Bits and Pieces

With just 24 days to go it’s time to get serious about a few last minute things. We have been busy though, working through our lists. 

I went into my local RACQ and organised an International Drivers Licence. I needed a passport sized photo but they took that while I was there. Some branches don’t do this so it would pay to check; you may need to go to the Post Office to have this done. You will also need your Australian Drivers Licence. The staff can process your application right there and then.

We’ve also purchased a TravelSIM card. We bought ours from Australia Post. There are two types of cards, depending on your phone and whether you want just calls and SMS or if you want to add data. We have a simple phone (mine) and so purchased a SIM card loaded with $20 for calls or text messages. This phone will allow us to call ahead to booked accommodation, or to call home in an emergency. It will also allow family from home to call us if necessary.  Most of our contact to and from home will be via our iPads. If you opt for a travel SIM just be sure to check that it is unlocked. If your provider has locked your phone you will need to apply to have it unlocked.

A friend has loaned us a power adaptor but we opted to buy a USB adaptor as well. This will enable us to charge 2 iPads at the same time. I won’t be taking anything else that needs power but my sister wants to take her hair dryer, so an adaptor will be necessary for that. We will also need this for our phone.

Now that all our accommodation is booked, along with our train journeys from Rome to Venice and Venice to Florence, I have printed Itineraries for both the UK and Italy. I double checked the dates and made sure we have somewhere to sleep each night. I also worked through our budget – actual and estimated – and see that we are on target. Now we have these figures, it’s time to decide how we will access funds while we are away. We looked at Travel Cards but decided that the costs and fees involved in using these are very difficult to work out. For the cash we want while we are away, we are looking at different currency exchanges, and our banks for the fees and charges involved if we use ATMs in UK and Italy. This is how I obtained funds while I was away for previous trips and although there were fees and charges, if one didn’t go to the hole in the wall every day they weren’t too outrageous. I will also have my VISA card for those times we can’t get cash or for larger purchases. I will just need to check my bank account regularly while I’m away to be sure that I transfer funds to my credit card before I am charged interest.

To Do List

It's a little less than 5 months before we leave Australia so it's time to consult our list of things to do before we travel.

With the date and time set for arriving at our first destination, one of the first thing on the list is a hire car.

I wonder if I need an international driver's licence? Google takes me to a couple of sites that tell me it may not be necessary, but they recommend that I do have one as things change. So, where do I get an international licence? Some quick research tells me that my local Automobile Association can issue these. Going to their website I see that I will need my current Australian Licence, and also a passport sized photo. The licence will cost me $39 and it will be valid for 12 months. I add these things to my to-do list, with a deadline of one month prior to departing Australia.

Now for a car. I am a member of Avis, so after googling a few other sites - for price comparisons - I go to the Avis website and find the car that will suit us. However, I see that we are expected to pay for this booking now, or else pay an additional, substantial amount if we elect to pay on collection. So, I'll wait until closer to the departure date before I actually book a car. I will keep checking back into the site but it's unlikely that we will not be able to find a suitable car when we are ready to book.

That's one thing (almost) ticked off our to-do list.