Hints and Tips Info Sheet for Attendees...
![]() Hint...Travel Light.
Things to do...Countdown. Passport...Check you have 7 months minimum time remaining on it from departure date Visa...see travel agent to confirm your individual situation. Mail...arrange someone to collect it. Put on hold all deliveries whilst away. Don’t leave newspapers and mail lying around. House and Contents Insurance...Make sure it covers what you really think and want covered. Pension or Benefit...If a pension or benefit recipient, inform Centre-Link you’ll be away for a period of time. Then inform them when you arrive back home again. They may keep your payments and rent assistance going as usual, under most circumstances, but check everything first. House care... Arrange with friends or neighbors to mow your lawns etc and generally keep an eye on the place. Travel Insurance...Take out appropriate travel insurance for loss of gear, theft, personal injury and if a skier or you want to para-glide or Hot Air Balloon over there, it will cost you much extra to add a few days of Ski insurance. Seek appropriate advice from your travel agent first, then see me regarding great insurance rates I used last time , saving hundreds on travel agent offered insurances...but underwritten by ALLIANZ. Wallet/Purse...Belly (Bum) bags are great for most people. The countries we’ll be visiting usually are very safe and normal safety precautions are warranted. Visa DEBIT Cards...Visit your bank to let them know you will be using your card overseas. They will activate an action so it can be used overseas. As an extra precaution, get your cards Visa Authorized. See your bank for this extra safety step. It’s easy, takes 3 minutes and will save you lots of headaches. Set up 2 or 3 bank accounts and get a card for 2 only. Keep most of your money in the account without any card attached to it and transfer small amounts of funds from that, into your Visa debit card every few days, to one card only as needed. The other card with nothing on it and empty accounts containing a dollar only, are for emergency if your card in usage gets lost or damaged. Make sure you set all this up at least a couple of months prior to departure and practice at your bank that each account can be accessed to ensure that it all works! If you withdraw funds, your bank will probably charge $5 each time. So, buy your food etc with money in your cards. Having 2 cards will allow you to use one until it's free x 10 transactions(or however many your bank gives you) are used, then add your money into the other card and use it for the balance of the month. I only withdrew 4 lots of cash in 5 months, 1 lot of Euro, 1 lot of HUF-(Hungarian), 1 lot of Czeck and 1 lot of British Pounds. The rest of the time I either bought train, bus tickets etc, online, paid everything else by card, paid hostels in cash if they did not take cards. My bank fees for 5 months was under $30...and I felt that was so worth it for peace of mind and no hassle fixing up lost or stolen money etc. Emergency cash safety stash... See above in 3 bank accounts entry. What to do for lost or stolen gear/cards etc... Ask your bank what actions to take if need be. Know immediately who to contact and have those details on hand by photocopying those contact details. What to do if in an accident or suffer damage or injury...Your insurance cover will/should issue you with a small card with contact details on it for emergency. Get one from your bank too...e-mail is useful. Arrange with the bank, travel agent and insurance company to email you these details before you depart so you can have a worry free workshop trip. Copies of all travel documents... Take copies of your home, contents, travel insurances and passport before departure and leave with a reliable and 24hr available contact for emergency use if needed. International Drivers Licence... While this could be handy, it’s unlikely you will use it, but if you are thinking of doing a bit of private touring before, after or during the Workshop, get it. It is also accepted in most areas as an alternate form of ID to your Passport. Handy anyways... It only costs about $20 from RACQ in Qld, Australia, together with 2 passport size/type pics. Ski or Extreme Sports Cover Insurance...If you intend skiing whilst overseas, or paragliding, Hot Air Ballooning, White-water rafting, Canoeing or any extreme sport, seek correct insurance cover. Usually these extreme sports are not covered in the normal travel insurance policy and just plain old skiing is classed as an extreme sport now! Establish a routine for removing and replacing your credit/debit cards after making a purchase. When on the hop in unfamiliar lands, you can get out of your normal safety routine. We will go thru a card safety routine with you in orientation evening on the first night after welcome party and drinks. Dilly Bag...for carrying your camera, water bottle, gloves etc. This is a lightweight strong material backpack type bag and is the handiest little travel item ever. Health...you must be fit, agile, able to climb lots of steps and stairs, be out and about almost every day for long periods of breathtaking touring sites, learning and travel. Food intolerance...Rice cakes and some plain wheat free meals can be served at no extra cost. Inform workshop manager prior to departure if you need this extra free service. Pace...Fast, exciting, informative and on the go but at the same time, not rushed as in those 21 day bus tours you see. Camera...Photo shooting hints will be given at beginning of workshop to ensure you have the best chance to capture those special and unforgettable shots you’ll remember forever. A cheap little $80 or so Samsung digital camera from Harvey Norman or such, that also takes videos is ample these days. Get a spare 4 or 8 MG memory card too. Computer...A smallish to medium sized notebook type laptop is recommended, rather than your 15inch lappy. You will learn how to set up a blog and picture diary of your trip and the screen on a 9 inch notebook is suitable size to learn from. WiFi... Fair use WiFi is free in most apartments and accommodations nowadays