The Sights and Stories of St. Paul in Greece April 21

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The Sights and Stories of St. Paul in Greece
April 21 May 4, 2014

• Hosted by
• Pastor Cheryl Mathison
• St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church

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Valid U.S. Passport

• Do not pack in your luggage
• Sign your passport
• Photocopy the inside cover pages, keep separate
  from your passport

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Vaccinations

• None required but its wise to have a tetanus
  shot up to date
• See the CDC website for more information
  http//www.cdc.gov/
• Check with your physician

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Final Documents

• Your documents will include
• PocketDocs
• U.S. Customs information
• Leave-at-Home Accommodations/ Contact List
• Luggage tags
• Luggage handle gripper
• Name tag
• E-Ticket itinerary and receipt

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Group Flights

• Apr 21 Delta 171 MSP / Paris
  510pm 835am
• Apr 22 AF 1532 Paris / Athens
  950am 205pm
• May 3 Aegean 111 Thessaloniki / Athens
  1130am - 1225pm
• May 3  KLM 1576     Athens / Amsterdam     
  515pm - 745pm
•   (Overnight in Amsterdam)
• May 4  Delta 259     Amsterdam / MSP  1025am
  - 1233pm

Frequent flier miles on Delta Airlines now
limited to up to 50 accrual
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Baggage Allowance

• 1 Checked Bag
• 44 lb maximum (Aegean Airlines requirement)
• 62 linear inches maximum
• Aegean Airlines will only allow 1 piece of hand
  luggage and it must weigh under 17 pounds and
  cannot exceed measurements of 21 long x 15.74
  high x 7.87 wide.

• Tip Place the tour itinerary in the outside
  pocket of your suitcase in case its misdirected

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Departure Day

• Arrive at the airport by 230pm on Monday, April
  21.
• Janet Tollund and Pastor Cheryl Mathison will
  meet you at the Delta Airlines group check-in
  counter on Level T, one level below the baggage
  claim
• Have your passport ready to present
• Be prepared to show TSA officials your quart-size
  bag of liquids if you have one
• Check luggage all the way through to Athens

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MSP, Level T1
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TSA Security Requirement for Carry-on Luggage
All liquids and gels in your carry-on bag must be
put in a quart size zip-top bag. Note Each
item may not exceed 3 oz.
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Arrival in Athens

• Before leaving the plane gather belongings
• Proceed to Immigration present passport
• Pick up your baggage at Baggage Claim
• Go through Customs (Nothing to Declare exit)
• Your guide will be waiting on the other side of
  the doors after Customs. Look for a sign that
  reads St. Philip the Deacon

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Personal Health

• Pack medicines in your carry-on
• Carry your prescriptions with you
• Bring extra eye glasses or contact lenses
• Pack your own over-the-counter medicines pain
  killer, cold medication, first aid cream,
  tissues, Band-Aids, etc.

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Packing

• Clothing
• Daytime casual
• Most evenings onboard ship are casual
• When visiting places of worship, shorts are not
  allowed and shoulders should be covered
• Dress in layers for cooler evenings
• Sturdy walking shoes
• Wash cloth or scrubby some hotels dont provide
  them
• Refer to the packing list in your final documents

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Dress Code at Monasteries

• Dress codes are strictly observed in the
  monasteries. The monasteries will provide skirts
  and pants at the entrance If you arrive not
  wearing proper attire. Women must wear long
  skirts and men must wear long pants. Sleeveless
  attired is not allowed.

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Weather

• Average April temps
• Low High
• Athens 53F 67F
• Ephesus 48F 66F
• Thessaloniki 50F 70F
• Average Precipitation
• 9.7 days in Athens, 7 days in Ephesus, 11 days in
  Thessaloniki

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Communicating with Home

• Bring a Calling Card or a Pre-paid Phone Card
• Many U.S. cell phones wont work in Europe
  without a special SIM card (check with your
  provider) or purchasing an international plan
• Be VERY careful about using data if you purchase
  an international plan. Turn your phone on to
  Airplane Mode to avoid high charges
• Some hotels may have a computer for emailing

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What Time Is It?

