GMC in Europe 2008

Hi GMC Tour Participants,

A couple of people have shared some hints which I will now share with you as we get ready to roll two weeks from today.

• Hint #1 from Paula, our wonderful GMC Treasurer, who says if you buy some Euros now to have with you at the beginning of our trip, you’ll maybe save some money as the value of the dollar continues to decline — that hint pleases my Scottish blood!
• Hint #2 from Margaret Tyler, our fabulous contralto, who says, scan your Passport and any important medical cards you never want to lose and e-mail them to yourself. Even if you do lose them, you can visit an Internet Cafe while we’re away and you can get copies if needed.

I’ll be updating information as soon as I get it from our contact in the UK and in reading the Casterbridge Leader’s Book, I have come across several pages of valuable information which I’ll send along to Participants as soon as I figure out how to do it!

One big travel tip is—PACK LIGHTLY! Please save me any nightmares by promising to be sure to have your airline tickets and Passports with you when we leave for Boston as I would hate to leave anyone home!

I’m down two of the twenty pounds I wanted to lose before leaving — Aargh! Jelly beans and chocolate bunnies — why do they appear every year?????

14 days and counting! Cheerio!

John, the Virgin Blogger

How do you plug anything from home into those vaguely exotic electrical outlets in Austria and the Czech Republic?

Disclaimer: I’m not an expert, but I have a vested interest in making sure my camera and laptop work while we’re on tour. I’d hate to run out of battery power halfway through our stay in Salzburg and end up with no photos! So, I’ve done some basic research, and I invite those who have been there or lived there to add to it in the comments. 

For those of you bringing digital cameras, laptops, or other battery-operated devices, this may not pose much of a problem. Modern gadgets tend to have what’s called a “switching power supply,” which means that the power transformer brick can adjust to the different voltages and frequencies of European current. For reference, that’s 230 Volts at 50 Hz (or “cycles per second” for us old-timers!) for both Austria and the Czech Republic.Look in your owner’s manual, or at all that fine print on the adapter itself. You may see a statement like “120~240V, 50~60 Hz”. That’s an indicator that your adapter can handle different voltages. An even better indicator is to consult the manufacturer’s Web site for advice.

(more…)