Pre-Trip Checklist: 10 ways to save time and money before you leave for Europe
Preparing to take off for a big European adventure? You’ve got your flights and hotels booked, and are already thinking about what to pack. The anticipation can be so much fun.
However, as responsible Cheapos, we must point out that this is also a critical moment to examine the “small print” of your trip. After all, there might be a few tweaks you could make now to save some cash, or some overlooked details that might end up costing you if you don’t address them.
From travel documents to smartphone settings, here are 10 things to do before you leave that will help you avoid any unpleasant surprises later.
1. Is your passport valid. Really?
Let’s start with the basics. As elementary as it sounds, passport issues happen to both newbie and seasoned travelers. Double-check it now. Don’t just make sure that it’s valid when you take off, but throughout the entire course of your trip. Americans, by the way, can spend up to 90 days (within a 180-day period) inside the 26 countries that are part of the Schengen agreement.
Secondly, do you need any special travel visas for your trip? Probably not, if you’re staying within Europe. However, you might need a visa if you try to venture outside the area (for example, taking a boat from Helsinki to St. Petersburg). Here’s a list of visa requirements by country for US citizens.
2. Call your bank and credit card companies.
This one is never fun, but it’s always helpful. Call your bank prior to leaving and let them know that you’ll be abroad. You don’t want your first purchase in Rome to prompt the overzealous Chase fraud team to block your ability to take out cash or pay for something.
But wait, there’s more! While you have them on the phone, ask them:
• How much do they charge for ATM withdrawals? (This could be a flat fee or a percentage of the withdrawal amount.)
• Do they have a partnership with a bank in the country that you’re visiting? (You might find that withdrawing cash from some ATMs are free.)
• How much will they charge you to use your debit card?
Then call your credit card company or companies (if it’s not the same as your bank). Same drill: Tell them your travel dates and countries, and ask about their foreign transaction fees. If you have multiple credit cards, you could find that one is much cheaper to use than the other. You might just be surprised!
Also, if renting a car during your trip, ask if the card automatically provides insurance coverage—and clarify what that coverage is.
For more on this subject, read our guide to questions to ask your bank before leaving.
3. Get smart about your phone.
While you’re having fun with customer service professionals, why not call your mobile telephone carrier? What happens if you don’t call before arriving in Europe? Well, to begin with, you might find that your US or Canadian phone doesn’t work. More drastic, however, you might wind up with all kinds of crazy international data roaming charges.
First, tell them your travel dates and countries. They’ll make sure your phone is set up to work in those countries. Then, they will try to sell you international calling, text and data packages. Offers differ depending on the carriers, but most of the companies offer similar options. I’ve used AT&T below as an example, but you should check prices with your carrier.
• Calling packages usually cost a set monthly amount to lower the per-minute charges for making and receiving calls abroad. This could make sense if you’re planning to make lots of calls, but never makes sense for me. Without a calling package, AT&T charges $1.50 a minute to make or receive a call in Europe. If you buy a $30 calling package, you’ll get 30 minutes of calling (or $1 per minute). This could never be considered a steal (although the per-minute rates do fall if you buy a more expensive package with more minutes).
I typically make phone calls only in last-minute or urgent situations, and these calls are almost always less than a minute long. I’ve resigned myself to paying the regular $1.50 per minute rate for these. However, if you plan to make more calls or do business, it’s worth considering.
• International texting plans, in my opinion, are a great deal, as they make texting in Europe much cheaper. With AT&T, for example, without a plan texts are $.50 to send from abroad, but with a $30 plan you can send 200 texts (or $.15 each). A $10 plan (50 texts) and $60 plan (600 texts) are also available. (See international texting rates on AT&T.)
• And then there’s the data package. If you’re a power user and really know how to efficiently measure your data use, go for it. AT&T, for example, offers a $30 data package that covers 120MB of cellular data. They estimate that this should be enough to send and receive a whopping 1,300 emails, although that certainly doesn’t include using the Web, posting to Facebook or using Yelp. (Here’s a tool to estimate your data needs.)
To sum up my Cheapo strategy, I buy a texting plan, only use my telephone for quick and urgent calls, and turn off my data roaming. I only use my iPhone’s email and browser when I’m connected to free Wi-Fi. And when I do have Wi-Fi, I use my Skype app to call home for free.
For much more on this, check out our guide to using an American smartphone in Europe.