in Europe and is also freely available at MacDonald’s and Starbucks (for the price of a cup of coffee!)all over Europe. Electricity Outlets... Adapters are available to buy everywhere. Get an international one before you leave. Battery Charging Stations...Trains , Ferries, Cafe's, Hostels, Airports, Transport Terminals etc, most seem to have free power outlets available to charge your "toys". Free Phone...Free Skype accounts are great for overseas communication and if you have a webcam on your laptop even better! For mobile and smart phone info...Check with the workshop manager a month before departure as technology changes so fast, any info now presented could well be outdated! International mobile phone roaming charges are horrific, so see your own network provider. A mobile phone is really not needed. Workshop organizer has a local mobile phone for emergencies. Suitcases...One medium size and one small cabin bag is all you generally should need. Pack your gear and then cull it at least 5 times before you finally zipp it up! Weight is about 22 kgs free for baggage and 8-10kg for cabin bags, as this is written, but check as airline policy changes. Clothing... It will be summer in the Southern Hemisphere when you leave and wonderful winter in Europe when you arrive. It is the middle of their fabulous snow season, so be prepared to buy next season’s clothes over there if desired instead of taking over last year’s old winter gear! Clothing in Europe is inexpensive, fashionable and of high quality. You will need a knee length vinyl/leather waterproof type over coat to cover your back and bottom, ankle/knee high boots with a stable heel or a pair of good walking shoes, a couple of warm scarves, gloves, a nice dressy beanie, cap or head covering. Basic 4-6 sets undies, 3 prs slacks, jeans or pants, 3 long sleeved tops, 3 short sleeved T shirts, 2 pairs of 40 denier stocking to wear under your jeans, a couple of those light spencers from a $2 shop, a good warm jacket/top, a dressy formal type of outfit for concerts and a floor length evening gown for the ball, with evening bag, shawl, shoes and “jewellery”. The Ball outfit need not be expensive, as if it’s a long black frock; you can dress it up very successfully indeed. Pyjamas, lightweight dressing gown. It is not cold inside in most dwellings or shops in Europe as most buildings are centrally heated and windows are double glazed. Light, short sleeved clothing is worn inside, so normal snug PJ’s will do the job. Shoes...A dressy pair of evening shoes, a good pair of walking shoes, a pair of nice boots, a pair of internal house shoes. Anything else you may want is usually freely available in most of the shopping areas in cities we’ll be visiting. Sox...3 or 4 pairs of warm, thick sox. You can wash your sox and undies out at night then hang to dry over the central heaters in the rooms. Toiletries...sizes etc. 100 ml only bottles of shampoo and lotions are largest size allowed on most international flights. Take your normal make up or shout yourself a whole new make up kit over in Europe! Shampoo, Hair spray, Nivea, deodorants etc are very cheap in Spar type supermarkets in Vienna, as are cosmetics, which are similar in price to here. Notepads, pens etc...Bring an extra one if desired. We also supply an exercise/workbook book and pen for your workshop periods. Panadol or Headache Tabs...Interesting fact you should know. You cannot buy headache pills in most Supermarkets in Europe, but you can buy 40% + alcohol! You must go to the Chemist and then you can only buy 10 tablet paks. Maybe bring a packet of your favourite brand if you suffer the odd headache. Check with customs and be prepared to dump if not allowed to take them out of your country or take into Europe! Emergency Stash Stuff...Vegemite Tubes. Take a couple with you in your sent baggage, not your carry on! Be prepared to give one to a starved Aussie you are bound to meet on your travels, then leave the one you used with another Vegemite starved Aussie! Here are a couple of Questions and answers I saw on a travel forum...re Vegemite... "Anyone know of any issues taking Vegemite on a plane (in luggage) to Europe? kthxbai No problems in checked luggage. In hand luggage it will need to be under 100ml." The_Big_D writes... No problems in checked luggage. In hand luggage it will need to be under 100ml. This. I took some with me to Europe with no problems. Just remember, you'll need to declare it as food. NiSlo writes... Just remember, you'll need to declare it as food. Someone replied....Don't do that. No-one will believe it. Say it is axle grease or something. Reply to...."Say it is axle grease or something".... Funnily enough I once asked an American what he thought of Vegemite. He likened it to eating Diesel Grease. Seriously though, to answer the OP (again), just pack it in your stowed suitcase. Declare it, even if Customs look at you queer, and you're set to go. reference: whrl.pl/RcHRiY posted 2011-Apr-6, 7am AEST User #281827 236 posts seanjr Forum Regular I took a jar (the big 600g one) to my friend in England via Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Had it in my checked luggage. No dramas. reference: whrl.pl/RcIi6K posted 2011-Apr-12, 1pm AEST User #202250 8622 posts snowant Whirlpool Forums Addict I had to take heaps of the muck to Canada some years back, for expatriates I didn't even know! 5 giant jars, I don't even know if they make jars that big any more. Plus packets of scotch finger biscuits (why?) and the standard tim tams. Declared the food, commiserated with customs guy about how foul it was, no problem. |
Clothes Suggestions...
![]() A soft scarf is the 2nd most important piece of clothing for our trip. This one was around $6, is the right size, as you can wrap it around your neck a few times, drape it around your face if the snow blows at you and it was a really lovely soft fabric. Test them before you go.
But wait and buy over there as
they are cheap and are made for
the areas and weather we'll be
experiencing. Plus, it's better
when you say..."I bought this in
Europe"!!!
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