|
| A Puppentour™ Quarterly |
Volume I · Issue 1 · Winter 2005/6 |
 |
In this issue:
Puppentour™ 2006
Highlights of our 18-day, May/June itinerary in Germany and Czech Republic . . . more
Are you being overcharged for overseas purchases?
Your credit card company may be making a killing on the money you spend in Europe . . . more
New luggage weight limits
Pack lighter the next time you travel overseas . . . more |
PUPPENTOUR™ 2006 HIGHLIGHTS
Day
| Activity |
|
22 May
USA
Frankfurt |
Depart the USA for overnight flight to Frankfurt.
|
23 May
Frankfurt
Höchst
Coburg |
Willkommen in Deutschland! Our first stop is Höchster Porzellan-Manufaktur. Tour the actual Höchst Porcelain Factory, the second oldest in Germany, through all its various production departments. Starting with preparation of the porcelain mass to modeling it to hand painting it, experience the entire arts and crafts process. If you like, purchase porcelain and accessories in the Höchst factory outlet.
|
24 May
Coburg
Neustadt
Meilschnitz
Sonneberg
Steinach
Coburg |
At your option, we can shop at the Marolin, Ino Schaller, and/or Inge-Glas factory outlets, and/or visit the Coburger Puppenmuseum, the Deutsches Spielzeugmuseum in Sonneberg, or the Museum der Deutschen Spielzeugindustrie in Neustadt.
|
25 May
Coburg
Neustadt
Coburg |
The Puppenfestival Doll and Toy Flea Market offers a multitude of tantalizing treasures, great and small! Do make a house call on Puppendoktor Peter Packert nearby. If you didn't see the Museum der Deutschen Spielzeugindustrie yesterday, you might take an hour to see it today.
|
26 May
Coburg
Seiffen |
A profusion of little shops lines the streets of the village of Seiffen, offering nutcrackers, Rauchmänner, Noah's Arks, and other traditional wooden toys for sale. If you like, explore the 19th-century innovation of hoop-turning for series toy production in the Erzgebirgisches Spielzeugmuseum.
|
27 May
Seiffen |
Experience first-hand the life and work of nineteenth century Seiffen at the Erzgebirgisches Freilichtmuseum, an open-air folk museum. A collection of authentic and historically valuable buildings and folk culture – homes, workshops, and all their furnishings – are preserved in a village setting where you can watch the toy maker and others at work during the Historic Handcrafts Days Festival.
|
28-30 May
Seiffen
Prague |
We have three days to explore this fascinating and majestic "City of a Thousand Spires." Strike out on your own or we can help you plan your days of sightseeing and shopping. Prague Castle is a must-see. As long as you're there, pay a brief visit to the Muzeum Hradcek.
|
31 May
Prag
Bärnau
München |
Today we travel from Prag to München, stopping on the way to visit the Deutsches Knopfmuseum in Bärnau. Thousands of buttons made by hand and by machine out of 26 different materials over four centuries are exhibited. Beautiful and unusual buttons may be purchased in the museum gift shop.
|
1-2 Jun
München |
If you think you've seen it all, you haven't until you've visited the ZAM – Zentrum für Aussergewöhnliche Museen. The Center for Extraordinary Museums, better known by its German abbreviation ZAM, features extravagantly out-of-the-ordinary subjects. It's the home of the Chamber Pot Museum, where more than 2,000 examples give visitors a fascinating glimpse of two millennia worth of chamber pot history. The center also includes the Corkscrew Museum, the Ethnic Doll Museum, the Easter Bunny Museum, the Pedal-Car Museum, Sisi Museum, the Museum of Scent, and the Guardian Angel Museum. If you like, pay a quick visit to the Spielzeugmuseum im Alten Rathausturm. When you're totally "museum-ed out," there is plenty of sightseeing and shopping in the city.
|
3 Jun
Giengen
Göppingen
Wörnitz
Rothenburg |
We visit the Margarete Steiff Museum, Steiff factory outlet, the Märklin Museum, and LEYK Lichthäuser on our way to Rothenburg odT.
|
4-6 Jun
Rothenburg |
Der Meistertrunk is the biggest festival event of the year in Rothenburg. Splendid pageants and parades, colorful outdoor markets, and historic reenactments, against the backdrop of the medieval town, provide two days of pure enchantment! If you like, visit the Puppen- und Spielzeugmuseum and the Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum. Then shop until you drop!
|
7 Jun
Rothenburg
Nürnberg
Rothenburg |
We spend our last day shopping and sightseeing in the Old City of Nürnberg. If you wish, visit the Spielzeugmuseum Lydia Bayer, the largest and most varied toy collection in the world, and the Germanisches Nationalmuseum's world-famous collection of 17th- and 18th-century dolls' houses. You are the honored guest at our "Auf Wiedersehen" Dinner Banquet this evening.
|
8 Jun
Rothenburg
Frankfurt |
Transfer to Frankfurt am Main Airport for return flight to the USA. Auf Wiedersehen!
|
Click here for further details.
|
ARE YOU BEING OVERCHARGED FOR OVERSEAS PURCHASES?
