First trip to Europe (next week) part deux

Looks good. Two recommendations: - Moleskin. Treat you feet well, check for hotspots nightly. Make sure your shoes are broken in. - Hang on to that phone when you get home. You may decide you want to do it again next year.

On my last trip, to Italy, I unlocked my phone and bought a sim card upon arrival. Prior trips I just used my AT&T phone. Much to my surprise, when we left Italy and arrived in Germany, the Italian sim card no longer worked. I had to buy another sim card in Germany. Another issue with the Italian sim was that I couldn't understand the prompts because I don't speak Italian. It was halfway through my 3 weeks in Italy before I found someone who could explain to me how to use the phone! You don't have much time left, but you might want to look into getting a sim card here that you can use throughout Europe. Not only should you notify your CC company and bank about your travel plans, but you should also have the phone number for the fraud division with you. That way, if you have a problem you can call them. I had that happen to me one trip. I notified my bank, then reminded them again. No problem using the ATM at the Amsterdam airport. I didn't try using another ATM until I arrived in Paris. No luck, they had frozen my account and called my house to let me know that someone in Europe was trying to use my card. My brother was housesitting and told them I was in Europe. They insisted I call them myself. You sound very well prepared. Have a great trip!!

Wow, that sounds like a very well planned trip. Do you have French & Italian phrase books? If you don't speak the language they can be very helpful. They're small, and you can pick them up in any bookstore. I also recommend bringing a journal and writing in it daily. I include ticket stubs and restaurant/hotel business cards so it becomes a mini-scrapbook and is such fun to refer to after your trip. Try to take some time every day to just sit and soak in your surroundings. You will have a wonderful time.

Richard For a newbie to Europe, you have a fabulous plan! Agree with Charlene to plan time to sit, see and absorb the world around you. Best is to sit in a cafe in a park or square or street corner, with a glass of wine and people watch and relax. Twice a day for one hour each! Bobbie

I'm very impressed with your planning and your itinerary looks great. You're a shining example to other "newbies" on how to do it. Very refreshing! Have a great time!

Notify your bank of the dates that you'll be in Europe and the cities where you'll be. Also, make copies of all of your cards, front and back - driver's license, credit and debit/ATM cards, insurance card, etc. Keep one copy at home and take other(s) with you. In case you lose anything, this will make the cards easier to replace. Get paper maps of the cities and countries where you'll be, in case there's a problem with the GPS.

You have done a commendable job. Just don't expect everything to go perfectly. No matter how much you plan, something usually goes wrong. Just roll with the punches and you will be fine. Have a great time
!

Richard, The plans for your first trip to Europe look well sorted! You've obviously "done your homework". A few comments.... > Cell phones: Be sure to check that the phones you purchased are quad-band models. Also, check the Chargers to ensure that they're designed for "world operation". You could purchase a SIM from one of the travel phone firms, which means you would have working phones immediately after stepping off the plane. Are you not planning on returning to Europe after this trip? Why not keep the Cell phones (and GPS) for future use? After all, $27 is not a huge investment! > Appliances: I didn't notice in your posts whether you'd be taking an Hair Dryers, Laptops, etc.? You'll need to check EACH of those devices to ensure they're also designed for "world operation". > Plug Adapters: You'll absolutely require Plug Adapters. I'd suggest taking at least two. > Rail Travel: Did you purchase a Railpass or P-P tickets through Rail Europe? You might want to review the "Rail Skills" chapter in Europe Through The Back Door so that you're "up to speed" on changes, validating, etc. > Driving: It's good to see that you'll be getting an IDP prior to travel (I renewed my IDP yesterday, so I'm all set for my trip this year). Have you looked at other posts here regarding the dreaded ZTL areas, tolls, parking, etc.? Are you going to accept full CDW from the rental firm? You might want to have a look at This Website for lots of great information (type "IDP" in the search box). Happy travels!

OK... now, time to enjoy your trip.

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone, what my wife considers another example of obsessive behavior on my part might just be paying off. I'm sure many of you suffer the same affliction otherwise you probably wouldn't be reading this. BTW, the trip was her idea yet she has left the planning process mostly up to me and only given final approval on hotels. I just decided I wanted to see Paris, old stuff, The David and Rome and the trip grew out of that. France and Italy sounded romantic so we narrowed it down to those two countries in two weeks. I know all the planning in the world won't stop things from going off track and I am mentally prepared to roll with it. I am also making a point to not try and fill entire days of sites and museums because that doesn't sound like much of a holiday to us. Sitting at a cafe is more what we normally do so I'm sure we won't have a problem adjusting to a more European schedule Ken,
I am going to call Amex for clarification on the rental CDW AND foreign fees. It might make sense to use that card for the rental. I'm up to speed on not driving into restricted areas, we have traffic cameras here too! I'll review Back Door" because the train ticket procedures seem confusing until I actually go through it once or twice. I have three plug adapters and have been reading the fine print on all electronic devices. No way am I lugging a hair dryer and just about every hotel says they have one in the room (we are not staying at hostels). Sarah, Paper maps for sure and I'm calling and copying tomorrow. Thanks again all and every comment is appreciated. RD

Richard, I just wanted to say that I hope you and your wife have a FABULOUS time! It looks like you've done a great job planning... you'll see alot, but still have time to relax and enjoy. Take lots of pictures! Happy Travels!!

