What do I have to know about visiting Italy, Paris & Athens alone this December?
Ok so this December (2nd-14th) I'm going to Italy (Milan, Como, Venice, Rome), France (Paris), and Greece (Athens). I'm going ALONE, and it's going to be my first time as such. My itinerary is as follows: Day 1: Athens Day 2: Athens/Milan Day 3: Como Day 4: Milan Day 5: Milan/Paris Day 6: Paris Day 7: Paris Day 8: Paris/Venice Day 9: Venice/Rome Day 10: Rome Day 11: Rome Day 12: Athens Day 13: back home in Beirut. There are a few things I want to know: 1- Knowing that all plane tickets, train tickets, full day trip to lake Como, Vatican tour, all hotels (including breakfast) and all airport transfers have already been payed for, do you think about 1200$ is enough money to take with me? 2- What do you think about the itinerary? 3- The visa I have is a single entry, schengen visa to Greece. Should I expect any problems? And what documents should I have with me since I'm going to be flying a lot? (Other than passport, visa, photo ID...) I mean, anything in particular for the visa not to be annulled? 4- I'm not really sure about the power outlet thing, for recharging stuff. The type we use here in Beirut is this: http://raoulpop.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/round-european-prongs-11.jpg?w=640&h=400 Is it the same in Greece, France & Italy? 5- Any tips on traveling alone in all the above destinations? Money saving tips? What to do alone? Where and HOW to meet people? Special recommendations? Places the locals go to, things tourists wouldn't know about...?Etc... 6- Do you think I should take my laptop with me? (For recharging, and photo storing uses) 7- About the bag, I have a regular, medium sized samsonite (the type with wheels). Do you think its a good idea, or should I actually take a back pack? Because I don't have one. And I really don't want to carry anything other than a small bag while walking around 8- Packing tips & ideas? What to take and what not to take. And about toiletries, I'm unfamiliar with the policies of European airports. (I mean for bottles containing liquids etc...) What kind of clothes? For the weather I mean? 9- I might have a few extra days in Greece after my trip, any islands besides Athens that you would recommend I visit? Something not too far from Athens and not too expensive to get to... I know this is a long one, Thanks!
Greece - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Lucky you! I would recommend you pack lightly. Carry very limited liquids in your carry on, anything that fits in a ziplock bag and each bottle is less than 100 ml(3 oz) If you have a small laptop bring it along if there is WIFI in the hotels you're staying (ask ahead) Carry the laptop in an easy in and out bag for the airport inspection In Greece they have 220 V electricity, seems you use the same. Apple laptops are made to use worldwide, so no issues with apples Carry a carry on with wheels and put your laptop attached or inside while traveling, no back packs I found it cumbersome to carry my laptop, so would advice against Hope you get more info from other users reg weather etc but if in doubt check on line Make sure you visit the catacombs in Rome, hire a tour guide for the Colosseum Also, buy ticks for the double decker while in Rome, make reservations for the Sistine chapel tour in the Vatican. Have plenty of memory in your camera and an extra set of batteries along with the instructions (in case u run into issues) If you decide to stay extra days in Greece arrange to stay near Acropolis in the middle of the action. I stayed in a very nice hotel called "Athens Gate" with direct views of the Acropolis http://www.athensgate.gr/index-eng.htm For islands I visited Santorini and Mykonos. Santorini wins hands down, is worth the extra trip http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g189433-Santorini_Cyclades-Hotels.html As for money, I would take extra money with me, maybe double that amount, food not included Carry a credit card with you and arrange/prepay the tours from home.(Call the credit card company to notify them of your trip so they won't freeze your card) I found it awkward to have dinner alone but otherwise it was fun. Enjoy your trip!
