Comments on: Travel Tip Tuesday: Five Tips for Pre-Trip Planning http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/ Living and Traveling in Calabria, Italy Wed, 23 May 2012 14:59:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Cecil Lee http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11998 Cecil Lee Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:52:10 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11998 Thanks for sharing this. Double check the luggage restriction is what I've overlooked and should be done when I book Ryanair from Rome to London for my trip to Europe. I've linked to your blog from mine since I find your blog should benefit my readers as well. Thanks. <strong><em>I hope it worked out ok on that RyanAir flight-they can be pretty picky! Thanks for adding my link, I'm going to check out your site today!</em></strong> .-= Cecil Lee´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/travelfeeder/~3/8CwYqiVn3C4/high-key-photo-the-key-to-outstanding-portrait-shot" rel="nofollow">High Key Photo – The key to outstanding portrait shot</a> =-. Thanks for sharing this. Double check the luggage restriction is what I’ve overlooked and should be done when I book Ryanair from Rome to London for my trip to Europe.
I’ve linked to your blog from mine since I find your blog should benefit my readers as well. Thanks.

I hope it worked out ok on that RyanAir flight-they can be pretty picky! Thanks for adding my link, I’m going to check out your site today!

.-= Cecil Lee´s last blog ..High Key Photo – The key to outstanding portrait shot =-.

]]> By: joe@italyville http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11901 joe@italyville Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:37:11 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11901 I love your new booklet idea Cherrye! <strong><em>Thanks, Joe!</em></strong> I love your new booklet idea Cherrye!

Thanks, Joe!

]]> By: Frank Fulchiero http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11899 Frank Fulchiero Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:26:31 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11899 1. Euros- I buy 200 here before I leave, with some smaller bills. When I land in Italy, I don't have to worry right away about exchanging money. You can buy them at most banks, exchange rate not too bad. Get some smaller bills. 2. Small spiral bound notebooks, I have a 6"x8" and a 4"x6", take the appropriate one on side trips to jot down notes, places, numbers, etc. Bring over a couple of pens and pencils. 3. Large trash bag. For my dirty laundry. Separates it from the clean stuff in my suitcase. Carry it to the laundromat. 4. Power adapters. Most chargers, electronic equipment, etc. can use 240 volts, but the prongs are different. Check your wall wart can take that 240 v. 5. Small dictionary. 6. Small 3" camera tripod for time exposures or put the entire group on the self-timer. 7. Empty room in suitcase. Most people overpack. Most Italians are clean, elegant, but not ostentatious. You don't need a big wardrobe. You can wash some clothes in your sink every couple of nights and hang them to dry in the shower. You will need some room to bring back the neat things you will buy. 8. Italian cell phone. I bought a real cheap one with a pay-as-you go plan in the States before I went there, with a SIM chip for Italy. Calls there were real cheap, and I did not have to worry about high rates on my US Phone. 9. iPod Touch. If you are not going to have a computer, and have access to wireless some of the time, this is great. Check the weather forecast, your locations on Google Earth (zoom in on your hotel!), your email, Facebook and Twitter, news, unit conversion, exchange rates, sports scores, dictionary, iRail gives you the current train schedules between any two cities in Italy, with exchange cities, and with Skype you can call the US at $.025/min. (need a headphone with mic for that, $29) 10. Lightweight nylon shopping bag that folds to the size of a hockey puck. Put it in your pocked. If you go to the market, you have something to carry stuff back. The above tips are not for everyone, depends on the length and nature of your stay. <strong><em>Awesome! Thanks for the tips.</em></strong> 1. Euros- I buy 200 here before I leave, with some smaller bills. When I land in Italy, I don’t have to worry right away about exchanging money. You can buy them at most banks, exchange rate not too bad. Get some smaller bills.
2. Small spiral bound notebooks, I have a 6″x8″ and a 4″x6″, take the appropriate one on side trips to jot down notes, places, numbers, etc. Bring over a couple of pens and pencils.
3. Large trash bag. For my dirty laundry. Separates it from the clean stuff in my suitcase. Carry it to the laundromat.
4. Power adapters. Most chargers, electronic equipment, etc. can use 240 volts, but the prongs are different. Check your wall wart can take that 240 v.
5. Small dictionary.
6. Small 3″ camera tripod for time exposures or put the entire group on the self-timer.
7. Empty room in suitcase. Most people overpack. Most Italians are clean, elegant, but not ostentatious. You don’t need a big wardrobe. You can wash some clothes in your sink every couple of nights and hang them to dry in the shower. You will need some room to bring back the neat things you will buy.
8. Italian cell phone. I bought a real cheap one with a pay-as-you go plan in the States before I went there, with a SIM chip for Italy. Calls there were real cheap, and I did not have to worry about high rates on my US Phone.
9. iPod Touch. If you are not going to have a computer, and have access to wireless some of the time, this is great. Check the weather forecast, your locations on Google Earth (zoom in on your hotel!), your email, Facebook and Twitter, news, unit conversion, exchange rates, sports scores, dictionary, iRail gives you the current train schedules between any two cities in Italy, with exchange cities, and with Skype you can call the US at $.025/min. (need a headphone with mic for that, $29)
10. Lightweight nylon shopping bag that folds to the size of a hockey puck. Put it in your pocked. If you go to the market, you have something to carry stuff back.
The above tips are not for everyone, depends on the length and nature of your stay.

