Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Call your
debit- and credit-card companies
to let them know the coun-
tries you'll be visiting, to ask about fees, request your PIN code (it will be
mailed to you), and more. See
here
for details.
Do your homework if you want to buy
travel insurance.
Compare the cost
of the insurance to the likelihood of your using it and your potential loss if
something goes wrong. Also, check whether your existing insurance (health,
homeowners, or renters) covers you and your possessions overseas. For more
tips, see
www.ricksteves.com/insurance
.
Consider buying a
railpass
after researching your options (see
here
and
www.ricksteves.com/rail
for specifics).
If you plan to take an
overnight boat
between major Scandinavian cities
Norway in a Nutshell in July or August, make reservations for the Oslo-Ber-
If you're planning on
renting a car
in Scandinavia, bring your US driver's
license. AnInternational Driving Permit isrecommended, thoughnotrequired
Border crossings
between Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Esto-
nia are a wave-through (there are typically no border formalities at all). When
you change countries, you change money (except between Finland and Esto-
nia, which both use the euro), phone cards, and postage stamps.
If you plan to hire a
local guide,
reserve ahead by email. Popular guides
can get booked up.
If you're bringing a
mobile device
, download any apps you might want to
use on the road, such as translators, maps, and transit schedules. Check out
Rick Steves Audio Europe,
featuring hours of travel interviews and other au-
dio content about Scandinavia (via
www.ricksteves.com/audioeurope
,
iTunes,
Google Play, or the Rick Steves Audio Europe free smartphone app; for de-
Check the
Rick Steves guidebook updates
page for any recent changes to
this topic (
www.ricksteves.com/update
).