2 :
Vergina has great advice! Aside from that: Cash: Make sure you have $100 per day in spending money. Looks like you're ok there. Not sure about visas but you can find info on line. To meet people, talk to everyone! Go to cafes and bars and talk to anyone wearing sneakers or hiking boots. Chances are they're traveling too and yearning to talk about where they are, just like you. Your bag is fine. Better than a backpack. Your back will thank you. Pack less than you think you'll need. You need two pairs of jeans, one nice pair of pants, a few tops and one nice shirt along with underwear. One pair of shoes and one pair of sneakers or hiking shoes. One waterproof jacket. If you bring too little, do laundry one day. End of trip advice, well, it's easy to get to Mykonos or Santorini which are fantastic. But Athens, as decrepit at it looks, is really, really cool. Your itinerary is very on the move and aggressive. You'll be tired by the end of it. Take a day trip or overnight trip to Delphi, which is amazing. I'd save islands for another trip. My best advice as an experienced independent traveler overall is to watch your stuff, try not to bring anything you don't mind losing/having stolen (like your laptop-besides you can use internet cafes or your mobile phone for contact-and it's better to be unplugged anyway). Keep your eye on everyone as if they're trying to pick your pockets. They mostly aren't, but be careful, they can be tricky. And don't get drunk because you'll be an easy victim. Have a great trip, I'm envious of your itinerary
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
I am going to Italy from America and am confused about the Converters/Adaptors
I am going to Italy from America and am confused about the Converters/Adaptors?
I am going to Italy from America and am confused about the Converters/Adaptors. Do I need both? Also do I need special types for certain appliances such as a cell phone charger, laptop charger, hair straightener, blow dryer, camera charger, etc... Also if I plan to travel around Europe will the same time of converter or adaptor that I get for Italy work throughout other places in Europe such as Greece, France, Germany, and Spain? Also any additional information you know that would be helpful for me would be great. I am so confused about so many things and would love to be 100% prepared before I go overseas.
Other - Italy - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
If you want to use American electrical devices in Italy, you'll need a plug adapter or power converter. egypt lover http://www.travelviaegypt.com/
2 :
You'll need one voltage converter, which will drop down the European 240 volts to the US 110 volts (so you don't blow out your equipment). You will need different plug adaptors for different countries. Note if you are going to be using the converter for both charging and heat-producing appliances, it will need to be a combination wattage converter. It's pricey, but absolutely necessary. Here's one that includes the four most common adaptor plugs: http://www.magellans.com/store/Adaptor_Plugs___Converters___Adaptor___Converter_KitsEA247?Args= Also, note that a lot of appliances and laptops are dual voltage, which means they don't need a voltage converter. It will say it on the item, or you'll see something like 110/240 or AC100V-240V.
3 :
I've lived in Italy for the past ten years and most of my electronics were bought in the US including several laptops, a couple of short wave radios, and cameras/chargers. I have never had or needed a voltage converter for any of them. For the laptop, cell phone charger, and camera charger all you need is the plug adapter. The same one will work in most of Europe as long as you're not going to the EU. Check the power supply. The label will say something like Input: 100 - 240 Vac 50/60 hz. This tells you that it accepts both European and North American input power. You'll want something like this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104181 . They're widely available. In addition to Radio Shack, you can find them at Target, Walmart, Brookstones, Best Buy most luggage stores, airport shops, ... For the hair products, you need to check the product literature for a similar statement. Some are dual voltage and others may have a switch that you have to set to change from one voltage to the other. In either case, you need a plug adapter. If you have older products that are only for US voltages, you need the voltage converter. If you do need a voltage converter for these, it should be a high wattage type. If you do end up getting a voltage converter as well as a plug adapters, check the product literature for the chargers, laptops etc. I have several Sony cameras and the instructions for use specifically say NOT to use them with a voltage converter to avoid potential damage. You can buy plug adapters/voltage converters here in Europe as well.
4 :
My husband bought an adapter for me. It is a black box looking thing. It is like an international adaptor. I can plug in my american flat iron, and cell phone charger. Or flip a switch and plug in the hair dryer I bought here. The plug looked like the regular italian plugs, but was not. lol. But it fits into the adaptor. Not sure where he got it though. Sorry. If you are staying in hotels, you can call ahead and ask if they have any converters or adaptors available.
