Notes

PAPER DOCUMENTS
- Passport and a paper copy of it
- Travel insurance (it is not mandatory)
- Flights reservation / Tickets / Check-in
- Trains reservations
- Hotels reservations
- Other reservations: Guided Tours, Bus, etc...
- During the flight bring the documents with you (in a handbag), do not put them in the luggages!

MONEY & CARDS
- Master/Visa Card: try not to use the card in April and verify the max amount of money you can spend with your card for travelling abroad
- Change ¥ to € before leaving Japan
- Change back € to ¥ at the airport before leaving Spain (they change coins, too!)
- During the flight bring the money with you (in a handbag), do not put it in the luggages!
- When outside the Hotel, bring with you the Card, some money and the Passport copy
- Free Wi-Fi is not so common and "Roaming Service" is VERY VERY EXPENSIVE: buy some promotion for your i-Phone usage abroad or simply don't use internet :(

LUGGAGES
- Verify the number, dimension & weight of the luggages on the Airlines web page
- Consider the number of luggages during the Flights reservation procedure
- Leave enough space in the luggages for the Souvenirs!
- Spring in Europe it's almost the same as in Osaka: light jacket, casual dressing (sweatshirts & t-shirts), comfortable shoes, sunglasses!
- It's not so easy to buy an umbrella in european stores: consider to bring with you a small & light one
- Verify if the Hotels offer a daily laundry service

EUROPE vs JAPAN
- In Spring the time difference is "-7" hours from Japan: Italy and Spain have the same clock
- The european electrical voltage is compatible with the japanese one, but you need to buy a Power Adapter: bring on a USB cable for your i-Phone, too!
- Italian Restaurants: breakfast 07:30-09:30, lunch 12:30-14:30, dinner 19:30-21:30
- Spanish Restaurants: breakfast 08:00-10:00, lunch 13:30-15:30, dinner 20:30-22:30
- Shops usually are opened 09:00-13:00 and 16:00-19:00 and they are closed on Sunday & festivities
- Shops sometimes don't accept Card, in particular when you pay small amounts of money: you don't use the card to pay a coffee ☕
- There are not "vending machines" in the streets: if you want a bottle of water or a snack, you need to find a shop or a bar
- If you consume the Breakfast outside of the Hotel, the common European Breakfast in a "Bar" is very light: usually a coffee, a pastry, a juice!
- Avoid international restaurants (Starbucks) and fast foods (McDonald): in Europe they are not cheaper and they offer bad quality food
- At lunch/dinner we drink wine ("Sangria" in Spain), beer ("Cerveza" in Spain) or water: coke or other drinks are consumed only with snacks
- You will not find "sticks" at the restaurants: we use fork and knive
- It's common to eat/smoke while walking; to smoke is usually prohibited in closed spaces; there are trash baskets along the streets
- Make noises while eating is considered bad manners in Europe
- If you have a cold, blow your nose with a tissue: the "noise nose" japanese behaviour is considered "very bad manners" in Europe

WARNINGS
- There can be street criminality in the big cities, especially in crowded places: if someone stops you on the street, ignore him and continue walking; don't offer charity to homeless people; when walking, keep everything in a closed bag 👜
- Don't drink too much or use drugs: the laws are severe!
- Trains, bus and subways are not always "in time": be at the station before the starting time and wait patiently; don't be afraid to ask informations to the people waiting near you
- You can use taxy 🚖 but they are very expensive and not easy to call

LIVING
- Remember to take a lot of Pictures and some Video, too! Free your memory space on the i-Phone or Camera!
- The common language is English, but a lot of people don't know it so well: so be patient or use some phone app to communicate (Google Translate)
- If you need informations, ask the Hotel personnel and in the big cities you can find turists info points, too
- Do not be afraid to talk or to ask questions to restaurant, bar or shop personnel: we are always happy to help tourists ☺️
- Be tolerant, be patient, smile and have fun: we are very open-minded and friendly people 😉