June Departure Meeting Notes

GROUP TRAVEL:

--Travelling with friends is exciting, but the more that are in a group, the more personalities we have.  When travelling with a large group, remember to bring along a good attitude, thoughtfulness, flexibility, patience, and punctuality.  Our tour director makes every effort to make our tour the best possible, but sometimes there are unforeseen events that cause a slight hiccup in our tour.  Just take them in stride and know they become memorable stories later. 

--Always wear a watch set at the time of where we are.  All our destinations are 7 hours ahead of home.  When the tour director tells us to be back at the bus at a certain time or to meet at a given place at a certain time, try to heed his instructions.  One person late will cause the entire group to be late for the next activity.

--There is a “vacation” and there is a sight-seeing tour…we are on the latter!  Typically we will be gone all day when we leave our hotel after an early breakfast and often return after dinner.  It will be relatively fast paced and requires a lot of walking.  Do NOT wear brand new shoes, but do wear comfortable walking shoes that are broken in.

--Smoking is not allowed on buses, during meals, in hotel rooms, or in other shared, enclosed spaces.

--Also be conscious of over people’s allergies, such as perfumes or other strong smells.  If possible, refrain from using on tour.

PACKING:

--Refer to our previous post on packing LIGHT.  It IS possible to pack everything you need for 10 days in 2 carry-on bags. I plan to do so. Many things a person packs are really not necessary, never used, or in too large containers.  Remember you will be portering your own luggage in hotels and to and from the bus.  Try packing your suitcase and then carry it around the block a couple of times.  If it is too heavy, leave half the luggage at home and pack twice the money!

--You will be responsible for any luggage fees for too heavy or too large luggage.  Trust me, you do NOT want to carry around heavy luggage.  Remember you will need to leave space for souvenirs.

--EF recommends that medications should be brought in the original containers and clearly labelled.  Keep them always in your carry-on bag.  Never put medications in checked baggage. Request “travelling prescription medication” from your pharmacist.  These are smaller bottles with prescription labels.  I know some of you said you talked to your pharmacists and they would not accommodate you.  The Transportation Security Administration does not require pills in original containers.  Read here about how others have carried their medications. 

--Please leave valuables at home.  No need to tempt fate…or pickpockets!

--Pack toiletries, medications, camera, and an extra change of clothes in your carry-on.  Also swap a set of clothes with a rooming partner before checking luggage.  At least if your luggage is delayed you will still have your necessities and clean clothes.

--If you are checking luggage, tell them to check it all the way to Berlin.  Do NOT let the airline attendant take your bag until you see a BERLIN tag on it.

--European hotels do not provide wash cloths.  If you use them, you will need to bring your own.  Since they take up space in luggage, consider taking Handi-wipes and throwing them away when used. Also try a mini bath scrunchie that compresses easily and is reusable.

--Each of you received an EF backpack.  It is your decision whether to use it as a carry-on or not.  You are not required to use it. 

--Each of you also received 2 green shamrock fabric strips.  They are to tie onto the handles of your 2 bags.  That way we can easily tell our group’s luggage in a hotel lobby as there most likely will be other tour groups staying at the same hotel.  Our bags will also be easy to spot on the airline baggage carousel.

--After mailing the backpacks, I discovered I had extra fabric.  So everyone will receive an extra narrower strip that you can tie to your day bags.  If your bag was mailed, then I will give you an extra strip when we meet on tour.  Your choice to use it or not.

--Please refer to a previous post on bringing and using phones on tour.  Contact your service provider to purchase a one month international plan if it is important to you.  One of our travelers has called AT&T and purchased one month international service for about $30.  Here are the instructions she sent: It is only for phone calls, not texts or emails. For an iPhone: upon arrival, power the phone off and then back on.  That should reset the towers.  Go to settings > general > turn off cellular.  In settings > mail, contacts, calendars > turn off fetch new data.  She said this is to keep you from getting charged for things other than phone calls. 

--Also note in the backpack package there was an ekit calling card with 5 free minutes to call home and let them know you are having a great time.  Directions are on the card to order more minutes.  These can be used with any touch tone phone.

--Keep your passport on your body at all times, either in a neck pouch or waistband pouch with the majority of your money.  Make copies of your passport and put in your carry-on luggage and leave another copy at home.  You could also email a copy to yourself for emergencies.

--I recommend a smaller “day bag” packed in your luggage.  Pull it out to use on our daily activities to carry your camera, coin purse, water bottle, and other daily necessities…especially for getting on and off the bus.  Make it easy for yourself.  I pack my day bag with plane necessities before packing it in my carry-on.  When I board the plane, I pull this one bag from carry-on and do not need to keep opening a larger bag.  When leaving the plane, just throw it on my shoulder with no need to repack.