4. What’s your baggage policy?
Take out your flight confirmation and double check your luggage allowance. How many bags are you permitted to check, and how heavy can they be?
These days, most American carriers flying to Europe allow Economy passengers one free checked bag weighing up to 50 lbs (23 kg). Extra checked bags or heavy luggage will almost always cost you dearly—unless you have status with the airline. Check with your carrier before you get to the airport and have to do some frantic unpacking and repacking.
Don’t forget that you’ll probably be putting on weight during your trip — or rather, your suitcase will. You’ll be accumulating souvenirs, clothing, your allotted two bottles of wine, books and other mementos. It’s better to start your trip well under the weight limit.
Also check the size of your carry-on. Your carrier will tell you the exact dimensions allowed for both checked and cabin baggage. Take a tape measure to it if you’re unsure.
5. Pack, downsize, repack.
Now for the grueling part. If you’re like me, you’ve got a suitcase and a carry-on packed with absolutely essential clothing (for every type of weather and situation), four or five pairs of shoes (the trip will be a great time to start jogging again!) and toiletries (including a bottle of Listorine).
Now pause and reflect: You’re going to be rolling, lifting, lugging and man-handling those beasts through airports, through train stations, onto buses and up hotel staircases. You’re going to be inching around them is a tiny hotel room, packing them into laughably small elevators, and searching for places to stick them on a high-speed train.
The time to downsize your luggage is now. Do you have a smaller suitcase available? Make it work—and yes, this will require ditching some extra sweaters, redundant pairs of jeans, shoes-that-would-have-looked-great-with-that-shirt… Out! Hold onto lighter sweaters, shirts and jackets that can be layered.
The same goes for your carry-on. Keep the essentials and give a hard look at the rest. Keep the guidebooks, of course, but consider ditching the novels and other books that you’re bringing along because “you’ll finally have time to read it.” Chances are you won’t. But you will be lugging it with you all over the continent. As for your laptop, if at all possible, leave it at home.
Side note on guidebooks: Yes, I still bring and love guidebooks. You can read them everywhere, on the plane, on trains, and over breakfast. Sure, you can hunt down information on the web once you arrive, but do you really want to? You’ll get distracted by work emails and waste time. What a buzz kill. Grab a Rick Steves’ or a Rough Guide and try to unplug.
6. Don’t waste money getting money.
The cheapest way for North American travelers to get euros is to use their ATM cards to withdraw money from bank ATMs. These ATMs are very easy to find throughout Europe. But what about arriving with some euros in your billfold? It’s really not that necessary, as you’ll find ATM machines in every major European airport as well, and, if the line is too long, you can also use credit cards to purchase items in the airport, like train tickets, food, and other necessities.
If arriving without a euro-cent in your pocket makes you (understandably) uncomfortable, go ahead and exchange some euros at your home bank before leaving. But chances are they’re going to give you a lousy exchange rate, and might even tack on a fee as well. And don’t even get me started about exchanging money once in Europe—especially at the airport! Again, exchange rates will be lousy and you might be charged a fee. Walk straight past them and to the nearest ATM.
It goes without saying that you should also hunt around for old euro coins and bills from previous trips before heading over. Have a friend or family member who’s traveled to Europe recently? Buy their old bills before you leave (at the current exchange rate). Hopefully they won’t charge you a fee…
Get those TGV tickets before you leave. Photo: To Lillqvist
7. Book high speed rail tickets in advance through official railway sites.
European high-speed rail tickets are cheaper the earlier you book. If you’re planning to take a high-speed train during your trip, buy those tickets as far in advance as possible (most are available up to three months in advance). Note that advance purchase is not necessary for slower local and regional trains. This is only for fast trains between major cities.
Important: When you buy these tickets, it’s almost always cheaper to purchase them directly through the official railway websites than through a ticket agency or third-party reseller. The official websites for major European railways are:
• Austria (ÖBB): www.oebb.at
• Czech Republic (CD): www.cd.cz
• Dutch Railways: www.ns.nl
• Finland (VR): www.vr.fi
• France (SNCF): www.voyages-sncf.com
• Germany (Die Bahn): www.bahn.de
• Great Britain (all rail operators): www.nationalrail.co.uk
• Hungary (MAV): www.mav.hu
• Italy (Trenitalia): www.trenitalia.com
• Ireland (Iarnród Éireann): www.irishrail.ie
• Poland (PKP): www.pkp.pl
• Spain (Renfe): www.renfe.com
• Switzerland: www.sbb.ch
Once you purchase your tickets, read the email confirmation closely. Do you need to pick up the tickets at the train station, or can you print your tickets off at home? If they are “e-tickets” that can be printed off at home, be sure to print off the actual ticket, and not just the confirmation email. Most e-tickets include a bar code that will be scanned once aboard by a (snappily dressed) conductor.
