<p>We are scheduled to leave on an 8-day trip to Spain… going with a group so the itinerary is predetermined… I can’t seem to find the guidelines for the non-prescription drugs in the carry on luggage… is it allowed?
Also, we need to stay in touch with my elderly parents who don’t have the computer and don’t text… Would getting a calling card be a good idea? Or any other suggestions?
And just in general, any good advice for traveling to Spain?</p>
<p>I have never had trouble carrying non prescription items. I always keep them in their original container though. I can’t help you with the calling card. Spain is wonderful. Watch for pick pockets- especially in Barcelona. Don’t get distracted and use a money belt. Make copies of your passport- some people make a digital copy. Have the phone number of your credit card companies with you. Enjoy the food and the atmosphere. Where in Spain are you going?</p>
<p>You may be able to skype your parents if the hotels you are staying at have a wi-fi connection that is fast and inexpensive (or free) enough.</p>
<p>The only trouble you might have over carrying on the non-prescription drugs would be if they are in liquid form and in amounts over the 3 oz. per bottle liquid limit.</p>
<p>Keep all meds and Rxs in their original containers and if you have anything that is considered a “controlled substance”, get a note from your MD (mostly for dealing with TSA agents here!). </p>
<p>As for keeping in touch with your parent, you have several options: contact your cell carrier here and inquire about international calling rates or getting a “loaner” phone from them that you can use in the EU. Depending upon the model of phone you have, you may very well be able to get a SIM card in Spain that you can pop into your phone and use. Again, ask your carrier.</p>
<p>Take a pic of your passport info and number and go online to the US State Dept site and register there so that they know where you are and how to get in touch with you in case of emergency. </p>
<p>I’ve spent a lot of time in Spain, especially Barcelona, where my partner is from, and Madrid, so my advice comes from personal observation!
Practice common sense as you would in any city or tourist area- if you have a backpack, carry it in front (looks dorky, but…) or tuck your bag/purse securely under your arm on a SHORT strap. Not “looking” like a tourist helps- no fanny packs or white sneakers and socks!
Problems with pickpockets happen when people are careless- Yes, there are groups of Romanian gypsies in Spain, and the key word there is “group”. Typically, in the Metro, a group of about 4-7 will get onto the train and cause a disturbance while encircling their “mark”. One will snatch a wallet out of someone’s backpack just before the train stops and they run off, usually before the victim even knows what happened! The wallet will be dumped in a trash can in the station, minus anything of use to them, which is usually just the money- they don’t want to be bothered with credit cards or IDs, but it’s a massive inconvenience for the person who now has to replace everything! </p>
<p>If you need anything from the pharmacy, look for the shops with the green cross on them. If you don’t see what you need, ask, because most of the stock is kept on other floors and is sent to the register area when you request it. Have a wonderful trip!!!</p>
<p>Check to see if any of the non-prescription drugs you have here are only allowed with prescription in the countries you are visiting.</p>
<p>Hmmm. We routinely put OTC meds in plastic baggies or small containers. H puts all pain and allergy meds in one small Advil bottle and counts out enough vitamins, etc. for the trip and puts them in sandwich bags. My prescription meds get combined into one bottle as well. We’ve never had a problem in the US with the TSA or customs/immigration or with any European officials in many, many trips.
My mom uses the daily pill containers you can get at the drug store. If you are really worried, get an extra label when you pick up the prescription and stick it on the Baggie. </p>
<p>Pepto Bismol is not available in lots of places in Europe; I don’t know about Spain in particular. Bring it along if you use it. Paracetamol is the same as Tylenol. Voltaren gel (topical ibuprophen/similar) is available OTC there and in canada and is great for back strains and muscle aches. We always bring some home with us.
Liquid meds don’t have to go in the 3-1-1 bag - they can go separately as they are not limited. </p>
<p>You can usually get phone cards at the corner stores. The apartments we’ve had the past few trips have had VOIP phones which eliminated needing a card and made calling to check on children and parents much easier. </p>
<p>Never, ever hang your purse on your chair. Hold it in your lap or use a cross body style and keep it on you. Be aware of your surroundings and ignore anyone asking you to sign a petition. Don’t put a camera or cellphone on the table top in a restaurant. Basically, whatever you do here, do there. </p>
<p>Otherwise, find good restaurants or cafés or bars, sit and enjoy watching the passers-by, and relax and have a great time. </p>
<p>Aspirin is a trademark in some places. The generic name is acetylsalicylic acid or ASA.</p>
<p>Paracetamol = acetaminophen, of which the most common brand in the US is Tylenol.</p>
<p>Most airline web sites have all the detail on what’s allowed. Re: Onward’s advice: make sure it’s the numbers and/or instructions for calling credit card numbers from Spain, not just the numbers you call in the US.</p>
<p>Skype is amazing- if your parents don’t have it set up or computers, you can voice dial them over Skype, to a US telephone number, for a small fee. Look on their web info for details. </p>
<p>Check with your bank to find out if your ATM card will work in ATMs in the destination country, and whether your bank will charge fees or exchange rate surcharges. If your bank is within the same ownership group as a bank in the other country, or has some sort of agreement with a bank in the other country, then the fees and surcharges may be less or none at all. But otherwise, they can be fairly large, though usually not as large as the currency exchange shops.</p>
<p>Check your credit card company to see if there are exchange rate surcharges when used in foreign countries. Most credit cards do have them, although at least some Capital One cards do not. Be careful of merchants and hotels who will convert the currency themselves (at very unfavorable rates) when doing credit card transactions.</p>
<p>Get a month to month subscription to Skype,for $2.99/month you can call any phone number in the US and Canada for free if your phone can connect to an internet. Most McDonalds and Starbucks have WIFI. You may have to buy a drink and ask for the password, not all free like it is here.
