ground.
On the
first things first
The traveler quick reference guide.
Your itinerary lists the number for each country on your route
most of latin america
110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance
japan
Police, fire, and ambulance. 112 also connects
united kingdom
The universal emergency number across every EU country
european Union
If something comes up while you're traveling, message me on WhatsApp or through Tern. My contact details are in your itinerary.
To reach me
Emergency numbers vary by country. Your itinerary lists the exact ones for every stop on your route, along with your hotel, your guides, and the nearest U.S. embassy.
First, because it's what matters most.
01 — Emergency numbers
All day
Your first day isn't about covering ground. It's about arriving in the fullest sense. Walk without a destination and notice things. Your itinerary already accounts for this, so you're not behind. ou're exactly where you should be.
A note on pace
That evening.
Don't chase a major dining experience on your first night. You're tired, your palate is adjusting, and the best restaurants deserve you at your best. A neighborhood trattoria, a brasserie, a tapas bar. The dining I've designed for you begins once you're rested.
Keep the first meal simple
Before 2 to 4 p.m.
Most hotels set check-in between 2 and 4 p.m. Arrive earlier and the front desk will hold your luggage. Drop your bags, change if you need to, and step outside. Some of the best moments happen in those first unstructured hours: a café you find by accident, a neighborhood that surprises you, the slow realization that you're here.
If your room isn't ready
Transatlantic flights usually land in the morning, after a night spent awake or half awake. The instinct is to sleep. Get outside into daylight instead, as early as you can, because that's what resets your internal clock fastest. Eat a light meal on local time. If you truly need rest, keep it to 20 or 30 minutes before mid-afternoon, then carry on to a reasonable local bedtime.
Resist the nap
on landing
The first day somewhere new comes with a surreal, slightly disoriented buzz. Your body and mind are still catching up to the fact that you've arrived. Your itinerary is built with that in mind, and the opening day is paced to ease you in rather than launch you into a full schedule.
well.
Arriving
02 — · Your first 24 hours
Contactless is standard across European transit and retail, and tap-to-pay on your phone clears many turnstiles that would otherwise require a local transit card. Set it up at home where you can troubleshoot.
Airport and tourist-zone counters have poor rates and high fees. If you'd like a few euros on arrival, order them from your bank before you leave, or use an ATM when you land.
That offer, at an ATM or a card terminal, is dynamic currency conversion, and it always costs you more. Choose the local currency every time.
Choose machines attached to a bank branch rather than standalone units in tourist areas. The rates are better, the fees are lower, and if a machine retains your card during banking hours you have someone to ask.
Cards get demagnetized, retained by machines, or frozen at the least convenient moment. A backup from a different issuer, kept somewhere other than your wallet, turns a real problem into a minor one.
Several major issuers have discontinued them, relying on transaction monitoring instead. Check your banking app. If the option is there, set it. If it isn't, confirm your bank has a current mobile number for you so they can reach you if something flags.
Add your cards to your phone before you go
Skip the exchange counters
Always decline "convert to USD"
Use bank ATMs for cash
Carry a second card, stored separately
Check whether your bank still wants a travel notice
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Cards are widely accepted across Western Europe, and many restaurants, shops, and transit systems are now card-only. A chip card with no foreign transaction fee is your best everyday payment.
for things.
Paying
03 — Currency & cards
Many destinations charge a tourist or accommodation tax per person, per night. Your hotel collects it at check-in or checkout, and it usually isn't included in your room rate. The amount depends on the city and the hotel's category.
Similar taxes exist in parts of Asia, the Caribbean, and some U.S. cities. The sums are small, but a few places still want them in cash.
€1 to €7 · Per person, per night, in most European cities
The charge at checkout that isn't a mistake.
04 —Accommodation taxes
Take the refund to your credit card rather than in cash at the airport counter. The cash option carries a heavier fee for the convenience of having it in hand.
The refund has to be validated before you fly home, at your last airport in the EU rather than at each border. That means a customs desk or a digital kiosk, and it means arriving early enough to use it. Keep the goods and the receipts in your carry-on, because customs can ask to see what you bought.
Say you want a tax-free form before the sale is rung up, since it can't be added afterward. You'll need your passport, so carry it or a photo of it on days you plan to shop. Most countries set a minimum spend per store, so it's worth putting several purchases on one receipt rather than spreading them across a few visits.
Card, not cash
Build in the Time
Ask before you pay
getting paid
At the airport
at the shop
Most of Europe includes value-added tax in the price on the label, and visitors from outside the EU can claim a good deal of it back on what they take home. Refunds typically run 10 to 15 percent of the purchase price after the processing company takes its cut, which is real money on a handbag or a suit.
leave behind.
The money most travelers
05 —Tax Refunds
A modest tip for good service is welcome. It's a gesture, not a percentage anyone is calculating.
Excellent service is the standard rather than an upsell. Leaving money behind can cause confusion, or a server chasing you down the street to return it.
When a guide, driver, or private experience is included in what you paid me, the gratuity usually isn't. Sometimes it is, and your itinerary will say so. When it doesn't say so, assume cash at the end and carry small bills for the days your itinerary includes a guide or a driver.
For a private guide, plan on €40 to €50 per group for a half day and €70 to €100 for a full day. For a driver on a transfer, €10 to €20, and more if he's handled your luggage or waited. Bring small bills, hand it over at the end, and say what you enjoyed.
A service charge is often already on the bill. A small additional tip is for service that stood out.
Service is included in the bill. Round up or leave 5 to 10% for good service. In many countries you hand it to your server or tell them the total you'd like to pay rather than leaving cash on the table.
Small
None
Already paid for?
Cash, at the end
Built in
5 to 10%
Appreciated, not assumed
Not expected, and sometimes rude
What I recommend
Extra for exceptional service
Appreciation, not obligation
Prepaid experiences
Guides and drivers
The Middle East
Southeast Asia and Latin America
Japan
Most of Europe
may be awkward there.
What feels normal at home
Tipping Customs
Tipping culture varies widely. Abroad, a tip can be unnecessary, generous, or even rude.
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3
2
1
Know the rules
easiest
The State Department rates every country from Level 1 to Level 4. I watch the advisories for your destinations while I design your journey and I'll flag anything that needs your attention. The link is here in case conditions change while you're away.
One thing to know. A level is often driven by a single region, and the country page will tell you which. A Level 3 attached to a border province several hundred miles from where you're staying will have little to no impact for you. Read the detail, and if it concerns anywhere on your itinerary, text me before you change a plan.
Do not travel
Reconsider travel
Exercise increased caution
Exercise normal precautions
If you set up an eSIM before you left, turn it on now and confirm data is running before you leave the airport. Your maps, translation, and transit apps all depend on it, and the gaps between hotels and cafés are where you'll need them most.
If you didn't get to it, you can still buy an eSIM from where you're standing. A local or regional plan is bought online and activated by QR code, with no SIM to swap, and it takes a few minutes. Your carrier's daily international plan works too, and it's the simplest option if your phone doesn't support eSIM.
not the gaps between.
Four levels,
Wi-Fi covers the stops,
06 - Travel advisories
06 - Staying connected