contain everything you will need to survive if your primary bag does not arrive for 48 HOURS.
7. Pack a canvas tote bag to hold the extra goodies you will buy in Europe. Also consider bringing a wash cloth, liquid soap, raincoat and a hat for bad hair days. Be sure your knife with corkscrew is in your checked luggage.
8. Do not dress to advertise that you are a tourist, although it will likely be evident. Plan your outfits using basic colors and do not be afraid to wear the same outfit 3 days in a row. Try to dress in layers—shirt, sweater, jacket.
9. If you need to save packing space, wear your bulkiest items on the plane [ sport coat, dress shoes, raincoat, sweater etc.]

SAFETY:
I feel safer in Rome or Munich than I do in Miami or Chicago. However, Americans do get targeted by pick pockets and purse snatchers, especially in crowded areas of major cities. Here are some tips that may help:
10. Keep purses/cameras around your neck—do not lay then down.
11. Wear a money belt for those items you cannot afford to have lost. This includes passports, credit cards, travel documents.
12. Stay alert and vigilant— thieves will use DISTRACTION as their tactic.
13. Always lock your rental car and keep nothing in view you want to keep.


WILD CARD TIP:
The best tip I can give to any novice traveler to Europe is to always smile, be respectful, and never forget you are a guest in their country !

TRAVEL TIPS CONTINUED:

CARS AND TRAINS:

Rental cars in Italy can be expensive due to the high mandatory insurance. However, often a car is the best way to see many parts of BELLA ITALIA.
Rail travel is often less costly but can be quite inconvenient in rural areas.

14. Avoid driving in major cities—it is often a real hassle.
15. When driving on the extensive AUTOSTRDA system, be sure to stay in the right lane except when passing. You will need to pay toll as you exit the system—look for the VIA lane to pay by credit card.
16. You will need a driver, a navigator, and a good map. The road signage is good on the major roads, but do not rely on road numbers on secondary roads—that will frustrate you. Do learn to trust the directional signage.
17. Study your daily maps in advance so you can ANTICIPATE decisions.

TRAVEL TID-BITS:

18. Take the time to learn a 50 word vocabulary to include basic courtesies.
19. Learn to use the 24 hour clock and the European way to list a date—both may save you a major blunder [ June 15 is really 15 June or 15/06]. It does make good sense---do we not call it the 15th of June?
20. Here are some TRAVEL TOOLS that you will want to have with you:

• Swiss Army knife with a decent corkscrew.
• Extra batteries for your camera—and/or a dual voltage charger.
• Copies of credit cards and travel documents—including passports.
• Extra reading glasses—I put 3 pairs in different locations.
• Adapter plugs—typically two prongs for round holes
• A flashlight or reading light---rooms are often too dark.


BUON VIAGGIO & BOUNA FORTUNA !!

Congratulations, loveners! You will have fun during the winter months planning your time in Italy I am sure.

As always, Bob gave excellent information but I did see what I am sure is a typing error. Under Money, item no. 3 should read ATM cards not credit cards. Regards.

Be sure to tell your CC companies that you are traveling in Europe—check your limits.>>

bob, I'm sure that this is good advice for travellers from the US. But i noticed when i called my credit card company [it happened to be Barclaycard] about something else today, and while i was waiting to be connected to a real person, they took the trouble to inform me that there is no need to tell them if i am travelling anywhere in the world - they will treat any transaction as normal.

why can UK c/card companies manage their fraud control when US ones can't?

It's interesting we definitely have some global differences. We're from NZ and failing to tell your ATM or credit card provider will definitely see your card frozen...

We also use things called "travel credit cards" they allow you to load up card and lock in an exchange rate and then use it as either a debit card or as a zip zap card (even for internet purchases). My card has euros, us$, pounds and I'm going to put some ozzie dollars on it tomorrow. When we use this card overseas we do not get charged any fees (for withdraws) or currency conversion fees.

If I was to use my ATM or credit card overseas I would be charged really high transaction fees (currency conversion plus overseas atm fees). Even if I'm using the cirrus network, I'd pay a fee of around 6 euros (or 2 big mac burgers to use the int'l currency...hehe) and then lose on the exchange rate. The rate I get on a credit card is several points lower than the rate I'd get buying cash.

Thanks for sharing my excitement. Thanks for the great tips

(tots off to see what else she can research this evening...)

One piece of good news is that Italy still has lots of little family owned shops so as in Auckland you don't have to go the supermarket for food you can just drop into a little grocery for the odd bit or indeed everything. Have a great time.

Too bad we don't have those travel credit cards in the USA. We have something similar, but they give you a terrible exchange rate and have all sorts of fees when you use them.