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Europe Currencies – Everything You Need to Know About the EURO

Europe Currencies – The EURO Back in 2001 when we lived in Germany and regularly traveled to visit family and friends in the Netherlands and Belgium, I used to keep wallets with cash from both countries. I would invariably forget to take them with me the next time we crossed a border. Being caught without cash …

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When to Splurge or Save on your Trip

Some budget-minded travelers count every penny on a trip, ensuring that they never go over a carefully planned budget and go as cheap as they can; others prefer not to worry about the costs at all, spending what they want without a limit. Most travelers, however, fall somewhere in the middle. We want to keep …

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Europe Packing Advice for Women

With airline carry-on size allotments shrinking and checked baggage fees soaring, every little bit of luggage space counts. And, packing for a trip to Europe can be a balancing act between bringing the necessities while not using precious space for non-essentials. Our packing advice for women: sort through your must-take travel items, taking only what you will …

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How to Travel with Carry-ons ONLY

Whether travelling for long periods, through several countries or just going for a week; we only travel with carry-ons. My husband Rick and I travel consecutively for many months annually, visiting a number of countries, hence numerous flights. Regardless of the length of these travel-stints (our last one entailed 25 countries in 9 months) – …

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The Extended Layover: Get More Out of Your Travels

For years, I flew from point A to point B without even thinking about the cities in which I had layovers. In Europe, I had stopovers in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and more, and I never really thought about the fact that these cities’ magnificent sights and cultures lay just outside the airport walls. Then …

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Six Reasons to Visit Europe this Winter

In the summer, travelers flock to Europe to tour the sites while basking in the warm sunshine. Sounds perfect, right? Well, it is perfect until you step off the plane and realize that everyone else has the same idea. Along with the picture-perfect weather, come throngs of camera-toting tourists. To escape the crowds, consider visiting Europe in the winter. …

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Hiring a Tour Guide: Is it Worth it?

My husband, Bill, and I had never hired a private tour guide before our recent trip to Italy. In the past, we read our guidebooks, consulted the internet, and reviewed EuropeUpClose.com to see what our writers had to say. We then did our own thing. We have also been part of  large group tours, but this experience showed us the value …

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10 Tips for Packing for Europe: What You Need And What You Don’t

10 Tips for Packing for Europe and the most important question: Do you need a European Curling Iron? As usual, I am preparing for my next trip to Europe and I am determined to do a better packing job than in the past. I am following these 10 Rules of Thumb for Packing for Europe. As …

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