If both of you have iphones or ipads you can facetime them for free if both you and your parents’s phones are connected to WIFI.</p>
<p>I had my purse snatched in Spain. I carelessly let it hang from my shoulder between me and the person I was with. I knew better. But I only lost my reading glasses and $5 because I had my passport and credit cards in my money belt. Money belts are the way to go in Spain - and anywhere you travel. </p>
<p>I email a scan of everyone’s passports to myself and to both our kids so that if the documents are lost or stolen, or if we - God forbid - go missing, we all have immediate access via the internet. </p>
<p>Keep copies of credit cards someplace, front and back. If they’re stolen, you know which ones were stolen and you have the number to call immediately to cancel them. </p>
<p>I don’t know if it’s true, but a lot of travelers talk about credit card scanners that crooks can carry around and read your card’s electronic strip merely by standing next to you in a crowd. They make aluminum wallets to keep your cards in. I don’t know much about them. </p>
<p>When my H and I travel together, we both use the same credit card account. But in our money belts we each carry another card that we never pull out. If ever the “regular” card were stolen and has to be cancelled, we can then use the second account without missing a beat. </p>
<p>Traveling in Europe is no more (and is usually less) dangerous than traveling in our own country. The main difference is that via our language, our clothes and especially our shoes, we label ourselves tourists with money. </p>
<p>Spain is a wonderful, wonderful country. If you go to Barcelona, don’t miss the Juan Miro or the Picasso museums!</p>
<p>I’m not a big fan of money belts because most people wear them improperly. They’re meant to be worn under a shirt, but that makes it a pain to access your money so instead people wear them on the outside, sometimes even in the back, like a fanny pack. The result is a setup that pretty much screams “Money here!! Easy access!!” [note: It sounds like Hayden uses the money belt well, as a hidden backup.]</p>
<p>I prefer to wear a regular handbag I can strap across my body. The bag part naturally falls in front of my hip so I can comfortably walk with my hand clasping the part where the strap and bag meet, covering the zipper. When I need to use a backpack I make sure my wallet and passport are zipped into an interior compartment, meaning that a pickpocket would have to go through two zippers to get to them. I also make sure I have a copy of my passport, an emergency credit card, and a small fund of emergency cash set apart from my wallet/passport. That way if I were to be robbed I’d have enough to get by on for a few days until I could replace my passport.</p>
<p>Like Hayden, we have copies of everything online, including the contact numbers for the credit card companies in case of a lost or stolen card. Before a trip I also strip out all unnecessary cards. Your frequent buyer card from the local pharmacy or pet store won’t do you much good abroad and it will be a pain to replace if lost. </p>
<p>Another tip. If you’re bringing a camera, empty your SD card and make your first picture one of your name and contact info… Just write it down on a piece of paper and take a normal photo. That way if you lose your camera the person who finds it can return it too you without having to play detective.</p>
<p>look into the cost of a SIM card for your cell phone. H & D1 went to South Africa last year and arranged rental of SIM card before they left. Total cost $35, which included free international calls.</p>
<p>I have traveled all over the world and never had anyone look at my meds. I wouldn’t carry so much that it looked like you were a smuggler or trying to resell in Europe, but a box of Imodium or bottle of Advil shouldn’t raise any eyebrows. As noted above, the only issue might be liquids, however the US alllows up to 70oz of medically necessary liquids in larger than 3oz/100ml containers in your carry-on, which includes contact lens solution. This is the case in Europe, however. I try to take bottles that will have very little left when I return, as local European TSA will likely take them. (sometimes not if there’s not much left and I leave in the luggage)</p>
<p>Huge thank you to everyone! I am at work now but forwarded this info to my husband and we’ll definitely be putting together a list of all your suggestions. My husband’s co-worker has said the same thing about being careful with carrying the money and valuable possessions, thanks also for the other recommendations.</p>
<p>We are flying to Barcelona, then Valencia, Toledo, Madrid, Saragossa, Figueros, Kosta Brava, Zherona an back to Barcelona. </p>
<p>Sounds like a great trip! We’ve never had any problems with meds on a trip. Can not say enough how much you need to use a money belt. Hayden has great advice on the two credit cards.</p>
<p>About ATM and cred cards- you have to let them know you will be using them out of country. Like Sue, we don’t use a fanny pack- I have a slim travel purse on a long narrow band (light and big enough for id and money, easy under a jacket or sweater.) Got it at a camping store. DH would wear his around his neck.<br>
Have fun. Your trip sounds wonderful. And I agree the Picasso Museum is great- there can be lines, so read up on that.</p>
<p>Another suggestions. If you regularly need OTC medicines take time before you leave to find out the scientific, generic name for your medications. Many common medicines are available abroad but under different brand names and in slightly different dosages. So for instance, you may not be able to find products labeled as Benadryl or Prilosec but you can find Diphenhydramine and Omeprazole, their equivalents. If you lose your meds. it’s nice to be able to easily replace them at the local pharmacy.</p>
<p>^^Good reminder about calling the CC companies. You won’t want to be cut off halfway around the world. Also check whether your cards have foreign transaction fees and make sure at least one of your cards is Mastercard or Visa. Many stores abroad don’t take AmEx and even fewer take Discover.</p>
<p>When we went to Africa, my carry on bag looked like an OTC pharmacy. Plus some RXs were in it too. No one batted an eyelash anywhere.</p>
<p>But more important…check the weight restrictions on your carryon bags. It was under 12 kilo when we travelled. We made sure our “personal carryon” was under that weight…including all the OTC and RX meds…and a full change of clothes.</p>