ED U C AT I O N By Sarah Suydam
Considerations for European Travel
FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE:
JUSTIN OSBON Sales Director, Image Tours Headshot © Image Tours
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Traveling abroad to Europe is undoubtedly a thrilling experience, and w ith it comes a number of additional considerations groups and travel planners w ill need to keep top of mind—whet her it’s your f irst t rip or 50t h. To lea r n more, we con nected w it h Just i n Osbon, Sa les Di rec tor at I mage Tou rs, a company which has been helping travelers see Europe for decades. W hile Image Tours has maintained solid relat ion s h ips w it h g u ides, vendor s a nd partners in Europe since 1939, they still sit dow n each year to reevaluate each of their g u ides for t he upc om i ng yea r—a sm a r t approac h for en su r i ng qu a l it y rem a i n s h ig h. Osbon a lso sa id t hat wh i le t raveler quest ions and concerns have evolved over t he yea rs, t hey ’re st i l l most ly focused on currency, language and pack ing.
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“For currency, we recommend t he use of ATMs, so you on ly have to carr y a couple of day ’s cash w it h you whi le t raveling for sma l ler pu rcha ses a nd u se c red it c a rd s for larger purchases; t his way, you ensure bet ter excha nge rates a nd m i n i m i ze t he risk of loss or t hef t,” Osbon shared. Apple Pay is a not her popu la r pay ment opt ion. “Language can also be a concern, but most places spea k E ng l ish a nd w i l l t reat you respectfully if you’re struggling—as long as you, too, are being respectful.” Goog le t ra nslate is a g reat resou rce for bot h conver sat ion s a nd t ra n slat i ng tex t from one language to another on the go. “For pack i ng , cl ient s shou ld pack a nd pla n w it h com for t i n m i nd, layer i ng a nd choosing basic colors to help mix and match outfits is key,” Osbon suggested. “Nobody’s