Cash and Credit
Paying Your Way in Europe
European money, changing money, travelers checks, credit cards.
On the left of this image you see the backsides of several denominations of euro banknotes and two euro coins. The main features are a bridge, a map of Europe, the value, and euro in Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic alphabets. Be careful where you get your cash because there are a few phonies.
The plastic images feature two credit cards and two ATM cards. Notice that the "spider," more commonly called the "chip," is finding its way into American credit cards. It has been used in Europe for years. The chip on the Nederland ABN-AMRO bank card is a new configuration. American cards with a chip sometimes work in Europe and sometimes do not. This Anerican credit union ATM card has no chip but works in bank ATMs throughout Europe.
Carpe diem. Vivere bene! Gratia Deo.
Chapter 8 Part 3
HOW TO EUROPE:
The Complete Travelers Handbook
John Bermont
This entire book is published totally free on-line by the author and photographer, yours truly, with help from my daughter Stephanie. Yes, you can copy — if you ask first. Please read my copyright and permissions statements. Visit my home page at enjoy-europe for truck loads of more helpful illustrated travel information sans pareil. If you have questions or comments after reading this chapter please see NOTE TO READERS. Updated 5 November 2015.
Will that be cash or plastic?
IN FOUR PARTS
This Internet edition of chapter 8 is divided into four parts because it is so big. The four parts are:
- Pickpockets: They're everywhere.
- ATMs in Europe: Travel Cash.
- Cash and Credit: Paying Your Way in Europe.
- Potpourri: Barter if you're broke.
Part 1 of this chapter focused on the issue of protecting your stash. Part 2 discussed the European version of ATMs, autiomatic teller machines. This part discusses the money instruments at your disposal.
CASH
The Mighty Dollar
In the eastern countries, there are unusual things going on with money. In most of them you can use dollars to pay for many things. For instance, in Budapest, Hungary some hotels post their rates in native forints and in dollars. In Kiev, Ukraine my hotel would only accept dollars. In Istanbul, rates were posted only in dollars. One of the reasons for this is that inflation is atrocious in some countries and the local currencies are depreciating at unbelievable rates. As an extreme example, in October 1994 the Russian ruble plunged by about 25% in one day, triggering a national crisis. It happened again about four years later, triggering an international crisis.
In 2012 the entire euro currency zone nearly went bankrupt thanks to a government spawned financial disaster in Greece. Similar conditions existed in Portugal, Itay, Greece, and Spain, spawning a new acronym — the PIGS countries.
Many Europeans would rather have dollars than their homeland currency. The situation has spawned street trader businesses in dollars throughout the eastern and southern European countries. A colleague used a street trader in Budapest and got an excellent exchange rate, which she discovered later was for cut up newspapers sandwiched between two legitimate forint banknotes. If it's too good to be true it's probably a scam. Even the rich are suckers for easy money. Bernie Madoff would never have been able to steal fifty billion dollars if he hadn't found wealthy suckers to give him their fortunes. That's what I call easy money.
US $100 bills are the monnaie du monde (money of the world) by my observations on four continents. Use only crisp new Bennies with the big picture of Benjamin Franklin and enhanced anti-forgery features (finally!). I carry ten of them for potential emergencies whenever I travel in Europe. When I get home they go back into my credit union account.
The Euro, €
The new kid in the bank is the euro. It uses a symbol that looks like a C bisected by an equals sign, like so, €. The euro is probably unique in centuries as the single currency of a multitude of free countries.
The European Union, EU, consists of 27 independent countries. The EU has had a parliament in Strasbourg and administrative offices in Brussels for many years. As a next step toward complete unification of Europe, a common currency has been issued. Most of the EU countries have decided to use the euro and abandon their historical currencies.
The Euro Zone officially consists of 17 countries with another half dozen unofficially accepting the euro. The lists are at my page The Euro and Other Currencies: Exchange Rates for Travel in Europe. There you will also find images of the euro and some other currencies, and a graph showing how the value of the euro versus the dollar has varied over the past fourteen years.
For the euro countries there is no longer a need to change money every time we cross a border. We can use the same money in Greece and Ireland, Portugal and Finland, and even Estonia and Slovakia.