--With the rainy weather the area has been having recently, pack accordingly – a light jacket, a rain jacket and/or umbrella.  Also pack an extra pair of shoes in case one pair gets wet.  Wear the bulkiest ones on the plane to lighten your luggage.

--Considering the prospect of rainy weather, it would be a good idea to Scotchgard your luggage, backpack, day bag, jacket, and shoes to protect against the rain.

--Pack extra batteries, memory cards, and a camera you have practiced with already.

--If you take any electrical appliance, you may also need a voltage converter and the proper plug adaptor.  It seems all our countries use the same continental European adaptor – 2 round prongs.  If you have a more up-to-date device, it may be equipped with dual conversion already.  Look on the product to see if it reads “100v-240v”, then you only need a plug adaptor and not the voltage converter as that product runs on dual voltage.

--Do not use a traditional luggage lock on your luggage while in flight.  Use a TSA luggage lock that can be opened by security officers with a master key and will not need to be cut.  If you do not have one, use a twist tie to keep the zippers closed while in flight.  Once we get on the ground any type of lock may be used.

--Remember to cover shoulders and knees at religious sites.

FLIGHTS:

--You previously received flight and hotel information.  Print it out as it is your e-ticket for boarding the plane.  The numbers beside each person’s name are important.  Take it to the airport with you.  DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT!

--The St. Louis group will be flying separately and we will all meet in Berlin for the walking tour on Tuesday afternoon.  United flies out of Lambert-St. Louis from Terminal 1, Concourse A using gates A14, A16, A18, A21.  Check periodically as the gates could change before take off.  I will leave it you ladies to decide where to meet.  If you plan on parking at the airport, you’ll find info here. Always confirm flights with the airport beforehand.

--The DFW group will meet at the gate inside the terminal.  Lufthansa is Terminal D, gates D6-D16.  Check periodically as the gate could change before take off.  If you plan to park for the duration of the trip, see this parking information.

--Plan to arrive at the airport 3 hours in advance of departure time in case of unexpected delays.  You would rather be on the inside waiting than biting your nails at the last minute hoping you don’t miss that flight on the outside of the gate. 

--Refer to this site for information on airline baggage policies. Check here for Lufthansa baggage info and here for United baggage info.  (Previously I posted that I found United charged a check bag fee, but here you can add the name of departure and arrival cities, St. Louis to Berlin, and it states the first bag is free!)

--EF cannot guarantee that all our group will be seated together and the airline will determine seating arrangement upon flight check-in.  You are not allowed to upgrade seats for our itinerary.

--I went online to see if one could choose a seat, but never found a web site for that.  You might try closer to departure time and check again.

--The DFW flight to Frankfurt is about 10 hours long, while the Frankfurt to Berlin flight is only about an hour.  There is only 1-1/2 hours layover in Frankfurt to catch the Berlin flight.  There will definitely be meals on the long flight.

--The St. Louis flight to Newark is about 2-1/2 hours with just an hour layover to get to your Berlin flight which will be about a 9-hour flight.  Meals will also be served on your long flight.

--The St. Louis group will arrive in Berlin 3-4 hours ahead of the DFW group.  Our tour director will meet the first group at the airport and may take them on to the hotel unless he is helping pick up members of another tour group between our two groups’ arrival times.

--The DFW group follows the same route home, just in reverse.  The St. Louis group is in 3 parts on the return flight: Budapest > Frankfurt > Washington DC (Dulles) > St. Louis.

HOTELS:

--The four hotels at which we will be staying in each of the four cities are also listed on the flight and hotel information sheet.  There are links to the hotels.  The first link for the hotel in Berlin does not work.  Simply do a Google search for Ibis hotels in Berlin and you will see the one with the matching address.  Three of our hotels are in the Ibis/Accor hotel chain…Berlin, Krakow, and Budapest.  Hotel Juno is our hotel in Prague.

--Our hotels are safe, clean, and all have private bathrooms.

--Typically European hotels have smaller rooms.  Sometimes barely enough room to walk around the beds.  Be prepared for the smaller rooms…and rejoice if it is larger.

--It is common for European hotels not to be air conditioned…again rejoice if you have it.

--Elevators are typically small in European hotels, so expect long waits to get you and your luggage (sometimes that is all that will fit!) upstairs. 

