Countdown to Leiden: T Minus 2 Days

Water for Free

Hotels have a curious economic thinking in which coffee is free but water costs.

In Europe, water is expensive, and can cost e4 a bottle in restaurants. To beat the high cost of water, take along a wide-mouth water bottle. Make it wide-mouth so that (1) you can stuff it with socks to take up less room in the suitcase; and (2) ensure ice fits in.

To get fresh, good-tasting water for free, fill the hotel room's ice bucket with ice -- as soon as you arrive there. Let it melt overnight. In the morning, add more ice to the water bottle, and then fill the rest with meltwater. 

Ice machine water is always filtered so as to not affect the taste when mixed with alcohol. Ice is a North American thing, so European hotels grudgingly locate a small ice machine in a far off corner -- if at all.

Saving on Meals

Many European hotels include huge breakfast offerings for free, so eat as much as you can. Then, skip lunch, and later have supper. If you are as cheap as me, buy a few groceries for supper meals, and then store them in your hotel room's bar fridge. 

Electronics

Nowadays, many electronic devices recharge through the USB port. Keep the power supplies at home, and use your notebook computer's USB ports to recharge devices overnight; remember to keep computer on so that power is supplied to the USB ports (place it in the bathroom or closet if its lights/sounds keep you awake).

(Speaking of keeping awake, take along ear plugs to help you get a better night's sleep in often-noisy hotels.)

Make sure to bring along an electrical adapter to plug North American plugs into European outlets. Most electronics today handle 110v and 240v, so transformers are no longer needed.

Security Tips

To speed yourself through security, put all metal and electronic items in those zippered pockets of your jacket, as you wait in the line-up.

I like to wear sandals while flying, because they are easier to get on and off than regular shoes (off while sitting in the airplane, on while going to the bathroom and its sticky floor). As well, you usually don't get asked to take off sandals going through security.

Flying in/through the USA, you are supposed to keep spare batteries in Ziplock bags or the original bag the battery came in -- one battery per bag.

Comments

[Temet]

While ice is a North American thing, potable tap water ia a Northern European thing :)
There's absolutely no point in "buying water" at all over here.
Best wishes and have fun in the Old World,
Temet