by Wayne Jacobson | Dec 21, 2016 | Blog
Viking River Cruise… who me? Final Episode
Apples and Oranges
It is not possible to fairly compare a European river cruise with a European land tour. The two offer totally different travel experiences and as a friend says, it is like comparing apples and oranges… you can’t! There are positive elements to both experiences, so in wrapping up my cruise experience, I’ll try to comment on the unique elements of each and offer some comparisons.
Traveling Over Land
Traveling by land, whether on a big bus or with a smaller group, always provides culturally diverse interactions with the local people. The bigger the group, the fewer the opportunities exist for this cultural immersion, but no matter, one will interact with the locals. These cultural interactions include those with hotel and restaurant staff, shopkeepers, local guides, coach drivers and even toilet attendants! Opportunities abound to break away from the group and experience Europe on your own. Additionally, traveling by land provides unlimited opportunities to visit big cities, small villages, national parks, historic sites and more while not being limited to sights strictly along or near a waterway.
My company, David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, offers tours for small groups ranging from 6-24 people. Typically, our tours are regionally based making for relatively short travel days, focused sightseeing and some time for exploring on your own. Our tours are arranged so there are two nights in each destination which allows one to establish some “roots” in the locale and settle into the customs and culture. We include at least half your dinners served at some of my favorite restaurants offering authentic and gourmet local menus. Breakfast is included daily at our hotels. Our hotels are top quality properties, usually 4-stars or better, designed for Europeans and situated right in the heart of our destinations. Some are small family-run properties while others are larger European chain hotels and resorts. Our tours are all-inclusive meaning you’ll never be burdened with optional tours, added costs and nickel-and-dime add-ons. Finally, all tips are included… for everything! Our advertised price is the price you pay, period!
River Cruising
River cruising limits your destination choices and sightseeing to locations along or near the river route. My personal experience comes from a recent river cruise on a Viking long-ship cruising from Budapest to Passau in seven days. The boat is set up with 95 staterooms accommodating up to 190 passengers. I’ve described the ship’s features in detail in a previous article which you can read here. Every passenger, save a couple of Canadians and a couple of Aussies, were 100% USA Americans. The ship’s crew all spoke perfect English and it was the language of the ship. Many passengers were on their second, third or more Viking cruise. The Viking company does very well with their targeted marketing to Americans ages 60 and beyond.
Unpacking only once is definitely the best benefit of cruising. The stateroom was well planned with closets and drawers to hold your stuff and space under the bed to store empty suitcases. The bath was small, but well-planned, modern and bright. All meals were included. A bountiful breakfast buffet, table service or buffet lunch and seated three and four-course dinners. BUT, the meals were all heavily slanted to American tastes, ideas and portions. There was one night we had a traditional Austrian buffet dinner featuring sausage, pork knuckle, pretzels, cheese, sauerkraut and all the fixings.
There was organized sightseeing offered every day. These included short coach and walking tours with local guides followed by some free time on your own… although often, this free time was limited due to having to go back to the ship for a meal or castoff. I felt it was necessary to eat all my meals aboard ship because I had paid for them. Dining on the ship certainly was a choice I made, although I think most of the folks did the same. Getting back to sightseeing, there were optional tours offered every day and with this option came an added cost ($79-$150 per tour) and an investment of time away from the port of call. The guided tours were mostly informative, led by a local professional guide with a placard “lollipop” that we were to seek out and follow. The group usually consisted of 30 to 40 cruisers.
It was a well-known fact that tips were not included for any portion of the tour. Our pre-tour information included suggested tip amounts for drivers, local guides, ship’s crew and the tour director. This was heavily reinforced at our ship-wide meeting at the beginning and end of the tour. Additionally, envelopes were placed in our rooms on our last night as a final reminder. On top of it all, we were encouraged to give additional tips to members of the crew who serve you well. For me and Charlotte, the suggested and optional tips added up to €360 above and beyond the cost of our tour.
