Prepare for European Trip

Passport books are required for international air travel for all guests including infants. Passport cards are not acceptable for this type of vacation unless you are driving across the border. Additionally, some countries require that passports are valid six months past your trip. Even if the country does not require six month validity, we highly recommend that it does anyway. Airlines are responsible for checking this information and can deny boarding. Passengers have been denied by the airline even in instances where six month validity wasn't required by the country being visited. Keep passports in your carry-on bag such as your purse or backpack during travel. Placing passports in a checked bag is a serious travel mistake and could result in missing your vacation.

United States citizens visiting Europe may need a visa depending on which country they are visiting. Also, you many need more than one visa if you are traveling through other countries as well. Countries in the European Union require an ETIAS travel authorisation. Traveling to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland requires an ETIAS travel authorisation for United States citizens. An ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is required for tourism travel by Americans to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdoms includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland have different requirements. 

Europe has different electrical plugs and electrical voltage compared to the United States. A travel adapter allows you to plug a U.S. plug into a European plug. This does not change the voltage and should not be used on large electronics such as laptops or medical devices. A voltage converter is what you need for laptops and medical devices. Please keep in mind that the voltage and plugs throughout Europe are different. Make sure you have the necessary adapters and converters for your destination.

Europe uses a variety of currency and we recommend obtaining the local currency from your local bank. Most banks require you to order the currency up to two weeks before travel. While credit cards are widely accepted, we recommend carrying some cash in the event you have an issue with your credit card abroad. It can take time to fix a banking issue when you are in a different time zone. If you need more cash when abroad, you should be able to use your debit card at a local ATM. We recommend using an ATM attached to a bank and not the more convenient tourist ATMs found in airports, train stations, or tourist destinations. Contact your bank before travel to ensure your credit cards and debit cards will work in destination.

International flights are often completely booked. We recommend choosing your seats as soon as possible. You can do this by entering your last name and flight confirmation number on the airline's website. Many international flights have codeshares. This means that your flight may be booked with one airline and then operated by another airlines. If you cannot check-in with the airline that is booked, try the codeshare airline. Codeshares are not a perfect system and in some cases you may not be able to choose seats, buy bags, or check-in until you arrive at the airport. Airlines will most likely ask you for passport information during check-in. If you cannot check-in online, please arrive to the airport early. You should arrive at least three hours before departure.