Author |
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Monday, February 06, 2006 - 10:09 pm
If you are going for work and will be picked up at the airport, I would nix the sweats or pajama pants. Try a jumper or loose dress, or a pants outfit with an elastic waist. I usually take a jacket (suit jacket) on the plane with me and use it as an extra blanket. When I travel in the summer, I am in a knit dress with an elastic waistband. Knit dress pants, knit top and suit jacket for winter. I NEVER travel on an airplane in jeans or shorts. The temperature varies too much, and you need clothes that stretch. Often the restrooms between deplaning and baggage claim are overcrowded (or closed for cleaning). Wouldn't want your fellow passengers mobbing you as you change into business dress in a stall! Also, if your company put you in first or business class (LUCKY YOU!) you will have to dress accordingly. I DO take "sleep socks" or slippers on the plane. My feet get cold. Be careful to take comfy shoes. Your feet will probably swell, and it is horrible to try to stuff your swollen foot into a too-tight shoe!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, February 06, 2006 - 11:12 pm
I do believe in wearing the under the clothing money belts. It is peace of mind especially if your hotel doesn't have a room safe, and you end up having to carry your passport on your person. I put my passport, my return airplane ticket, most of my money, and my extra credit card and extra ATM card in there. Just carry enough cash for one day's outings outside the money belt. I like to have two credit cards and two ATM cards, even if you have to open a second account and put some money in there. I'm a little embarrassed to mention this, but I have been known to carry my credit card in my bra in places where I don't feel safe (London and Paris and Saigon). One of the first things I saw in Paris, was the aftermath of a pickpocket in the Trocadero area where all the people are viewing the Eiffel Tower. Ditto everything Schoolmarm said, especially the blow up pillow for sleeping on the plane. You get those and the money belts in the luggage sections of stores like K-mart and Target. AAA also carries a lot of travel items like that but they are more expensive than the discount stores. 7 hours? Pishtosh. My last flights have been 15 hours, with two hour flights before and after, and three hour layovers in two airports. 7 hours is a bit short to get real sleep with a prescription sleeping pill like Ambien. By the time you get a meal and get settled down, you will only have about 4-5 hours left, and that is not enough time for a prescription sleeping aid. They say not to take them unless you have about 7 hours available to sleep. You could try non-prescription melatonin. Take one 3 mg. pill. Buy it in the health supplements section of your drugstore or discount store. That said, you might want to ask your doctor to prescribe a couple sleeping pills anyway. I sometimes use them the first couple nights in a strange time zone to force myself onto the new time schedule. The people at Fodors message board who travel all the time swear by Ambien, and now I do too. It puts you to sleep right away and you wake up with no sleeping pill hangover. It is a controlled substance, and you cannot take it if you are a recovering substance addict. Well, or you should not. They are expensive pills, so if you are frugal like me, you can ask the doc to prescribe 10 mg. and take half a pill rather than getting the 5 mg. I eat all meals and snacks offered on the airplane and accept all offers of water. I am a bit low blood sugar too. Pack as little as possible. As Schoolmarm said try to coordinate outfits. Take as few shoes as you possibly can. If you can avoid taking a current converter, do so. Those things are heavy. If you have to have a hair dryer, get one of those dual current Conair travel dryers. You will still need the adapter plug to plug it into the outlet though. You can find those where you find the money belts and blow up pillows. I will probably think of some more things, but Schoolmarm will probably already have them covered by the time I get back.