This was mentioned above but is so serious a situation that it deserves a second call-out. As of spring 2010 the Greek politicians had bankrupted their country and began begging their euro siblings for loans and forgiveness. There was serious talk of evicting Greece from euro-land. Then the contagion spread to Spain, Portugal, and Ireland in 2011. Throughout 2012 the problem become worse with no sign of serious improvement up to early 2013. As of 2014 the situaton has moderated and the euro seems to have come out walking. It's always easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Of course, the USA is chugging down the same road to ruin. The US Treasury and the Federal Reserve krapheads are running the biggest Ponzi scheme ever dreamed of. It is beyond surreal. The next generation will inherit a bankrupt nation. See my extracurricular page on the Federal Reserve Bank at U.S. Treasury Ten Year Note.
Countries which are not in the European Union, EU, do not use the euro. Notable among these are Switzerland and Britain. Most of the former communist countries of eastern Europe are not using the euro but many of them are trying to join the EU. In the meantime the euro and the dollar are the de facto currencies in many of the eastern countries, much like the Deutschemark and the dollar were in prior years.
One of the nice things about the euro is that it is worth about a dollar, +/- 40%. It started out being worth $1.18 on 1 January 1999 (three years before it became official), but unraveled quite a bit down to $0.80 at one time, and then bounced up to about $1.60 in the spring of 2008. It's about $1.33 as of late 2013 after going through a few more zigs and zags. You won't find the value of your dollars bouncing around between 2 German Deutschemarks, 7 French francs, and 2,000 Italian lira as you cross borders anymore. But you will still have to put up with widely different exchange rates in Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, Britain, and many other countries.
Caveats
I've seen some stupid hot shots do this so I have to mention it. Do not flash a fist full of greenbacks and ask, jokingly, "How much is that in real money?" They'll tell you all right. In exchange for the insult, you will probably be tapped for another 25% to 50%.
Coins
Coins are not exchangeable outside the country of origin. This presents a problem because coins are what you often need immediately on entering any country. Virtually all toilets in Europe require payment. Sometimes you have an urgent situation after a long trip. Luggage lockers normally require coins.
Change is not as easy to get in Europe as it is at home. Merchants do not like to give it out. They refuse, in fact. Even if you try to buy something costing €0.50 and give the clerk a €5 note you will be asked if you have the corrct change. The easiest way to get change is to go to the foreign exchange window in your arrival airport or train station and get about three times as much as you think you will need.
An interesting thing happened as I was standing in the boarding line for a flight from Amsterdam to London in 2009. A fellow came up and started working the line trying to exchange some British coins for euro. Others refused but he offered a good rate so I made the deal. Having local coins is very handy when you go anywhere, but it is very difficult if not impossible to get a shopkeeper or any sales clerk to give you change.
Coin telephones, if available, are often out of order and/or steal your money. Somebody put in a slug or tried to bust the box open to steal the money. Instead of using a coin phone, buy a telephone card. In fact, the currency exchange office in the Antwerp train station (that's a picture of it on the front cover of my book How To Europe) would not give me change but gladly sold me a telephone card. That is far handier than putting a bunch of coins in the slot for a call. The card phones are usually in operating order. However most phone cards have an expiration date so if you don't use it up donate it to someone before you leave the country. For much more information on using the phones in Europe see part 1 of chapter 19, Telephoning to, from, and within Europe .
TRAVELER'S CHECKS
Dinosaur Bones
With the large number of ATM cash machines throughout Europe, travelers checks are basically history. Don't bother bringing any, unless you need them for peace of mind. I carry ten $100 bills for emergency needs. When I get home it goes back into the bank account.
I used to arrive in Europe with a booklet full of travelers checks. I would stand in one hour lines and then spend ten minutes signing enough to get me through the next few days. This is not an ideal way to spend precious time in Paris.
Traveler's checks do solve the problem of carrying money securely, and money that is usually accepted in western Europe. They will be replaced by the issuer if lost or stolen. When you buy traveler's cheques you are given a receipt with the serial numbers of each check. Keep this separate from your checks because you need the receipt in order to file a claim for missing checks. Keep a record of checks that you spend so you will know how many disappeared.
Be aware that TCs are worthless without your I.D., i.e. your passport. If you use a traveler's cheque to pay for dinner don't be surprised if your change comes back with no passport. This used to happen to me frequently. Demand the return of your passport immediately, and give the waiter a nasty look. It is better to show your passport to the waiter at the table and let him copy whatever he wants, but do not let it out of your control. Remember that "your" passport is the property of the US government, even though you paid for it. And when your passport returns open the first page to make sure that you are looking at yourself and not the last person that they stole a passport from.
