First Time in Europe : Everything You Need to know before you Goto Europe

City Transportation
City Transportation The great news is that you are finally in Europe. The not-so-great news is that you are now in an airport. Obviously you need to get out of there as fast as you can, and head for whatever accommodations you have reserved. I have to say that very few...

Contact lens stuff/glasses
Contact lens stuff/glasses The nightly chemical process familiar to contact-lens wearers is a mystery to me, but I did meet one guy who had spent two days searching for a particular type of solution in France. Even though the odds are good that gallons of whatever you need are no farther...

What to see
What to see The following are my totally subjective opinions on what I've seen in Europe. I haven't been everywhere, or even come close, but I have seen quite a bit. In every case, no matter where you go, I can give you one piece of advice that will be worth...

Compass
Compass Absolutely essential for long-distance walkers, a compass is also surprisingly useful in large cities. Unless you have a gyroscope in your head, it is very easy to come out of a subway station disoriented, or to set lost in the maze of streets found in some old cities. A quick...

Classes and Reading
Classes and Reading If you're thinking about a trip to Europe some time well in the future, say in six months or a year, one of the best things you can do now to prepare is to take a course in Art History, European History, or Architecture. A survey course in...

Pictures from Home
Pictures from Home These are good to show to new friends, especially those whose ideas about America may have come from episodes of Dallas, Dynasty, or Baywatch; Canadians might want to consider bringing some postcards of Toronto, for those expecting to see whale meat roasting in front of an igloo. South...

Wiring Money
Wiring Money In case of disaster, you might be able to have money "wired" from home in a matter of hours, if you're in a big town or city. Wiring money is simple - someone hands over a wad of cash or a credit card in one office, the company takes...

Watch with alarm or travel clock
Watch with alarm or travel clock Modern travel alarm clocks can be tiny - no bigger than a cassette tape. A moderately priced digital watch with an alarm and dual time (for timing those phone calls home) will also work if the alarm will wake you reliably - the sound is...

Seven Must See Works of Art
Seven "Must See" Works of Art 1. The Mona Lisa (the Louvre, Paris) 2. The Venus de Milo (the Louvre) 3. The Winged Victory of Samothrace (the Louvre) 4. The Sistine Chapel (Vatican Museum, Rome) 5. Michelangelo's Pieta (St Peter's, Rome) 6. Michelangelo's David (the Accademia, Florence) 7. Botticelli's Birth...

Time Zones
Time Zones When making all of these intercontinental connections, remember your time zones: the Atlantic is five hours wide, from the East Coast of North America to Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, and Portugal. To everywhere else in Europe, add one more hour, except for Finland, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria, where you...

First-aid Kit
First-aid Kit I'm always surprised at how much I use my first-aid kit, and how useful it proves to other people. If nothing else, it will save you the time and expense of buying a whole box of Band-Aids when you only need one. Above all, you should realize that it...

Don't Overeconomize
Don't Overeconomize Those are the numbers. They may not be exact, but they do represent a realistic estimate of what a trip to Europe will cost. Remember that some of the expenses listed, such as food, would also have to be paid for if you stayed home. If you consider that...

Losing Things
Losing Things Now here is a subject that I am truly a world expert on; the kind of expert Albert Einstein was in the field of physics. The result of losing stuff can vary from the mildly irritating - say, a pen - to the trip-halt-mg fa wallet, passport, etc). I...

Camera and film
Camera and film Obviously a personal choice, but if you're buying a camera for your trip, as with packs and shoes, going cheap is a recipe for heartache. As I write this, a 35mm point-and-shoot, which I bought for its low price of USD 60, is sitting in front of me....

Carry-on Baggage
Carry-on Baggage Airlines' maximum carry-on size varies, despite what some authors claim. Typically, length plus width plus height must be less than 45 inches, with some airlines allowing 55 inches. Weights allowed vary from a pathetic thirteen pounds on British Airways to a back-straining forty pounds on American. Call your airline...

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