In the spring of 2017, my best friend and I decided to buy a Groupon trip to Italy, and after coming back, I can say this was probably the best decision I have ever made. Since as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to plan a trip to that wondrous boot over in Europe and when we actually bought it, things really started happening. I have been to Venice before, but I heard that Rome was a completely different animal and I had to find out for myself. Now for those who have a healthy fear of buying a "discount vacation", it is understandable. I was worried at first too! "What if they put us on a crappy airline?" "What if it's actually a scam used to kidnap me?" "What if there are hidden fees that pop up, and I have no way of paying for them?" As crazy as this may sound, many things will go through your mind as you are purchasing a ticket for international travel and have never taken a discount trip out of the country. My friend frequently travels on her own, having gone to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Costa Rica, London, you name it, so it is comforting to have a companion, but after taking this trip, I see that it is definitely possible to take an excursion like this on your own as well. With Groupon, they work on a double occupancy policy for all trips. "Double occupancy" means that whatever price you see for the trip has to be paid by you and a friend...separately (ex. if you see a trip that costs $1,999, you pay $1,999 and your friend pays $1,999). It may seem bad but honestly you are getting the deal of a lifetime each. Immediately after buying the trip, I got my passport renewed and it only took about a week and a half to get back to me. After taking care of that, I made copies of my passport and ID for emergencies, if you ever find yourself in a bind where you don't have either of those documents while traveling, the airline will most likely be able to look your information up. In knowing this, make sure to keep copies of your documents in your suitcase or any location other than your wallet. In the months leading up to our departure in March of 2017, I began to buy and select all of the things I deemed necessary to take with me (you can never be too prepared!). Amazon was my best friend for this and it helped me to pimp out my wardrobe at a convenient price as well as provide me with travel essentials such as European wall plugs and converters. What to Wear: Rome in MarchI went into this trip blindly, desperately scouring the internet for tips on what to wear in Rome since it was not quite in winter and not quite in spring. From the information I gathered, it seemed that Rome tended to be a bit warmer than other areas in Italy which was great for me since I had so many cute spring/summer things I wanted to bring. After coming back, I can definitely say that the weather is very similar to a nice spring day on the east coast, with a bit of a chill at night. Bring comfortable shoes, but make sure they look good, there is nothing worse than seeing someone with a great outfit, only to look down and see that they're wearing ratty New Balances *shudder*. Just to avoid this faux-pas, I suffered through some of the day trips with a gorgeous pair of lace up pointed flats...even through my feet felt like death, I looked fantastic. I always made sure to have a sweater or a cute jacket on hand for when the wind picks up or if I needed to cover my shoulders to get into a church, and an umbrella for when the clouds came out. How Do I Plan?Two words: Sygic. Travel. This website has forever changed my life. After perusing the internet for a great trip planning website, I stumbled upon Sygic. This website helps you map out your ultimate trip step-by-step, even taking into account how much time you will spend at each location and providing a space to type in notes! I was able to create a day by day itinerary by playing around with the site and the best part is: they have an app which allows you to download your plans and use the map OFFLINE. I can tell you that with the spotty service and confusing directions people will try to give you in Rome, this app will really come in handy when you need it. If you need help at all planning your perfect trip using this free site, also, do not hesitate to reach out to me! Aside from buying things for the trip and planning all of the fun things we wanted to see, I had to remind myself to do some very important things before leaving, such as: 1. Notify my bank of my travel plans 2. Find out what plans my phone service provider has for international travel 3. Get Euros to use in Italy Since my friend and I had purchased a trip that that had us fly from New York, I had to make sure that I notified my bank that I would not only be in Italy but New York as well. In doing this, I am protecting myself from getting my account frozen while on the trip! As far as international phone use, it can be pretty tricky since not all providers offer this. I have Sprint, which means that I can use the data and text for free under the unlimited plan, but phone calls are 20 cents per minute, sweet deal right? Wrong. When I got to Rome, I did everything Sprint said to do to ensure that I would have service overseas. All my bars showed up and I was able to use my phone on the first day, but after that? I was in the dark...even through I had "full bars". The only time I was able to surf the internet or even send a text was at the hotel when I used their WiFi, which was a bummer, but it was fine because I had a companion just in case there was an emergency