Wrapping it Up
Cost is the final factor to consider. I calculated that our Viking cruise cost us $3800 per person, plus coach airfare of $1400 per seat. European coach tour prices vary widely depending on the size and services, however, my Exploring Europe small group tours beat Viking by almost $1000 for our 7-9 day tours. Although, I must mention that our prices do not include lunches, a few dinners and drinks. Check out all my European tours here at my website. Again, the two travel styles cannot be equally compared, however, I have given you my exact cost for a dollar-to-dollar comparison, so you be the judge.
A European river cruise and a European land tour, especially the European tours I offer, vary widely. The two are totally different travel experiences designed for two types of travelers… those seeking cultural immersion and an authentic real-life and local experience, and those desiring the comforts of home punctuated with short guided excursions out to see the sights. I am glad I traveled with Viking. They do a fantastic job with customer service and the boat and accommodations were top notch. I enjoyed the down time and leisurely pace, however, I very quickly realized it would be my only European river cruise. I am glad I chose the route from Budapest to Passau because it allowed me to see some sights along the river I had never visited.
To wrap it up, floating down that river with two hundred people in an “American bubble” is not my idea of experiencing Europe. I am a traveler, one who enjoys planning and exploring on my own or with a small group of like-minded people. Armed with information and an adventurous spirit, there is a whole world out there to explore. Get out of your comfort zone and GO!
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If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
by Wayne Jacobson | Dec 15, 2016 | Blog
An Authentic Austrian Dinner
This was the appetizers we found on our tables at dinner last night. I was so happy to see local meats and cheeses that I forget to take photos of the rest of the meal… ha!
Last night we had an authentic Austria dinner! It featured all the typical food and drinks you’d find in a place like the Augustiner or Steigl Braüstube in Salzburg. The chef and his crew along with the entire ship’s staff did a fantastic job providing a taste of Austria. In my last post, I was longing for this type of dining experience and I am happy to say the chef delivered.
Yesterday’s cruise included the Wachau Valley Gorge, a designated UNESCO Heritage destination, between Dürnstein and Melk. The river twists and turns through a scenic valley loaded with charming towns and endless vineyards all watched over by once stately (but now crumbling) medieval castles. The views we had from the river were fantastic!
We enjoyed an early morning stop in the little village of Dürnstein. In fact, I think we docked here very late the previous evening as we slept through the night. Because there were two cruise ships in town at 8:00 a.m., many of the shops were open for business and ready to sell to the 400 or so cruisers. However, Charlotte and I had a pleasant walk around town encountering relatively few boat people. I suspect most were sleeping in.
We finished up our day with a visit to Melk Abbey. Just like on my coach tours, we received a private guided tour of the museum, library and church buildings. Perhaps the best part of the evening was our stroll through town and the countryside on our way back to the boat.
That’s my thoughts for today. I welcome your thoughts, comments and suggestions as well.
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Wrapping up this episode
If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
by Wayne Jacobson | Dec 14, 2016 | Blog
Viking River Cruise… Who me? Episode 1
The Stateroom
There are many benefits associated with this Viking River cruise, but perhaps the best is the opportunity to unpack once for a seven-day tour. Our stateroom more than meets our needs with plenty of sleeping, lounging and bathing spaces. It is nicely appointed and well laid out with closets, drawers and plenty of storage spaces. We elected to upgraded our accommodations to a stateroom on the top deck with a sliding glass door and balcony. This has turned out to be a good decision, especially on the days we are cruising up river and have views and vistas. There is a flat-screen 42” television with many English-language channels for entertainment as well as CNN International, BBC and Sky News. Finally, the stateroom contains several electrical outlets set up for standard USA appliances operating at 110 VAC. All things considered, our accommodations match any American-styled upscale hotel such as Hilton or Marriott. It is top-notch and we have no complaints.
