What to Wear on the Plane

Okay, so you don't have to dress like the woman above.  However, while comfort is key, don't look like you just rolled out of the bunk bed at summer camp.  Have socks on hand for a possibly chilly plane cabin and a warm top/sweater/sweatshirt is probably a good idea too.

Night Train from Paris to Rome

Here's a picture that represents the accommodations that we should expect on the night train, above. As for clothing, you're going to want a comfortable pair of sweats or something similar to sleep in.  Remember, there will be 5 other people in your couchette and you will need to walk past other people to get to the bathroom.

What I'm Adding to my Packing List

In addition to the other items we suggested on our packing list, here are some of the other "necessities" that I found helpful last year.

• Dramamine (or other motion-sickness medicine).  You might be thinking you don't need it.  I didn't think I needed it either until the last hour and a half before landing in London when I had a headache and felt nauseous.  Ninety minutes never felt so long.
• Gas-X.  Again, I didn't think I'd need it either.  But then you realize that on a 9-hour flight, you don't have many options.  Either you startle the whole plane and awaken everyone's senses, or you take preventative measures like Gas-X.
• Wet wipes and small hand sanitizer.  Europeans have germs too.
• Reading material.  The night train is a long trip.  You will want something to pass the time.  I'm bringing Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (about London and Paris) to also add a bit of history and nostalgia to my traveling experience.
• Roll of toilet paper (or pack of tissues).  Yes, you read that right.  The night train from Paris to Rome is about 15 hours.  I wouldn't say that the Italian train workers in our class of cabin are particularly attentive to travelers' needs.  In other words, if our car runs out of toilet paper, it may or may not be replaced promptly.  Having your own roll will save you some worry and from that "Oh no..." moment as you finish your business and reach for the TP, only to realize there's one square left.  Here is a discussion forum on the night train from TripAdvisor.
• Rain jacket.  It will rain.  Do you want to be wet or dry?  Don't let a soggy sweatshirt ruin your European experience.  Bring something that will repel water.
• Ear plugs. Once we hit London at 7:00-ish Saturday morning we will be starting our day.  Sleep on the plane is essential. 
• Empty water bottle.  This is what I brought with me last year.  Filled it up each morning at the hotel and saved myself a handful of Euro each day.
• Energy bars.  Brought one box of yogurt, honey, peanut Balance Bars and one box of Odwalla Chocolate Bars last year.  Yes, you can buy a 3-Euro snack here ($4.33), and a 4-Euro snack there ($5.77), and a 2-Euro snack there ($2.89), then you end up not having enough money for that Eiffel Tower snow globe that you promised your sister. 
• A watch or other time-keeper (maybe not a phone!).  You will need to meet in certain places at certain times.  Have a watch with you.  A phone may not be the best idea as smartphone thefts have risen sharply in Europe.  See the entry below about smartphone thefts in Paris (especially iPhones).

These are the things I'm definitely taking with me and some things you may want to consider.  If you have other suggestions, feel free to leave a comment with your idea.
-Mr. Fong

Using your phones in Europe

Here are a couple of articles about using your cell phone in Europe.

• Using an American iPhone in Europe...without going broke
• Smartphones, mostly iPhones, drive robbery rise in Paris metro

On Departure Day...

 Just so there’s no confusion, here’s the process when you arrive at the American Airlines area:

1. Check in right away at the ticketing counter with your passport; that’s when you will be checking any luggage in as well.  This area is open to the public.  Here’s the link to American Airlines’ baggage information regarding size and restrictions:  http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/baggage/baggageAllowance.jsp 
2. Find Mr. Hemaidan and myself and we will check you off of our list so that we know you’re present.  We’ll wait together until everyone has arrived and checked in. 
3. All travelers will then be going through security together and off to the departure gate.

Behavior on Tour

·Here are some of the things we went over at our last meeting with regard to behavior on the trip:

        

BEHAVIOR

o   On the bus

§  While the tour director or guide is speaking on the bus, out of respect, no headphones or talking.

o   At the hotel

§  Students may not leave the hotel without parental supervision and must inform group leaders of all plans. Student bed checks will be conducted regularly.

