Leaving in just over 6 weeks for our first trip, any helpful advice?

Eleanor, if you have been reading this site, many of your concerns have been answered or discussed. But for a quick summary.

1. Using a debit at a bank owned, ATM is the most cost effective and convenient way to obtain local currency. Take two cards tied to two different accounts. Notify you bank's fraud department where and when you will be traveling. You bank's ATM card will work worldwide. I never trust a hotel safe. We use cash about 95% of the time. Far easier and you don't have to worry about credit card fraud. Also, notify you credit card company of your travels. Europe is more cash oriented than the US and you can obtain get a discount for using cash for lodging but that doesn't matter for you.

2. A copy of your passport is only useful for proving you once had a passport should it be lost or stolen. And just stolen passports are rare. I always have my passport on me in my money belt because it is the only thing that proves I have legally entered the country. Simple question - Is it better to have it and not need it or need it and not have it?

3. Since traveling London to Paris (that is pounds to Euro) you will need to watch your cash flow so that you don't have an excess amount of pounds when you leave England.

4. Why all the hardware? An Ipod with wifi could be useful but three telephones? The rates will kill you.

Eleanor, it sounds like you are doing great so far.

Money: I like to have a little local currency when I arrive but it's really not necessary. You can use your bank ATM card to get Pounds Sterling at the airport, although I have read here that the exchange rate is terrible. But, even just enough to get you to your apartment would suffice until you find a bank-owned ATM. (If your apartment requires cash payment up front, I would order the local currency through your local bank, it takes maximum 2 or 3 days to arrive at the bank via FedEx and you can pick it up and get familiar with it before you go). I suggest withdrawing from ATMS enough money for a couple of days at a time so you won't have lots left when you leave London (and have to convert it to dollars or euro, which can be another loss on the exchange rate). Same system for getting euro in Paris - get it when you arrive, unless you need lots of it on hand to get the keys to your apartment.

I take my passport with me and have a copy of the identification page in the hotel room in case I need to replace it, but I feel better having it with me if I need it.

Be sure to let the apartment manager know your arrival time - a text or email will be fine.

I travel with an iPad and a TIM phone that I bought a few years ago in Italy. Be sure your phones will work in Europe - someone will post to that part of your question, or you can post it in Technology Tips.

Have a great trip!

Hi, Eleanor! Your family is going to have a fabulous trip, and will want to go again and again now!

Because I know people who had their passports stolen out of a rental car in Italy, I DO make several copies of each passport, I leave one home with a trusted friend/relative. I also put one in each suitcase just in case luggage is mis-placed by the airlines. It's never happenned (yet.) My friends had to unwind their passport problem at a U.S. embassy in Italy, and if they'd at least had a copy, it would have helped a lot!

Re exchange rates: There's an app you can put on any of your cell phones. It will immediately tell you how much that L48 is going to cost you in dollars. Quick and easy! Your cell phones all have a calculator already in it in the "tools" section as well, and you can use that too.

Re Money: Make SURE your bank(s) know you will be using credit cards and debit cards in England and France at least two full weeks before your trip so your accounts don't get "flagged" and you're stuck with no way to get cash. You WILL need cash for transportation, small food items, and some restaurants do NOT take credit cards. I am an AMEX card holder, and they give a "decent" exchange rate, and I usually arrive with at least eu200 (or Pounds) to cover first day expenses, i.e., taxi to apartment, whatever. I've even had to bring enough cash in local currency to cover the cost of the entire rentaland will tell you how I handle this as well.

Security: I am a female, and I use a neck pouch that I wear under my blouse. I keep all credit cards & large cash amounts (like the apartment rental $) in it. In my purse, I carry my "day money" to cover lunch, taxis, bus tickets and so on. If I'm going to make a large purchase, I get the credit card out in a private area, and use it. You used to have to go to a travel shop or luggage shop for this, but recently I've even seen them at Kohl's. I haven't been to London in about 10 years, but in the past few years *Paris has become a very high risk city for pick pockets! * My friend put her new Iphone on a table in a cafe, and some Roma CHILDREN came by and put a laminated paper asking for money on the table, and when they left, the paper and the cell phone were gone! My family had previously hosted a French Exchange Student who is now grown and lives in Paris and his wife's cell phone was lifted from her jacket pocket the day we left! And they're locals! So be very careful with those cell phones! This risk can be off-putting to us Americans, but you'll never see any violent crime in Europe like we have here in the States, but theft is much more common. Don't "stew" on this, just be aware and careful! RS recommends a money belt for men, but my husband absolutely refuses, and he's never had a loss.

