Questions on $ for summer abroad

Parents Forum
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<p>If you have a Bank of America account, you can use BNL (Also known as BNP Paribas) cash machines to withdraw euros without any ATM fees or bank fees, but there is a conversion fee.</p>

<p>Trains in Italy aren’t cheap. I wouldn’t get the pass though, it’s usually not worth it. Do some research and calculate prices just to be sure. I bought tickets from the Trenitalia English website, and it worked just fine. You can validate tickets by going to the little validation boxes at the beginning of each train platform and sticking your ticket in to be punched.</p>

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<p>This has been a nightmare for me. Mastercard’s program is called SecureCode (9+ character pin, not 4). The online set-up was extremely easy. I’ve tried to use it to buy train tickets (Renfe in Spain) and event tickets (equivalent to Ticketmaster) and it hasn’t worked. Between my bank, MasterCard, and the vendors, I’ve spent hours trying to make purchases, to no avail. There are pages on Tripadvisor, Frommers, and Fodors discussing the same problem. I suspect the Verified by Visa has similar problems.</p>

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<p>On the website trenitalia.com, it seems like you can purchase a ticket without registering, whether it is a train ticket or interrail pass, even if you are outside the country, but I’m not sure. I would like to get the eurail pass (or interrail) ahead of time, but I also want my son to make sure he has company to travel with, which might not happen till he is there.</p>

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<p>[Reviews</a> of Hotels, Flights and Vacation Rentals - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com%5DReviews”>http://www.tripadvisor.com) is a wealth of information on specific countries. Here’ s a recent discussion on trenitalia and it sounds identical to the renfe (Spain) problems. Your son may want to wait because of the credit card problems and because traveling with friends will be much more fun.</p>

<p>[Trenitalia</a> online - Rome Message Board - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k3327961-Trenitalia_online-Rome_Lazio.html]Trenitalia”>http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k3327961-Trenitalia_online-Rome_Lazio.html)</p>

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<p>I ordered my son the eurail pass for 6 trips in Italy. Does he have to validate the pass just once before he uses it, or before every trip?</p>

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<p>My neice spent the semester in Paris last fall. She went on trips almost every weekend. Cost varied from about 300 to $600 per trip depending on how they traveled, whether they took tours or just walked around, and where they stayed.</p>

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<p>Do you have to validate ticket ticket only once or every trip?</p>

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<p>Bumping to get the answer for Scoopie. How does the validation of the Eurail pass work?</p>

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<p>Thanks, got the answer from getting the eurail pass. Only needs to be validated at the beginning. Real tricky how you have to list your dates on the log, otherwise get fined. Now just need to get the hostel international card.
What’s the general thought, leave the I Phone home or just turn off data? He does have a Piccell Wireless phone for Italy, but the thing looks like a toy. I’m worried he might need a backup.</p>

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<p>I’d say leave it at home and just get a cheap one to use. He’ll survive.</p>

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<p>Thanks, Scoopie. We will look at the back of the pass, which just came. Son leaving in three days. Wooooo, so nervous.</p>

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<p>Nerves are getting to me too, my son is leaving in 11 days. I’m obsessing over the details, and he is hardly looking at the paperwork.</p>