Electrical items

I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about melting clock radios, and the hair dryer that blacked out Paris when it was plugged in. Don’t bother with this stuff. A battery-operated alarm clock is great, but hair dryers, electric razors, and other items will only be a pain. If you do bring electrical items, you must also bring an adaptor, because European countries use 220-volt current (which may fry items designed for 115-volt operation). And even if you use 220 in your home country, the design of electrical outlets varies from

A final packing idea courtesy of Ahn-uld

The movie Total Recall, while disgustingly violent, did contain one very good idea for the European traveler. If you remember, Arnold Schwarzenegger had left himself a briefcase full of money, guns, explosives, disguises, and other handy stuff in case he got into trouble. Well, so can you - sort of. As insurance against a total disaster, such as a stolen backpack, why not put together a box of essentials like a change of clothes, back-up credit cards, an old camera, and anything you might need if a backpack or some of its contents were to be stolen or lost. Leave this box, unsealed, in the hands of someone reliable who can ship it to you should you need any or all of its contents.