§  Please be at breakfast each morning.

o   Alcohol

§  A parent who is traveling with his/her student can decide whether or not the student may consume alcohol and it may only be done in the presence of that parent

§  All other students may NOT consume alcohol at any time during the tour

§  No hard alcohol permitted under any circumstances

o   Free time

§  Free time during day: groups of 4 are required (include at least one guy in each group)

§  Free time at night:  MUST be with an adult traveler

o   One-way fare

§  Back to U.S. for rule violators:  $1,855 to $2,200

§  We don’t want to send anyone home mid-tour, however we will not hesitate to do so if a student violates the rules.

o   Any issues with the other school’s students

§  Talk to Hemaidan or Fong first and we’ll talk with the other school’s leader

o   Don’t be the “ugly American”

§  No complaining.  Be a traveler, not a tourist.  Things won’t be like they are in U.S. You are in THEIR country. Don’t just talk louder and slower.

Packing List from EF Tours

Here is the packing list that EF Tours recommends.

Pack Light!

Good article from Rick Steves about packing light.

Rome: The Interactive Sistine Chapel

The Vatican has a spectacular website set up for the Sistine Chapel.  Visit the site, give the picture a minute to load up and explore.  It's incredible--and a place that we'll be seeing in person in just a few short weeks!

Train Travel in Europe

The EF Tours blog has a new entry about train travel in Europe.  The first train they mention, the Eurostar out of St. Pancras station in London, is one of the trains that we'll be taking on our trip.

New Paris Video by EF

The New French Chocolate

A recent article in the New York Times discusses some of the newest and best chocolate houses in Paris.  Read the article here.

William & Kate

Looks like good fun!

GREAT Advice

You HAVE to watch this video.  GREAT advice!

EF Tours Rome Video

Final stop on our tour will be Rome, Italy. We'll be taking a night train from Paris down into Italy and once in Rome we'll tour around what's been nicknamed The Eternal City.

National Geographic's City Guides: Rome

National Geographic has a fantastic website with guides to all of the great cities of the world, which includes the cities we are visiting.  Check out the Rome guide here.

Carnaby in London

One of the areas we're sure to visit (and indeed went to last year) is Carnaby Street in London.  It's an eclectic mix of shops and pubs that will make for a fun stroll.  Here is the Carnaby Street website--check it out!

A $100 Weekend in Paris

Is it possible?  The Frugal Traveler, a writer for the New York Times, says yes and shares his experiences in this article.

Cultural Inventory: France and Italy

The Vatican and St. Peter's Square

Get a little French and Italian culture before our trip.  Rick Steves relays some gleanings from a meeting he recently had.

London: The Royal Wedding

There's an article today in The Guardian about the wedding party for the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.  William has chosen his little brother Harry as his best man.  Of course, we'll be in London about eleven days before the April 29th nuptials so the souvenirs will probably be available in full force.  Get your British pounds ready!

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 16th at 5:30pm Room 625

We sent out an email several days ago informing everyone about our next meeting which will be Wednesday, February 16 at 5:30pm.  We're excited to get together for our second of three meetings.  We hope that you've either secured your passport already or will be receiving it soon.

One of the things we'll discuss Wednesday will be departure and arrival times.  We've gotten some preliminary information from EF Tours and we're eager to share that with you at the meeting.  We would like all travelers to be present.  Non-travelers are not obligated to attend.  Please let us know if you will not be able to make it.

EF Tours Paris Video

Second stop on our tour will be to Paris, France.  After a couple of days in London, we'll take the Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel and into France's crown jewel.  Above is the video of the city by EF Tours.

Since we're on the topic of packing light...

Mrs. Mills on the far left, Mrs. Herrick's head in the center, and Mr. Randall with his neck pillow in the foreground.

