Essence of the Elbe: Berlin to Prague RIVER CRUISE TOUR Plus optional extensions: Hamburg, Germany Munich, Germany Highlights of Poland: Warsaw & Krakow 2015 GCCL ELB 2015 1 Essence of the Elbe: Berlin to Prague Table of Contents 1. PASSPORT, VISA AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ............................................................................ 5 Passport Required .................................................................................................................................... 5 Visas Not Required .................................................................................................................................. 5 Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? ......................................................................................................... 6 Requirements for the Czech Republic ..................................................................................................... 6 Backup Photocopies ................................................................................................................................. 7 2. YOUR HEALTH ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Keep Your Abilities In Mind ................................................................................................................... 8 Health Check ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Vaccinations............................................................................................................................................. 9 Prescription Medications ......................................................................................................................... 9 3. LUGGAGE REGULATIONS & AIR TRAVEL ............................................................................... 10 Luggage Limits ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Airport Security/TSA ............................................................................................................................. 11 Air Itineraries ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Air Inclusive Travelers .......................................................................................................................... 12 Airport Transfers .................................................................................................................................... 12 4. MONEY MATTERS ............................................................................................................................ 13 ATMs ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Debit Cards ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Chip-and-PIN Cards ......................................................................................................................... 15 On Board Ship ....................................................................................................................................... 16 Exchange Services ............................................................................................................................ 16 Shopping ................................................................................................................................................ 17 U.S. Customs Regulations and Shipping Charges ................................................................................. 19 Problem with a Purchase? ...................................................................................................................... 19 Tipping Guidelines ................................................................................................................................ 20 5. PACKING FOR YOUR TRIP ............................................................................................................. 21 Packing Your Carry-On ......................................................................................................................... 22 Packing Suggestions .............................................................................................................................. 22 6. REGIONAL CLIMATE INFORMATION ........................................................................................ 25 By Destination .................................................................................................................................. 25 Weather Conditions and River Depths ............................................................................................. 25 Climate Charts ....................................................................................................................................... 26 7. TRAVEL AND TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 28 8. GRAND CIRCLE’S EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISES ...................................................................... 31 Aboard Ship: M/S River Allegro ............................................................................................................ 31 9. ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS ...................................................................................................... 36 Berlin in Brief ........................................................................................................................................ 36 Krakow & Warsaw in Brief – Optional Extension ................................................................................ 39 GCCL ELB 2015 3 Hamburg in Brief—Optional Extension ................................................................................................ 40 Munich in Brief—Optional Extension ................................................................................................... 41 10. DEMOGRAPHICS & GEOGRAPHY .............................................................................................. 43 11. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................... 47 Books, Maps, and Movies ...................................................................................................................... 47 Suggested Movies .................................................................................................................................. 49 GCCL ELB 2015 06/15/15 4 1. PASSPORT, VISA AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS Passport Required U.S. citizens need a passport for this itinerary. Please take a moment to check if your passport meets all of these requirements. If you are refused entry, you may be required to return to the U.S. immediately, which would be at your own expense. Your passport should meet these requirements for this itinerary: • It should be in good condition • It should be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S. • It should have the recommended number of blank pages (see below for details). • The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable. Recommended number of blank pages: Since the consequence of having too few pages can be severe—you could be denied entry into a country—we opt for a better safe than sorry policy. We recommend these guidelines. • Main trip only: You will need 2 blank “Visa” pages in your passport. • Pre- and/or post-trip extension : No additional blank pages are needed for any of the extensions. If you need to renew your passport or get extra pages: Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport, renewing your existing passport, or for additional pages. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport. NOTE: When updating your passport, it is worthwhile to check the prices on all the different services that might apply to you. For example, it might be less expensive to renew your passport than to have pages added, depending on the number of pages you need. Visas Not Required For U.S. citizens, a visa is not required for entry into Germany, Czech Republic, or Poland. If you are staying longer than 90 days in any of these countries, you should check with their embassy or consulate for the applicable regulations. GCCL ELB 2015 06/15/15 5 Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about possible visa requirements. For your convenience, we recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org. Requirements for the Czech Republic You will need to bring additional documentation for the Czech Republic, so please read carefully. The Czech Republic has a rule that all travelers must be able to provide proof of medical coverage, if asked