Tips for Travelers to Poland - Departure Day

Mr. Dennis Newman took part in our Polish Delight Tour in 2017 together with his wife, Kathy. He's written down all his tips, hints and practical information for travelers to Poland (which can be applied to any kind of overseas travel) and agreed to share them with you on our blog. We hope that you find them useful when preparing to your Polish Delight or Ultimate Poland tour.

(Have you participated in the tour of Poland organized by RealPoland? We would be more than happy to have your review of our Trip Advsior profile)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tips for Travelers to Poland (& elsewhere)
Things to Do One Week Before You Leave
Departure Day
A Few Things to Remember While in Poland

Departure Day

1. In your checked-luggage, pack:

a. your toiletries (razor, toothbrush/toothpaste, nail clippers, hair brush, etc.).

b. a washcloth in a plastic bag. (You may have to travel when the washcloth has not yet completely dried.)

c. a plastic bag for dirty clothes.

d. any additional magazines.

2. In your carry-on, pack

a. any iPad/tablet which you’ll be bringing (use it in your hotel’s WI-FI, to catch up on
news back home);

b. any electronic cords (charging cords; headphones; a head-phone splitter, if you and your wife will both be watching a movie off one iPad);

c. any snack-bars, etc. (Of course, no drinking water; you’ll have to wait to purchase this until after you’ve passed thru Security.) NOTE: You can also buy snack-bars during the occasional restroom-stops while traveling in Poland. You may want them, because lunchtimes on our tour were often later in the afternoon.

3. Turn off & unplug your computer.

4. Turn off the water-supply to your washing machine (usually there should be a turn-off valve right behind the washer itself). This is just in case the washer’s hoses should break while you’re away—and flood your laundry room! Put a post-it-note on the top of the machine, to remind yourself that the water’s been turned off.

5. Turn off the alarm on your bedside alarm-clock. Leave a post-it-note reminding yourself that the alarm’s been turned off.

6. On your DVR: cancel any scheduled recordings of local/world news programs.

7. Set any lighting timers you haven’t already set.

8. Set your heat/AC to desired temp. We decided to leave our unit in AC mode—since Chicago typically doesn’t dip below, or much below, freezing during September-- and set the temp for 78. A fortunate decision, as while we were away, the Chicago-area experienced temps in the 90s for several days. This kept our house moderately cool, avoiding overtaxing our refrigerator.

9. For an international flight, plan on getting to the airport 3 hours ahead of your flight’s scheduled departure-time. We were glad we did! It took awhile to go thru Security. Afterwards, we had a relaxed light supper at O’Hare. We ended up with a little less than an hour, before we started boarding. Had Security been more crowded, we might have had even less time.

NOTE: During our flight to Poland, LOT served us 2 tasty meals. So we didn’t lack for food. (Just sleep!)

Click to continue reading: A Few Things to Remember While in Poland
Read the previous article: Things to Do One Week Before You Leave

© 2017, by Dennis J. Newman, Minooka, Illinois 60447- U.S.A.
Used with permission.