Since we're on the topic, we came across a shot from last year's trip that reminded us that packing light is a necessity.  Remember, you have to be able to haul and care for your own luggage.  This picture is taken right after we arrived in Paris and are leaving the Gare du Nord and heading out to our motor coach.  Note that everyone is rolling their suitcase along.

If you're not able to haul your own stuff, it does slow the group down.  There will be times when we're walking a little distance and it's imperative that we all are able to handle our belongings.  So pack light.  It's okay if you wear the same shirt/pants combo more than once; we're looking at Notre Dame Cathedral, not your pants!

London Snow

You may remember the snow that blanketed Europe this past December wreaking havoc on travelers for several days.  This shot above is from December 20, 2010 on Oxford Street in London as people were wrapping up their holiday shopping.

EF Tours: Packing Light

A couple of days ago we posted an entry with REI's tips for traveling light.  EF Tours just posted a blog entry about packing light on their tours.  The writer writes about his trip with students just last week to...London, Paris, and Rome, the same as our trip!  Find out how heavy one girl's bag was at the blog entry here.

PASSPORTS!

Just a reminder to get those passports taken care of.  We don't want to leave you behind!  Here's the website for the Department of State that will help you get the passport process rolling.

Question Poll Issues

Sorry, something wigged out on the question poll and some of the votes got wiped out, so we erased the poll.  We'll get the kinks out and get another question poll out soon!

Traveling Light: Expert Advice from REI

REI is known for its outdoor equipment but it also has some great travel gear.  One of their bags, the REI Wheely Beast Rolling Duffel was named as one of the best pieces of luggage by Outside Magazine.  They also offer some great advice for travelers.  In their stores one can find packing lists that are set out for free and to help travelers ready themselves for their trips.

On their website, they have an article about traveling light which is definitely the way you'll want to go for our trip to Europe in April. It also has a great Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section.  Check out the article here.

Best Movies to Watch Before Going to Europe--EF Tours

On the EF Tours blog, they posted an entry about the best movies to watch before going to Europe.  Check out the entry here.  One of the movies mentioned is Chariots of Fire, a portion of which we've posted above.  What movies that include Europe would you recommend?

Olympics in London 2012

The 1908 British Cycling Pursuit team, gold medal winners.

We're going to be in London at a pretty cool time.  The royal wedding will be happening just a few days after we leave the city for Paris, and the 2012 Olympic preparation will be nearing completion.  It will be interesting to see what the city is like with the buzz of the imminent wedding--we're guessing our hotel will be full of tourists--as well as how the cityscape looks with the new Olympic arenas in place.

London, 2010

Here's a video we put together from pictures of last year's trip.  What a city!

Our Tour Director: CONFIRMED!

Bath, England

We just received an email from Chris Mulhern who was the tour director (the EF guide who travels with us the entire trip) on last year's trip led by Mrs. Mills and Mrs. Herrick.  We requested him for this year's trip and we just got confirmation from him that he will indeed be our tour director this year!  Chris is a Brit (currently residing in Bath) who is soft-spoken, even-tempered, and has a lot of local knowledge.  It'll be a pleasure to work with him again and we'll soon be hearing his gentle wake-up call of "Wakey-wakey" over the bus loud-speakers. 

Here are the contents of his email to us below:

A belated Happy New Year to you too.

I've just been confirmed as your TD which I'm delighted about. I had originally been assigned to another tour but managed to get it switched....

Hope you and your family are all well.

Look forward to seeing you before too long!

All the best, now

Chris

The London Underground

Last year we had a wild time on the London Underground, also known as The Tube.  Getting on at rush hour is an experience you won't soon forget.  Check out this article at the EF Tours blog about traveling through London on The Tube.  Mind the gap, as they say!

EF Tours London Video

The first stop on our tour is going to be London, England.  Check out the video we showed at our first travelers' meeting last week!

Taking Pictures on our Europe Tour

Photo of Trevi Fountain in Rome

EF Tours has a blog that they update each week.  This week they have a feature on taking pictures while on tour.  Check out the blog entry here and start getting your cameras ready!

Welcome

Welcome to the official blog for the London, Paris, and Rome trip, 2011!