Three weeks from today...

[snugglekitty]

mrpet and I are flying to the UK for my sister's wedding. I feel completely unprepared.

I have a dress. That's about it. I don't even have shoes to wear with the dress.*

No, that's untrue. I don't have shoes,* but I do have a passport, a plane ticket, and a place to stay. Maybe it won't be so bad. I can rework my SF packing list, because the trip is for about the same length of time.

...

The logic of that didn't actually help. I still feel overwhelmed. I need a list of things to do. Traveler's checks? Power cord converter thingees? Cell phone coverage? Gods, I hardly know where to start. Which is why I should make a list. Yeah, a list. *wry*

*Look out DSW!

Comments

[heartexalted.livejournal.com]

I hope you have a good time. (And, by the way, I have foreign voltage converters.)

[pink-pet.livejournal.com]

How exciting!

Just a few comments that might help. Most people use ATMs now, not traveler's checks.

For a lot of your electronic devises (iPod, laptop, camera) you probably don't need a power converter, just an adapter. Look at the charger thingy and it will list the voltages that it accepts. If it says, "Input: 100 - 240V" that means it will accept 100 to 240 volts, which means that does the power converting for you. (The US is 110 volts, Western Europe is 220 volts.)

In that case, you just need an adapter, which is the little plug that slips over the end of the cord an allows you to plug in to British outlets.

For travel info, and great guidebooks, I love Rick Steves, at ricksteves.com. Here's his general travel advice:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/tips_menu.htm

[saraheeyore.livejournal.com]

Hey, passport, dress, and toothbrush - that's all you really need. Have a wonderful trip!

I have a generic packing list I tweak for each trip - if you think you'd find it helpful, I'd be happy to email it to you.

And I'd agree with pink_pet - ATMs are much easier than traveler's checks these days. I haven't used them in at least a decade. Just double-check with your bank before you go, and if you plan to bring a credit card, give them a call and put on a travel notification.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Sarah, checking with the bank and calling the credit card company is a really great idea. I'll do that.

[chienne-folle.livejournal.com]

Er, do you want to go to your sister's wedding? That is, is your trouble getting ready all logistical, or is some of it resistance to going?

I've been disabled enough recently that I haven't been able to attend any family functions and very, very few friend ones. I'm trying to let that be okay.

Norman had to go to the UK recently, and they wouldn't let him use his credit card while he was there until they called me (luckily, I was still at home) to verify that the cardholder was in the UK. So Saraheeyore's advice to call your credit card company and let them know where you'll be is essential. I sort of thought that the convenience of being able to buy anything anywhere was part of why we had credit cards, but...

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

"Er, do you want to go to your sister's wedding? That is, is your trouble getting ready all logistical, or is some of it resistance to going?"

I have mixed feelings about going. I don't think it's resistance to going so much as just feeling pretty overwhelmed by my life the past few months, and this is one more thing to try to get through.

[nepenthedreams]

You don't need traveller's cheques anymore. You can just use your ATM card.
Cellphone coverage - check with your cellphone company - I usually do not take mine.
Converter thingies - I think they should have them at Target.

[alisoninsweden.livejournal.com]

You'll get a better exchange rate and avoid ATM and "foreign currency conversion" fees if you get some local currency from your bank before you go. Also, tell your bank when and where you're traveling so they don't freeze your account when you try to use your card (I don't know what bank you have, but Bank of America does this, sometimes even when I DID tell them I was traveling, and it can be very inconvenient). People don't really use traveler's checks anymore. I think that mostly using cash but having a card in case you run out of cash is the best way to go.

The plugs for your electronics will probably work with just an outlet adapter, no converter necessary, just check to see that it says 100-240V on the power cord as someone already said. Adapters are much cheaper than converters.

Cell phone coverage may or may not work depending on which provider and which phone you have. And if you do have coverage, it's probably very expensive. If you need to keep in touch with people from home during your trip, I'd recommend using Skype instead.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Thank you Alison, this comment was extremely helpful. :) Especially because it turns out that my bank needs something in writing.

[alisoninsweden.livejournal.com]

Glad I could help. I've learned from my own mistakes! :)

[alisoninsweden.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also, the UK outlet adapter is different from the European one, and the people at the store might not know that, so be careful which one you buy.

And I hope you have a good trip!