If you are planning extensive travel within one country and can stick to your budget, you can buy traveler's checks denominated in the currency of that country. They will be more readily accepted in restaurants than US dollar TCs, though acceptance is never guaranteed.
Buying Fee
Travelers checks are normally sold with a fee of 1%. Some traveler's checks are issued with no service charge. Contact your bank, credit union, automobile club, or employer to see if traveler's checks are available with no service charge, sometimes called a commission.
When you receive your traveler's checks sign them immediately in the space indicated. This is the bearer's signature. If you loose them before you sign them anyone can sign them and they are as good as cash.
Cashing Fee
When you cash a traveler's check you sign it on the other blank line, the endorser's signature. Whoever accepts the traveler's check must verify that the signatures match, and should also demand a photo identification.
The user of US dollar traveler's checks will often be short-changed. Most places of exchange charge a fee for cashing traveler's checks. After all, if you gave them greenbacks they could immediately turn around and give them to the next customer. With traveler's checks, they have to wait to be paid in local currency by the issuer. Normally you can avoid the fee by cashing traveler's checks at an office of the issuer of the traveler's checks. But that's where the long lines are. Or, if the fee is per transaction and not per traveler's check, cash a bunch to get the fee down to half a percent or so.
Expect to be really short-changed when cashing US dollar traveler's checks at hotels. Their exchange rates may be steeply discounted costing you up to another 25% for your room. At restaurants it can be worse. US dollar traveler's checks are worth less than paper napkins in some establishments. Though they are normally accepted, I have seen waiters scream at the mention of the words "traveler's check."
Name Brands
Use only internationally recognized traveler's checks. Do follow the directions and stash the receipt with serial numbers in a place where you won't lose it if your checks are lost or stolen.
Refunds for lost or stolen traveler's checks are available throughout Europe at branch offices of the issuer. American Express, Thomas Cook (Wagon-Lits Cook in some countries), and the other major companies can replace checks within 24 hours. Get explicit refund information before buying any traveler's check. That's why you are buying them in the first place. Read that small print in your check envelope and follow directions.
PERSONAL CHECKS
Personal checks drawn on a United States bank account can be used in Europe under certain circumstances. One program is offered by American Express to its card holders. I made extensive use of it during my travels in the past, before the dawn of ATM machines. If you have an American Express card, their offices or associates in Europe will cash your personal checks. The dollar amount depends on the type of account you have. My Rewards Plus Gold Card allows me to cash a check of up to $2,500.
This is a pretty good service and would come in handy if you need more money than your ATM card is authorized to disperse on a given day. This solves the problem of paying if you rent an apartment and the owner does not accept credit cards, which is the case with most apartment owners. Most apartment owners do not qualify for a Visa or MasterCard account and if they did they wouldn't want to pay the 5% merchant fee anyway. Even worse, they don't want these funds going through their bank account under the vigilant eyes of the local tax collector. That could cost them 50%. Ouch. The $2,500 limit is per card so if you need more than that and are traveling with your spouse get an additional card in his/her name.
Under local law you must accept local currency at Amex (which can be converted to other currencies at an additional premium), and generally you must take some of the funds in traveler's checks for which there is an additional charge. American Express card holders get preferential treatment at Amex offices, and rightly so. The annual membership fee is rather high.
CREDIT CARDS
Acceptability
It's getting so that you can almost live on plastic in Europe. Credit cards are accepted in the bigger and/or better establishments to an only slightly lesser degree than at home. They can also be used in some telephones, some gasoline stations, when buying international train tickets, in some taxis, and in virtually all hotels rated above one star. But there can be surprises, as in a Michelin two star Paris restaurant where I was a guest and absolutely no cards were accepted.
Commonly accepted cards are Carte Blanche, Visa, Diner's Club, American Express, MasterCard, and several European cards. MasterCard and Visa are each affiliated with major credit card systems in different countries, e.g. Maestro and Carte Bleue.
As a general rule, prices are higher in restaurants, hotels, and shops honoring these cards. The low budget traveler can use this generalization and avoid establishments whose front doors are covered by certain "welcome" emblems. Those stores are paying the credit card fees and passing them through to you for your cionvenience.
Shop For a Card
It really pays to shop around before signing up for a credit card. Visa and MasterCard are issued by different banks at different costs to you. Small banks and credit unions usually have the lowest costs. Big banks which have done their best to bankrupt themselves making loans to corrupt and inept foreign governments are more likely to scalp Americans with high annual fees, interest, and late payment charges. One thing for travelers to keep in mind is that some airlines issue Visa or MasterCard cards in their name. Not only do you get mileage credit for charges on the card, but the card issuer may also give extra discounts or extra mileage when using their card to purchase airline tickets. These cards usually require an annual fee and carry higher interest rates than most cards.
