Questions
One of the many things we noticed before and after taking a Rick Steves trip was that many of our friends and family asked us an array of questions. Some very broad and others very specific. We hope our frequently asked questions and answers page provides some helpful insight to our fellow and future travelers.
Packing
- Q: What type of backpack did you bring along?
A: We really like Eddie Bauer products and found their collapsible backpacks a great find. All four of us got these backpacks in different colors. Usually, one or two of us would bring a backpack for the day and carry each other's belongings. For security purposes, we found that putting a paper clip between the zippers is a cheap and crafty way to stop pickpockets. Eddie Bauer's Stowaway Packable Daypack
Clothing and Shoes
- Q: I see that Rick Steves recommends only taking a carry-on suitcase for international travel. Is his recommended packing list correct?
A: We found that his packing list for women is pretty spot on (Packing List for Women). A couple of the slight adjustments that we made included bringing an extra pair of shorts and an extra cardigan to use as a cover in churches and such.
- Q: What did you do for shoes?
A: For women (and even men), bring two pairs of shoes. We do not know how you manage with only one pair. We each brought very comfortable walking shoes: one open toe and one closed toe. No crazy high heels are necessary.
- Q: What did you do with your passport during the day?
A: At the beginning of our trip, we carried it on our money belts (get one). However, we later left them in our hotel. They were locked in our suitcases. Make sure you print extra copies of your passport. We did carry a copy with us at all times.
- Q: Did you do laundry on the trip?
A: Yes, it was inevitable with the limited amount of clothing items that were brought along. When we arrived in Venice, we washed a few essential items in our hotel sink. Prior to the trip, we purchased these perfect Tide Travel Liquid Detergent Sink Packets. Another good item we brought along is Rick's Travel Clothesline. So once we were finished washing our items in the sink, we would hang up the clotheslines and let our clothes dry overnight. When we arrived in Florence, our parents needed a few items washed. The hotel (Hotel Silla) had a great washing service. It was €15 to get one load of laundry washed for you.
Technology
- Q: How did you communicate with friends and family back home?
A: Before you travel abroad, it is important to note how long you will be gone. For example, if you are going to be gone for months, then an international cellphone may come in handy. However, since we were only going to be gone about two weeks, and less for our parents, we used our iPhone's apps and social media (when connected to WiFi) to communicate. Our preferred app was WhatsApp (discussed more below) since it was free and very easy to use.
- Q: What should you know about using your own smartphone abroad?
A: Turn off your data!! Or else, you will be charged for roaming fees. The simplest way to do this is to put your phone in airplane mode. When you are in WiFi zones (like your hotel), turn the WiFi on. We went the day without using our smartphones, aside from taking a few pictures. Then, when we were taking a break in the afternoon or night at the hotel, we would communicate with family, check emails, etc.
- Q: Any specific apps you would recommend?
A: We used Facebook messenger to text friends. Because our parents are not on social media, we used the WhatsApp. There are many calling/messaging apps out there, so feel free to use a different one. You can call/message anyone for free with many of these apps as long as you make sure that you're in an area with WiFi. So before we left for our sister trip to Spain, we told our parents to download WhatsApp. So when we landed and got to our hotels safety, we called and messaged our parents using WhatsApp. Also, another app that we like a lot, though this one is for booking flights, is called Hopper. Hopper, similar to Kayak, tracks flight pricing patterns and tells you when it's the best time to buy your plane tickets.
- Q: What cameras did you use?
A: We each brought our digital cameras. Because we both like to take pictures, we like the quality of our digital cameras in comparison to our iPhones. Know how you use your camera. I (Kim) love to take pictures... For example, in two weeks abroad, I took over 1300 pictures. Christina took about 800 pictures. No shame. When you take many pictures, the last thing you want to happen is to have your battery die. Charge your battery. So, when my battery showed 50%, I charged it that night.
Side Trip Planning
- Q: How did you plan a trip (non-Rick Steves) when you two live across the country?
A: It was not like we didn't talk on the phone to plan logistics. However, it's extremely difficult to discuss every aspect in one conversation. We found that sharing a Google Document in Google Drive are a great way to plan our activities. Since, the Italy portion was already planned, we started off by listing the places we wanted to visit in Spain on the Google Doc. We would attach links for possible places to visit (i.e. the Picasso Museum) and would comment on each other's recommendation. From there, we discussed the final plans over the phone and booked what we could ahead of time.
- Q: Did you come up with the itinerary for Spain by yourself or did you get help?
A: Yes and No. You obviously should create an itinerary that best fits your needs. However, there are many great websites out there that provide their recommended itineraries for cities like Barcelona, including Rick Steves' Barcelona Itinerary 1-7 Days plan. We used this site to start planning our side trip while also factoring in a visit to Christina's friend Maialen in the Basque Country.
Miscellaneous
- Q: Did you watch any videos/read articles to prepare for your trip?
A: Yes. We watched all of Rick's Venice, Florence, and Rome videos and read through his Italy and Spain books. In addition, we happened to find a few other interesting articles that provided a unique modern perspective. 60 Minutes did a cool piece on how high end fashion companies are saving parts of Italy's history. When you go to Italy, many iconic places like the Rialto Bridge, Colosseum or Trevi Fountain will be under renovation. Fashion companies are paying for these pricey projects since the Italian government cannot afford it. Have to save and preserve our history!
- Q: Are there any ways that you save keepsakes you collected during vacations?
