Anna

Great tips! Does anyone have any suggestions about flying after a facial injury that caused a crushed sinus? I am wondering if this will cause pain or pressure problems on the flight. A little off topic, but advise needed. Thanks

Art

Great hints. I also take toilet paper with, Some places in Europe it's like sand paper.

Art

I ALWAYS take my 35mm camera with 3 basic lens, Standard, Wide angle and telephoto. I also have a fanny pack that I keep the lens, money, etc in. Its a little bit of weight but you can't replace pictures. I used to take slides but last year I developed on to CD's and printed them on 8x11 paper. Worked out GREAT. I also got videos of my destinations and copied them on to 8mm film so I could take them with me and review them on the plane, train, evenings etc. This also worked out great. <BR>

John

Hi, all, <BR>Well, I like to read a lot of books when I travel, and unless your journey involves an English speaking country, or you can read fluently in the local language, I've always found it advisable to buy all my reading material at home, or else I'll pay dearly for a selection somewhere to the south of dreck if I look in book shops on the Continent. Leave the paperbacks behind in the hotels, many will have a stockpile in several languages.

Kate

Wonderful tips bringing back memories of our trip last summer.... For the airplane, bring ear plugs and a dark-out mask. You may not be able to totally sleep, but drowning out some of the noise and light sure helps. Along with sudafed and water, I carry saline nasal spray to keep the passages moist and healthy. Have a great trip!

Carol

Dear Kari, <BR> <BR>In response to your question regarding tipping and paying the bill in Germany. Tipping American style is not the custom in Germany. Leave loose change that rounds the bill up to the nearest one or two Deutsche Marks--not more. As for waiting for the bill--in Germany, as in much of Europe, the table is yours for as long as you want it. The waiter will not want to rush you. We often found that we needed to ask for the check when we were ready for it. At the point that the check is presented, I know of no reason not to pay it right away. <BR> <BR>I hope this helps. My family lived in Germany for a year, and this was our experience. <BR> <BR>Have a fun trip. <BR>

joe t

Research!! I can't tell you the number of times I have returned from a trip and read about some interesting place or town that I had passed within a few miles of. So I agree with those who say read about the culture, and get a good travel guide, which for me means light on the restaurants and heavy on culture. Also, personally, I prefer to eat light and drink bottled water to reduce the shock to my digestive system. Most frequently asked question: Where can I hook up my computer??? <BR>(Hehe) <BR>

the turnip

Get out of hotels! Whenever possible we stay in B&B's and love it! Not only is it much much cheaper and a far better value than inexpensive one or two star hotels, they're also lots of fun. You get to meet real people, not just someone who sits behind the counter all day. We have met so many interesting and friendly people this way. Not to mention a good breakfast to start your day. There are several good resources for locating B&B's on the net. However if you travel in the shoulder seasons you can usually just stop in. <BR> <BR>Just my 2 cents...

kathy

I always take at least one (paperback!} book about the region I.m visiting. A biography of Michelangelo to Florence, etc. There is also a great book store in California that sells site related mysteries. See posts on this site around Christmas time. I got my husband the list for Christmas and he loves it.

Linda

I loved all these great tips, especially Bill's and Steve's on tossing all the old, ratty underwear and clothes! One thing we absolutely do before we go to Europe (I don't think I saw it on any of the tips and I apologize if I am being redundant) is photocopy our passports, take down our credit card numbers and customer service numbers. I keep one copy in my cosmetic bag and give a copy to someone at home I absolutely trust with this information. This way, you can easily put your hands on this important information in case - God forbid! - something gets lost. Have a great trip! lmk

Cyrano

My best tip: re-read Lori's first post <BR>My next best tip: re-read Lori's first post. Also Deborah's post. <BR> <BR>Take an aspirin before each long flight--your chance of a blood clot increases dramatically during long flights. <BR> <BR>Silk underwear (real cheap at Marshal's) <BR>MICROFIBER everything--trousers, shirts, jackets. <BR>Extremely comfortable shoes and support socks. <BR>No checked bags going over, it doesn't matter so much coming back. It's not that your luggage is likely to be lost or pillaged (which you can count on), it's that if you have to check baggage you're taking too much. <BR> <BR>Re-read Lori's first post and Deborah's post.