Awesome! Thanks for the tips.

]]> By: AmyEmilia http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11897 AmyEmilia Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:05:59 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11897 Just one more point on credit cards... Americans don't always remember that your Discover card isn't accepted in (most if not all) Italy. Make sure you take both a MasterCard AND a Visa card. We got stuck once when the entire MasterCard system went down and of course that's all we had! <strong><em>Such a good point. Thanks for sharing.</em></strong> Just one more point on credit cards… Americans don’t always remember that your Discover card isn’t accepted in (most if not all) Italy. Make sure you take both a MasterCard AND a Visa card. We got stuck once when the entire MasterCard system went down and of course that’s all we had!

Such a good point. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: andrea http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11896 andrea Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:11:56 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11896 PS...Andrae is my alter ego...:) <strong><em>I was wondering who she was ... .</em></strong> .-= andrea´s last blog ..<a href="http://andreaunplugged.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/nyc-nye-part-3/" rel="nofollow">NYC NYE Part 3</a> =-. PS…Andrae is my alter ego…:)

I was wondering who she was … .

.-= andrea´s last blog ..NYC NYE Part 3 =-.

]]> By: andrae http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11895 andrae Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:10:30 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11895 I thought that girl in the picture was you! Along with distributing important documents, I would suggest sending people copies of your hotel reservations, airline info, and your tentative itinerary, just in case someone back home needs to find you. And so your mom will rest easy at night. :) <strong><em>Good idea. Are you talking about your mom or mine? ;-)</em></strong> I thought that girl in the picture was you!

Along with distributing important documents, I would suggest sending people copies of your hotel reservations, airline info, and your tentative itinerary, just in case someone back home needs to find you. And so your mom will rest easy at night. :)

Good idea. Are you talking about your mom or mine? ;-)

]]> By: Martha http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11894 Martha Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:12:53 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11894 Good tips that I will be passing along to our upcoming guests. My advice with the copied dcouments is if traveling with others divide the copies up. For example, I have a copy of your passport and you have a copy of mine. <strong><em>Great idea. We like to do that, as well as split up our clothes, too - you just never know!</em></strong> .-= Martha´s last blog ..<a href="http://friendsandfamilyinitaly.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/the-cousins-visit-rome-day-2-part-1/" rel="nofollow">The Cousins Visit Rome, Day 2 Part 1</a> =-. Good tips that I will be passing along to our upcoming guests. My advice with the copied dcouments is if traveling with others divide the copies up. For example, I have a copy of your passport and you have a copy of mine.

Great idea. We like to do that, as well as split up our clothes, too – you just never know!

.-= Martha´s last blog ..The Cousins Visit Rome, Day 2 Part 1 =-.

]]> By: Sonia http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11893 Sonia Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:27:26 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11893 Great post as usual! One thing I would add is to try your credit card/bank card at an ATM once you're overseas. If it works, then chances are you're good to go. If not, then you immediately have your red flag and can call your back as soon as you can. Also, be sure to have a spare card you can use. My mom's first visit to Italy, she was told by her bank that her card would work and it didn't. Luckily, my sister had given her another card (more well known and established bank-with her name added to the card of course) that she was able to use. <strong><em>Great tip, Sonia! That could have been a nightmare!</em></strong> .-= Sonia´s last blog ..<a href="http://mysweetmonkey.blogspot.com/2010/01/affogato-al-cioccolato.html" rel="nofollow">Affogato al Cioccolato</a> =-. Great post as usual! One thing I would add is to try your credit card/bank card at an ATM once you’re overseas. If it works, then chances are you’re good to go. If not, then you immediately have your red flag and can call your back as soon as you can.

Also, be sure to have a spare card you can use. My mom’s first visit to Italy, she was told by her bank that her card would work and it didn’t. Luckily, my sister had given her another card (more well known and established bank-with her name added to the card of course) that she was able to use.

Great tip, Sonia! That could have been a nightmare!

.-= Sonia´s last blog ..Affogato al Cioccolato =-.

]]> By: Travel Tip Tuesday: Five Tips for Pre-Trip Planning | My Bella Vita http://my-bellavita.com/2010/01/19/travel-tips-italy-pretrip-planning/comment-page-1/#comment-11892 Travel Tip Tuesday: Five Tips for Pre-Trip Planning | My Bella Vita Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:03:18 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=3213#comment-11892 [...] Here are five travel tips Italy-bound travelers should know before they head abroad. Post continues here. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Travel Tip Tuesday: Five Tips for Pre-Trip Planning", url: [...] [...] Here are five travel tips Italy-bound travelers should know before they head abroad. Post continues here. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Travel Tip Tuesday: Five Tips for Pre-Trip Planning", url: [...]

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