A “continental” (France, Italy, Spain, etc.) adapter, left, and a UK adapter (right). Photo: elwillo
8. Adapters, converters, and chargers, oh my!
Take inventory of all of the electronic devices that you’ll be bringing along, and make sure that you’ve packed all of their power cords and connecting wires. Remember that plugs differ between European countries. An outlet in the UK differs from those in France, Italy and elsewhere on the Continent. Buy the right adapters for the countries you’ll be visiting now, rather than later from an overpriced souvenir shop.
I like to pack all of my cables and cords into a Ziploc bag. It keeps them contained and I can usually tell if I’m missing something. (For example, I always seem to forget my camera’s battery charger!)
A few words about the difference between “adapters” and “converters”. Adapters are cheap little devices that literally adapt your plug to fit into a foreign outlet. Most American electronics run on 110 volts, while their European cousins run on 220 volts. Fortunately, this isn’t a big deal for most modern devices (smartphones, laptops, cameras, etc.), as most will run on either current—if they are marked “110-220 volt”. If, however, you’re traveling with a 1950’s retro hairdryer, well, first read the bit above about over packing, and secondly, bring along a converter to convert the 220 voltage down to 110. If not, the surge of electricity will fry your beloved device.
9. Renting a car upon arrival? You might want to rebook it now.
Does your car rental begin upon your arrival in Europe? That makes sense if you’re immediately hitting the road and not spending the night in the city into which you’ve just flown. However, this doesn’t make sense if you’re going to hang out for a day (or more) in your arrival city. You’re going to end up wasting money.
Let’s say you fly into London, Paris or Rome, rent a car, and then drive into London, Paris or Rome for a few days. Now you’re paying for the car, and you have to keep it in an expensive garage. To make matters worse, you might attempt to actually use it to get around the city (leading, inevitably to great frustration, needlessly elevated blood pressures, and silent meals).
If you’re in this situation, look through your rental details and see if you can change your pickup date to the day that you’re leaving town. Many car rental companies are quite flexible about making these changes.
Related: Search and compare car rental quotes on EuroCheapo | Check out the current EuroCheapo package deals for great discounts for US travelers heading to Europe.
And yes, you’re responsible for tickets (and boots) that you pick up along the way. Photo: Pasa
10. Know your coverage.
One last suggestion for those renting a car: Do some pre-trip research to understand your insurance coverage before you get there. Does your rental include insurance? Many European rentals automatically include liability insurance, which covers damage to things outside the car. For damage to the car itself, you’ll need a CDW, or “collision damage waiver”, which might already be included in your rental. If it’s not, you may be able to purchase it online in advance cheaper than you will once at the agency. (Note that these CDWs typically come with a high deductible, which can be lowered if you upgrade to a more expensive CDW. Got that?)
Did you buy travel insurance? Does it cover your car? Know what you’ve already paid for. (For more on this, check out this article on whether you should buy travel insurance.)
Finally, the credit card that you use may also automatically insure your rental, although it may not cover certain types or classes of cars, and may not give you the level of coverage you desire. Ask your credit card company about coverage when you call with your other questions (see #3 above).
When you’re standing at the Hertz or Europcar counter signing your paperwork and trying to shake off the jet lag, you’ll be so excited to hit the road that an insurance add-on will be an easy up-sell. I’m not saying not to take the insurance (I often do). Just know if you’re already covered.
Other check-list items
What other tips do you have for ways to save on your European adventure before you leave home? Share with us in the comments section below, and if we like them, we’ll add them (and you!) to our list.
Now, take a deep breath and relax. You’re headed to Europe!
About the author
What about shots? Will I need them for Scotland and what kind? Rich
Hi Tom. I’ve travelled in SE Asia and Europe a few times and have usually changed my Canadian money at banks or licensed money changers in those countries at good rates after checking various bank rates. We’re going to Spain for a month in October and was hoping to avoid a 2.5% fee tacked onto ATM withdrawls by exchanging Canadian dollars directly at a Spanish bank. Am I wrong in assuming the exchange rate for Canadian cash at a bank will be better than the exchange rate an ATM will charge me?