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Jkm
Member
07-10-2002
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 6:57 am
You all are so awesome! I'm leaving in just about two weeks also - 4 from work going - leaving the states on a Saturday morning - getting in to London near midnight London time - have Sunday to "adjust" to time change and see a little bit of London - then to Swindon Sunday evening - for work - then Friday afternoon/evening back to London - plane on Saturday morning -- So not sure how much we'll get to see -- and I hope we don't try to stay together - travel with 4 is nearly impossible to get to and from anywhere together.... Kids want me to take pictures of anything Harry Potter!! I'm also supposed to bring home anything soccer and any cute teenage British guys with cool accents (I have teen/barely teen daughters - can you tell?) I'm not a great camera person - so I'll probably end up buying some postcards instead -- I'm open to seeing as much as I can in our short time. I was looking at a map of England/London - The streets -- I'm used to country mile squares -- Do they have any straight roads? I've heard about the no stop signs - mostly round abouts... I can't wait to take it in! I am a larger person and already feel sorry for whomever ends up next to me on the plane... I try to be considerate. No because so many are going they put us in coach - when my boss went last year she went first class... oh well.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 7:52 am
Ok, all my advice about getting your schedule adjusted won't work with your plane schedule. I still think that you need to sleep a bit on the plane. Try to go to sleep right when you get there. Good luck! I do best on overnight flights that land in the morning. I need about an hour catnap in the afternoon and I'm good to go. I don't do so well when landing in the afternoon, but these are longer travel days. I don't ever remember landing in the evening/night. Juju? Have you done that? Maybe Az has? In any case, it is good that you have Sunday to adjust. Don't plan on seeing much...go easy! Actually, don't plan on seeing anything, that way anything that you do see outside of work will be a bonus! Plan on long lines at either Gatwick or Heathrow and a lengthy security process. I think it was the Milan airport (or maybe Gatwick) that had a huge Harry Potter statue made out of Legos! That was cool. Also check out www.seatguru.com if you want to know about your seat. Some airlines are quite narrow, and my size 14/16 butt just squeezes in! If you are taking camera equipment, get LITTLE equipment! Buying postcards is a great idea. If you want to use disposable cameras buy them in the US and take them with you. I often forget to take my camera on my many trips to Munich for business. Most people can't understand that, but oh, it is SO exciting to be in an archive from morning to night. Since this is your first overseas trip, DO bring your camera. I have a little tiny digital that fits in my purse. About the money belt thing. Juju is right about unsafe areas. I only take out 200 Euros at a time and I don't carry it with me. I have a secret compartment in my carryon luggage and I leave some there. In my purse (or if I want to look like a tourist, my fannypack) I have my passport, cash for the day, ATM and Credit card--sometimes one is in my tote or briefcase--a bottle of pop, and my sandwich I knicked from breakfast. Americans tend to talk very loudly and call attention to themselves. We also are second to the Japanese in wearing camera equipment as jewelery. Avoid taking your bright "I'm on vacation" clothing! Try not to call attention to yourself by doing these things. Buy a map of the tube system/area. A small one that will fold up and be inconspicuous. You can get maps before you go or once you get there. DO NOT change money at the airport change buros in the US. You will pay huge surcharges. Wait til you get to England and use a bank machine. Remember that Eurocard is the same as Mastercard and are taken almost everywhere. I never use traveller's checks anymore. You get a better exchange rate out of the ATM machine, and then (I think) by using your credit card. I really hate to say this, but in these days, you need to be very careful in travelling abroad. Did you catch the Muslim protest in London on the news this morning? There is a strong Anti-American sentiment abroad with some populations. Leave the American "branded" clothing and shoes at home. I never wear shirts that advertise that I'm American when I'm abroad (however, I enjoy meeting people with their "Penn State" or "Iowa" sweatshirts on). I was threatened by young Muslim men on the Paris metro and at the Louvre. You will draw less attention if you are not blonde or have a dark complexion (I am pasty white and stand out like a sore thumb in many locales.) You might want to just get on a city bus that goes by the touristy sights and take pictures. I wish that I had taken more Paris buses than subways. The driving on the right is really freaky to me! Even as a passenger! Enjoy the scenery and all in all, have fun!
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 7:55 am
Yep, I am definitely one who would follow Jon Stewart's advice, just tell people you are canadian. In our case, we will lock away the american passports and use the Irish when abroad
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 8:26 am
Good idea, Maris!
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 10:40 am
Lots and lots of excellent advice here. You can get through security more quickly if you plan for it. Know that they will more often than not have you take your shoes off (I wear clogs when traveling...great for slipping on and off and comfortable besides.) They also have been making you take off your jackets. Check whatever you can.... it's crazy to carry more stuff than you can easily handle, as well as rude to the people who are behind you in the security line (can you tell I have been behind people who have driven me nuts?) And don't take it personally if you are the random person they choose for a more thorough check. Usually it is just by chance. When going through security or immigration, answer the questions asked pleasantly and concisely. I have a friend who gets held up there all of the time and I swear it is because she gives too much information (plus because she carries so much junk with her and gets nervous by the whole process.) Also before you leave make sure all of your identification matches and also make sure you have signed the back of all credit cards. Other things that have proven problems for friends! There is a lot of anti-American sentiment out there, but I haven't ever had anyone hold that against me. If you are loud or obnoxious, or negative about another country or their people, I think those are the kinds of things that makes an "ugly American" and causes problems. Their quarrels tend to be with our government and not necessarily with its citizens. If you genuinely want to meet people and find out about their way of life, you usually don't have any problems. I doubt you will have any problems in London, unless you do spend a lot of time in Muslim neighborhoods and feel the need for confrontation. For overall security, just don't bring attention to yourself. I can't believe people who dress to stand out while traveling and wear jewelry that makes them a target for mugging. And the washcloth thing....I always have to carry them, because I hate going without them. Assume you won't have them. I usually take those with holes in them, or that are in bad shape, and just leave them there. You'll find soccer (or football, as they call it) stuff everywhere. It's big stuff there! I think post cards are great in lieu of pictures. I am a picture taker, but especially for the tourist points you can often get shots that don't have a lot of extra people in them. I learned a long time ago to adopt the rule "We are all responsible for our own good time" when traveling with other people. I had a trip a long time ago when I did everything that my traveling companions wanted to do and nothing that I wanted to do. I was very angry with them at the end of it, but then realized it was my own fault for not going off on my own and doing what I wanted to do. That one little rule has helped my frame of mind on many a trip...and all of my friends know that if they are looking for a foreign babysitter, I am not their best traveling companion!
