BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR ITALY 2019 - TIPS FROM DANNY GENUNG BELOW IS A LIST OF REMINDERS FOR OUR UPCOMING TRIP TO ITALY. SOME MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU PERSONALLY, BUT IT IS GOOD TO LOOK AS YOU MAY NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT SOME OF THESE ITEMS. GOOD PACKING AND SEE YOU IN ROME! MONEY PREPARATION Notify your credit card company about your travels – Most credit card companies have fraud alerts when your card is used unexpectedly. Call the number on the back of the card to let them know where you will be traveling and for how long, to avoid any hiccups with using your card on vacation. Know if your credit card has foreign transaction fees – Again, surprise fees are always unwelcomed so check to see if it will cost you extra to use your credit cards on your trip. Check the exchange rate of where you are going – This allows you to know generally how much things cost in USD so you know roughly what you are paying for. Go to a bank or ATM in the country you are visiting – Currency conversion booths at the airport will almost always offer terrible exchange rates. Visiting an ATM will give you the exchange rate of the day and any applicable fee the bank charges which will still be better than the currency conversion stores. Carry a small amount of cash with you – Having cash on hand makes many transactions easier. Most restaurants and stores accept credit cards but some of the smaller street vendors will not. You can get this from your bank before you go. Pay Bills – Arrange so you have your bills scheduled as to avoid any unpleasant late payment surprises when you come home. CAMERAS Get some practice before you go – Having a great camera to capture memories is a great idea. Getting some practice in and knowing the camera would make the memories even better. Be prepared – Bring extra batteries, chargers, and extra storage for all the pictures you will be taking. Please Note: We are bringing along our professional photographer and he is happy to take pictures with you in them, along with group shots. You will get ALL the pictures that we take, so we kindly ask that when we are in crowded locations that you give first access to our photographer. If you do not want to be in pictures, please let us know and when we take photos or group shots, please step out of the way. Page | 1 www.harrtravel.com • 909.266.0117 • Redlands, CA PACKING Packing and unpacking – On this adventure we are covering a lot of ground and seeing a ton of incredible sites. Due to the logistical nature of this trip, you will be moving hotels 5 times, so it is critical to be highly organized with your packing. The solution that we love the most is using Packing Cubes. Danny never travels without them. o Save space with packing cubes – Packing cubes are great space savers for this trip. Click Here For Link Place to store clothes – It will be a great idea to bring a dirty laundry bag on this trip. Laundry – For the most part we are not in hotels long enough to utilize their laundry services effective so please back clothes according (dry fit, multiple layers, and easy wash items). We will speak with the hotel upon each check in and let you know if they will be able to accommodate laundry during out stay. Clothing Choices – o Dry fit clothing – Dry fit clothing can be found on athletic wear and is used for the moisture wicking, quick drying properties. They are readily available in most major clothing outlets and all athletic clothing stores. o Multiple layers – This is so clothes can be mixed and matched easily for better comfort if the weather changes. o Clothes for entry in churches – Knees and shoulders must be covered to enter religious buildings. o Broken in walking shoes – There is nothing better than having a nice, well-broken in pair of walking shoes for these tours. o Shoes with support – Avoid open toed shoes and try to have shoes that have good heel and arch support. Handy items to have – o Sunblock wipes and mini bottle of sunscreen that easily fits into bags or purses. o Disinfectant wipes o Water bottle with a filter o Sunglasses and a hat o Small bag, sling, or fanny pack ▪ Great for holding snacks and easy to reach items like hand sanitizer ▪ This must be smaller than a backpack for sites like the Vatican that check your bag upon entry. If you bring a small backpack, it will most likely be checked upon entry. HEALTH Start walking now and exercise – There will be much to explore in Italy and we would want you to start easily by being ready for the walking that will occur on the trip. Please check with your physician on what the best steps would be. Pre-hydrated for the flight and stay hydrated during the flight – The best way that we have found to combat jet lag is to stay hydrated before and during the trip. Move around on the flight – During the flight, standing up and moving will help ease the transition when you get off the plane. Adjust sleep schedule before arrival – For time zone purposes, Rome is 9 hours ahead of the Los Angeles when it comes to time. If you have the luxury of being able to adjust your sleep schedule several days before arrive, it would help with jetlag. Danny always starts trying to go to be earlier each night for a week to get prepared. Page | 2 www.harrtravel.com • 909.266.0117 • Redlands, CA TIPPING AND EXCURSIONS FOR ITALY 2019 We want to make this as easy as possible for you, if you would like to prepay your tips ahead of time or reserve excursions, please use the following link: http://www.harrtravel.com/italy19/beforeyougo/. We can process the card on file for the tips and also the excursions. Pre-paid Option of 110 euros trip total per person – This will cover all the gratuities for your Tour Director, your Bus Driver and the Local Guides. Please note than in all cases, if you feel someone has gone above and beyond for you, feel free to reward them with an additional gratuity as you feel appropriate o Tour Director – A local and will be with us from start to finish. o Bus Driver – He will be with us from start to finish. o Local Guides – Different local guides who will lead the tours in each city. Danny’s Role – Another question we get a lot is whether or not to tip Danny. The truth is that he wears many hats and, on this trip especially he will be wearing his travel agent, travel guide and travel concierge hats at the same time. If you feel that the service he provides as a guide/concierge is exceptional and warrants a gratuity, please feel free to tip at your discretion. Available Optional Excursions – The tour that we have arranged is packed full of wonderful inclusions. We also intentionally added free time to explore, shop and rest. The tour company that we are working with does offer a variety of extra tour options and meals if you would like to participate in any of them. They range from $45-$81 per person and the full info is on the before you go guide. The only one that I would highly recommend is the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. o Rome – Chef in a Day – Morning of 16JUN19 ▪ Market tour and a cooking class with a world class chef, Chef Federico Alessandri! Danny will be participating in this activity. o Rome – Roman Highlights – Afternoon of 18JUN19 ▪ Discover the magic of the enchanting Roman Piazzas, follow your local guide and toss one, two or three coins into the famous Trevi Fountain! Stop to admire the Pantheon, the best, preserved Roman temple and experience the lively atmosphere of Navona Square, the heart of Rome's social life! During the stroll, top it all discovering secret gems that can only come alive with your local guide. $45/person o Lucca – Tuscan Dinner – Evening 19JUN19 ▪ Tuscany is known for its gorgeous landscapes, its rich traditions, long history and culture but Tuscany still has more to offer with its great food and wine. Tonight, drive out to the rolling Chianti Hills and enjoy a traditional Tuscan meal, including coffee and drinks, in a picturesque country setting. This wonderful dinner with regional dishes is prepared using the finest local ingredients - Realize your dreams and live the Tuscan life for an evening! $68/person o Florence – Florentine Dinner – Evening of 21JUN2019 ▪ Would you like to enjoy a special evening in Florence? Well here's your chance. Savor a classic 4- course Florentine dinner with coffee and drinks, at a fine restaurant in the superb location of Santa Croce Square. Begin with the famous "Antipasto Toscano", a selection of the best local olives, cheese, salami and homemade 'focaccia bread', followed by a regional pasta dish and typical Tuscan style beef or fish for the main course. If you still have room you can end this delicious meal by indulging yourself with a sinful dessert - After all you are on holiday! $63/person Page | 3 www.harrtravel.com • 909.266.0117 • Redlands, CA o Florence – Highlights of the Uffizi Gallery – Afternoon of 22JUN19 ▪ With your Local Guide, visit one of the earliest museums in modern Europe with the world's finest collection of Italian and Florentine art.