Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
down” items—stopping the newspaper, having mail held at the post office, and so
on. Make several copies of your completed itinerary, and leave some behind for
the folks with whom you want to stay in touch. Above all, take copies of your itiner-
ary with you—you'll be surprised how beneficial they are, and you will refer to them
frequently.
One item that you can't leave home without is a
passport.
U.S. citizens are ad-
mitted to European countries with only a passport; a visa is not required. If you do
not have one or if yours has expired, write immediately to one of the U.S. pass-
port offices listed in the Appendix (
www.travel.state.gov
). Allow a minimum of one
month to obtain your passport. There are ways to expedite the process, but be safe
by planning ahead and making this the first order of business when you've decided
to make your trip abroad.
“Know before you go”
—the slogan of the U.S. Customs Service that pertains
to what you can return with—also applies to the financial aspects of vacation plan-
ning. The fluctuation of the dollar's purchasing power in Europe over the past few
years has left a lot of us wondering whether we can afford a vacation on the other
side of the Atlantic. It is sometimes difficult to determine what effect Europe's infla-
tion will have on your dollars once you're there. Planning in advance and purchas-
ing most of your vacation needs in advance (particularly transportation) in Americ-
an dollars are probably the most effective ways to combat inflation and price fluc-
tuations. Buy as many of your vacation needs as you can before you go, and plan
to limit your out-of-pocket costs paid in foreign currency to a minimum. This way,
you are protected against fluctuating currency values.
Accommodations
usually account for the greatest share of a traveler's budget.
Low-cost airfare and transportation bargains, like rail passes, can get the traveler
to and around Europe, but the real bite out of the buck comes when the visitor
opens his or her wallet to pay for a night's lodging. Attractively priced accommod-
ations packages are being offered by some tour operators, but too few suit the
needs of independent travelers, as is the case for travelers on a rail vacation. With
advance planning and advance payment, however, you can realize significant sav-
ings if you are willing to put forth the extra time and effort to do your “homework.”
Well ahead of your intended departure date—preferably two months in advance,
but no less than six weeks—write or e-mail the tourist offices listed in the Appendix
and request information regarding lodging in the areas you intend to stay during
your rail journey. The best assurance that you will have a room waiting upon arrival
is to make an advance deposit directly to the hotel, then take care of the balance
with the hotel's cashier when checking out. And always ask the hotel to confirm
the room rate when you check in; doing so will avoid delays and possible financial
embarrassment when leaving.
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