documents

If you plan on driving you need an Intl Drivers Permit, proof of your return flight and a light heart.

Not driving at all, just want to make sure I will be able to board my plane to each place with just my passport and be able to enter the USA when done.

I have already made airline arrangements/ paid for my tickets

Passport is all you need.

Safe travels.

All you need is a passport that is valid for at least three months after your return to the US and a return ticket for your trip home.

If you hold a valid US passport and plan to travel for less than three months in England & France than you should be good to go. Be sure to take your passport with you & notify your credit card companies that you'll be traveling abroad for those dates so that they don't freeze your ability to use those cards for unusual usage.

You may want to contact your cell phone carrier as well if you plan to use your cell phone outside the US to see what travel plans they offer outside the USA.

Thanks everyone, passport is valid, will notify credit card company, check my cell carrier.
Another question, my credit card company does not charge foreign transactions, it has a chip in it, I don't plan to use it to get cash anywhere.
Will I still need a pin number? exchange USA dollars after i arrive?

I would advise bringing another form of identification as proof of identity or citizenship:
- your driver's license, for example (in case you lose your passport, to prove who you are to the US Embassy)
- this, by itself, won't get you back to the US, but will help you apply for a replacement passport

Either a photocopy of your passport:
- stored separately from your passport

Or, a digital copy of your passport
- stored somewhere that you can access it without wifi (e.g., a picture on your phone, an offline-available copy in DropBox)

If you lose your passport, you can show the photocopy or digital copy of it to the US embassy to verify your identity and citizenship, and provide them with your passport number.

You won't need any of it, unless your passport is lost.

Thank you for the advise, will defintely do that!

Your non-"chip + PIN" card will still work as a "chip + signature" card.

You can withdraw cash from an ATM with a debit card when you get there to use for those transactions where you can't/don't want to use a credit card - street market vendors and the like.

Use your debit card to get local currency from ATMs. You'll get a terrible conversion rate if you take US cash to exchange for British Pounds or Euro.

I've never needed a PIN for CC transactions in UK or France, even ones with the magnetic stripe.

I'm glad you know not to get cash from your CC as and Advance.

Sounds like your first trip to Europe. Lots of excellent info right here on this Rick Steves website under Travel Tips. Read it thoroughly and take it to heart.

Thanks, I'm taking in every word.
Yes my first trip of many to come.

You asked which credit card doesn't have international transaction fees...Chase Sapphire! No fees at all for purchases made anywhere in the world. DON'T use it for ATM withdrawals though...they charge quite a bit. I have a separate debit/MasterCard for ATM withdrawals.