CHOLET EXCHANGE UPDATE – April 2, 2015
(77 days!!!)
Dear Parents and Travelers,
In this update I have two items. 1. Talk about train travel. 2. Recap (for the parents’ benefit) what we discussed at our first student meeting.
Trains. As you know, we plan to travel from Paris to Cholet by train on the TGV. Now that we have our flight times, I can begin to book the trains. I am currently in contact with Rail Europe. I booked through them in 2013. Very soon they will give me an estimate. Then I will need to collect money from you as quickly as possible in order to reserve the seats while they are still available. I am estimating that each trip will be approximately $50 per person. I hope to give you the exact amount very soon and therefore collect the money from you when we return from break.
Recap of first meeting. Of the topics we discussed on Wednesday, March 25, I’d like the parents to be aware of the following.
Euros. It’s advisable for the students to exchange some currency in advance. My suggestion is to check with your bank to see if they offer that service. My bank (PNC) does and they can process the exchange within a few business days. It is further advisable that you not exchange too much currency at once. If any is lost or stolen, it’s gone. Having 100€ at the beginning should be plenty. Keep in mind we may need to wait a couple hours for our train – you’ll want to purchase something to eat. And we arrive on a Friday. Using a bank may not be possible until Monday, but ATMs are available and credit/debit card purchases are possible almost everywhere.
Contact your banks. If a student is planning on using a credit/debit card on our trip, it’s a good idea to let your bank know. If the bank notices “unusual activity” (such as overseas purchases) it may block your account for your own safety. Giving the bank a heads up can prevent this.
Passports. I talked to the students about safe ways to carry their passports. I also told them that I would like to photo copy everyone’s passports. If needed, students will be able to show ID while keeping passport secure. Also, if a passport is lost or stolen, the photocopy can speed up the replacement process. Please bring yours to me at your earliest convenience. I will return it the same day.
Ziploc bags. For many reasons, it’s good to keep a supply on hand. You never know when you’ll have a need for one.
That’s all for now. Next update is coming soon!
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