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Jkm
Member
07-10-2002
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 10:57 am
What do you think about using a Visa Debit card instead of a credit card or traveler's checks?
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Jkm
Member
07-10-2002
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 11:00 am
We cut them all up years ago... Gee I guess it's been almost 10 years ago - wow time flies by. DH has one for his business travel - but my name is not on it - don't know if bank can fix that fast enough for me - also thought of buying a prepaid Visa
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 11:14 am
Debit cards are fine for ATMs...I don't know the machine code for my credit card, so that's what I use. But I think VISA gives you some extra protections for purchases and such (and is best for things like buying plane tickets, which shouldn't be a problem for you since you are going on business.) If you don't plan on buying anything expensive, I think you would be fine with the debit card.
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 11:55 am
Swindon is a great place from which to explore the West Country. If you can wangle an afternoon off work I'd see if someone could take you all for a drive into the country, that area is lovely. As I remember (it's been 15 years since I was there), the town itself isn't overly exciting. Unless you like trains. A lot of the UK is changing to smartcard debit cards, where instead of swiping your card you put it in a card reader slot. I think most of the machines still have the slot as well, but don't be surprised if they insist on processing your debit card as if it were a credit card. Also many US banks have started adding an extra fee to debit card purchases from abroad (at least my bank claimed that all banks were doing it now), but it's tiny, in the order of 20-50c per transaction, for small transactions. On credit card purchases, or at least my credit card, I wasn't charged an extra fee. Also they expect you to have a pin on your credit card now, but will process it without if you say you don't have one (particularly if you say you don't have one with a foreign accent!). If you're flying into Heathrow you can take the Paddington Express into London (about 12 pounds) and then the direct train to Swindon from Paddington. If someone else isn't driving you! Train journeys in the UK are ridiculously expensive these days, but if your work is paying it will be the simplest option. Yes, keep a low profile. Honestly, Brits like Americans when they get to know them, and contrary to stereotype, we're a pretty open people. Unfortunately most of our encounters with Americans are from a distance, such as the "ugly American" tourist who insists on comparing everything to America at the top of their voices. Don't do that (I know you wouldn't!). Remember the UK uses pounds and pence, not Euros. What airline are you flying on? British Airways and Virgin have tv screens in your seats, that make a huge difference to how quickly time passes on the flight. I expect other airlines do too. Check with them.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 1:01 pm
I use my bank debit/credit card. No problems! And the advantage is that you get the "wholesale" bank exchange rate which more than covers any "foreign currency transaction fee" charged by the bank. Have a great trip!
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Max
Moderator
08-12-2000
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 1:19 pm
I bank at a credit union and the debit card can be used as a VISA with no problem -- and no additional fees. Definitely let your CC companies know you will be using the card outside the country to avoid them putting a hold on charges. I found in Europe that VISA and MasterCard were pretty much accepted everywhere. However, I was surprised last time I went to Victoria, BC, Canada to find that ATMs accepting VISA cards were few and far between. The nice thing was that while walking to a bank whose machines accepted the cards, we found a really nice street art fair that we probably wouldn't have found otherwise. American Express cards are often not accepted -- something that's true domestically as well as internationally due to the higher fees they charge the merchants. I forgot about the washcloth thing! Oh, and don't go asking for ranch dressing or yellow mustard. I went through much of Europe with a friend who insisted on always asking for yellow mustard, even though it was clear that none was gong to be found! If you need those things (and who does really) take some with you. 