A: We like to be crafty and remember our memories during our time abroad. One thing that we like to do is make and decorate Travel Keepsake Boxes. Each box is designated for one of our trips and memories. Inside of it, we put our museum tickets, pretty postcards, etc.
- Q: What type of backpack did you bring along?
A: We really like Eddie Bauer products and found their collapsible backpacks a great find. All four of us got these backpacks in different colors. Usually, one or two of us would bring a backpack for the day and carry each other's belongings. For security purposes, we found that putting a paper clip between the zippers is a cheap and crafty way to stop pickpockets. Eddie Bauer's Stowaway Packable Daypack
Clothing and Shoes
- Q: I see that Rick Steves recommends only taking a carry-on suitcase for international travel. Is his recommended packing list correct?
A: We found that his packing list for women is pretty spot on (Packing List for Women). A couple of the slight adjustments that we made included bringing an extra pair of shorts and an extra cardigan to use as a cover in churches and such.
- Q: What did you do for shoes?
A: For women (and even men), bring two pairs of shoes. We do not know how you manage with only one pair. We each brought very comfortable walking shoes: one open toe and one closed toe. No crazy high heels are necessary.
- Q: What did you do with your passport during the day?
A: At the beginning of our trip, we carried it on our money belts (get one). However, we later left them in our hotel. They were locked in our suitcases. Make sure you print extra copies of your passport. We did carry a copy with us at all times.
- Q: Did you do laundry on the trip?
A: Yes, it was inevitable with the limited amount of clothing items that were brought along. When we arrived in Venice, we washed a few essential items in our hotel sink. Prior to the trip, we purchased these perfect Tide Travel Liquid Detergent Sink Packets. Another good item we brought along is Rick's Travel Clothesline. So once we were finished washing our items in the sink, we would hang up the clotheslines and let our clothes dry overnight. When we arrived in Florence, our parents needed a few items washed. The hotel (Hotel Silla) had a great washing service. It was €15 to get one load of laundry washed for you.
Technology
- Q: How did you communicate with friends and family back home?
A: Before you travel abroad, it is important to note how long you will be gone. For example, if you are going to be gone for months, then an international cellphone may come in handy. However, since we were only going to be gone about two weeks, and less for our parents, we used our iPhone's apps and social media (when connected to WiFi) to communicate. Our preferred app was WhatsApp (discussed more below) since it was free and very easy to use.
- Q: What should you know about using your own smartphone abroad?
A: Turn off your data!! Or else, you will be charged for roaming fees. The simplest way to do this is to put your phone in airplane mode. When you are in WiFi zones (like your hotel), turn the WiFi on. We went the day without using our smartphones, aside from taking a few pictures. Then, when we were taking a break in the afternoon or night at the hotel, we would communicate with family, check emails, etc.
- Q: Any specific apps you would recommend?
A: We used Facebook messenger to text friends. Because our parents are not on social media, we used the WhatsApp. There are many calling/messaging apps out there, so feel free to use a different one. You can call/message anyone for free with many of these apps as long as you make sure that you're in an area with WiFi. So before we left for our sister trip to Spain, we told our parents to download WhatsApp. So when we landed and got to our hotels safety, we called and messaged our parents using WhatsApp. Also, another app that we like a lot, though this one is for booking flights, is called Hopper. Hopper, similar to Kayak, tracks flight pricing patterns and tells you when it's the best time to buy your plane tickets.
- Q: What cameras did you use?
A: We each brought our digital cameras. Because we both like to take pictures, we like the quality of our digital cameras in comparison to our iPhones. Know how you use your camera. I (Kim) love to take pictures... For example, in two weeks abroad, I took over 1300 pictures. Christina took about 800 pictures. No shame. When you take many pictures, the last thing you want to happen is to have your battery die. Charge your battery. So, when my battery showed 50%, I charged it that night.
Side Trip Planning
- Q: How did you plan a trip (non-Rick Steves) when you two live across the country?
A: It was not like we didn't talk on the phone to plan logistics. However, it's extremely difficult to discuss every aspect in one conversation. We found that sharing a Google Document in Google Drive are a great way to plan our activities. Since, the Italy portion was already planned, we started off by listing the places we wanted to visit in Spain on the Google Doc. We would attach links for possible places to visit (i.e. the Picasso Museum) and would comment on each other's recommendation. From there, we discussed the final plans over the phone and booked what we could ahead of time.
- Q: Did you come up with the itinerary for Spain by yourself or did you get help?
A: Yes and No. You obviously should create an itinerary that best fits your needs. However, there are many great websites out there that provide their recommended itineraries for cities like Barcelona, including Rick Steves' Barcelona Itinerary 1-7 Days plan. We used this site to start planning our side trip while also factoring in a visit to Christina's friend Maialen in the Basque Country.
Miscellaneous
- Q: Did you watch any videos/read articles to prepare for your trip?
A: Yes. We watched all of Rick's Venice, Florence, and Rome videos and read through his Italy and Spain books. In addition, we happened to find a few other interesting articles that provided a unique modern perspective. 60 Minutes did a cool piece on how high end fashion companies are saving parts of Italy's history. When you go to Italy, many iconic places like the Rialto Bridge, Colosseum or Trevi Fountain will be under renovation. Fashion companies are paying for these pricey projects since the Italian government cannot afford it. Have to save and preserve our history!
- Q: Are there any ways that you save keepsakes you collected during vacations?
A: We like to be crafty and remember our memories during our time abroad. One thing that we like to do is make and decorate Travel Keepsake Boxes. Each box is designated for one of our trips and memories. Inside of it, we put our museum tickets, pretty postcards, etc.