5 :
Hi there, First things first - check your appliances' chargers! They will tell you if you need a power converter. How to do this? Fairly straightforward - take (say) a phone charger. Look for a label featuring many security compliance logos as well as the word "INPUT" (usually quite small). If you see "100-240 V" or "110-230 V" (or any permutation similar to that), your charger does not need a Voltage converter, only a plug adapter (see link in sources for an example!) If you get a simple two-prong plug adapter (usually something like "US-Europe") you will be fine. It is best to get two pronged adapter as all European plugs (except the UK) have holes for two prongs, with slight regional (but negligible) differences. I have found a really useful plug adapter (see link below) which can adapt US (and other plugs) into European two-pronged, UK bulky three-pronged, Australian and (if necessary) US two-pronged. It also protects my appliances against power spikes and surges. Final advantage: it is small and portable. You may however, want to pick your own adapter - and the one for Italy will (as I said earlier) work fine in all European countries except the UK and Ireland. Hope this helped and enjoy visiting Europe! JPJ
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I am going to Italy from America and am confused about the Converters/Adaptors. Do I need both? Also do I need special types for certain appliances such as a cell phone charger, laptop charger, hair straightener, blow dryer, camera charger, etc... Also if I plan to travel around Europe will the same time of converter or adaptor that I get for Italy work throughout other places in Europe such as Greece, France, Germany, and Spain? Also any additional information you know that would be helpful for me would be great. I am so confused about so many things and would love to be 100% prepared before I go overseas.
Other - Italy - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
If you want to use American electrical devices in Italy, you'll need a plug adapter or power converter. egypt lover http://www.travelviaegypt.com/
2 :
You'll need one voltage converter, which will drop down the European 240 volts to the US 110 volts (so you don't blow out your equipment). You will need different plug adaptors for different countries. Note if you are going to be using the converter for both charging and heat-producing appliances, it will need to be a combination wattage converter. It's pricey, but absolutely necessary. Here's one that includes the four most common adaptor plugs: http://www.magellans.com/store/Adaptor_Plugs___Converters___Adaptor___Converter_KitsEA247?Args= Also, note that a lot of appliances and laptops are dual voltage, which means they don't need a voltage converter. It will say it on the item, or you'll see something like 110/240 or AC100V-240V.
3 :
I've lived in Italy for the past ten years and most of my electronics were bought in the US including several laptops, a couple of short wave radios, and cameras/chargers. I have never had or needed a voltage converter for any of them. For the laptop, cell phone charger, and camera charger all you need is the plug adapter. The same one will work in most of Europe as long as you're not going to the EU. Check the power supply. The label will say something like Input: 100 - 240 Vac 50/60 hz. This tells you that it accepts both European and North American input power. You'll want something like this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104181 . They're widely available. In addition to Radio Shack, you can find them at Target, Walmart, Brookstones, Best Buy most luggage stores, airport shops, ... For the hair products, you need to check the product literature for a similar statement. Some are dual voltage and others may have a switch that you have to set to change from one voltage to the other. In either case, you need a plug adapter. If you have older products that are only for US voltages, you need the voltage converter. If you do need a voltage converter for these, it should be a high wattage type. If you do end up getting a voltage converter as well as a plug adapters, check the product literature for the chargers, laptops etc. I have several Sony cameras and the instructions for use specifically say NOT to use them with a voltage converter to avoid potential damage. You can buy plug adapters/voltage converters here in Europe as well.
4 :
My husband bought an adapter for me. It is a black box looking thing. It is like an international adaptor. I can plug in my american flat iron, and cell phone charger. Or flip a switch and plug in the hair dryer I bought here. The plug looked like the regular italian plugs, but was not. lol. But it fits into the adaptor. Not sure where he got it though. Sorry. If you are staying in hotels, you can call ahead and ask if they have any converters or adaptors available.
5 :
Hi there, First things first - check your appliances' chargers! They will tell you if you need a power converter. How to do this? Fairly straightforward - take (say) a phone charger. Look for a label featuring many security compliance logos as well as the word "INPUT" (usually quite small). If you see "100-240 V" or "110-230 V" (or any permutation similar to that), your charger does not need a Voltage converter, only a plug adapter (see link in sources for an example!) If you get a simple two-prong plug adapter (usually something like "US-Europe") you will be fine. It is best to get two pronged adapter as all European plugs (except the UK) have holes for two prongs, with slight regional (but negligible) differences. I have found a really useful plug adapter (see link below) which can adapt US (and other plugs) into European two-pronged, UK bulky three-pronged, Australian and (if necessary) US two-pronged. It also protects my appliances against power spikes and surges. Final advantage: it is small and portable. You may however, want to pick your own adapter - and the one for Italy will (as I said earlier) work fine in all European countries except the UK and Ireland. Hope this helped and enjoy visiting Europe! JPJ
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Thursday, July 14, 2011
Is it Possible to change the Display language in Windows 7 Home Premium
Is it Possible to change the Display language in Windows 7 Home Premium?
