Since school has ended, I've had some time to really think about the trip and I wanted to mention a few things again before you start packing this weekend for our trip.
My main concern for packing is the size and weight of the luggage that you're bringing. Pack light! There are not bellboys or assistants to help you carry your luggage and bus/train space is very limited. I strongly suggest one backpack and one compact suitcase (with a lock). Bring clothing appropriate for various weather conditions, comfortable walking shoes, a watch and alarm clock, and not much more.
As far as money is concerned, to reiterate: bring your Euros, and a credit and/or debit card. There are plenty of ATM's available. You should know your pin number and know how to use the card before we go. Also remember to let your banks know ahead of time the dates that the card will be overseas; I just let my bank know now and was able to do everything online.
Traveler's checks aren't a good idea. The banks in Europe generally don't accept them and if they do, the commission that is charged is exorbitant.
I have some maps of Madrid that I'll give you on Monday but if you want to print and share maps of the downtown areas of the other cities we are visiting, it might be nice to have. That would be Toledo, Segovia, Burgos, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Pamplona, Barcelona and Figueres.
Lastly, I'm also attaching an picture of our Tour Directo, Alberto, so that we can recognize him at the airport in Madrid! I've been talking to him and he sent me a list of 10 pre-tour golden rules. I've copy and pasted them below.
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1. Pack layers. The weather can be changeable in Europe so it’s best to wear layers. Also pack a rain jacket or umbrella, we spend quite a lot of time outside so it’s best to be prepared for the rain!
2. Pack light in a small suitcase. European buses, hotel rooms and elevators are much smaller than in the US and Canada so a big suitcase will not fit. The group has to carry their own suitcases to and from the bus, hotel room, train, etc there is no porter service, so please make sure you can pick up and move your luggage without problems, sometimes you may have to carry your suitcase up and down stairs.
3. Pack comfortable shoes for walking. We do a lot of walking on EF tours so you need shoes that are comfortable enough to last a whole day sightseeing on your feet.
4. Bring european electricity convertors, adapters and plug extensions. If you need to bring electrical devices you must have a convertor to convert the power to European 220V, plus an adapter for European 2 pin sockets (3 pin in the UK), make sure the adapter is deep enough to fit in European sockets as they can be deep set in the wall.
5. Bring ATM cards with PIN number. Traveller cheques are increasingly hard and expensive to change, it is best to bring an ATM card to withdrawal Euros or Pounds from ATMs, you must have a PIN number and inform your bank in advance of the countries you are traveling to so they allow withdrawals and payments, if not informed they will block the card.
6. Bring money belt, security poaches, etc. It is advisable to carry money, credit cards, passport etc in a security belt, pouch, etc, bag, etc. Pickpocketing in Europe is widespread and can happen so quickly that you are not aware they have taken your valuables.
7. Bring telephone cards. If you need to phone home it is easier with an EF or ATT telephone card, or to buy local telephone calling cards once you arrive in Europe, though a telephone card bought in a country can only be used in that country, for example you can not use a French card in Spain. For the cards bought in the US or Canada you must have LOCAL ACCESS CODES which sometimes you have to pay for the local connection, we pay for local calls in Europe.
8. Bring alarm clock and watch or something which tells the time. We have strict wake up times, some hotels don’t have a wake-up call service or if they do sometimes a room is missed or the telephone has been knocked off the cradle etc, this can cause delays as we wait for those who woke up late, so bring something which has an alarm clock. When we are out during the day the group very often will have free time and be told to meet back at a certain time, therefore it is imperative that everyone has a watch or something to tell the time (cell phone, iPod, etc)
9. Label your suitcase clearly. It is best to have your case labelled so everyone knows that is a case from our group, especially important if the group takes a train.
10. Bring a small day bag. Even if you bring the Ef back-pack bring a small day bag as well, most museums don’t allow backpacks in it and it can be more comfortable for you.
Feel free to email me or comment here about any questions you might have!!
Señorita Beheler
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