I have taken advantage of thrift or charity shops overseas to pick up a blouse or mid-weight jacket for a multi-week stay, and donated it back at trip’s end. Cheaper than baggage fares!
Finland train has typo. The http link portion is good but the spelling for country code is not complete.
Nice catch. Thanks for letting us know!
We all have a number of devices that need charging when traveling. I always travel with a small power strip w/ 4 outlets. One adapter is all I need. Makes it easy.
Re packing: one to wear, one as spare! Lightweight clothes that you can wash in the bathroom sink and that will dry overnight. Roll clothes tightly to fit more easily in a small bag/standard carry-on. Pack neutral palette clothes that you can mix n match, which you can accessorise with different coloured scarves and/or belts etc. Stuff shoes with small items such as socks, hairbrush etc. Likewise small spaces in your case/bag. Wear your heaviest/bulkiest shoes/boots while flying. Ladies, re sandals: bring a comfortable smart-casual pair that can do double duty for walking during the day but which can be worn with your smart outfit when going out at nighttime. I find that a pair of mid-heel wedge or block heel sandals does the trick nicely. Likewise re smart casual jacket/coat. Buy basic toiletries at your destination. If you like to bring your own towel, get a microfibre travel towel, as these are lightweight but dry very quickly (I buy a cheap beach towel at my destination and leave it behind when I’m going home). If you take prescribed medicines, bring a copy of the prescription with you. Last, but by no means least, leave the kitchen sink at home! Bon voyage!
Re the passport info: Airlines often deny boarding unless your US passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel date – and sometimes they hold you to 6 months after your departure from Europe. Happened to someone I know yesterday!
Excellent point. We should do an article about this, too!
Passports must be valid for at least 3 months after your return date if visiting the Schengen area, which covers most of Europe. For example, here’s the requirement for France, from the US State Department’s website:
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/france.html
Thanks for the tip!
Good T-Mobile recommendation. Thanks. As for trip insurance, I’ve bought it half a dozen times and have never used it. Would love for you to write an article on it.
We live in Europe, and my husband travels extensively for business, often to India or China. We took out international travel insurance mainly because of his travels.
Our daughter was in the US for a university exchange program a year ago. Before she had signed up for the university’s health program, she got food poisoning and was taken to a hospital. I got a phone call, and notified our travel insurance provider and gave them the info and our daughter’s number. My daughter had to fax the hospital information to the insurance company and they took care of the rest. We were told that the charges were probably over $2000. for her 4 hours in the emergency room. The health insurance for our family was €150/year. Well worth the money. You can also by insurance for individual trips.
That said, we had traveled for years without this and never gave it a thought. I think, in retrospect, that we were extremely lucky.
To use a smartphone overseas, think about switching to T-mobile. Unlimited free data in over 100 countries. That alone can prevent a thousand-dollar or more surprise bill on returning home. It worked great on a recent trip to France and there really was no extra charge. If in a country other than the 100, keep the phone on airplane mode to avoid surprise charges.
Re car rental: In many countries, there is a surcharge, sometimes considerable, for picking up a car at the airport. We’ve found it often less expensive to take an airport bus into town and pick a car up there.
Thanks for the tip Alyce. The same is true for picking up and dropping off a rental car in different countries. The surcharge can be more expensive than the rental!
I take a photo of my suitcase before checking in. In the unfortunate event I have to describe a lost suitcase, i have it on my phone.
Very smart! Photos can speak louder than words, especially in a foreign language. Thanks for the tip.
Best list I’ve seen, but was surprised you didn’t speak to trip insurance, especially with regard to health coverage for unexpected accidents or illnesses. Having this made a huge difference for us on two different occasions. It would be an even bigger deal if one has to be medivac’d home.
Thanks for the tip, Mike. Trip insurance is certainly an interesting topic — I’m glad that it’s worked out for you.
I’m also working on an article about whether or not trip insurance is worth the investment. It’s good to know that it can be. I believe that not all insurances are created equal, and that you need to do your homework when purchasing it to make sure that you buy something that will actually cover you when you need it.
Make sure when booking rail tickets in advance that you have actual seat assignments on the entire trip and not just first class seating. Learned the hard way going from Cinque Terre to Pescara and stood for 3 1/5 hours with all our luggage. Stops in major cities will take on a fresh crowd of passengers.
Good tip, Jenn. Thanks!
