EUROTRIP

illustration by Tania Kaufmann

05-30-10

Currency Exchange Tactics

We’re traveling to Europe when both the British Pound and the Euro are at historic lows relative to the US Dollar – this is great news for our budget!

Friday we went to the mall to see about exchanging currency, just so we can have a little cash in our pockets once we arrive in Europe. The Forex office was offering a rate of about 1.31%. The Euro closed against the US Dollar Friday at about $1.23 – so that means Forex is charging an 8% premium to exchange money.

Next we checked at a Chase branch, and the rate was about the same, but without a fee charged on top of it if you are a customer. I really hate fees – who doesn’t?. I’ve used Custom House (now a Western Union brand) for several years now to get close to interbank rates when buying and selling Canadian Dollars, but its of no help unless you have a bank account in the respective currencies or are willing to cash a bank draft. Having decided just to exchange a small amount of money before we leave, I started looking into how much it will cost to use our various debit and credit cards overseas.

I did some research and found this site which breaks down the rates charged by various financial institutions, for exchange on ATM withdrawals, debit and credit Point of Sale Purchases. I was *shocked* to find out that my bank, Wells Fargo, charges 3% for all transaction types! Jenni pointed out that Paypal offers Debit Cards, so I called their customer service and confirmed they charge just 1% on currency changes plus $1 per transaction. Given that you can transfer money for free from your bank account to your Paypal account, I think its a pretty good deal, so we’ll both be taking Paypal Debit cards with us.

05-17-10

Andrews Gear Parade – Packs and Kicks

So, last weekend I took advantage of not having school or much of anything else to do and went to REI to catch up with Jenni on the gear front.

REI Flash 50

First and foremost, I need a backpack. After trying on the REI Flash 50 Pack, Jenni picked up a Kelty model called Redwing 3100. It seemed to be just the right size – at 50.8L I’m hoping it will pass as a carry-on. The ability to open the pack from the side is a big plus. Not sure if we’ll use the built-in hydration feature, but its nice have for future romps. The Redwing has a rugged feel, confirmed by its 1.53kg which makes the Redwing about 30% heavier than the Flash (at 1.19kg). But the Redwing seems to win on the utility front, and it is $40 cheaper at $109 USD. I’m waiting on REI’s 20% off sale which kicks off May 21, before ordering it online with free shipping.

Kelty Redwing

In addition to the bag, I tried on some shoes. The last time I was in the EU, I had a pair of Teva Sandals (which I probably wore most often) and some Merrill Trailrunners (for long walks, colder weather, etc.) I bought a second pair of Tevas about 6 years ago, and they are still, ah… flopping around. So why not give’em one last hurrah? For my second pair, I figured I’d go with more of a runner – hopefully something that can somewhat pass as a dress shoe, or at least not look like I’m in a Nike commercial. I picked up a pair of Merrell Sights at REI for $100 USD. They look and feel sort of like a cross between a low-top hiker, and a leather street shoe.

Merrell Sight

Being my indecisive/pragmatic self, I also ordered two more pairs of shoes from Zappos – the Patagonia Boaris A/C, and the Columbia Centracer Pro. All these shoes fall into my hybrid category which includes a little bit of style, comfort, and durability. The nice thing about not bringing a pair of dress shoes overseas is that there’s always the chance a unique pair will catch your eye while you’re there, and you’ll have the extra room to bring it back with you.

Patagonia Boaris A/C

Columbia Centracer Pro

05-17-10

Where in Europe is Carmen Sandeigo?

Is that a criminal mastermind boarding that train?

05-09-10

Jenni’s Shoes for Europe

Even though the trip is months away, I know one of the most important things is shoes. It’s also the thing I’ve been stressing out with the most. I can only have a few pairs and I need them to match several outfits from casual to fancy to hiking. No matter how much Andrew is trying to get me to not care about fashion, it’s not working. I care very much about what I wear and I’m bound not to look completely like a dorky tourist. I also have had the problem in the past about bringing shoes just for weekend trips and getting major blisters from walking in shoes I don’t normally walk miles in.

First I consulted with a fashion blogger I read, Sara Zucker, she was super nice and emailed me a bunch of shoes that are cute and would be more “European friendly”. Europeans do not wear flip-flops and I wanted something with a low heel that was also cute. From her examples, I found these: Read more…

05-09-10

10 Days In a Carry-On

The NY Times has a photo gallery on how to put 10 days worth of clothes in a carry-on. They show two different techniques, one for regular travel and one for when you have dress clothes.

This suitcase will hold three pairs of shorts, three pairs of dress pants, one skirt, three pairs of casual pants or jeans, three nightgowns, three bathing suits, one sarong, three lightweight sweaters, four dresses, 10 casual shirts, six dress shirts, a clutch, toiletries and two pairs of shoes. She’ll wear the third pair of shoes, as well as jeans and a longer sweater.

Read the whole article here.

I’ve never been a big fan of rolling my clothes, I’ve usually been able to just fold things and it’s ok, but of course my trips were not for 10 days. (Although I notice most guys who were in Boy Scouts do the rolling thing). In the article, they show a comparison on rolling vs folding. You really see a difference, I think I’m a changed woman.