Guys... My brother recently went to study in Italy... but he is still new to italian and he bought a laptop which came with Windows 7 Home Premium Italian... so he wants to change the language to english if possible... Is there anyway???
Software - 2 Answers
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1 :
YES! Changing Installed Language of Windows 7 (Home Premium, Pro) and hack multi-language tablet recognition http://xaueious.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/changing-installed-language-of-windows-7-home-premium-pro-from-en-us/
2 :
control panel region and language click the drop down (italian)and scroll up and change to english click the 3 rd tab at the top keyboards and languages click the change keyboards..... again drop-down menu and select english not had to do this with win 7 so let me know if it works correctly done it several times with win xp
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Guys... My brother recently went to study in Italy... but he is still new to italian and he bought a laptop which came with Windows 7 Home Premium Italian... so he wants to change the language to english if possible... Is there anyway???
Software - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
YES! Changing Installed Language of Windows 7 (Home Premium, Pro) and hack multi-language tablet recognition http://xaueious.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/changing-installed-language-of-windows-7-home-premium-pro-from-en-us/
2 :
control panel region and language click the drop down (italian)and scroll up and change to english click the 3 rd tab at the top keyboards and languages click the change keyboards..... again drop-down menu and select english not had to do this with win 7 so let me know if it works correctly done it several times with win xp
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Thursday, July 7, 2011
Confused about power voltage in Italy?
I read that the voltage in Italy is 220-230. Now I have these two travel appliances, a mini iron and a hair dryer, that claim that they're dual voltage because the iron can be switched to 240 and the hair dryer to 250. Since its a higher voltage, can I still use it in Italy? I would use my power converter, but don't power converters usually transform US applicances from lower voltage to higher voltage? I'm trying really hard not to use a converter though because I don't want to bring it, plus my laptop charger and everything else doesn't require a voltage change. Can someone please help me out? Also, I have a hair straightener that isn't dual voltage, but all it says on it is 300V. What does that mean and do I need a converter for using it in Italy? Thanks!
Other - Europe - 1 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
It does not matter if the number is a little higher than 230, as some companies make sure that your dryer or iron can also handle higher peak voltages, so 240 or 250 is OK. Are you sure that your hair straightener says 300V, isn't it 300W, in that case it is 300 watts, and that is the amount of power it uses when working. If you buy a converter for that it must be able to handle 300 watt, and those converters are expensive and heavy. It might well be cheaper and certainly easier to buy a new straightener in Italy. Or travel around with curly hair, most people think it is charming, and it saves lots of time too
Read more discussions :
I read that the voltage in Italy is 220-230. Now I have these two travel appliances, a mini iron and a hair dryer, that claim that they're dual voltage because the iron can be switched to 240 and the hair dryer to 250. Since its a higher voltage, can I still use it in Italy? I would use my power converter, but don't power converters usually transform US applicances from lower voltage to higher voltage? I'm trying really hard not to use a converter though because I don't want to bring it, plus my laptop charger and everything else doesn't require a voltage change. Can someone please help me out? Also, I have a hair straightener that isn't dual voltage, but all it says on it is 300V. What does that mean and do I need a converter for using it in Italy? Thanks!
Other - Europe - 1 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
It does not matter if the number is a little higher than 230, as some companies make sure that your dryer or iron can also handle higher peak voltages, so 240 or 250 is OK. Are you sure that your hair straightener says 300V, isn't it 300W, in that case it is 300 watts, and that is the amount of power it uses when working. If you buy a converter for that it must be able to handle 300 watt, and those converters are expensive and heavy. It might well be cheaper and certainly easier to buy a new straightener in Italy. Or travel around with curly hair, most people think it is charming, and it saves lots of time too
Read more discussions :
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