On this page, you will find a variety of international travel tips! We provide some insight on some questions that may come up while you plan your trip. To make your adventure as seamless as possible, the key is to prepare! You are in the right place for that. 🙂

We visited Europe in early autumn, from late September to mid October. We enjoyed this time of year because there were far fewer tourists than summertime! We also selected late September to mid October because we prefer to be in the United States for the end of the year holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). But be warned – it was quite hot even in early fall! Based on previous experiences, we find it too cold and rainy to travel in Europe from January to March.

Creating a Google Drive folder that contained all of our related travel documentation and sharing it between us was IMMENSELY helpful. (We also shared our itinerary with my grandmother so she could follow along – it was fun to include her on the journey!) Instead of frantically scrambling through our email each time we needed to reference something, we had everything easily accessible in the Google Drive folder which was shared between us.

Here is an outline as well as a screenshot of how I kept all the related documents filed.

• Accommodations: folder where I saved hotel/Airbnb email confirmations and any separate messages/instructions from the host

• Excursions: folder where I saved museum/exploration tickets that were made in advance

• Flights: folder where I saved airline bookings

• Passports: folder where I saved photos of our passports in the unfortunate event that they were lost/stolen

• Transportation: folder where I saved rail email confirmations and reservations

• Memories: Google Doc where we could jot down incidents from the trip that stood out to us that later make great stories!

• Spreadsheet: Google Sheet where I listed day by day where we would be and a general outline of what activities the day would entail

• Souvenir tracker: Google Doc where I maintained a list of all souvenirs we had purchased to be sure I was bringing back all of my loved ones a gift

It is a good idea to check with your bank whether your current credit card charges a foreign transaction fee. If so, foreign transaction fees are typically 1%–3% of the value of the international transaction – definitely something to AVOID, as that can really add up! We recommend obtaining a Visa credit card with no foreign transaction fee (American Express is often not accepted in Europe).We love our Capital One VentureOne credit card for traveling because it has no foreign transaction fee, no annual fee, collects lots of points that we redeem, AND offers % back from a lot of businesses. You can redeem the earned points to cover past travel purchases. Here is the link to that card: https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/travel-and-miles/

We found that it was VERY important to have foreign currency on hand with you.

Cash was required in the following circumstances:

• Italian tourist taxes at hotels, Airbnbs, etc. (the amount varied from city to city and was based on the number of nights)

  • This really added up, with some cities requiring €7 per person per night

• Tips for wait staff while dining out, tour guides, cleaning services, etc.

  • Unlike the US, you cannot add a tip onto a receipt at a restaurant!

• Public laundry (for washers and dryers)

  • Most machines only accepted €0.50, €1 or €2 coins

• Public restrooms

  • Most machines only accepted €0.50 or €1 coins

Highly recommend withdrawing foreign currency BEFORE you travel. Obtaining cash through your bank will be much less expensive than going to an exchange stand in a different country. They often add a processing fee (usually $20) as well as a percentage of the amount withdrawn (sometimes 10%). For example, if you exchanged $100, it would cost you approximately $130.

Be sure to emphasize with your bank that you would like to order small bills and coins so that you will have exact change!

Highly recommend you download these apps and fully set them up (activate by creating an account, populating your information, adding a credit card if applicable, etc.) prior to your departure so that the apps are ready to use the moment you arrive in Europe.

Each location in Italy charged us a local tax upon our arrival. Only 1 of the 3 Italian cities we visited accepted a credit card to pay for the tax. This is another reason to have cash (preferably exact cash) on hand.

For budget travel in Europe (we found especially in Switzerland), it is not always common to have a private bathroom. If this is important to you, keep an eye out during your research.

Another thing that we noticed is that beds for 2 people were often 2 twin beds pushed together. If that would be annoying to you, I would recommend inquiring with the location you are considering what kind of beds they provide.

We tried to book locations with kitchenettes so that we had the option of cooking in order to ultimately save money by reducing the need to dine out. (We mainly did this in Switzerland because the food is expensive and not necessarily impressive to our taste.)

