(continued from above) When you arrive in Europe, buy a local PREPAID SIM card from any local cell phone shop, and you'll get a European local phone number. You'll benefit from cheaper calling rates, free incoming calls and text messages.

(continued from above) To get around high calling costs, consider pairing the United Mobile SIM card with a service like http://www.callbackworld.com . Callback services take advantage of the free incoming calls in Europe, making international calls much cheaper. You are also get a 1800 number and PIN for call forwarding that you can give to friends, so they won't have to pay high intl rates.

Are you planning on being mostly stationary while in Europe? A VOICE-OVER-IP (VoIP) phone service like Vonage might be your best option for international phone calls. This requires an ethernet broadband connection however. If this circumstance fits you, With Vonage you can have a US telephone number while in Europe! Just set up your service before your trip and bring your adapter.

With this super-light camera, you'll be able to take great pictures. The main exceptional features of this camera are its small size, large LCD, the wide angle lens, and Image Stabilization to get crisp, sharp photos. The camera comes with a compact battery charger that can convert voltage from ~100-240. The battery is claimed to last for about 240 photos.

Probably the GPS I would get today if I didn't already have my trusty Garmin eMap.

Here is a nice compact leather case to protect your digital camera. It has slide-through belt loops to allow waist carry, velcro strap cover, and a hole for the camera strap to protrude. I typically carried it on my belt and concealed it with a jacket.

Want laptop capability, but not thrilled with the idea of carrying it around? Use a PDA/keyboard combo to organize your information, send email, and WiFi web browse. This Palm has a mic and hard drive. Maps, schedules, and digital copies of my passport and travel insurance are good items to store here. I also used my PDA (Palm TX) to edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents.

I couldn't find the Dockers Mobile pants I have, so this was the closest choice. The Mobile pants had two zippable hidden pockets near the knees to put my GPS, iPod, or cell phone in. Also, in the front pocket there is a zippable interior pocket to securely stow keys or a wallet in. As a traveller it is especially important to keep your passport / ATM card / credit cards safe.

Change the PINs on your ATM cards to 4 digits for better compatibility. See if your bank has international banking partners. My ATM card was eaten by a machine that wasn't affiliated with my bank or its partners. You can use credit card (cash advances) for emergency cash, for a fee. Travel insurance can help arrange money also. Keep important info on paper also. Electronics can fail.

I brought along waterproof bags just in case it rained, and I didn't want my electronics to be ruined, or my wallet soaked. I kept these rolled up in a jacket pocket.