Leading up to the trip, are we packed up?!
To paraphrase what Rick said at one of the talks during the tour reunion event, you do not find seasoned travelers boasting that they are packing heavier every year. This is very true! While this trip was only our second to Europe, we both managed to travel for 18 days with a Rick Steves' Convertible Carry on backpack each. And yes, we survived just fine! The packing cubes are well worth it for a couple of reasons. One, is it keeps your stuff organized when you get to each hotel, the other [big one] is if you have to go through your things at an airport security stop. Your things come out in reasonable containers and your luggage doesn't fly-open when you unzip it. Been there, done that! :)
Bring a day pack! We would say that this is a requirement for one of these tours. Nicole brought a purse in addition to our daypack, which didn't work out very well and it was left at the hotel more times than not. Don't bother! Back to the daypack, you need one to haul your maps, drinks, purchases, jackets, umbrella, or whatever else you might want to bring along with you that day. Definitely a must! But don't go overboard with a gigantic mountaineer bag, something small, soft, lightweight would be ideal. We actually did not pick our clothes out for the weather too well. The majority of our clothes were a little on the heavier side, expecting some cooler weather. The good news is, they actually sell clothes in Europe! We stopped in a few shops on our free time to pickup some warmer weather clothes and we were off and running. We recommend not purposely weighing yourself down with clothes you might need for any condition, if that condition arrises, you can find a remedy pretty quickly and fine tune your wardrobe as you go along. If you are worried about being able to get some laundry done, we were able to have all of our laundry cleaned while in Krakow. The Frania Café is a about a 15-minute walk, or a quick bus ride from the Main Square to get there. The pricing is very reasonable, we dropped our things off and came back to get it a few hours later. Spending an extra few dollars to have the service done for you is a much better use of your valuable vacation time! [See Day 4: Krakow for more information] |
Put that fashionable money belt to good use!
If you have been around Rick Steves' books, videos, or TV shows, the term "money belt" isn't a new one. When you sign up for a Rick Steves' tour, a money belt is included for each person. Unfortunately, it does not arrive full of money, but it is very useful!
The idea is to keep your passport, cash and other important information in your money belt. It keeps you from having to worry about pick-pocketers leaving you with missing money or your beloved passport while far away from home. This idea works perfectly, as Rick has mentioned when talking about money belts, after a day of traveling to sites, I am never surprised my underwear is still there. You can read up a little more here, if you would like to. Tip! Your local bank can likely get you the currencies you will need for this trip. We ordered our money in advance, while not necessary, it was handy to have cash on hand for every country! We budgeted $50 per person, per day. |
You may want to bring that smart phone with you!
Yes, you may think we are a little crazy for recommending bringing a smart phone on your trip. For one, you might be concerned about out-of-country charges, we did not incur extra fees while on our trip with AT&T. The phone remained on "airplane mode" and then the WiFi was turned on after airplane mode was selected.
This allowed us to use the phone while at Hotel, Cafe, or museum WiFi. Primarily we used it for mapping and helping us get to our next destination. Prior to leaving, we downloaded an inexpensive app called "Pocket Earth". It allows you to download the maps of areas you will be in while on WiFi, then use them just like you would a personal hand-held GPS. We also used the phone to take quick pictures of the day's itinerary, showing times, or other things you may want to reference to throughout the day. |
Ready to meet our guide, driver and group? |
...or would you like to dive into our trip?! |