Not much else to say, except this time next week, we shall be on our way!

Please review the posts in the 'get ready' category (if you click those words to the right, all the posts with that tag will come up for you), especially the part about contacting your bank and credit card companies to let them know you will be out of the country and plan to use the ATM/credit card.


Catholic Travel also sent you a good checklist (what needs to be in carry on, for instance) to help you prepare.
Do you have any other questions? If so, please be in touch!

Au revoir!

It's not long now until our pilgrimage!

I hope to see many of you at 1pm in Room 214 of the CARE Center this Sunday, August 17. We'll distribute plane e-tickets, euros and other good stuff, have a Paris quiz with prizes and a final 45 minutes of French lessons.

I've got some croissants and cookies, tea and lemonade to tide us over.

See you soon!

Cathy

I've got lots to tell you today!

MEETING
Please remember that we are having a group meeting on Sunday, August 17 in the CARE Center, Room 214 after the 11:30 Mass- so, about 1:00-2:30pm.  I will have your luggage and name tags and e-tickets. We'll also have a quick trivia quiz with prizes, and then Monsieur Josef will teach us those important tourist phrases (where is the bathroom... how much does this cost... may I have the check, please).

MONEY
Many of us already have some Euro to get started in France. For the rest of you, please do arrange to have at least a day or two's worth ($75-100 Euro?) BEFORE you leave the US... we don't want to waste time at an exchange booth in the Paris Airport or searching for an ATM.  If you are a Wells Fargo customer, you CAN get Euro from the tellers at the Cary High House or RTP branch without a service fee, rather than having to pay for them to be shipped to you.

Before you leave for France, please be sure to contact your bank and credit card companies to let them know your will be out of the country. Otherwise, they might see attempted spending coming from a place they know you don't live and suspend or cancel your account! That's generally a good thing, a safety measure to guard against someone running up huge bills on your card without your knowledge. But if it happens while you are away, and you don't have alternate options for money, well.... that could get tricky!  So please, sometime BEFORE September 1, call the customer service number for your ATM and Credit Cards, and tell them when and where you will be away. (Don't bother bringing your DISCOVER Card, that's hardly accepted at all in Europe).

LUGGAGE
Trying to decide which suitcase to pack for France?
Step number one: please note that the word is "suitcase", not "suitcases".

Here are some quotes from our travel company that should help guide you:

• You are permitted to bring one piece of checked-in luggage, and one piece of carry-on luggage. No exceptions. 
  
• You are responsible for carrying your carryon while on tour. Be careful that your carryon luggage is within the standard size and weight of your airline.  Call the airline if you have questions.  There is limited space on the bus for your carryon luggage.
• Make sure you have your luggage tags on the outside of your luggage and that you also have your name and telephone number inside your luggage, in case your luggage tag falls off. You will be given brightly colored Catholic Travel Centre luggage tags to be used in addition to your own.

Here's a bit of good news: on international flights, the first checked bag is free! And since you have just read that you can only bring one checked bag, that means NO BAGGAGE FEES. Unless.

Unless your bag is too heavy, or too big.  Here is a link to Delta Baggage policies- please refer to the section on transatlantic flights. In summary: your checked bag can weigh up to (but not over) 50 pounds, and its overall dimensions (length+height+width) must be less than 62 inches. (E.g., a bag that is 27 inches long and 21 inches wide and 12 inches high = 60 inches).

Your carry-on bag (link to info here) can be up to 45 inches and 40 pounds- BUT PLEASE REMEMBER that YOU are responsible for carrying your own carry-on!  You may also bring one other personal item (purse, briefcase) on board. Our checked bag- once we get it to the airport in the first place- will be wrangled in and out of our motor coach, and to and from our rooms for us (and we have pre-paid the tips!)!

Have you thought about how you are getting to and from RDU yet? 

• Maybe you are lucky and have a family member or friend who will drop you off and pick you up! (our return flight doesn't get in until nearly midnight)
  
• Or maybe you plan to drive yourself and pay for parking?
• Or maybe you are considering a taxi service?

If you are considering one of those last two options, I'll make a couple suggestions here, but would also like to hear from you, if you know of better ways to do this economically. Now- by mentioning specific companies, I am not necessarily endorsing those companies - they are simply options I am familiar with, to get you thinking on your own!
Drive and park yourself.

• You COULD use any of the airport parking lots, and of course, the further from the terminal you park, the cheaper per day it is. The cheapest rate is $6 per day. I used to do this, but got frustrated by how infrequently the shuttles seemed to run. That's an inconvenience on the way home, but if you are running a little late arriving at RDU, it can make anticipating checking in on-time a nail-biting experience. I do see that the airport lots have begun a rewards program for frequent guests. That's included on the linked page.
  
• There is a company (maybe others?) that have private lots near the airport and operate frequent shuttle service, picking you and your luggage up at your vehicle, and delivering you back to it upon your return. It also has a 'rewards' program, that give you a free day for every 8 or 10 days paid. Fast Park has all covered parking and offers a free car wash upon your return. The cost, once you add in airport fees, is about $7 per day.
  

Use a taxi/limo service.
Admittedly, I have little experience with this, but when I went to Italy some years ago, 6 or 7 of us parked at one couple's house and we all rode one van to and from the airport together. We used White Horse limo company and my foggy memory has it costing each person about $15, round-trip. Their website has a place to punch in details and get a price quote. Of course, there are other taxi companies and rates vary depending on distance.