anyways. When it was time for me to swap my cash out for Euros, I found that I was having a difficult time understanding the exchange rates which believe me...are a thing. I decided to go through my bank to exchange my money since the service is no charge to me with Wells Fargo, however on the day that I went, I only got $270 from the $300 that I gave because of the rates. Make sure to watch the rates weeks in advance to get good ones at the perfect time. Be careful of that and make sure to do your research before you decide to swap cash. Be sure to note that if you are getting Euros from your bank, you won't be charged a fee, BUT if you need a special currency, you will most likely be charged since they have to order the money. In hindsight, it probably would have been a good idea to take out a lot of cash, especially since by day three I was completely dry and out of Euros in a place that mainly takes cash only. If you are planning on taking an excess of cash out, make sure to keep half on you in a pouch or pocket and half back at the hotel in a safe location, just in case. Afraid of Flying? Me Too!From a person who has flown hundreds of times in her life, I can say that fear of flying is real and no matter how many times you do it, it sometimes never goes away. For this trip, I had to fly four times within a few days of each other, and needless to say, I was a sweating, hyperventilating, nauseous mess. One thing that did help me to endure the nine hour flight to Rome was to do research beforehand on how planes work. It's one thing to listen to fifty people tell you that "more people die in car accidents than they do in a plane crash", and it's another thing to have that little naggle in the back of your mind that says "well, what if it happens to me?" Arming yourself with knowledge is a surefire way to calm yourself down when thinking about turbulence or flying through bad weather. Before this trip, I took to watching videos about planes and attempted to distract myself so as to not think about what is going on outside of the aircraft. It was also very helpful to listen to plane meditation and practice breathing. When choosing your seat, make sure to choose one by the window if you are comfortable enough to do so...the view is spectacular and you can see everything going on. Handy Dandy Packing ChecklistIt's pretty terrifying to think of all of the things that could accidentally be left behind when you leave the country, but what I like to do is make lists and pack ahead of time. In fact, I had my bags packed a week before I left. Some might say, "well what if you need something from your bag?" Good question, and my answer to that is: have a phone notepad. Every time I would take something out of my luggage, I would notate it on my phone notepad so that before I left for my trip, I could replace those items in my bags. Below are the items I believe to be very important for ANY trip. Clothes -Sweaters/Jacket -Shirts -Pants (leggings, slacks, shorts, jeans) -Dresses -Skirts -Underwear -Bras (clear straps, adhesive) -Undertanks -Socks -Pairs of Shoes (night shoes and day shoes) -Purses (small ones can fit in your suitcase for quick outings or nightclub visits) -Jewelry (earrings, earring backs, necklaces, rings, watches, bracelets) -Pantyhose -Hats -Gloves -Sunglasses -Belt -Pajamas -Swimwear Toiletries *Note: All liquids must be under 4oz, going AND coming back* -Toothbrush -Toothpaste -Hair ties -Bobby pins -Makeup and brushes -Hair brushes -Face cleaner -Medications (make sure to factor in the time difference when taking medication. If you normally take it at 11pm, you might have to take it the next morning depending on your time change) -Hair creams -Face creams -Lotion -Glasses -Contacts and solution -Body wash -Bar of soap -Feminine wash -Wipes (makeup or personal) -Nail polish -An empty spray bottle just in case -Shampoo and conditioner -Floss -Razor -Deodorant -Q-Tips -Chapstick -Pads/Tampons -Perfumes -Headache medication (definitely try and bring this with you as headache pain relievers overseas are crazy expensive) -Eyedrops -Sunscreen -Vitamins -Insect repellant Miscellaneous -Sunglasses -Hair wrap for sleeping -Converters and wall plugs -Flashlight -Binoculars -Travel Itinerary printed out (if you purchased a Groupon deal you will NEED this info from the agency they are using printed out to show the concierge at the hotel or to quickly access information on paper) -ID's -Money -Camera -Batteries Carry On Items -Laptop -Wallet -Phone -Headphones -Books -Notepad -Pens/Pencils -Chargers for laptop and phone -Snacks Up, Up, and Away! About AlitaliaNotice above I made no mention of having movies or music prepared ahead of time for the flight, this is because most international flights have free movies, music, and games on their personal TVs. You also might want to skip out on bringing pillows and blankets because the airlines provide that as well! With Alitalia, it felt more like a flying hotel than a metal can hurtling through the atmosphere, which was great! We were given two meals and multiple drinks including, yup, WINE!! The air staff was great, attending to our every need and they spoke English as well. In Short...Traveling doesn't have to be hard. People are afraid to do it because they think that it will interrupt their daily routines or maybe they don't have enough money to do so, but I believe that everyone needs just a small getaway to see all the great things outside of their backyard! Groupon is a great way to start! Get out there!
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