General questions for upcoming Trip to Europe

Shirl: It's difficult for us to answer one post with 7 questions in one post. Including only one or two questions in a post makes it more likely that you'll get all your questions answered. We'll try to help as best we can. Regarding your passport question and your converter questions, these are asked many times per year here and there's a large amount of discussion on this forum in the archives. There's another topic, near yours on the General Europe page, in boldface, that tells exactly how to search for previous discussions here. You'll get more information than we can post in this one topic.

If you want real good suggestions about all of your questions, Rick's book Europe Through The Back Door covers all of them. In addition this information has been covered extensively in other postings. Look for Kent's explanation on how to do a detailed search.

Personally we carry all of our important documents in our money belts at all times.

As for your electrical questions, the first thing you need to do is check the labels on the things you will taking. I doubt you will need a converter.

France and Italy both have the same type of outlets, 2 round holes. You will need the 2 flat-pin to 2 round-pin adapter.

I'll try to address your electrical questions.

A voltage converter is a device, a transformer or solid state, that allows you to use an appliance that only takes 110V AC with a 230V power.

A plug adapter is a device that allows you to use an American plug with two flat blades with a European receptacle with two round holes.

"Would this be a waste of money to keep this set?"

To what "set" are you referring? The converter? If you don't have anything that uses only 110V, you would not need it.

The No. and So. adapters both have pins 19mm (¾") apart (on centers). The No. ones are 4.8mm (3/16") diam. The So. ones are 4.0mm (5/32") diam. The So. adapter will work in France and in Italy; the No. adapter will not fit in receptacles in the south.

The So. adapter (4.0mm diam pins) is what is called a Europlug. It fits receptacles all over the continent. It is ungrounded and is only supposed to be used with devices drawing less than 2½ amps.

As long as the adapter has 4.0mm diam pins, just one from Radio Shack, REI, or ACE Hardware is all you need.

In answer to one of your non-electrical questions, I carry my passport with me at all times, in my moneybelt (neck pouch, actually).

Shirl,

You've asked a LOT of questions in one long paragraph, so it's a bit difficult to sort these out. However, I'll try to answer some of them.

- Passports: Everyone seems to have a different method for Passports. I keep my Passport with me at all times, sometimes in my Money Belt and sometimes in another secure location. Be sure to place any important documents in your Money Belt inside a zip-lok bag, as perspiration can make these very "damp"!

- Credit Cards: DO NOT photocopy your credit cards front & back and/or ATM cards!!! If the numbers ever "fell into the wrong hands", large sums could be charged to your cards before you even realized they were compromised. Some here have suggested recording the CC numbers with a substitution cipher, but I use a different method (a PDA with 128-bit encryption). Having the ATM card number won't be of much use, as Banks in Europe won't be able to provide you with a duplicate card. It's a good idea to take TWO ATM cards on different chequing accounts.

- Phone Numbers: Rick suggests keeping a list of important phone numbers on a small list in your Money Belt. I keep a "backup copy" of some numbers in the Money Belt. NOTE - calls to credit card company "800" numbers often don't work from Europe so you'll have to take the normal number and call Collect.

- Adapters: I assume you're referring to Plug Adapters. Aside from your Curling Iron, are you taking any other appliances such as digital Camera, Cell Phone or IPod? If you're only going to France & Italy, they both use the Euro-style 2-pin Adapter. As someone noted in another Thread, having both northern & southern Europe Adapters may be a good idea, as the pin size is different. If you'll be in the U.K. at all, a different Adapter is used there.

Hope this has answered your questions?

Happy travels!

You would need your ATM card numbers in case it gets lost or stolen, not so much to get a replacement over there, but to put a hold on your account so it doesn't get drained before you get back.

I wear my money belt during all waking hours from the minute I leave my house until the minute I get back.

I once even wore my money belt to sleep in since I was in a dicey motel. You do have to remember to take it off before your shower!

Shirl, I use a waist money belt, and for travel days I use a neck pouch for tickets, boarding pass, and passport. You can keep it out until you're on the plane, and then slip it under your shirt.

