While traveling you will access services on your journey. You’ll need cash to pay for goods and services as not all places except credit cards. You need to communicate back home or with business while in Europe with the use of a phone or the internet. You may require minor or major health care assistance and support. In case of a serious emergency you may need to contact police or even ask for assistance from a US Embassy. Please read our pages for information and how to attain services.
Resources
By doing some pre-trip research and reading you will find information that will helpful for your trip. Doing a little homework will address your particular needs and interests. Determining your traveling style, where you want to go, what you want to do and see will help you to access the critical information you will need for a pleasurable and memorable trip.
Banks & Money
There was the time when traveling through Europe one needed a separate currency for every country. That meant exchanging your US dollars or leftover money from other countries, to the current country’s money. Every time you exchange those currencies you lost value with service and transaction fees. As well as exchange services in tourists areas that give you a de-valued exchange rate on top of their additional fees.
Credit & Debit Cards
For years getting travelers checks was the way to pay for things while traveling, not anymore. You can literally travel with very little cash using credit cards or debit cards. Before you even leave your home, most of the big expenses will already be paid or reserved and charged once you arrive. Airline tickets, car rental, hotels and if you shopped smartly you’ll have all your museum, transit and other tickets confirmed.
Electronics
The advent of mobile devices like smart phones, tablets and GPS devices, not to mention laptop computers, have made travel in Europe all that much more easier. Not only can you make phone calls back to the US with more reliability but, at a fraction of the cost it use to be.
Phones
While traveling throughout Europe you will no doubt need to use a phone at one time or another. Of course you’ll want to call home and talk to family, friends and maybe even forbid, some business. For these calls you have the obvious choice of using your mobile phone. Read the choices below for retaining international services on your mobile phone and using optional internet connections for free service.
The Internet & Apps
Now these days the internet can be a valuable tool when traveling in Europe. Before you even leave for Europe you can buy and reserve just about everything you will need for the trip;
Find which are the most usable apps while traveling in Europe
Safety
Europe is one of the safest places to travel in the world. However, even Europe has to deal with natural disasters, civil unrest, terrorism, health risks and events that could pose safety risks. Wherever there are humans, there is always some crime like theft, kidnapping or hostage taking.
Health Access
Europe has been a global destination for travelers. With the arrival of the jet air age transportation to Europe has become practical and affordable to people all over the world. Prior to that time people of the upper classes would travel there to experience its sights and cultures. So Europe has been accommodating the traveler longer than anywhere else and has a strong tourism infrastructure, especially lodging and cuisine, to meet any travelers needs.
Emergencies
Almost every trip to Europe is trouble free and one always hopes that an emergency never occurs when so far from home. Every country in Europe use’s 112 as their national emergency phone number. If they do not have one please use appropriate number for service under the alternate listing.
Laundry
If you pack light, as suggested, you will not have enough clean clothes to get you through two weeks. If you are you are like most of us you’ll want clean clothing to wear everyday you are on your trip so what are your options. All have advantages and disadvantages.