Cash Advance
If you want to live off credit a convenient source of funds throughout Europe is a cash advance from your Visa or MasterCard. Interest charges begin immediately, not at the end of the billing period. Some ATM machines will not give cash out on credit cards and instead will eat the card, as happened to me in Scotland. When you take a cash advance keep the receipt for the transaction and compare it with your monthly statement. The exchange rate will be calculated by the credit card company and may not be shown on your monthly statement. The foreign transaction fee may or may not be shown as a separate line item.
Hazards of Credit Cards
There are some important points to consider when using credit cards, especially in Europe.
Never sign a charge receipt if the total is not shown in the proper place at the bottom. European sales clerks, waiters, and hotel clerks always leave this space blank. Fill it in before you sign.
Write the name of the currency in front of the total amount. Sales clerks never fill this in, since they are accustomed to euro, pounds, kroner, etc.. Use an abbreviation such as GBP for British pound. Most likely your credit card account is carried and billed in US dollars, though it can be in another currency.
Never sign a blank charge receipt. This may be obvious, but you will occasionally be pressed by a hotel desk clerk to sign a blank receipt to assure them that the bill will be paid. Don't even think of signing. If they insist on this, just run a new credit card charge each day and sign nothing except a completed receipt. Do not pay in advance ("to make it simple"). Once they have your money, the negotiating is over. If you arrive on the weekend and a construction site starts up next to your window early on Monday morning your options will be limited if you have already paid for the week.
Check your credit card when it is returned by a waiter or sales clerk. Make sure that the card of someone else was not returned by mistake. And make sure that your passport is returned if it was requested for identification. Several times they "forgot" to return my passport. I really don't believe they forgot it at all. They didn't "forget" to ask me for it in the first place. I seriously doubt that they would make you wash the dishes just because you "forgot to bring it tonight." As mentioned above in discussing travelers checks, just show your passport to the waiter but do not let it walk.
A "foreign transaction fee" of 1% to 3% is charged by most credit card companies. This is usually shown as a separate line item on your statement. American Express blends it in and mentions their fee (2.5%) on the back of the statement. Capital One Visa Card does not have a foreign transaction fee, nor an annual "membership fee." I wish that Cap One had a "chip and PIN" card. Then it would be the unquestioned champion international card. US Bank does issue chip and PIN cards which makes them more useful in Europe. However their chip and PIN cards also have an RFID chip which makes them more vulnerable to fraud. Use an RFID blocking wallet if your credit card has an RFID chip. American passports now have an RFID chip so that is another item you should protect.
Audit Your Accounts
Keep an eye on your credit card statement. It is easy for corrupt merchants or employees to hijack your card information and start using your credit for their pleasure. You can check your account on line and verify the charges. Fraud can happen anywhere. A Beverly Hills beauty salon owner was charged in mid 2010 with ripping off starlets to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Several of my cards have been ripped off in Europe in the last few years. American Express is very good at spotting these thefts and stopping them before they go through. The VISA and MasterCard companies allow some really ridiculous charges pass to yur account and then make you jump through hoops to get the charges reversed.
If you are using a public access computer to go on line and check your statements make sure to follow the security procedures outlined in chapter 19, Internet and Email: Europe's Cyber Cafes and WiFi. Change your password to 16 digits before you do anthing.
I get dinged about once a year by some lowlife, either in Europe or the USA. Then VISA makes me protest the charge to the merchant, which is not always successful. American Express usually catches the thief before I do and bounces the charges. Once the security of a card has been compromised the credit card issuer will then cancel the account and open a new account for you. It is wise to carry more than one credit card.
Advantages
The advantages of credit cards to the traveler are several:
They are widely accepted for travel necessities at hotels and restaurants, for air fare, rail passes, car rental, taxis, clothing, gifts, and even groceries
They are fairly safe. Your liability is generally limited to $50 for unauthorized use. If you notify the issuer immediately when it is lost or stolen, your liability is zero. Check the fine print in the agreement for the rules of your card. If it disappears look at your receipts to see where you used it last. The sales clerk probably forgot to return it. This has happened to me several times. Do not let the clerk lay the card on the counter. Take it from the clerk's hand.