If you run hot or cannot tolerate heat, please keep in mind that most accommodations in Europe do not provide air conditioning. If this is important to you, perhaps try including that criteria in your search.

If you are traveling for an extended period of time, chances are you will need to wear some of the same clothes more than once! We found that it was helpful to plan ahead on where we would be accomplishing our laundering needs by booking hotels or Airbnbs where this amenity is conveniently included.

Please note that if you go through a hotel or a public laundry facility, you will need coins prepared (the machines we used only accepted €1 or €2 coins).

Usually detergent is included in most public washing machines, but if you would like to bring some with you I would suggest a package of lightweight, dry strips like these: Earth Eco Strips.

There are a few safety measures you can implement to try to deter pickpockets.

First and foremost, it is important to sift through your wallet and/or purse before departing. Leave all non-essentials at home, so you do not carry more than you need. That way, if you are subjected to pick pocketing, it can minimize the impact and you would know exactly what items were stolen.

Obviously, it is important to keep your bag securely closed at all times. If the interior of your purse offers additional zipped compartments, it would be best to place your money/credit cards in those. Cross body purses are the best option because when worn across the torso, they are far more difficult to snatch than handheld purses. Furthermore, purses with double zippers allow you to clasp it closed with a carabiner. I have provided an image below demonstrating this method. Although it can be a bit cumbersome to access items in your purse, every layer of security can help prevent you from being pickpocketed! I recommend something similar to these carabiners: Stainless Steel Carabiner.

It is highly discouraged to store wallets in your pants pockets (especially a back pocket). This is a common target for pickpockets!

An option is carrying your valuable items around your neck. To add another layer of protection, the neck bag can be tucked beneath your shirt so that it is not exposed. (We actually found using the neck bag very convenient while in airports so that our passports and other documents were easily accessible.) Here is a link to the neck bag that we utilized: Neck Bag.

Another alternative to keeping your wallet in your pocket is to use a traditional money belt, which is attached around your waist. Here is a link: Money Belt.

Before you leave, we recommend making a list of everyone you would like to bring back a gift. We suggest maintaining that list in your Google Drive as you shop so that by the end of your trip, everyone is accounted for (including yourself!).

• Mom - mug

• Dad - TBD

• Grandma - coasters

• Me! - tee shirt

Additionally, it makes all the difference to be thoughtful about the types of gifts you bring back. Rather than bringing back knickknacks that may collect dust, we find that the most appreciated gifts are meant to be used or consumed! Usable like tea towels, oven mitts, etc. or treats like local candy, snacks, etc.

If writing postcards is something you intend to do during your trip, we suggest bringing international stamps with you. Sometimes you can drop off postcards at the front desk of your hotel, which is much more convenient than tracking down a post office and waiting in line to purchase stamps there!

It is also helpful to have addresses already saved in your phone so that you can surprise your loved ones (and don’t have to wait for them to text you back lol)!

We highly recommend watching the local TV wherever you are staying. It can help you feel more immersed in the culture, even from the comfort of your hotel room!

Just a heads up, streaming availability changes significantly between countries. For example, sometimes shows are available on different platforms. Or sometimes the languages (verbal and closed captions) are modified or limited. We noticed that several times on Netflix. Hulu was not available in Europe (but some of their shows were available on Disney+). Prime Video didn’t seem to have any free or “included” options. HBO Max was entirely “not available in the region.”

In summary, if you would like to be able to stream shows/movies in Europe, we found that the best platforms were Netflix and Disney+ (which strangely had a lot of Hulu shows).

Last but certainly not least, we loved creating a list of memories each day. Anything that stood out – funny, endearing, frustrating – we would jot down on a Google Doc in our shared Google Drive folder. This electronic method was our version of a travel journal without having a bulky notebook to carry around. It’s fun to read through these special moments for inside jokes as well as reminders on just how much you experienced! ✨