Needful Things

Things you might need on your travels. This page a work in progress, check back to see additions, amendments and corrections. Updated 05 May 2025

Dry weather gear

Don’t forget your Rain jackets. Bring water proof boots. We used Nikwax waterproofing wash on our jackets and hats before we left.

Warm Clothes

Summer in England (and Australia and New Zealand) is NOT summer in Raleigh, NC. It gets cold, wet and windy. Layers are essential, it can be warm and sunny one minute and fifteen minutes later the weather is cold and rainy.

Soft Sided Cooler

We picked one up in Australia and it is great for travel. Cooler packs are also necessary, and cheap enough to leave them behind of you are worried about weight.

Knife

We eat a lot of bread, cheese and apples as snacks when travelling. We bought a small knife with a sheath in Australia, but didn’t take it to the UK. Mistake. Knives over 3 inches long are illegal in the UK outside of the home. So we are struggling to find a legal knife.

Money

We use credit cards for most purchases, the exchange rate is usually better than at the ATM. That being said, we usually get a couple hundred dollars in local currency from an ATM to have in hand. Some stores have stopped taking cash, but a very few places will only take cash.

Sim Card

We have been naive about buying sim cards. Do your homework for the country you are going to before you leave home. We were tired and jetlagged when we landed at Heathrow, and we (Anthony) purchased Lycamobile, the worst possible vendor in the UK. We changed to Vodaphone after a week and a half, they had a cheaper plan that seems to be working better.

Also, we overbought data. A 10 GB plan would probably have sufficed. You may also make sure your plan has unlimited local calling and text plus an allowance for US calling (cheap minutes or a free allotment).

To avoid surprises, turn on airplane mode when you hit the ground. Then activate Wifi and Bluetooth. This should avoid accidental roaming charges.

Texting/Internet Calling

We used lots of different apps for texting and calling. Some of our friends were on WhatsApp. My mom was comfortable with Facebook Messenger. Sagan is on the Google Chat successor. These apps can reduce the number of minutes you use phoning home.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Sometimes it is useful to spoof that your computer, phone, tablet, firestick, etc is back in the US. So we got NordVPN. We primarily used this on our Firestick to access Youtube TV. VPNs also provide a level of security.

Firestick

Don’t judge us. When you are gone 3-6 months it is nice to stay in touch with home. Most hotel TVs have a HDMI port that you can plug into. You may have to get creative to attach to the hotel WIFI and change the source on the TV. In a pinch, you may be able to use the phone as a WIFI hotspot, just be careful of your data. You will need a VPN to access some of your US based content.

Travel Cards

We got the English Heritage (£100 total) and National Trust/Royal Oak (£150 total) Cards. These cards give you access and parking to hundreds of historical sites in England, Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland. They may also allow a discount at other historical sites. We got 20% off admission to the Canterbury Cathedral.

The English Heritage card had a 20% discount if you applied on line. The cards are cheaper (per person) if you apply as a couple or Family. The folks at Dover and Pensevey Castle were happy to help us sign up and give us a card. Even the site is not a member and gives free entry, they may give a discount.

Train Discounts

If you are taking the train a lot, look for for fare discounts cards. We got a 30 day 1/2 price card for Switzerland, and it paid for itself with two trips. Sometimes, a city will have a discount card that allows you to travel on public transportation for cheap (or free, in the city center).

Loyalty Cards/Apps

Grocery and Gas stations offer discounts if you have a loyalty card or App. The were easy to get in Australia and New Zealand. In the UK, they typically ask you to download an app, which you won’t be able to do on an American phone. At Tesco, I have to go to the human being to check out, so they enter my membership number.

To download UK apps, we created a UK based GMail account (once we were in country). Some apps needed a local credit card, so we bought a 25 Pound gift card. I used a friend’s home address in Cardiff (Steve, so sorry for all the junk mail).

Implements of Phone Charging

We brought fast charging devices for our phone to plug into the adapters in the wall. We also have a fast charger that stays in the car, for long trips. Lots of buses have USB plugs for charges, so we take wires with us on tours.

On long days we often run out of juice on both phones, which means no Ghost Tour photos. We purchased a power brick for 18 pounds that claims to carry up to 40 hours of charge.

Power Convertors vs Adaptors

Before we left we bought a simple power convertor (220 to 110 volts). It has 3 3 prong plugs, 4 USB plugs and has done everything we have needed.

We also purchased adaptors which plug into the UK sockets and you can use for US 2 prong, 3 prong and USB plugs. These only work for appliances that can use 220 volts. Most computer convertors and USB plugs for phones and firesticks work for this. But don’t plug in your razor, hair drier, toothbrush charger.

Portable Charges

Batteries for our phones were often draining down, especially talking 300 photos a day. We purchased Portable Charges (battery packs) which keep us going all day. These are also perfect for powering the inflata-chicken or inflata-TRex. Mine easily kept the T-Rex happy (and scaring young children) through all of the Krispie Kreme Challenge.

Prescription Drugs

You may need to get your prescriptions filled early so you have enough on your trip. You will need to call your provider and ask for a vacation override. You may also need to ask your doctor to approve the extended prescription. Don’t be surprised if you have to ask again, so start early.

OTC Drugs / Brands

Some OTC Drugs are prescription drugs overseas, we couldn’t get Melatonin OTC in New Zealand. Also, only one brand of contact lens cleaner worked for Julie, which was very difficult to find in New Zealand.

Google Maps

Google maps is a must. It helps plan trips walking, driving, training, bussing, public transportating. I loved my Garmin GPS, but Google Maps has so much more functionality. Pro Tips:

While you have good WIFI: 1) Create your routes 2) Download offline maps along your route.

Rental Car Insurance

Our REI Capital One Master Card has a rental car insurance benefit. This has saved us a ton of money on our travels. Some caveats:

1) You must pay for the rental with your card, and you must decline the insurance option when you rent the card.

2) Insurance is only available for rentals of <= 30 days

3) Some car rental agencies require a Letter of Coverage (we had to get one for the Republic of Ireland). We called the concierge number on the back of the card to get one. HOWEVER, the person we needed to talk to was not there until 9AM eastern time. Lesson Learnt, get the Letter of Coverage for the country you will be in before you go.

Parking

Parking was ridiculously expensive in the UK cities. Most city hotels and Air B&Bs do not provide free parking. Some hotels may not even provide on site parking. Your best resources for parking info are your Air B&B Hosts, Parking Attendants or Concierges at the Hotel. You can find parking and save money using parking apps, like JustPark, YourPark, RingGo and PaybyPhone.

TripIt App

Consider using the Tripit application, which organizes your lodging, transportation and excursions in one place.

Park Run

Park Run organizes 5K events every Saturday (or sometimes Sunday) morning at 8 or 9 AM in cities and towns all over the UK, Ireland, Europe (and Durham and Chapel Hill). This is a good way to run around castles and meet local runners. There is no fee for the run, you just need to sign up and get a barcode (again for free and not mandatory) at www.parkrun.com. Once you have the barcode, you can download the 5K Parkrun Results app from the Play Store to keep track of your activities. Thanks again to Steve for turning me on to Park Run