Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mobile/cell phones
North American
cell phones
may not work in Europe - for details contact your provider.
Mobiles from the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and South Africa can be used
in most parts of Europe, and a lot of countries - certainly in Western Europe - have nearly
universal coverage, but you may have to inform your provider before leaving home to
get international access switched on, and you will be charged for receiving calls and even
voicemail.Planswereinplaceatthetimeofwritingtoabolishdata
roamingcharges
when
travelling within the EU for residents of the 28 EU member states (plus those of Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway) from July 2014. The most useful resource for information on
phone codes and electrical systems around the world is
kropla.com
.
Student and youth discounts
It's worth flashing whichever discount card you've got at every opportunity. If you're a
student, an
InternationalStudentIdentityCard
(ISIC for short) is well worth the invest-
ment. It can get you reduced (usually half-price, sometimes free) entry to museums and
other sights, as well as qualifying you for other discounts in certain cities. It can also save
you money on some transport costs, notably ferries. The card costs £12 in the UK, €15 in
Ireland, US$25 in the US, Can$20 in Canada, Aus$25 in Australia, NZ$25 in New Zeal-
and and ZAR100 in South Africa. If you're not a student but under 26, get an International
Youth Travel Card, which costs the same and can in some countries give much the same
sort of reductions. Both cards are available direct from
isic.org
or from youth travel spe-
cialists such as STA.
As well as the above options, the
EURO<26
youth card (
euro26.org
) entitles anyone
under 26 (or up to 30 in some countries) to a wide range of discounts on transport services,
tourist attractions, activities and accommodation for up to a year. It is available online for
people living outside Europe and at designated outlets in most of Europe (but not France
or Germany, nor England or Wales, although it is available in Scotland) for residents -
you'll need proof of age and a passport-sized photo. Although the card is valid across the
region, prices vary across individual countries (from around €7 to €18), as do the relevant
discounts.
Time
Universal Time, is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, eight hours ahead of Pacific
Standard Time, eight hours behind Western Australia, ten hours behind eastern Australia,
twelve hours behind New Zealand and two hours behind South Africa. Note that all coun-
tries (except Morocco) have daylight saving time from March to October; thankfully, they
