Dis Exclusive Viva Italia 9/16 - 9/24/2014

[DisneyKevin]

I definitely want to see some of the Tuscan countryside! And I need to find those Samantha Brown episodes!

Laurie

We will be taking a bus through the Tuscan countryside when traveling from Rome (to Orvieto) to Florence.

We also take a train through Tuscany when traveling from Florence to Venice.

 

[KathyTX]

I'm getting so excited! Thanks for the money info, great tips there.

Now I'm intimidated by the packing issue. Do some people SERIOUSLY travel with only a backpack? I'm struggling with the one bag and a carryon idea! I'm a big girl, my shoes and tiaras take a lot of space.

Must find lightweight, layer-able, unwrinkleable, washable-in-the-hotel-sink, mix and match clothes. Sounds simple, not so easy to do. Shopping time!

 

[DisneyKevin]

I'm getting so excited! Thanks for the money info, great tips there.

Now I'm intimidated by the packing issue. Do some people SERIOUSLY travel with only a backpack? I'm struggling with the one bag and a carryon idea! I'm a big girl, my shoes and tiaras take a lot of space.

Must find lightweight, layer-able, unwrinkleable, washable-in-the-hotel-sink, mix and match clothes. Sounds simple, not so easy to do. Shopping time!

John and I travel with only a quart sized zip lock bag and what we are wearing.

Okay...seriously....

Make sure you have comfortable shoes. You can be stylish....but comfort needs to be first.

I travel with only one suitcase, but it is an ENORMOUS Tumi extended trip suitcase.

We also bring a carry on and day bag.

Unless you make plans on your own...there is no place we will go that will require anything fancier than the girl equivalent of khakis and a shirt.

We are shorts and tshirts kinda travelers. I will bring a pair of jeans.

Women must cover their shoulders in most churches in Italy. This can be accomplished with a lite scarf that you can put on and take off. For men, if you are wearing shorts, your knees must be covered. I usually just scoot my shorts down a bit and no one has ever said anything.

There is so much to see and do....let packing be the least of your worries. Just remember, we will all be a bit wrinkled and you might see clothing more than once.

Also...if you visit the websites that discuss what to pack for Europe, they will tell you that white sneakers / trainers/ tennis shoes etc. will make you look like a tourist.

First...I'm not sure why it's not okay to look like a tourist.

And second...you will be following a Guide carry a big sign that says Adventures by Disney and traveling with 29 other people following the same sign. Your cover is blown.

We have found that comfort and ease trumps fashion in this situation.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Must find lightweight, layer-able, unwrinkleable, washable-in-the-hotel-sink, mix and match clothes. Sounds simple, not so easy to do. Shopping time!

Try www.travelsmith.com

Take some of your old hotel sized shampoo and fill with Woolite or your favorite detergent.

We also find that Dawn dish washing detergent is the best stain remover available.

A travel sized bottle goes on every trip.

 

[KathyTX]

First...I'm not sure why it's not okay to look like a tourist.

And second...you will be following a Guide carry a big sign that says Adventures by Disney and traveling with 29 other people following the same sign. Your cover is blown.

I don't think there's any chance we'll be mistaken for anything other than tourists! Once I open my Texan mouth, they'll know!

 

[k5jm]

I do travelsmith for clothes, and Christy and I have laundry done once during the trip to keep our clothes load down. I take a larger "tech" bag with me as a carry-on with my MacBook Air and camera stuff and a large 25" quad roller. We are also big believers in the Eagle Creek Pack-it sleeves (you can get those at the Container Store, which you can throw a rock and hit their corporate office from your casa).

 

[KathyTX]

Oh, I cannot express how much I LOVE The Container Store!!! Yep, their corp office is very near me, and there are two stores close by.

 

[KathyTX]

Mike- do you use the MacBook Air mostly when traveling, or has it become your go-to home laptop? Do you switch between that and a PC depending on application?

 

[k5jm]

Mike- do you use the MacBook Air mostly when traveling, or has it become your go-to home laptop? Do you switch between that and a PC depending on application?

It is my go-to laptop. I run Windows in a VM and use Citrix for remote work stuff. It is a great machine.

 

[jcb]

If I may interrupt the festivities, in looking up information about my photos from the last ABD trip, I stumbled across a positively delightful website about Orvieto. http://www.keytoumbria.com/Orvieto/Home.html

Of course, if you plan on spending all your free time in Gacomini's buying ceramic art, ignore this.

Carry on.

 

[k5jm]

Kathy, no electronics conversation is complete without talking about power...

While this is still fresh on my brain, I thought I would throw out some things we learned from our Recent Adventures by Disney Trip to London and Paris. I hope that this reference will help not only those traveling to London and Paris, but to other locations as well


Understand the Power requirements of the locations you are going.

