Off to Europe (almost)

[chipotle]

Yes, as previously noted I'm among the group travelling to Suhl, Germany, starting tomorrow, headed there with jadedfox. I have no real idea what to say at customs (is this a business trip? a pleasure trip? got me!) and indeed don't precisely know who to look for to be picking me up, if anyone, and whether it's a trip to pick up both my duo and other GoH Steve Gallacci at the same time or if the two trips shall be handled separately by our hosts. I don't know whether I should hurriedly get some Euros in exchange at the airport, or wait until Germany, or be a boorish American and wave increasingly undervalued dollars at people when necessary. I am still not 100% sure of what stories I'll be attempting to read at the reading I blithely said I was going to do. (The thought of the moment is some or all of "The Narrow Road in Morning Light," the samurai story that will coincidentally be available for sale in New Fables #2 in the dealers' room, and a scene from the in-progress rewrite of A Gift of Fire, A Gift of Blood.) I am bringing things for the charity auction at the very last minute after continually sidestepping eosfoxx's questions about whether I was going to bring something for the charity auction.

In short, this will be an adventure! And one I'm definitely looking forward to.

Comments

[twentythoughts.livejournal.com]

Getting some Euros is definitely smart. You'll be able to use credit cards pretty much everywhere in Europe, but people tend to appreciate not having to exchange the cash they receive.

[footpad.livejournal.com]

Waving dollars at Europeans will probably get you funny looks and no sandwich. I suggest changing dollars when you arrive in Germany. Or do what I do abroad, and shove your bank card in the nearest ATM.

[unclekage.livejournal.com]

1) Go to an ATM at the airport in Germany. You'll get a better exchange rate than the moneychangers there.

2) Tell them you are going for a conference. If they ask what kind of conference, tell them it is an arts and literature conference. If they ask what kind of arts and literature, sheepishly tell them "cartoons," and they'll laugh and wave you through.

3) You are staying at the Ringberg Hotel in Suhl, Thueringen.

4) The Germans are ungodly efficient. They will find YOU.

5) When is your flight and do you have a layover in Philadelphia?

[varjohaltia.livejournal.com]

ATM is the way to go. Use an ATM card and not credit card for cash withdrawal, obviously. Also, see which of your credit cards charge you extra fees -- AMEX is 2%, most Visas are 3% except credit unions, Capital One and State Farm only charge the Visa-imposed 1%.
Carrying some cash is still wise; I ran into an issue in Finland and Sweden where the only kinds of cards some ticketing machines would accept are the (rest-of-the-world standard) smart chip kind, which the US hasn't bothered to implement yet.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

I did know the hotel, at least. Good to know about the ATM. (I've read that my bank has a deal with DeutscheBank in which there's no ATM fees with them abroad; there's sometimes a silver lining to having a faceless megacorporation as your bank, I suppose.)

My flight leaves San Francisco at 1:55 pm, but it appears to actually be non-stop to Frankfurt.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Huh. Is that the story I illustrated? o_O

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

It is, yes.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

*confused* Wasn't that going to end up in a conbook?

I'm just trying to figure out if the illustration went with it into a paying magazine, because I could use the $5. -_-

[balinares.livejournal.com]

Hi there!

Thank you again for being such a nice person, I enjoyed chatting with you greatly! It's not so often that I can get comfortable enough to ramble at length in English. :) I wanted to offer you a shot of Chartreuse, but couldn't find you when I had my bottle at hand. Another time, I hope?