Using Credit Cards in Foreign Countires

  What are the Credit Card Banking Fees

Check with your Credit Card Customer Service Department to determine how fees are applied when using your Credit Card internationally. 

   A foreign transaction fee is a fee charged by a credit card issuer or bank for every transaction made in a country outside of the U.S. Fees vary depending on the credit card or bank's terms and conditions, but usually fall between 1% and 5% of the purchase amount.

Before you depart, check your credit and debit card agreements to see if they include such fees. 

If they do, then you may choose apply for a credit card with no foreign transaction fee, as well as for a debit card that does not charge extra for ATM withdrawals in other countries.

Credit Card bank fees can accumulate quickly as tourists typically filling their days with many fun activities, and credit cards are easy to  use, especially when booking online or  paying in a restaurant.  

Many travelers also do not wish to carry too much cash with them while traveling. 

While credit cards do provide a record for accounting purposes, in the long run you will save some dollars if you use a credit card that has no transaction fees. 

General Rules for Visiting Churches in Italy

No Shorts – No Uncovered Knees and Shoulders, No Backpacks.

Visiting Religious Sites in Italy

How to Dress: When visiting any church in Italy Dress Accordingly.

There are Dress Codes for visiting religious sites in Italy. Considered “appropriate clothing” you should dress accordingly when planning to visit a religious site. As access is only allowed to visitors dressed appropriately. 

In Italy, churches are considered sacred places, and therefore, have strict dress codes that visitors must adhere to. Both men and women are forbidden from exposing their shoulder, midriffs, or knees, and you must wear shoes. You can wear short but they must cover your knees. Midriffs and crop tops are not allowed. 

Rome, being the most well-known pilgrimage site in Italy, lets look at Vatican City. St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Italy is the most visited religious site in the world and chances are if you visit Rome, you will visit Vatican City.

Vatican City, a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It is home to the Pope and a trove of iconic art and architecture.  Vatican Museums house ancient Roman sculptures as well as Renaissance frescoes in the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling.

The Vatican, surrounded by Rome, is a religious state and thus has a quite strict dress code for visitors. Security firmly enforces the dress code at the entrance. Knees and upper arms should be covered, no low-cut or sleeveless dresses, miniskirts, shorts and hats are not allowed. There are vendors that sell scarves or shawls to cover shoulders when you enter.

You may see signs similar to this one at religious sites:

Dress code: access to the cathedral is only possible in appropriate clothing. This means covered knees and no bare shoulders, sandals, headgear or sunglasses. 

Keep in mind there may not always be a vendor to sell you a scarf or coverup so be prepared. If you are for example,  touring a region on a hot day which includes churches or religious sites, bring an appropriate cover up with you…cover arms, shoulders and knees.  Once you leave the site you can remove the cover up and go about your day in comfortable attire.  

Booking in Advance is the Best Bet!

There are different types of Rental Car Insurance. Renting a car in Italy is easy. However due to ever increasing annual tourism numbers you may want to rent the car in advance. Especially during high tourist season such as Summer & holidays, not to mention the many events that take place in Italy during the year, such as “Fashion Week in Milan” or “Carnivale di Venezia” just to name a couple. If you should happen to arrive during any of these travel seasons or dates, don’t be surprised to find that car rentals may be far and few between. Securing your rental in advance will give you peace of mind!

Usually, you get a better deal if booking in advance, as well. Check a few sites! You can and should compare rental rates and they do fluctuate from rental company to rental company. Keep in mind that most car rentals in Italy are manual transmission, so requesting an automatic, in advance is probably your best bet, not only to get the right car for your needs, but also at the best price. 

The price online may not include all you need to actually get the car. You may want to purchase car rental insurance and any necessary waivers. For example, these days run flat tires are pretty much standard with Italy car rentals. FYI, car rental companies are not required to have a spare tire with the car. You should check whether tire coverage is included in the Rental Car Insurance policy that you purchase otherwise, you may want to purchase Tire Coverage separately. While run flat tires are designed to allow you to drive on a flat tire approximately 50 miles, they are also more prone to blow outs. Rental cars are driven by many, many people, they are driven many more miles than a standard car and there is no way to know just how many miles these tires have logged and if they have been repaired before.