• Check all of your devices and make sure they are capable of dual voltages!
• Learn what plug adapters you will need. London and Paris use different power plugs than the ones used in the US and they are different from each other.
• Get a dual voltage power strip that uses a universal power connector. If you get into a situation where you need to unplug a lamp to get power, you can plug in the lamp into the universal plug.

If you have an Ipad and want to avoid costly internet charges at the hotel, find a SIM Card provider that does not require a credit card on file.

• I used Vodaphone. They charged £5 for a Sim and 250mb of data. I was able to get an additional 750mb for £15. Very reasonable. I used about 500mb total while we were in London.

Think about the bag you will carry around and protecting your wallet.

• Think about using a messenger bag over a backpack. It is easier to keep a hand on a messenger bag. I carried a messenger style camera sling bag instead of my backpack. It is not as easy for someone to take items from a messenger bag.
• Watch your pockets and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

If you use the hotel internet, bring a small wifi router (not access point).

• When you purchase the hotel wifi or wired internet, you can only use it on a couple of devices. I had my travel router with me. This helped in connecting my Ipad, Blackberry, Iphone, and laptop. The router allowed me to use the wired connection and share that with all of my devices.

If you have free time, plan it out before you go on your trip.

• We made reservations at a couple of restaurants several months out. These were small cafes and the space went quickly.

Take time to plan out where you want to wander.

• Know that the most popular locations, in Paris especially, are popular targets for pickpockets and scammers. People will also sell "le crap" at these spots. AVOID THEM. We saw a person buy something and then he was then pegged as a "sucker." And was hit by every illegal "le crap" vendor.

XL = Sausage Skin in Paris.

• I tried to purchase an XL shirt in Paris but was not happy to find that XL in Paris means body condemn in US sizes. They do not sell any thing above XXL, and that was even tight.

More to come....

 

[MinnieGarden]

I do travelsmith for clothes, and Christy and I have laundry done once during the trip to keep our clothes load down. I take a larger "tech" bag with me as a carry-on with my MacBook Air and camera stuff and a large 25" quad roller. We are also big believers in the Eagle Creek Pack-it sleeves (you can get those at the Container Store, which you can throw a rock and hit their corporate office from your casa).

Surely this isn't really yours.... There aren't any wires sticking out!

 

[DisneyKevin]

Kathy, no electronics conversation is complete without talking about power...

Agh!!!!

 

[MinnieGarden]

Kathy, here's what I do..... Get 3 packing cubes and divide up your wardrobe. Pinterest has a lot of "capsule wardrobes" and Europe in a backpack for a month posts. Find your happy medium and go from there.

Back to the packing cubes...... In Rome, pull out 2 cubes and mix and match. When your packing up to go to Florence, set aside a cube for that city. When you check in to the hotel, send your Rome clothes to the hotel laundry. And when packing to go to Leave Florence, set aside a cube for Venice, etc.

Shoes... Comfy and cute! I love my Merrill's and mom has gotten me hooked on Sketchers Go Walks. Both come in lots of colors and take up less suitcase space than tennis shoes. That being said, take your most favorite comfy shoes!

Luggage.... Check with your airline and know what's allowed. I know, I know, but we booked through United and had a Lufthansa flight last year. Their checked bag rules and carry on rules are different than US carriers. Business class and coach also have different guidelines. Before our Germany adventure, Mike and I each got TravelPro suitcases. I got the 25 inch and had no problem staying under 50 lbs. Mike got a larger size and was over the limit by the time we left Munich.

 

[k5jm]

Agh!!!!

I know, you looooove this topic. Every year for the last 4 years...

 

[k5jm]

Surely this isn't really yours.... There aren't any wires sticking out!

 

[k5jm]

That being said, take your most favorite comfy shoes!

I thought you were bringing your boots and chaps??

Luggage...Mike got a larger size and was over the limit by the time we left Munich.

But I had your overflow in it

 

[DisneyKevin]

Keep in mind that domestic carry ons can be 22 inches..

International carry ons are limited to 20 inches.

Make sure you know whats allowed on your flight.

 

[KathyTX]

Christy, the GoWalks look really comfy! I love my other Skechers, so I just asked my buddies at Zappos to send the GoWalks this way so I can try them. (I absolutely love Zappos- super quick delivery and easy returns.)

And I love that we can shop together like this when you're in Houston (sort of) and I'm in Dallas (sort of)! Thanks for the tip.

 

[k5jm]

Christy, the GoWalks look really comfy! I love my other Skechers, so I just asked my buddies at Zappos to send the GoWalks this way so I can try them. (I absolutely love Zappos- super quick delivery and easy returns.)

And I love that we can shop together like this when you're in Houston (sort of) and I'm in Dallas (sort of)! Thanks for the tip.

Christy is with Joyce in Fredericksburg today. Something about wine...