A record of your purchases is sent with the bill. This helps your personal accounting so you won't be wondering where all that money went. However, charge slips and receipts often have the wrong date on them. Usually the year is wrong. And the date is written in the European system -- day/month/year. If you need this information, get into the habit of writing it on your receipt when you sign it. Also, write down the name and city of the establishment. The imprints are too often impossible to read or fade out in a week or so.
Credit card payment is not due until 21 days after the statement is dated. This may give you up to 51 days to pay without becoming liable for interest fees and late charges. Additionally, some European establishments are rather slow in sending in charge slips so you might easily get 81 days grace before payment is due. I was billed once for a credit charge made in Stockholm 18 months previously!
The exchange rate is better than the rate used when buying bank notes, and no commission is charged. This can save you several percent or so on all credit card purchases, unless your card charges the "foreign tranaction fee." The exchange rate used is the interbank rate in effect on the day that the charge was processed by the credit card central office, not that in effect at the time you made the transaction. However, different cards use different exchange rates.
Paying
You must make arrangements for receiving the credit card statement and making payment on time. If you are traveling for only a month or so, this is no problem. You will be home before the bill is due. If you are on a heavy duty trip, there are several ways to handle this.
One way is to keep a log of all credit purchases in your travel record book. Devote a page to each credit card and include the payment address. Then airmail your payment for all current charges about 10 days before the due date.
Another way is to set up an automatic payment plan with the bank which issued the card. At the same bank, maintain a checking or saving account which will be debited each month to pay your Visa or MasterCard bill. This leaves you with little control over misuse of your account, and arguments with bank computers are usually frustrating.
You can be billed at a European address. This works well with some credit cards, but not with others. For instance, some credit card companies send bills by surface mail (the boat takes three to four weeks) and the statement arrives several days after payment is due. The next month you will be socked with interest at usury rates and a late fee higher than most parking tickets.
Having your bill sent to a foreign address also presents a problem with proper addressing. When I submitted a change of address to Visa for our move to Germany the bills stopped coming. A few months later a collection agency called. The bills had been sent to some place in Africa thanks to a back room nitwit at Bank of America.
When living in Switzerland and in The Netherlands from 1997 to 1999, American Express statements were incorrectly addressed. Statements supposedly sent to Geneva, Switzerland never arrived. Somehow one of them arrived in Switzerland addressed to Geneva, WI. Despite half a dozen phone calls to their billing office this went on for months. It seems that these big companies hire from the bottom of the barrel. For Holland, American Express addressed my bills to Haarlem ET. As I recall ET was a movie, not a country. Maybe they can't spell big words. Repeated phone calls brought either arrogance or helplessness on the part of the American Express "customer service" people. Repeated submittal of change of address notices did not work.
For American Express I discovered that you can go into any office, generously scattered throughout Europe, and get a statement of your account. Anyone who steals your card can also go in to see your statement, and get a printout with a bunch of your personal data. I did this in Geneva and was not asked for any identification, a password, or anything. The Swiss are so trusting, but they should at least ask for a photo ID before they pass out confidential information.
Currently I pay my credit card accounts by electronic transfer directly from my bank using an Internet connection. I pay my city taxes, auto insurance, utilities and some other bills the same way. When I am traveling in Europe I carry a netbook computer with WiFi so I can go on line and take care of my bills, along with several other regular neccessities served by computers and the Internet. If you are not toting a WiFi device you can use public computers but this is dangerous. If you are forced to do this make sure to erase your browsing history, all cookies, and turn off the browser before leaving the machine. See part 3 of chapter 19 Internet and Email: Europe's Cyber Cafes and WiFi for details on securely using computers in Europe.
Instead of using the Internet, American Express has a great way of paying bills by phone. You can phone in and have an electronic debit of your bank account made payable to your American Express account. This saves time and postage, and is more secure that the Internet. Some Visa and Mastercard accounts also allow for phone-in payment from your bank account, but they may charge $15 or so for each transaction. That's a ripping rip off.
You can have a trusted friend or relative handle your financial affairs at home, though mistakes can lead to loss of friendship or disharmony. Most people have a full life already and have little time for or interest in handling the affairs of a relative gallivanting around Europe. Choose with care and keep up good communication. Make sure you bring back a unique gift in appreciation.
MORE ON MONEY
As noted above, this Internet edition of chapter 8 is divided into four parts because it is so big. The four parts are:
- Pickpockets: They're everywhere.
- ATMs in Europe: Travel Cash.