Your credit card company may be making a killing on the money you spend on your foreign vacation and you might not even know it. This extra profit is called a "foreign currency conversion fee," and you could be paying up to 3-percent extra when you make an overseas purchase with a credit card.
One percent of that charge comes from the Visa or MasterCard networks, which charge a 1-percent fee for converting your foreign currency purchase into American dollars. On April 1, Visa replaced its 1-percent currency conversion charge with a 1-percent "transaction fee." MasterCard plans to start charging the same transaction fee starting October 1, replacing its current 1-percent currency conversion charge. No matter what you call it, it's a good deal. Changing your money in almost any other manner will probably cost you a lot more.
But many credit card issuers and banks are cashing in by adding up to 2-percent on top of that 1-percent without doing a thing to earn it.
The charge varies from card to card, but major credit card issuers such as Citibank, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and MBNA charge 2-percent on overseas purchases. Add that to the 1-percent Visa and MasterCard charge for the actual conversion and you will pay an additional $3 for every $100 you spend. And some don't even disclose it!
Shop around for a credit card and ask questions until you're sure your selection doesn't charge a currency conversion fee on top of the Visa or MasterCard charge. Consider, for example, Capital One – they do not currently charge a currency conversion fee on top of the Visa or MasterCard charge.
More than meets the eye
Some overseas merchants now offer to convert your bill into your home currency. This is called "dynamic currency conversion" and it means the merchant – and not your credit card issuer – is converting the currency. If you think you are getting a deal because there will be no currency-conversion charge, think again. The merchant is converting your money for you, charging a percentage for the service, and passing that charge along to you through his merchandise. Overseas merchants can gouge you by charging 5-percent or more to convert your purchase into US dollars. Add the 1-percent Visa and MasterCard charges, plus what your credit issuer charges, and you are taking two hits instead of just keeping your purchase in local currency and taking one hit from your credit card.
Better ways to pay?
So, what is the best course of action to avoid the charges? Purchase airline tickets, hotel rooms, and rental cars before leaving the United States to avoid the charge. Also keep in mind that debit cards are just as handy as credit cards when making purchases overseas, and some of the banks that charge 2-percent conversion fees do not charge for purchases made on a debit card.
Tips on getting the best deal
Look for credit cards that do not have a currency-conversion fee.
Using a bank or debit card is often the best way to go, because many do not charge conversion fees.
Don't convert money from one currency to another more than once.
Don't exchange money at airports or hotels. They charge the most.
The bottom line
Most experts agree that despite the conversion fees, using plastic abroad is still the cheapest way to make purchases, especially when you consider hefty charges on travelers' checks and money exchanges. Exchange rates offered by credit cards are better because exchange rates secured by Visa and MasterCard are based on wholesale rates offered to large banks and corporations rather than the retail rate offered to consumers. Credit cards also provide increased protection on any card purchase since card members are never liable for unauthorized purchases. Credit cards may not be the best deal they used to be, and we hate to be price-gouged, but paying with plastic is still the smart way to travel overseas.
NEW LUGGAGE WEIGHT LIMITS
Pack lighter the next time you travel overseas, or you may have to pay a fee for excess weight.
New baggage rules took effect this summer on several major airlines. United Airlines, Air Canada, and Continental have reduced the weight limit for free baggage to 50 lbs (23 kgs) each for passengers checking two bags (reduced from 70 lbs (32 kgs). Passengers checking one bag only are allowed up to 70 lbs (32kgs) at no additional charge (reduced from 100 lbs (45 kgs).
On United and Continental, the new policy took effect for tickets issued on or after September 7. Air Canada's new policy applies for tickets issued on or after August 29 for travel on or after October 12.
Continental OnePass Elite members, as well as passengers traveling in business or first class, are exempt and may travel with two bags weighing up to 70 kgs each (three bags allowed for business and first class passengers).
| For travel on US Airways between the US and Europe, the maximum baggage allowance is two checked bags, one carry-on, and one personal item. A fee will be imposed if checked baggage exceeds a maximum of 50 pounds or 62 inches in overall length, width, and height, per piece, or if the total number of pieces (checked and carry-on) exceeds three. |
Take it from seasoned European travelers – the most important rule of packing is TRAVEL LIGHT! People tend to pack far more than they need or even use. Click here for our tips on traveling light.
|
|
|
|