--Our hotels will provide breakfast each morning.  Sometimes we have had only croissants, jam, juice, and coffee (just eat more croissants!) and sometimes we have had a feast.

--Dinners are also provided…sometimes at the hotel and sometimes in a restaurant.  Everyone will be served the same menu. That is why if you have any food allergies, it is important to let us know immediately.  Dinners are included in your program fee, but if at any time you wish to dine elsewhere, feel free to do so.  Dinner and transportation there will just be on you.

--Table water in a pitcher/carafe is free with the meal, however you are required to pay if you order bottled water, soft drinks, or wine.  The table water is safe to drink.  Do not ask for iced tea…that is an American tradition…and so is ice!  Highly unusual if we get it.

--Pack an alarm clock and use it.  The hotels may have automatic wake up calls, but my experience has been that not everybody gets them…and if they did it was not the time they needed.  You know how much time you need to get up, get ready, and have breakfast to be ready for the day.

WEATHER:

--If you are keeping tabs on the weather in our travel area, you will see quite a bit of rain lately and cooler temperatures. But if you access the weather forecast on the Weather Channel (it usually predicts longer than a week), then there seems to be some clearing in the weather and a bit warmer temps.  The heavy raining started north and is headed south so in 2 weeks we are hoping for better weather.

--That said, I would still definitely plan your wardrobe for cooler weather than we are having now.  Perhaps plan for a mix of slacks and capris.

--Also take a light jacket and/or a rain jacket just in case, and carry an umbrella for unexpected showers.

--Although the temperatures will likely be cooler there, you should still carry water and snacks while out on tour.  Meals may be later than you might expect.

--Don’t forget the sunscreen or a hat.

MONEY:

--Our tour director suggests that we have some currency in all the four countries before we arrive.  Since EF recommends allowing $50 per day, then get $100 per country.  Note that Germany and Slovakia use the Euro.  We most likely will be buying lunch in Slovakia on that long bus ride through the country.

--Since you have to arrive 3 hours early at the airport, use that time (if you have no hold ups) to go to the DFW Airport Travelex Currency Exchange Store in Terminal D, gate D24 open 7 days a week 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. OR Lambert St. Louis Airport Travelex Currency Exchange Store in Terminal 1inside US Bank open Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

--Also if you are near a large city, there are Travelex Currency Exchange Stores.  Use this site to locate the nearest store near you.  You can also place an order online or by calling 516-300-1622.  Receive free shipping on orders over $1,500.  Check exchange rates at Oanda and XE.  Travelex may cost more, but you get peace of mind by having your money when you arrive.  One traveller who has tried this already, found that a Dallas location had Euro on hand but had to order the other currencies. So save yourself a trip by calling the office first to inquire about availability, fees, and exchange rates.  If ordered it should arrive in about 2 days. The clerk also advised not to purchase the foreign currency with a credit card because it is like a cash advance.  Plan to exchange US currency for foreign currency.

--If you cannot exchange currency before departure, then you can do it when we arrive.  ATMs are everywhere and give the best exchange rate.  Just know and protect you PIN.  Be sure to contact your ATM bank and let them know to expect foreign transactions.

--US dollars can be exchanged at banks, but the lines are longer, they are not as prevalent as ATMs, and they may not be open when you need the cash.  Travellers checks are usually not recommended.

--Just before departure, check on line for current exchange rates for each country.  Make a small “cheat sheet” for corresponding US dollar amounts that you can check to see if you are getting a good deal.

--Many places will accept US credit cards.  Before you go, call your credit card company to report the countries you will be visiting so your credit card company does not put a hold on your account.

--We will be tipping our tour director and bus driver at the end of our tour.  EF recommends $6/day for tour director and $3/day for bus driver.  We will spend 9 days with each.  Please carry these in US dollars and separated $54 and $27.  Arrange for some small bills; we have had 2 different bus drivers before and needed to split our tip money between them.

--It is also customary to tip a local guide $1-$2 in local currency for a job well done, so keep some coins handy.  Your choice to tip is based on your experience on the tour.

--It is likely that we will encounter pay toilets on our trip, so keep some small coins for that.  There may be an attendant at the door and a sign for payment.

--Also if you use any type of transportation on your free time, then you will need to pay for that.

WHAT ELSE?

--Be reading up on the places we will go, so that when you see and hear about them you will have a deeper appreciation for the visit. 

--If you have bulky guidebooks, consider tearing out just the pages you will need (Rick Steves recommends this, but as a retired librarian I still cringe when I read it!) or simply copy the pages you need instead of carrying the entire book…especially since we will be in 4 major cities.