Richard, Regarding AmEx and the CDW, be careful! Credit card rental car coverage often has numerous terms & conditions, so be sure you go over those carefully. I saw an article last year concerning a traveller who used his AmEx for rental car coverage. He was unfortunately involved in an incident that "totalled" the car. Due to the fact that this occurred on an unpaved road, AmEx refused to cover the damages as "driving off road" was prohibited in the rental agreement. The case was reviewed by an "Ombudsman" of some kind, but AmEx refused to change their position. The renter was therefore "on the hook" for the entire cost of the car ($15-20K). Ironically, the rental firm said that their insurance would have covered the renter in this situation. I've used credit card coverage for rental cars in the past, but I normally just take the full package from the rental firm these days for "peace of mind". Cheers!

Heck Richard, you've planned better than some seasoned Europe travellers!...lol. It sounds to me as if you've done an excellent job, and I suspect you're going to have a great trip. Don't forget to take a small day pack with you...

What a fantastic trip! Your wife is a lucky woman to have someone customize such a fabulous vacation. I agree with all the advice above, especially to get multiple adapters, as you'll want to charge up at least your two phones, and probably your camera battery, daily. Oh - so be sure to have plenty of camera cards or someplace to download your pictures to, as you'll likely take many many more pictures than you plan. Also, the only mistake I made driving in Germany was not having a detailed enough map. I know you'll have a GPS but detailed road maps or better yet spiral bound road atlases picked up at gas station mini-marts might save your bacon a time or two. (And make great souvenirs when you get back home.) Please report back after the trip!

Thought of something else: In addition to the excellent advice to have your credit card fraud division phone number with you (I too had to make the call home once and the next trip when I called the bank to tell them I would be gone, I asked for the phone number I would need to call from Europe should there be a problem) also have your airline phone number written down. It can be easier to call than get in a long line at the airport if there is a snafu that affects a lot of people.

For your wife - if she uses a curling iron or flat iron, make sure she has one that is dual voltage. If she tries to use her American appliance, even with the converter and adapter plug, it will not get hot enough. Granted the hotels will have the hair dryer but won't supply curling iron. Of course, if you are traveling light, she may take a hair holiday LOL! Have a great trip.

Richard, did you receive my Private Message?

Well done Richard. One thing we found very helpful on our last trip to Germany and France, was to have the name and address of our accommodation typed up on slips of paper to hand to taxi drivers when required.
Enjoy the wonderful experience in front of you

Richard, you are prepared for your trip. Relax, and get plenty of good sleep the night before you begin travelling.

A quick from my iPhone (on wifi of course).
We are staying at la belle etoile in la roque, Dordogne and Rick almost didn't do it justice. This place is incredible! Everywhere we go everything is amazing for it's beauty, nature and history combined. Today we went to a local market,visited cave paintings, went canoeing had a picknic (local cheese, sausAge and bread and now we are sitting overlookIng the river sipping wine. Paris was beautiful and crowded and hot. Everyone in the marais was thin well dressed and attractive. We did three times as much walking as we should have because we got lost everywhere. Fortunately we spend a lot of time on our feet at work so no problems there. People with Rick steves books were everywhere doing the same things as us. So far we havnt met any Americans in the dordogne. The train and drive were easy but without a gps forget it. Everyone has been nice and the rude French thing just doesn't seem to apply. I'll check back in but Internet has been spotty everywhere so it's hard to stay in touch. Although the ten bucks a paid to skype is very worthwhile.

Glad everything is going so well, Richard. I'm going to the Dordogne in September, so you've got me really excited. If you can keep this up, you will be a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year!

Well Carol, I think you jinxed me! Had our first MAJOR snafu. Turns out the green handle at the gas station isn't diesle like at home. Fortunatley by the time the car wouldn't start we were in the middle of Carcasone so a replacement wasnt to far away but it made for an embarresing nightmare of a day. Really in all it only took up three hours but a lot of stress so i guess it could have been a lot worse. As for Carcasone, I would not bother since it felt like a big Renisance fair but thank goodness we were in the city when the car went caput. Everything for a reason i guess. We did get to ride in the car on top of the tow truck to the rental agencynwhich is something i doubt you could do in the states. Embaressingly yours, Richard

You're still in the running, Richard. You had a crisis and survived and kept it in perspective. I hope the rest of your trip goes more smoothly, but I'm not counting on it or then you'd think I was jinxing you.