Travel Tips
Before we start our journey to Prague and Budapest, I want to share some important travel tips.
✔️ Check your passport: Czechia and Hungary both require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after the expected trip end date. For travel to Czechia, passports must have at least 2 blank pages and one blank page per stamp for Hungary.
✔️ Enroll in STEP: The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is free and provides travelers with information and safety alerts for their destinations. Signing up for the program also allows the Department of State to reach out in case of an emergency.
✔️ Learn about your destination: The Department of State website has profiles on each country with key information regarding passports, currency restrictions, prescription medications, local laws, and more.
✔️ Review European entry requirements: ETIAS is expected to launch in spring 2025.
For more info visit: www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/europe-visa-waiver
✔️ Download the MPC app: The Mobile Passport Control is a good alternative if you do not have Global Entry. This free app allows travelers to submit their photos, documents, and custom declarations from their phones. And some airports provide an "express" line for those with the app.
✔️ Reserve your hotel room early: I reserved my lodging right after I booked the tour, four months before departure date. I was able to secure a room in both tour hotels, but tourmates who waited until a month or two before had to find other hotels for their extra days.
✔️ Check the dates: When planning your trip, double-check when sites and tours are open and available. From experience, a lot of museums are closed on Mondays, some churches are not open to the general public on Sundays, and Jewish sites may not be open on Saturdays.
✔️ Arrive a day or two early:: Give yourself some time to account for flight delays and to adjust to time changes when crossing multiple time zones.
✔️ Book experiences before your trip: If there is a concert, special event, or tour that captures your attention, I recommend buying tickets before the trip. Before my journey, I purchased tickets for a classical concert in Prague and a tour of the Budapest Jewish Quarter.
✔️ Don't put all your eggs in one basket: I recommend leaving a backup credit card and some cash in the hotel safe. In the event you lose your wallet or fall victim to pickpocketing, at least you won't be left without money while abroad.
✔️ Avoid credit card fees: Check to see if your credit card incurs international transaction fees. Same goes for bank ATM cards.
✔️ Binge watch YouTube: YouTube has great videos that provide valuable travel information, including videos that share walkthroughs of airports and airplanes. Below are Rick Steves' videos on Prague and Budapest.
✔️ Go back in time: Apps and cloud storage can be convenient, but sometimes, it helps to have a hard copy of important documents. I always print out a copy of hotel reservations, tour sheets listing the company's emergency contact info, prescription and medical information, etc.
✔️ Ask Questions: The Rick Steves' website has a great forum with very helpful people. I posted a few questions before my trip and received a wealth of information.
✔️ No need to pack the kitchen sink: Packing light will save your back and give you more room for souvenirs. You can do laundry in the bathroom sink or a local laundromat. I purchase these Tide packets, which are great for travel; they leave your clothes really clean and smelling fresh. (I've bought them on Amazon and at WalMart.)
✔️ Test your shoes: Spend several weeks trying out your travel shoes. I thought my shoes were great, but by day 3, they were the 11th plague of Egypt! I could barely walk by the end of the trip. The image below shows the distances I walked during days 1 through 7 of the tour.
This tip is from a big lesson learned!
✔️ Buy the souvenirs: If you really want something, buy it!! My favorite souvenirs are books. When I visited the Narodni Galerie Praha and Hungarian National Gallery, I was interested in purchasing the official museum guidebooks but figured I'd order them online when I got home (books were a bit heavy). To my dismay, when I went to place the online orders, shipping costs were astronomical so I decided not to buy. Missed out on two great books for my collection!