- Cash and Credit: Paying Your Way in Europe.
- Potpourri: Barter if you're broke.
Have a good trip!
NOTE TO READERS
I welcome questions, comments, complaints, and compliments. If you have any concerns about your trip to Europe that have not been covered well enough on my web site please do not hesitate to write. Ask, cuss, discuss, or whatever. I read every email and update my pages when I see a question repeating, Then I will not get that question again, hopefully. In some cases readers have been so generous with their time and talent that I have included their emails verbatim, e.g. chapters 22 and 25.
I do not open attachments. I do not click links to web pages of any kind. I will reply in a day or two, usually.
My email address is [email protected].
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Wear a money belt under your shirt to protect your passport and valuables, especially if you are staying in hostels or dorms.
Lewis N. Clark RFID Blocking Waist Stash
An RFID blocking wallet protects your passport and credit cards from identity theft in public places.
Travelon RFID Blocking Passport Case
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Note: Italicized notations by the author.
Rolling luggage sure beats lugging a pack on your back.
Travelpro Luggage Maxlite 2 20" Expandable Spinner
A shoulder bag for your daily walk-about.
Travelpro Luggage Maxlite3 Soft Tote
Keep your stuff organized. There are more than a dozen colors and patterns to choose from.
Luggage Packing Cubes
eBags 3pc Set
The two gallon size is excellent for packing your clothes, but it is hard to find in Europe.
Two gallon plastic bagsZipLoc by SC Johnson
Inconspicuously lock your zippered luggage with a black wire tie.
Cables to Go 43036 Cable Ties - 100 Pack (Black)
Note: The highlighted #E number is purely arbitrary. It is meant to help quickly identify products in this advert column when you write in for electrical advice.
See NOTE TO READERS.
Plug adapters are needed throughout Europe. There are at least five models used in different countries.
This adapter is for the standard grounded plug in France, Germany, and northern Europe. It does not fit in outlets of Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, and Britain.
#E-010
Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
European Schuko plug.
4.8 mm prongs.
Equivalent to type E and F.
You can use this ungrounded Euro plug in some European countries.
#E-020
Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
Euro Plug
4.0 mm prongs.
Equivalent to type C.
This is a universal plug adapter for the UK and Ireland.
#E-030
AC Adapter Plug for use in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
Equivalent to type G.
Here is the Swiss version.
#E-040
Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
Type J for Switzerland
Here is the grounded Italian model.
#E-050
Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
Type L for Italy
If your gizmos charge through a USB port this can keep you going. European cars have the same 12 volt system as American cars.
#E-200
Scosche Dual USBCar Charger
This 50 watt 220/110 volt step down transformer is good for very small 110 volt appliances and light duty chargers.
#E-070
Travel Smart by Conair 50-Watt International Transformer
A Swiss Army Knife is unquestionably the handiest item a traveler can carry, except not on a plane.
Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman II Knife
To help find your way on the winding and poorly posted roads of Europe. It works for civilian travelers also.
Lensatic Military Marching Compass
Before you go to France watch this movie. It's an amusing romantic tale with spot-on scenarios and beautiful background. Really great acting all around by Kevin Kline, Meg Ryan, Jean Reno, Timothy Hutton. Kevin Kline sings 'La Mer' like the pro that he is.
French Kiss, DVD
Make sure that your electrical appliances are 110-220 dual voltage so they will work in Europe.
Note:
These appliances require a plug adapter, NOT a converter, for the countries you are visiting. See plug adapters above.
#E-130
Vagabond Compact StylerConair's Dual-Voltage Ionic Hair Dryer
#E-140
Conair Flat Iron 2" Ceramic StraightenerDual Voltage
#E-150
Travel Hair SetterDual Voltage
Remington H-1015
#E-160
SteamFast SF-717 Home-and-Away Mini Steam Iron (dual voltage)
#E-170
Braun Series 1 150 Men's Shaver with Automatic Worldwide Voltage Adjustment
For light sleepers here is an international "white noise" machine. Includes a Continental plug adapter.
#E-180
Marsona TSCi-330 White Noise Travel Sound Conditioner For both USA and International
For coffee or tea in your room, without waiting or paying for room service.
#E-190
Lewis N. Clark Immersion Heater 120/240V
Wear a scarf for comfort and style. Nobody will ever suspect that you are an American.
Very soft houndstooth neck scarf, Kanye West style, different colors available
This will come in very handy very often.
Fenix LD15High Performance
LED Flashlight