Number 5 is so very, very true. Downsize, then downsize some more. Despite doing so for a 3 1/2 week summer trip to the UK–and getting it all into a 21″ roll-aboard and a messenger bag with room left over-I *still* should have left some things back in the States!
My addition to the list? If you are on prescription medication/medications for a chronic condition, make sure you have a letter or letters from the physician(s) prescribing those, and the exact name of the medications. Should you run out, or if there are any questions or issues, it will make it easier to get necessary medical treatment.
Thanks for your tips, Mary. I also just returned from a trip and, even though I wrote this article, I still over-packed! Why did I think that I needed four pairs of shorts and three pairs of pants for a 17 day trip? I think that we forget that you can do laundry while traveling. I laughed when unpacking back home…
And good prescription tip. I think we’ll include that in an upcoming post.
We have lived in Europe since 1999 (Germany & Belgium) and I still overpack. Great advice to pack and repack. Many small hotels do not have elevators.
For souvenirs and gifts for friends at home, I buy linen dish towels. They look nice, are practical and light weight. Chocolates are always a good idea, but don’t buy hem until you are ready to leave for home. Belgian chocolates don’t usually have preservatives and you don’t want them melting in your bag, either.
Turn off background app refresh on you phone. That way if you do turn on roaming to go online, your phone isn’t updating Facebook, emails and other apps.
Take copies of your passport, drivers license, credit cards and any other important docs. Leave a copy with a friend or relative and pack the other separately.
Buy travel insurance. You may not need it, but if you do, it is worth every penny.
All great tips, Joan. Thanks for sharing!
I have downloaded all the books I want to read onto my Nexus 7. Since I write a travel blog I have also gotten a medge keyboard which works great with my tablet.
As we go to Europe regularly, I purchased a hair dryer and a curling iron in France and all I have to do is plug them right in, no converters or adapters, and I often leave the hair dryer at home as I check with the hotel to see if one is provided. Nowadays, most do. Along with the appropriate converter and adapter we bring an extension cord, as outlets in many hotels seem to be in remote spots.
Thanks for the tips, Celeste! It’s good to remember when traveling in Europe that you can find just about anything you need at stores in your neighborhood (such as a curling iron!). During a recent trip to Greece, I found myself in need of a flashlight — which I picked up at a hardware store for only 5 euros. It’s now in my closet and a regular happy reminder of the trip!
The extension cord is a good idea. I think I’ll add that to our list. Thanks!
Thanks for the extension cord idea. I could have read my android in bed if I’d taken one. The only outlet I could charge from was in the bathroom!
Viber! If you are meeting with friends, suggest they get the Viber app. Calls and texts are free. You can even stay in touch with friends you’ve made on your trip once you get back to the States.
Thanks for the tip, Pia. Just a question, however — you need to be on either a Wi-Fi network or use your data plan in order to user Viber, don’t you? This sounds like a good idea for calling home for free when on Wi-Fi, but it could potentially be costly if you have to use international data, or else you’d have to wait until you’re on Wi-Fi to send/receive texts (which isn’t really convenient for texting). Or am I misunderstanding how it works?
I also use my Skype app to call home from abroad when I’m on Wi-Fi, which is great. However, for texting, I usually want to send a text when I’m out and about without Wi-Fi, so I’ve only found the international text packages to be a good idea. Please let me know if I’m misunderstanding how Viber works!
If you are travelling with friends or with your mate, one good idea is to roam only with one cell phone and then share 3G internet with other cells in the group.
As long as you are close, everyone can access apps, maps, mails etc.
Then you can share roaming costs!
Sorry for the late reply, Thomas. You are right, Viber is only free with wi-fi. It won’t be convenient off the beaten path but wifi has become fairly ubiquitous. You can duck into a Starbucks and use Viber. The 3-meter wide creperie we had a quick lunch in while in Paris had wi-fi, their password posted on the wall.
We realized that all of our devices we are traveling with were powered by USB cords. So we bought a device that plugged into a European outlet and had four USB extensions. So we can charge up to four phones/iPads/GoPros at the same time. So convenient!
this is a great idea – HOWEVER – make sure you have a couple of the power plugs just in case that handy device quits working. (I speak from experience!) Mine worked well for 2 weeks – was spotty for one week – and then quit. Fortunately I had packed a couple power blocks & adapters.
Thanks for the tip, Michaela! We’ll look into this handy device!
Sign up for a Charles Schwab debit card. All your ATM fees all over the world will be reimbursed. Hottest deal out there.