Dining Opportunities
The ship serves breakfast, lunch and dinner onboard daily. There is a sit-down, three course service in the main dining room and a simpler menu served upstairs in the lounge area. Because we’ve paid for them in the price of our tour, we’ve eaten all our meals onboard. Dinners in the main dining room, lunch on deck or in the lounge and breakfast in the lounge as well. There is plenty of food and everything has been prepared and present by professional chefs and wait staff. There is something for everyone, every taste and every dining preference.
The food choices are heavily slanted to the “American” palate leaving very little opportunity to experience local dishes. So far, I’ve had four dinners and chosen some sort of beef each time. My friends had the pork filet one night and loved it and there is always an opportunity to get a chicken breast, BBQ sauce and fries. Fish and vegetarian options are available as well.
The Typical Viking Cruiser
There 95 rooms aboard this ship making it possible to accommodate 190 people in double and twin bedded rooms. The hotel manager here onboard tells me the ship is filled almost to capacity. According to a show of hands at our embarkation meeting, I reckon 98% of the people on board are Americans with a few Canadians and Aussies to fill out the mix. As for ages, there are a few 30-somethings but most are well into their sixties and seventies. All in all, a very homogenous group of cruisers. Finally, I imagine 30% of the passengers on this cruises have been on at least one other Viking river cruise.
I’ve provided the facts, now here’s what I think so far
This combination of a homogeneous group travelers, great service from the staff, the Americanized travel style, the safety of the English language and the predictable menu choices make this an easy and unthreatening travel experience. Unfortunately, it also sequesters the traveler in a culturally sterile bubble giving very few opportunities to experience the life of a local.
Today, I am writing this while sitting in the ship’s lounge with 80 other cruisers, peering out the windows at the passing scenery while the tour director provides a commentary about the villages and countryside. Later, we will have another ship-board lunch followed by a group tour on Melk Abbey. How I yearn to get out and take a walk in the village and vineyards, pop into a local shop, strike up a greeting in German, sip the local Wachau wine and sample some locally sourced sausage, mustard and bread.
That’s my thoughts for today. I welcome your thoughts, comments and suggestions as well.
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Wrapping up this episode
If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
by Wayne Jacobson | Sep 13, 2016 | Blog, Essential Travel Resources
Dynamic Currency Conversion… Just Say No!
Have you ever been asked “Would you like that in dollars or euros?” Or perhaps a “yes” or “no” box pops up on the point of sale machine asking if you would like to choose your home currency. This is called Dynamic Currency Conversion or DCC and it is becoming the norm in many countries worldwide. At first, it sounds like a good idea, but for the consumer it is very expensive and should be avoided at all costs!
On the other hand, it is very good for the merchant because they make a huge commission for offering this service. In most cases the cardholder will be hit with a 7% markup above the current bank exchange rate. Take a look at this UK
MasterCard website promoting DCC for its merchants. Here you can clearly see that DCC benefits the merchant, and MasterCard makes up some lame reasons as to how it benefits customers.
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| photo credit: http://howtogeek.com |
Often the choice of accepting DCC is presented in a matter-of-fact manner, giving no indication that it is a bad (or good) idea. But don’t blame the cashier, unless they are the owner of the shop, they are probably required to offer the pitch in a certain manner and tone of voice, such as, “Would you like that in dollars or sterling?” This, coupled with a stately British accent is bound to sway some travelers to accept the idea. However, it is never a good idea to convert your transaction with DCC into your home currency.
With today’s regulations, merchants are required to notify the cardholder that DCC is available and there is a choice. Originally, the merchant was not required to notify the cardholder that DCC was being applied. The customers would simply make the purchase, get a sales receipt in the local currency and the DCC would be applied afterward in the “back office.” The cardholder would not know this had occurred until they received their credit card statement. Initiated by Visa and MasterCard, this practice is now forbidden and all credit card companies impose penalties on merchants who fail to comply.