One more word about insurance! As with Travel Insurance policies, read the entire policy and ask questions for clarification. Remember Rental Car Insurance is different from your regular auto insurance policy. Know what you are signing and understand clauses, what kinds of deductibles is this policy subject to, and what is your monetary responsibility in case of an accident. For example, is there a Collision Damage Waiver? What is Personal Accident Insurance? Is there Supplemental Liability Insurance? As discussed above are Tires Covered in the policy or do you need a waiver? And so on…understanding the policy that you have purchased can save you lots of money in the long run!

  Peace of Mind & Planning for the Unexpected

Planning to go on a trip?  Excited about the trip but also worried about the unexpected events that could happen during your trip?  Your are not alone! We work hard for our vacation time off. That chance to relax, de-stress and re-new. We also work hard for our vacation dollars. All that planning and saving for the perfect vacation!

What if the unexpected happens? Have we paid for hotels or excursions and activities upfront. Have we paid for flights?  Many things can happen that delay, interrupt or postpone our trip.

Travel insurance can help cover some or all of the expenses if his trip is canceled or disrupted due to illness or other issues. 

Comprehensive travel policies typically include the following coverages: Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption, Travel Medical, Medical Evacuation,  Baggage Loss or Delay and much more. Travel insurance is coverage designed to protect against risks and financial losses that could happen while traveling. Travel Insurance may provide coverage that your regular insurance does not. 

There are several variables that impact the price of travel insurance policies, the premiums are generally  between 4% - 12% of the entire trip cost. If you are paying for a lot of pre-paid expenses and non-refundable activities, investing into a travel insurance plan should be  part of your vacation budget.

We are all concerned, that we may wind up losing the upfront expenses paid for this trip or having a credit that we may not be able to use before it expires. 

We are not expecting anything to cause a trip interruption or cause us to cancel last minute. We are not expecting any unforeseen events to impact our vacation. But we are preparing for the unexpected. An emergency could cost tens of thousands of dollars, but the travel insurance plan might be a fraction of your trip cost.

Travel insurance can provide you with that peace of mind that you would be protected  during your much needed vacation time.

  Packing for a Trip

 Make a Packing List well in advance of departure date!  General Rule of Thumb  for a weeks Vacation undergarments and socks for each day, comfortable shoes, pants or skirt that mix and match with outfits, six tops, one jacket or sweater, dressy outfits as needed.

Packing Cubes keep clothes separate!

Denims are heavy and take up space!

Mixed coordinate outfits work best!

Think about the weather! 

The average vacation last for 7-11 days. 

Packing is not an exact science. Most of us over-pack, some of us under-pack. When it comes to expenses over-packing is a waste. And when it comes to going about each day’s activity under-packing can make us unhappy as well! Each traveler has different requirements. 

“Rules of Thumb”!

Day to night coordinates are some of my favorite outfits! Consistent color palette, some neutrals and accent colors (that work with more than one outfit) and your good to go! Lots of new materials these days are light weight, wrinkle free and wash and wear. This is a traveler’s dream! Easy to pack, not weight heavy and take up less space in the suit-case. 

 
New materials on the market today make ironing a thing of the past and wash and wear the new order of business. We can go from day to night and day to day, with little effort and less articles of clothing and still look beautiful!

Essentials for a week vacation. 

Pajamas: Typically (2) pairs of pajamas are enough for a week, but if you love lounge-wear, you may want to pack more since they tend to be co-ordinates…and you may get another wear out of it. 

Undergarments & Socks: Since underwear and socks are only going to be worn once and take up very little room or weight, one for each day will be no problem. Bra’s fall under this same category. 

Shoes: (3) pairs of shoes, is the general rule for a one-week vacation. Bring (1) very comfortable pair for walking and tours and a dress shoe is always nice for that special night.

Medications: Always carry medications, especially ones that you must take daily, with you when traveling. In case there are flight delays or cancellations, you are prepared. Storing medications that need to be refrigerated in checked luggage can cause it to freeze or ruin medication.

If you have medications that need to be refrigerated, you can contact the airlines and make special arrangements. Keep all of your medication in the original containers clearly labeled with your full name, health care providers name, generic and brand name and exact dosage. Bring copies of written prescriptions, including generic names for medicines.