I think it's highly unlikely anyone will steal your passports out of an apartment. I think it's highly unlikely anyone will steal anything out of your apartment, for that matter, as these landlords are pretty savvy about apartment security! London and Paris are two of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and your kids are so lucky to have been afforded this opportunity! Last summer I took my eleven year old grand daughter to Paris and I will never forget her face when she saw the Eiffel Tower light up at 10PM!

I go to Europe every year at least once, and have never had a bad trip (or ever had anything stolen). I don't worry, I travel with my husband, my grand daughter alone, and even my 60ish girlfriends, and have loved every single minute of every single trip! Happy Travels!

Thanks!
And...why so many devices? Husband and I each have a phone that we'll use for downloaded apps, and DD 12 has her phone that we can't pry from her fingers. We plan on keeping them in airplane mode, and using them when there is wi-fi. DH is looking into putting a limited amount of international long distance on one of the phones, and he's looking into options for local calls (I leave that part to him). The ipod is younger DD's- again, can't pry it out of her hands but it's wi-fi only. (slightly facetious- we make them put it away while we are sightseeing, and only allow limited access while dining out- we like to talk to each other at meals. In the apartment though, they need their Jet Pack Joyride or whatever the game of the day is). Ipad is wifi only. I'll only take it if someone needs it to read Kindle books, or if someone convinces me that the bigger screen is a must while touring- otherwise, we'll leave it at home.

Eleanor,

I make a readable copies of my passport. 1 is in my sisters possession. the other i take and its not on me when i carry the original. Its up to you how you want to do it, but i keep them separate just in case. Its suppose to make it "easier" to get a replacement.

with regards to ATMs and $$$. look at the back of your card. There is usually a network symbol on the back. I look for that symbol on the ATMs.

Mental Math. You will be bringing your e toys with you. There are currency converter apps out there.

last comment.

HAVE FUN!

Happy trails.

We have managed just fine with just the small screen on an iPhone, so I think you could leave the iPad at home. The less you have to carry, the better. And a good (free) currency conversion app is xe currency. Have fun!

Useful tips: upload the following apps; TripIt, XE Currency, flightAware, Wi-Fi Finder and Spotted By Locals. Secondly, take some gaffer's tape, a small tube of Gorilla or Super glue, some supermarket twist ties, assorted sizes of zip lock bags, a small flashlight, some cheap wash cloths, a nail clipper and a couple of bandanas. A pair of smart wool socks to prevent blisters and 2 pairs of shoes for each of you.
Pack as light as you can and always have plan B. Two fabulous cities. Enjoy them!

Before you go, everybody read Europe Through the Back Door. It's loaded with practical tips and suggestions.

My children really enjoyed Rick Steves' audio tours. it gave them a bit of Independence and of course they loved having their technology with them. Make sure you bring your Ear buds& a few extra pair.. Most of the audio tours are free, & I think we downloaded them ahead of time so having wifi was not an issue.

we also enjoyed using an app called citymaps2go. Again, you can download The app ahead of time for the city that you are going to be in. Then, when you are in the city and use the map there is a blue dot showing you exactly where you are and more importantly whether you are going in the wrong direction! There are no cell phone charges associated with this app.

one last idea colon: I hope you get the chance to go to the Musee d'Orsay. you might want to consider finding a few of the most famous paintings in the museum. Give each child two paintings to research on something easy like Wikipedia. Then have each child teach the rest of the family about that particular painting. This really makes the trip to the museum very worthwhile. Lastly, next to the Tulleries Gardens there is a really fun trampoline place, outdoors, and the trampolines are submerged, so that they are at ground level. My kids loved jumping on the trampolines!

Relax and have fun! It sounds like you have done a lot of good planning. The passport with you or not question always has different answers from different people. My preference is to have it on me in my money belt. That way I have it in the rare chance I need it, and I know it won't get lost. I feel better when I arrive with around 50 Euro. Once when I first arrived in Brussels my ATM card wouldn't work at the first several ATM machines I went to for some reason, and I was in a panic until I found one that worked. But that is extremely rare. After the first 50, I use ATM machines to get cash. My bank has no branches in Europe, so there are fees involved, but nothing too bad. I usually take large amounts out just a few times and keep the extra in my money belt. Have a great trip!