In order to get around the back-office DCC regulation, merchants will sometimes automatically select DCC without the cardholder having a chance to accept or deny. The conversion will show on the sales slip and an unsuspecting customer may walk out the door none the wiser. If questioned by the cardholder, the cashier may claim their point of sale (POS) machine automatically converts to the card’s home currency. This too is incorrect and if detected, the cardholder should immediately request that the sale be reversed or voided and run again in the local currency. However, this could be difficult, especially if working against a language barrier.
Tips to help you make the best of your travel dollar
– Notify your bank and credit card company when you will be traveling outside your normal spending area. This is important when traveling at home or abroad. Most banks will put a travel exception on the account so that your spending will be approved while traveling. If you do not notify your bank or credit card company, you will be denied access to your funds.
– Always refuse DCC, no matter how tempting the comfort of working in your home currency. Following this simple rule will cut at least 5-7% off your purchase before ever leaving the checkout counter. DCC in not ever required so don’t feel obligated to accept it, even if the merchant selects DCC without your knowledge. If this happens, the cardholder should immediately request that the sale be reversed or voided and run again in the local currency.
– Use a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees. Most credit cards issued in the USA charge fees up to 3% for transactions originating outside the USA. This applies to both point of sales and online transactions. So, it only makes sense to find a credit card that carries no fees for foreign transactions. I’ve found that many
American Express cards have no foreign transaction fees. I use the
Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard which offers no foreign transaction fees, true Chip and Pin capabilities, and lots of benefits in the form of travel rewards.
– Don’t use non-bank ATM’s. You’ll often find these stand-alone machines in small convenience stores, at gas stations and roadside auto stops. These machines are owned and controlled by the local merchant, not a bank. The owners of these ATM’s are free to mask the DCC options any way they like, and you can bet it will be to their liking, not yours. Steer clear of these machines, but if you must use them, be sure to read all the screens carefully and opt out of DCC. Sometimes you will see messages such as “lock-in your rate” or “guarantee your conversion”. Others may post messages such as “press yes for dollars”. Double check everything and always opt out of anything that looks like DCC. Alternatively, you can always cancel the entire transaction before you enter your final “yes.”
– Always check your printed receipt. Somewhere at the bottom you’ll find the cost in the local currency. If USD is mentioned anywhere on the receipt, then you’ve been had by the DCC con game.
– Download a currency converter app to get up-to-the-minute exchange rates. I like an app put out by
OANDA. It is available for Apple and Android. Look for the name “Currency.”
Summary
Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) is a service offered to credit cardholders that offers to convert a foreign transaction at the point of sale into the home currency of the cardholder. This is never a good idea for the consumer because it comes with inflated exchange rates that benefit the merchant. An unsuspecting cardholder can lose up to 7% by opting in to this feature. Since DCC works against the purchaser, never say you would like your purchases to be converted to dollars.
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If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at
https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
by Wayne Jacobson | Sep 13, 2016 | Blog, Essential Travel Resources
Chip and Pin Credit Cards
The USA has long been a worldwide holdout on buying into the Chip and Pin technology. I subscribe to
International Travel News, a longtime publication for savvy international travelers, and Chip and Pin cards have been a hot topic of discussion for at least the last ten years. The Chip and Pin card is one element of a broad technological standard known as EMV Cards. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, the three founding companies that originally defined the standard.
Since the 1970’s credit cards have had a black magnetic strip on the back to store electronic data (in a not-so-secure form) about the cardholder. If you are interested, there is a good article charting the progress from Zip-Zap machines to the modern EMV technology at
Creditcards.com. This same magnetic strip is still in use on US credit and debit cards today. Swiping your card to make a purchase has been the norm for years and has served us well, unless you are an international traveler.
I first realized my magnetic-strip credit card was second-rate when I attempted to purchase a booklet of Métro tickets from an automated machine in Paris. My fancy and supposedly high tech credit card was denied right then and there. That was back in 2005! Since then, I’ve encountered the same problem at European toll roads, unmanned gas stations and more recently, when attempting to rent a bike in Dublin. To me, it is irritating that as citizens of the biggest and most technologically advanced nation in the world we cannot get a credit card to work in another country. I could rant for hours, but let me press on to what this means for you and your international travel.