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 1:52 pm
Oooo...just thought of something else with the yellow mustard part of Max's post. If you are going for a while and really need condiments (or laundry soap, etc.) get some of the packet from a fast food place or buy them at a deli. Make sure to put all liquid packets in a ziploc. Who wants to clean mayonaise off of their shoes and socks! If you have Star or Cirrus on the back of your debit/credit card you are in good shape. I take yogurt and fruit (apples are best) on the plane with me. Another snack that is portable are those "whatever" salad and cracker snack kits. I buy big bottles of pop over there and then refill my small bottle. Oh, and for some reason, security abroad likes to check your CDs. I have had mine opened on several trips. They don't bother with new ones that are still wrapped. Dang, I wish that I were going somewhere soon! (Well, besides Chicago next week!)
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 2:00 pm
I always request a vegetarian meal. they are much better than the other crap that the airlines serve
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 2:51 pm
Maybe my bank's lying to me about the bank fees then! But about the pin on the credit card - I had problems in three cities in November, so I know that can happen for sure, so it's something to be aware of. And the fruit thing reminded me - when you come back into the US you have to declare any food you bring with you, and certain types are confiscated. Don't bring any cheese, meats, fruit, or anything fresh that isn't prepackaged back with you unless you're going to finish it on the plane. Going into England isn't so strict.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 3:20 pm
Visa and MasterCard issuers now have about a 3% surcharge on using credit cards overseas, not because they have extra expenses, but because they CAN. I got a Visa card from my credit union to use overseas. No fee other than the 1% that Visa charges them. Likewise many of the ATM issuing banks have slapped surcharges on overseas cash withdrawals. You can either consider it the cost of going abroad or fight back by getting a credit union account and ATM card. No fees on credit union ATM use.
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Calamity
Member
10-18-2001
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 4:00 pm
*Sigh* Someday I'll get to use all these tips... Hope everyone has a safe trip and fantastic experiences you'll remember forever!
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Halfunit
Moderator
09-02-2001
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 5:12 pm
<...jumps up and down...> I have a credit union ATM card! Even though I've been to London before, you are all offering great advice! Jkm, I'm sorry that you'll be working during the week - it sounds like we're going to be in England at the same time and it would have been fun to meet up! The last time Unit and I were there, we left the day after the bombs started falling in Iraq. We had concerns about anti-American sentiment abroad, but the Brits were very welcoming. There were some protesters right outside Parliament, but nothing that made me feel uncomfortable. One of my favorite purchases was a t-shirt with the Tube map on it. I'd wear it under another shirt, and "flash" Unit whenever we needed to figure out where we were going. Have a great time!!!
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 5:19 pm
I haven't read the thread, but will relate an experience I had. I "crossed the pond" a number of times during the '70s. One of the trips was to London. Had my wallet picked out of my purse there. Pretty sure I know when / where it happened. At one particular Underground stop, there was a crowd getting on / off -- got jostled. I'm sure that's where it happened, but wasn't aware of it at the time. Luckily, that was the one trip when I had taken anything unnecessary out of my wallet before leaving home. Only lost about $15 in cash. Was using travelers checks (not credit card) which were not in my wallet. All in all, no huge loss. Worst was the loss of a sentimental photo. (Oh, well. It's still there in my mind.) Also, I always thought jet lag was worse coming back home than going. Adjusted pretty quickly there, but usually by the time I got home I'd been awake for about 24 hours.
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Buttercup
Member
09-10-2000
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 8:59 pm
I'm not sure this has been mentioned yet, but I recommend bringing earplugs for the plane if you want to sleep. Also, one of those masks to cover your eyes for complete darkness. Oh, and I also bring a pair of extra socks on the plane because my feet always get cold Have a great trip!
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 10:34 pm
Try a jumper or loose dress,... Don't wear just a jumper once you're there. In England, jumper = sweater (pullover, I think). You'll only be half dressed! And because of the dry air on the plane, I found that contact lenses can be irritating. One trip in particular, I wore them (soft lenses) on the way there. It was a couple of days before I could wear them comfortabley again.
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Knightpatti
Member
12-06-2001
| Tuesday, February 07, 2006 - 11:35 pm
Did anyone mention to take Airbourne when flying?
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Wednesday, February 08, 2006 - 9:26 am
Oh...and lip balm. You need it after that flight. And moisterizer. I wish I were planning a trip, too. I was telling a friend the other day that feels weird because I am not.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, February 08, 2006 - 7:09 pm
Yay Halfunit!!!
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