Cyrano

Oops, I forgot, if you are fortunate enough to afford it, don't rent a car. Hire a taxi instead. It reduces hassles tremendously. Of course there will be places where a rental car will be necessary. <BR> <BR>Re-read Lori's first post and Deborah's post.

julie

When I travel nowadays, I try to put myself in a different state of mind. Forget home, kids, troubles, duties, local culture, and all the preoccupations of daily life, and try to allow yourself to be transported to another time and place. If you are in Spain, think spanish, eat when they do, etc., and don't be forever casting our mind back home, calling, etc., and wondering how they are. It took me a while to learn this, and now I feel more relaxed. I have lived in many lands and among other people..it is humbling to learn that "we" are not the majority in the world. It won't be like home.

S. C. DIXON

One of the things I first learned while traveling as that I don't HAVE to have clean undies and socks everyday. I prefer it, yes, but don't NEED it. Taking old clothing is a great idea. I go to a "dollar" store before leaving and by crew socks by the bag. After two days of wear I ditch them. <BR> <BR>Big YES to buying something you want when you see it. <BR> <BR>The sanitizer, aspirin, Imodium and Metamucel are indispensable. I also take a small can of Lysol for the floor in my room. On the plane you will definately need Chap-Stick. <BR> <BR>Other tips, some very obvious, are: <BR> <BR>take a couple of disposable razors <BR>get a haircut (shorter than you like) before leaving <BR>check and see if you can get your hands on pocket money for the country your visiting. When I go to England I always try to bring back 20-30 pounds in notes and coins. (I'm frugal; If nothing else it's added incentive to return.) <BR>Take along skin moisturizer. <BR>I'm from Kanzas and I always take along factory sealed packets of sunflower seeds (gee, I think it's legal). Hotel staff and friendly locals love it when I leave them this particular "tip". <BR>Rather than take along umpteen pair of shoes (I have foot problems) I buy several different types of arch and heel supports. I put them in the pocket of a travel vest. After a long walk I find a park bench and in less than five minutes I can have on a "new" pair of shoes. <BR>Take along vitamins and band-aids. <BR>Have fun. <BR>

ann

I'm still laughing over Bill's post. All of these are too good to pass up. My best tip? Never leave home without a Swiss Army knife, especially if going to Europe. Other suggestions: Take a couple of those little pocket-packets of Kleenex (not only is the t.p. soft cardboard, but in many places, there isn't any!). Never think you'll be back sometime in the future and can put off buying/seeing/doing something... it never happens, and even if you do return, it just won't be the same. Finally, always take the road less travelled. Even if it's not on your itinerary, if something pulls you toward a detour, take it.

Bob

Another idea I use. Instead of carrying various documents with rental car confirmations, plane time, hotels, directions, I enter all of this under different topics on the MEMO section of my Palm Pilot. I also make notes of various tips about cities I have picked up on Fodors and enter them under the city's name on my Palm. Keeps it all organized and in one place. You could also use this to make short notes as you go along and print when you return home. See ya! We head out again on June 30 for more adventures in Europe: old underwear, plastic bags, Swiss army knife, ear plugs, hand lotion, paperbacks, extra currency, duplicate copies of all documents, soft shoes, and full medicine kit packed and ready to go!

Susan

I absolutely love this post. Leaving this Thursday, June 30th, for Paris & Italy and plan to take much of this advice!! Thank you all.

Susan

Correction, leaving this Thursday, June 29th!

Brett

My tip is: if you need to know how much things cost in your home currency, but aren't good at math, devise a mental system for converting prices easily in your head. For example, if $1 equals 5.5 francs, first simplfy it to $1=ff5. Then, for me the easiest formula was: <BR> <BR>Step 1: Price is ff 485. <BR>Step 2: One tenth of that is 48.5 <BR>Step 3: 48.5 x 2 =$97.00 <BR> <BR>That works because taking a number, dividing it by ten and then multiplying by two is the same as (and for me, was much easier than) dividing by 5. <BR> <BR>Now if only I could learn the 24 hour clock!

Schuvy

I learned the hard way that before leaving to go out of the country, call the credit card companies you are planning to use overseas and tell them you are going where you are going. In England and Paris recently, our two credit cards -- despite having low balances and huge credit limits -- were temporirarily frozen until we called them from the merchants' shop and bank that we were in. It was especially hairy at the bank in Bath when I went in to get a cash advance on my Visa. I had given them my passport as ID, then the bank teller came back and said the creidt card was rejected and she was asked by Visa to hold my card and passport until I called the States. Very unnerving and I did not like being treated like a criminal. Got it all stright, but what a hassle. Later, in York, my wife was checking out of the gift shop at York Minster when the same thing happened to her, only with a different card. This held up the check out like and lots of grumbling by impatient tourists behind. Again, she had to talk to the Mastercard folks to straighten it out. So call you credit card bansk first before you leave.