Change is not so bad
This new EMV technology has caused a bit of anxiety among American travelers. Most American credit card companies have issued new credit cards containing imbedded chips (IC) over the past few months. As with any change, there is a learning curve, because these new cards require a different procedure than our old magnetic strip cards. But don’t worry, the bottom line is that 99% of the time your new chip-imbedded card will function exactly as your old magnetic strip card has for years. As long as there is a sales clerk, a cashier or attendant on duty you’ll have no problem.
How a Chip and Pin card works
The credit card readers (point-of-sales machines) in Europe use the Chip and Pin verification method. When making a purchase, the cardholder inserts the card into a slot in the card reader payment machine. While the card is still in the slot a PIN is entered. The imbedded chip verifies the PIN and the transaction, and the cardholder goes away without a receipt. Next time you are in Europe notice the locals will dip their card, punch in their PIN and be on their way in seconds.
US Chip Cards are different
The new EMV cards we are receiving in the USA are actually chip and signature cards and require no PIN at all to function. When using it to make payment at home or in Europe, you’ll insert the card in the slot and leave it there until directed to remove it on the payment screen. You’ll have to stand there and wait until the clerk gives you the sales slip to sign and then presents you with a duplicated copy. As mentioned, the chip and signature cards work just as well as the old magnetic strip cards anywhere there is a cashier, at home or in Europe. The only time you’ll run into problems and maybe have your card denied is at unattended kiosks.
How to use your US chip card in Europe
It is quite possible that a payment machine might ask for a PIN. Credit card companies do not routinely issue PIN’s, but you usually can have one issued if you ask. This requires jumping through some hoops and listening to lots of disclaimers from your credit card company, but the bottom line is you should be able to get a PIN. Your best bet is to give them a call, and be sure to do this with plenty of time to receive the PIN by mail. Also, make sure you understand the fee schedule and interest rates associated with a PIN transaction. Finally, when making initial contact with your credit card company it will help to tell them you want a PIN for cash advances just to simplify the process of getting one issued.
Even with a PIN, you might run into some problems. Cards issued in the USA are not set up to handle “offline” transactions. These are transactions that do not immediately validate with a real-time connection to the bank. Occasionally, I still encounter this problem when attempting to purchase fuel at unmanned stations and at French toll plazas. In this case, I always have a supply of coins and bank notes available to complete the purchase. I can think of few things worse that getting stranded in a busy toll plaza and not being able to make payment!
Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) is a service offered to credit cardholders that offers to convert a foreign transaction at the point of sale into the home currency of the cardholder. This is never a good idea for the consumer because it comes with inflated exchange rates that benefit the merchant. An unsuspecting cardholder can lose up to 7% by opting in to this feature. Since DCC works against the purchaser, never say you would like your purchases to be converted to dollars. (read more about this in my article: Dynamic Currency Conversion: Just Say No!).
Want an authentic Chip and Pin Card?
If you are a frequent international traveler, or just want to be up to date on the modern EMV technology, there are a few banks the offer Chip and Pin cards. Most cards have the default authentication as signature and if that fails (or is not available) a PIN is required.
I use the
Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard which offers Chip and Pin capabilities with signature being the default verification method. The card has served me well in my travels except at a few remote offline gas stations. This card offers great rates, 2x miles that never expire for travel, 40,000 bonus miles at signup and low yearly fees. Additionally, travel miles really build up fast and there are no blackout dates.
Summary
In this article, I discussed that the US has been resistant to Chip and Pin technologies, which sometimes causes traditional magnetic strip credit cards to be declined. The new American credit cards with an imbedded chip are accepted in nearly all locations, but may still require a signature. Depending on your card provider, you may be able to request a pin for your chip-imbedded card. If that fails, I mentioned several card providers that offer Chip and Pin cards designed for international travel.
If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at
https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
