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| EUROPE TRIP PICTURES The following pictures were taken during my husband, son, and my European Cruise on the Carnival Freedom in late July 2008. I have also added some advice notes for those people interested in this cruise or who are planning to visit these cities: Rome Sorrento and Amalfi Coast Pompei and Dubrovnik Venice Taormina - Sicily Barcelona, Spain and Canne, France Livorna / Florence Italy Paris (Not part of Carnival Cruise) General Comments and Suggestions for People Vising Europe" 1) Everything is very expensive now. When ordering food, make sure to ask if water is free. Many restaurants will simply bring you a bottle of bottled water without asking. One restaurant in Paris brought us 4 bottles of water without asking, and then charged us 4.5 euros (about $7 each). 2) Many restaurants, particularly side walk cafes, charge a cover charge to sit down, usually 1 to 3 euros apiece. The standard tip in the U.S. of 15-20% is not expected in Europe. 10 % is considered a good tip. We found that our usual not too fancy lunch cost us about 15 euros a person (about $22). In most Mediterranean cities (Italy, Barcelona, and Cannes), pizzerias are very popular. Pizza was a consistent good choice for lunch at about 8 to 11 euros and seemed to give the best value. The pizza is a very thin crust and is delicious!! 3) You do need a converter for your electrical appliances. We found that phone charges do not need a voltage regulator, but still needed a converter from our standard U.S. plug to the straight prong European plug. 4) I used my Blackberry and prearranged with my carrier AT& T for European roaming for 99 cents a minute. I also bought a package of internet minutes to check my email for approx. $100. It was well worth it. Because of this, I had no need to even think about bringing my laptop computer. Be careful if you use your phone on the ship, as the minute you leave the dock, all calls are routed throught the ships system and you are charged $2.99 per minute. 5) Keep your valuables in a safe place, such as a money belt, or I would suggest buying a pair of shorts with button down pockets on the thights. My husband put all of our money (we only carried what we would need that day), his wallet, and our passports in these buttoned pockets. Pick pockets are active in many European cities, particularly Barcelona, and the metros of Rome and Paris. 6) Preorder over the internet any museum tickets you are interested in as they will save you a huge amount of time standing in lines, and many venues may be sold out.You should preorder them at least a year in advance. CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAUREEN MEGOWAN REAL ESTATE HOME PAGE
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