I'm a dedicated passport-attached-to-my-body-at-all-times person and I LOVE my money belt. But to each his taste. And yes, I DO have photocopies of everything. And a printed spreadsheet of all the credit/debit card numbers and their call-collect-outside-the-US phone numbers.
Tip for money on the way home -- don't be in a rush to change pounds and euros back into US dollars. Coins make nice souvenirs and gifts for children. (But if you have a lot of coins, try exchanging some into bills for ease of carrying them.) And bills -- you put them into your money belt for the NEXT trip. Because, after all, if you have currency, you HAVE to go back to spend it. ;-) (Growing up in Los Angeles my sister and I used to use that ploy that when Disneyland had A, B, C, D and E tickets.)

Have a great trip !

and for mental math while shopping -- try using 1-1/2 times Euro price and 2 times GBP price to guesstimate the USD value. It will be higher than the actual value, but if the item still looks like a buy the actual rate will be even better bargain. Or use the calculator on your phone.

Make plans for the long plane ride!!! Books, cards, snacks, movies downloaded on smart devices, journals, etc. Ideally, everyone will sleep but sometimes you are just too excited. And you can't rely on the in-flight movie being something that will peak a 10/12 year old's interest.

Make sure everyone is as well rested as possible in the week leading up to the trip. This makes the jet lag a little easier to deal with.

Emma made a great point for crossing streets in London. On my first trip there as a 16-year old, I learned immediately to first look right, then left before preparing to cross a street. Use crosswalks and crosswalk signals in both cities -- don't look for opportunities to jaywalk.

For ATM's, they're often called a "Cash Machine" in Britain and always called "Bancomat" in France. We've used credit cards ("card credit" en Paris) more and more on each trip, but cash is still needed and handy, especially for paying for apartments and snacks. Restaurants, museums, and shops increasingly take credit cards, although Europeans have been using cards imbedded with a "chip" for the last decade, rather than the US-style magnetic strip on the back. Merchants in Europe can still process US credit/debit cards, but there's a very slight chance the person ringing up your transaction wouldn't be familiar with swiping a card, as opposed to inserting it into the chip reader. Politely ask them to process your sale anyway. Also, don't opt for having your sale rung up "in dollars" if you're given that option, have everything rung up in the local Pounds or Euros, or you'll get hit with an exhorbitant conversion fee for the "convenience."

A money belt or neck wallet is sometimes a pain to deal with, but the security and peace of mind they provide are priceless. Keep your passport there and you always know where it is, and you have it when it's needed. Having a photocopy was very helpful in us getting a passport reissued once in London. Keep a copy of your husband's passport on you, and he should have a copy of yours, and somebody have copies of your kids' just in case something happened.

When you land, and when sightseeing, designate a place where everyone would gather if somebody got lost or separated from the family (front desk at the museum, next to the big clock, etc.).

If the mental math isn't too troubling, take the stated price, calculate what half of that amount is, and add it back to the original figure (e.g., if the price is 100, then do the math and come up with 150). For Euros in France, your cost in dollars will be a little less than the amount you just calculated. For Pounds in England, your cost in dollars will be a little more than what you just calculated. Both of these are really rough estimates, but if you wanted to get a quick approximation without figuring the exchange rate or resorting to electronic assistance, maybe it would work for you.

Your apartments may come pre-furnished with salt/pepper, spices, and a few other essentials. Assuming you will be fixing some meals there, find out right away where a convenient "supermarket," convenience store, or outdoor market or "market street" (like Rue Montorgueil in Paris) is and get your staples. Needing coffee, tea, milk, etc. and not having it immediately in the morning isn't good.

Berthillon has several ice cream locations around Paris, but the lines can be long. Don't pass up a location - just get in line. The wait will be worth it! Have a great trip!

Hello Eleanor. You made good plans for your transportation, and long distance communication, and overnight accomodation.
I will talk about things and aspects that can impact (cause an effect on) a traveler's experiences, and the degree of enjoyment of a trip at England and France.
1) BAGGAGE : You did not mention baggage. Will any person in your family bring a bag that is very large ? or a heavy weight ? or many bags for one person ? Will each person carry - on all of his or her baggage (into the passenger compartment of the airplane). When you will be in a big airport, for a departing flight, or arriving from a flight, will you be assisted by an airport porter (sky port) for carrying bags ? For travelers going to an airplane, I think the baggage carts in airports are not located beyond the security scanner place (between the security scanners and the flight departure Gates). But some professional airport porters can go with a traveler, beyond the security scanners, for carrying the traveler's bags to the Flight Departure Gate. And at some big airports, travelers going to an airplane may ride on a motorized cart. (I recommend it, if you go a long distance from the security scanner to your Flight Departure Gate). I recommend that you get information about how to arrange for a ride on a motorized cart in a big airport, before you depart from your home.
2) GETTING THROUGH AIRPORT SECURITY SCANNERS. Do you want any advice about that ? Remember, when you walk through the airport security scanner (on your way to the Flight Departure Gates) you are required to carry your Airline Boarding Pass for that flight. Before you enter the Airport security scanner area, you will probably be required to show your passport to an airport security person. After that, your passport may be in a bag that will be put through the scanner for bags.
3) SLEEP DEPRIVATION. When you will ride in an airplane from an airport at North America, flying across the Atlantic Ocean to Great Britain, will that flight be at night, arriving at an airport of London in the morning ?

4) ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME FOR GOING BETWEEN PLACES IN A CITY, AND GOING BETWEEN TOWNS AND PLACES. Waiting for trains and underground trains and busses, ... is part of the experience of being on a vacation trip at Great Britain and Europe. If a family of four persons goes on day trips away from London or Paris, I suggest that the travel time be not longer than 90 Minutes for each direction.

5) DAYS FOR RESTING. Rick Steves recommends planning for one day of resting (no schedules in one day) in seven days. Some experienced travelers recommend planning for one day of resting in every five days. The day of no schedule for sightseeing can be a time for doing other activities (laundry, going to a pharmacy, ...) or for going to a place that you had planned to go to in an earlier day, but you did not go there, or for a nap in the middle of the day, or for a long conversation with people you meet there, or laying outside under the sun, or swimming in a pool, or yoga meditation, or doing nothing.

There have been lots of great answers here, many of which have to do with getting cash, paying for things, etc. Today, according to http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/, it will cost you $1.67 to buy 1 GBP and $1.38 to buy 1 EUR. Check the rates before you go, and the person who said to roughly estimate it at $1.50 for 1 EUR and $2.00 to buy 1 GBP has a good idea.

Another good idea is to start thinking in Euros and Pounds right now so that when you go, you won't be stressing over the costs of things in US dollars when you get there. Then you can decide whether the cost of those takeaway fish and chips or that Prix Fixe Menu in the window of that restaurant is reasonable without pulling out your app or calculator. In either case, the price will probably be more than you are used to paying.

You may even decide in advance that your family should pass by any item, food or fashion, whose price is higher than a certain limit you set in EUR or GBP. Having said that, shopping in the local markets for your apartments will be fun. Some things will be cheaper than you expect, but most things will be much more expensive in both cities.

This is one of many sources for good restaurants in Paris: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/paris/. If he doesn't have direct links, you can try Googling any of them that look good. The link I provided is to some of his favorite places "to get something really good to eat. Most aren't fancy, but are more places where you’ll find a good mix of Parisians with a few visitors as well. Most of them are moderately priced, except where noted." He has mouth-watering pictures and good descriptions of the food.

Even in this electronic age, I find the laminated folding maps for cities better than staring at a little screen. At Amazon, on this website and in some bookstores you can find Streetwise city maps for both London and Paris (http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=9&id=493). Our Paris one went with us in 2012 and with our son this year. It does have Metro stations and lines, along with very detailed streets and a Street Index. If you have these maps, you should be okay. If not, this is a good detailed pdf map of the Paris Metro: http://parisbytrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/paris-metro-mini-map-2014.pdf. You can print this out in advance for your planning. Sorry, I didn't look up London, but you can find something similar, I'm sure.

You are going to have so much fun! Our son took his daughters (same ages as yours) for a whirlwind trip to Paris back in February. They were only there a couple of days (he's a pilot, so free airfare). The older one was not so into it, but the younger one is into art and fashion and is already saying, "when I was in Paris..."

Two more things to consider:

1. We live in San Diego and the trip from here to Europe is a very, very long one especially for kids. I went on Amazon.com and bought inexpensive, used, Calvin and Hobbes comic books and gave one to each child sometime during the flight. When one of the kids was finished with her book, she exchanged it with the other person. From nine years of age until 12, most kids think Calvin And Hobbes are hysterical; the books really kept our kids attention for quite a long time.

2. Most of the time I would not consider taking a taxi anywhere due to the expense. However, when you are a family of four sometimes a taxi is actually the least expensive option. If you multiply the cost of a ticket times four, for example on an airport bus or even a metro ticket, sometimes the taxi is the least expensive way. Who knew?