• Greece is 8 hours ahead and
• Amsterdam is 7 hours ahead of Central Daylight
  Time
• Bring an alarm clock to wake up your cell phone
  clock may not work abroad, and hotel wake-up
  calls are not always reliable

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Electrical Connections

• 220 Volts
• Youll need an adapter (plus a converter if your
  appliance is not dual voltage)

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Money

• Greece - The Euro
• 1 Euro 1.32 (approximately)

• Turkey Turkish Lira TRY
• Its possible to use foreign currencies in some
  places (Euros are best US dollars OK, too)
• 1.00 TRY 0.55 

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Money, contd

• ATMs prevalent not all may work with your
  credit card
• Bring some U.S. cash as back-up (5, 10, 20)
• Plan on an average 15-20/day for lunches
• Charge cards may be used in larger stores
  otherwise
• currency is recommended
• No Travelers Checks too expensive to cash
• Call your credit card companies before leaving
  to inform
• them of your travels

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Shopping

• Turkey
• Alabaster
• Brass
• Carpets
• Ceramics
• Copper
• Jewelry
• Leather Apparel
• Inlaid Wood
• Silk
•  

• Greece
• Grecian Urns
• Olive oil products
• Komboloi (worry beads)
• Embroidered linens
• Figurines
• Jewelry (Hellenic Gold)
• Leather Apparel
• Olive oil

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Duty Free Allowance

• What is Duty Free?
• Each traveler is allowed to bring up to 800 of
  duty free items into the U.S. from a foreign
  country

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General Travel Security

• Secure your belongings at all times
• Call your credit card and tell them when/where
  you are traveling
• Make copies of passport, credit cards and keep
  separate from originals
• Use a money belt or passport pouch
• Travel in groups during evenings

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Group Travel Courtesy

• Advise your host or guide if you need
• assistance
• Rotate seats on the bus
• Be on time
• Please Thank You..go a long way!

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Essential Words to Know

• Greece
• Good morning kalime?ra
• Good evening kalispe?ra
• Please pa,rakalo?
• Thank you e?f,xaristo?
• Turkey
• Good morning günaydin
• Good evening Iyi aksamlar
• Please lütfen
• Thank you sag olun

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Cuisine - Common foods include

• Vegetables and fruits
• Chicken and Lamb
• Kabobs
• Fresh salads
• Olives
• Baklava
• Sodas, beer, wine, water

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Athens Herodion Hotel
86 air-conditioned guest rooms in the heart of
Athens with private bath, TV, in-room tea and
coffee, turn-down service, hairdryer, mini
bar, in-room safe, and wifi.
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Cruise Louis Olympia
For a description of the ship and its cabins, go
to http//www.fodors.com/cruises/louis-cruises-71
2308/ships/louis-olympia-712310/ Note Cabin
quality is similar to superior tourist class
hotels and smaller than cabins on the mega cruise
ships.
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Delphi Apollonia Hotel

• Private bath
• TV
• In-room safe

• Hairdryers
• Wi-fi available

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Kalambaka Hotel Divani

• Indoor and outdoor pools
• Sauna, gym
• Hairdryers in rooms
• Wifi available for a fee

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Thessaloniki Hotel Mediterranean Palace
111 air-conditioned rooms with private bath, mini
bar, satellite TV, in-room safe, direct dial
telephone, wifi, and a hair dryer.
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Amsterdam Hotel Chariot

• Hairdryers in rooms
• Free wifi
• Flat screen TV
• King sized beds
• Shower and tub
• Minibar

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Departing Athens

• The guide will reconfirm the return flights for
  travelers ticketed by Group Travel Directors
• Upon arrival at the airport go the KLM ticket
  counter. All bags should be checked through to
  Amsterdam
• Go through security and proceed to the departure
  gate
• Never, never make jokes about security

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration
Form

• During your flight complete
• the form (front and back) and
• sign it.
• Put it in your passport, as
• youll need to present both
• upon re-entry into the USA.

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Upon Arrival in the USA

• You will go through U.S. Customs upon arrival in
  Minneapolis/St Paul.
• Before leaving the plane gather all of your
  belongings.
• Proceed to Immigration (U.S. Citizens Line).
• Retrieve your baggage at Baggage Claim.
• With your luggage, proceed through U.S. Customs.

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Questions?
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Bon Voyage!
Group Travel Directors Janet Tollund
952-885-2133 jtollund_at_gtd.org Janelle
Ekstrom952-885-2129jekstrom_at_gtd.org www.gtd.org