Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
speeding by a shepherd with his flock in the highlands of Scotland! Your digital
camera will probably take a memory card of some kind. Given that taking your
laptop abroad is probably not a good idea, our suggestion is to buy four or five
smaller cards instead of one or two larger cards. This reduces the number of pic-
tures that you lose if your camera is lost or stolen, or if a card goes bad. Several
companies make small padded wallets that carry your extra cards independent of
your camera and camera bag, and can stay on your person to keep your pictures
from being lost. If your camera uses rechargeable batteries, an extra set is recom-
mended. Also, be sure to have the necessary adapters for charging the camera
battery in your hotel room.
En Route Tips
Something about flying makes it more demanding on your system than a similar
amount of time spent at home or in the office. For North Americans, it takes an en-
tire day to reach Europe by air and an entire day to return. A transatlantic trip with
a minimum of inconveniences is what we're after. Here are some suggestions that
we've found helpful on our flights.
In-Flight Comfort. If you plan to catch some shut-eye en route, ask for a seat
alongside a bulkhead. Bulkheads don't mind being leaned on, but passengers do.
If you need more legroom, sit in an emergency exit row, but only if you are phys-
ically capable of standing and opening the exit hatch if necessary. Also, be sure
your seat reclines. On some planes the seats in front of the emergency exits do
not recline. Opt for seats in the forward section of the airplane; passengers in the
forward section generally experience less vibration and engine noise.
Wear loose clothing. Unfasten your shoes, but don't take them off. Your feet will
swell following several hours of immobility at airplane altitudes. The best remedy
is to walk the length of the aisle in the airplane every hour or so. Try deep knee
bends. To reduce swelling, consider wearing elastic stockings.
Flying dehydrates your body. Drink lots of water and watch what you mix with
it—alcohol and soda drinks dehydrate, too. Special meals for special diets are no
problem with the airlines, but requests should be made at the same time as reser-
vations and reconfirmed 48 hours prior to departure.
Jet Lag—What to Do about It. Although the flying time aboard most commercial
jet airliners ranges from seven to eight hours, airport to airport, it will be Day 2 be-
fore you arrive in Europe. (There are a few daytime eastbound transatlantic flights,
but most depart in the evening during Day 1 and arrive the following morning; that
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