Shirl,

I keep my passport in my moneybelt and keep it with me. It's your only legal ID in Europe. Like a driver's license, you may not be asked for it regularly but you still keep it with you.

I bring one debit and one credit card with me, also in my moneybelt. My wife carries a debit card (from a different account) and a credit card (from a different account) in her money belt. If my debit or credit card were lost or stolen (hasn't happened yet) we can use her's as a backup.

I keep enough cash for daily expenses folded in my front pocket and extra cash in the money belt.

My moneybelt isn't like an extra pocket. I don't get in and out of it regularly. If I need to get into it, I find a private space (such as a toilet) and take my time to ensure nothing is accidentally lost.

In my trip notes I have non 800 numbers for the banks and account numbers (you probably only need the last four digits of the number). If a card is lost or stolen, call immediately. The 800 number won't work from Europe. My trip notes are in a tiny wire bound notepad along with reservations, confirmations and phone numbers/addresses. It's usually in my bag (at my lodging on site seeing days or on my back on travel days).

Hi Shirl,
We carry our passports in a moneybelt wherever we go. The one time we left ours with a relative in Holland, I needed it in Amsterdam as back up ID to use my Credit Card. Apparently there are alot of stolen cards out there, and they wouldn't take the credit card without the passport. After about 3 days, you get quite used to the moneybelt and no longer notice it.

I never carry my passport with me. I feel it is more secure in the room. WE don't stay in hostels and there is ussually a safe. I have a photocopy of my passport on me though.
I also have a photocopy somewhere else, ussually in my bag.

In terms of credit cards and information I have the phone numbers all written down and I have them saved in web based email, scans, numbers ect.....so if my lap top gets stollen or anything else gets stollen I can easily access all this stuff from a web cafe or hotel computer if need be.

I figured you'd get just the response you got. 90% of replies would be they carry it while 10% carry just the photocopy. My husband and I always carry the original in our money belts at all times.

Passport: I either carry it or lock it in room safe.

Credit Card: I don't carry copy of card. I do have bank phone number. Just FYI. I had my wallet nicked coming out of a tube station when I lived in London. One call to Visa International as provided by the London transit police and I was able to cancel two different cards from banks in two different countries. I did not even have to know the account number. I just had to give them my name and the bank that issued the card.

Moneybelt on plane: I don't bother. I put my passport in an inside pocket of my purse when I'm on the plane.

Converter: If everything you have is dual voltage, you don't need a converter. I have not used one in years.

Adaptor: Southern Europe has slightly thinner prongs than Northern Europe. Generally a southern europe adaptor will work in northern europe but not vice-versa. I would just bring both.

Hi, Thanks to everyone for taking the time to answer my numerous questions and offering their suggestions, etc. FYI:
I stopped by a Radio Shack today. They have a $4.99
Grounded Adaptor Plug Universal to Continental Europe. In small print on the back it stated: use the adaptor plug to modify the plug on your electrical appliance or voltage transformer.
Universal back accepts plug configuration shown below. Modifies: Australia, China, Euro Plug, India, Middle East 2 & 5 amp, Israel, Italy, North America, Switzerland, United Kingdom & Hong Kong.
Adapts grounded and non-grounded US and foreign
electrical plus to find most Continental European
electrical sockets. NOTE: Does NOT fit electrical sockets made in Italy & Switzerland. odd?

"Adapts grounded and non-grounded US and foreign electrical plus to find most Continental European electrical sockets. NOTE: Does NOT fit electrical sockets made in Italy & Switzerland. odd?"

Shirl, this means that the adapter is the 'northern europe' type. Southern Europe has the thinner prongs.

Re: the money belt, the silk one Rick's store sells has a plastic liner in the section large enough for passports and Eurail passes. Keeps the documents dry. Also, somewhere (Rick's guides?) I read that women are often more comfortable wearing the money belt in back, and that was definitely the case for me. I was rarely aware of it. I did make the mistake of trying to retrieve something from it out in the open in busy large-city train station and much later realized my driver's license had fallen out -- so I second the recommendation of the person who said only get into it in private places like bathrooms.