Travel Suggestions For Masters World Cup Competitors
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Updated for MWC2007 in Rovaniemi, FIN (January 2007) ****************************
Travel Tips For Skiers Heading Overseas
General Stuff To Do Before The Trip
- A minimum of 6-8 weeks prior to departure, find your passport and triple check that the passport is and will remain current throughout your entire trip. Lock the passport in a home safe (or other safe spot) with a big note on it saying "needed for MWC Trip!". This note to prevent you or family members from moving the passport to a location where you can access it come time to pack for the trip.
- Seriously consider purchasing trip insurance once you are locked into the AXCS Lodging Package and/or airline tickets. Life happens suddenly and it is a miserable situation when someone is forced to cancel or change a MWC trip at the last second (often due to circumstances outside their own situation). Medical trip insurance just means a huge piece of mind and we have had several skiers over the years need to use this usually for non-XC related things such as falls in parking lots or alpine ski accidents! If your personal health insurance has coverage in foreign countries that is worth checking into. However, few policies will cover transport expenses and that's what you need to be really careful about.
- Before departure, make photocopies of all your critical travel documents and store them with a reliable contact person here in the USA. Copy your passport, airline tickets, travel insurance, and any medical papers. It can also be a good idea to carry photocopies in a safe hidden spot in your luggage. If you lose any documentation, having copies of this stuff can be the difference between hours/days of hassles and a quick fix.
- Call your credit card companies, of those credit cards that you plan to take to Europe, and tell them when you will be in Europe. Also double check that credit cards you take on the trip will remain valid throughout the trip dates! It is a good idea to get the international emergency "lost card" numbers before the trip and put these in your luggage away from your wallet so you can make necessary calls quickly in case you lose a card or wallet.
- Talk to your Bank about making sure your debit card can be used over there. Travelers Cheques are still accepted for changing money and in hotels and some shops; however, debit cards for getting Euros or the local currency from ATMs are much more popular, and credit cards are widely accepted too. Keep in mind you will probably have at least 2 fees in addition to the exchange rate show up on your credit card statement and/or your bank statement.
- Calling Home: You can talk to your cell phone provider about using your cell phone in Europe and calling the States. SIM cards can be bought for any country hosting the Worlds (but at a price). A less expensive alternative is usually to purchase a calling card with international features and then call from local phones. A good tip is to tape various international access numbers for your calling card onto the card so if you end up delayed enroute you have a way to notify hotels, folks back home, etc..
- Make sure that the AXCS Trip Leader or someone else going on the trip knows who they should contact back home in case of an extreme emergency. This includes phone numbers, email addresses, and health professionals. This is an especially essential step if you are going on the trip without close friends or family!
Packing For The Trip
- AXCS has created a detailed resource here on xcskiworld.com that has current information on all major airline baggage policies (weight, height, etc) that is well worth the visit. The resource also has several other tips on packing for XC ski trips.
- New for the 06/07 season are the changes in airline rules regarding liquids and gels in your carry-on luggage. Now if you want to carry any liquid or gel (i.e. toothpaste, hand cleaner, etc.) on planes, you MUST use travel size 3 oz. or less containers and place all the containers in a maximum one quart size clear Ziploc-type plastic bag. You CAN put multiple items in the same bag, but each item can only contain a max of 3 oz. of liquid or gel. Be prepared to have this clear Ziploc bag scanned outside your other carry-on gear. Water bottles must be empty of liquid...but otherwise can be still taken on (you can fill them by asking a flight attendant). Many airlines are now allowing drinks purchased in the security area on board, but you cannot take drinks through security at any airport.
- For luggage, a large backpack or wheeled duffel is the best bet for your things (vs. a big hardshell suitcase) combined with a ski bag. A backpack is handy if you will be dealing with several long airport or train station walks. With it on your back you then have your hands free for the ski bag, etc. You can stuff some clothing and various things in the ski bag as well. The xcskiworld.com resource mentioned above also details the benefits of the "ski tubes" that can provide extra protection for skis/poles at the price of a bit less space.
- Most Europeans travel with very few changes of clothing. Keep it very simple. Focus on the stuff you need for skiing and then just the basics for all other times.
- It is an excellent idea to have a few over-the-counter medicines along with for European trips just because you may not easily find things for colds, stomach flu, or joint problems. Note that it is always possible that doping control will be used at the Worlds so you are warned that some harsh cold medicines can produce positive doping tests.
- All hotels will provide a glide waxing location either at the hotel or nearby. There will also be a limited amount of USA team waxing space at the start stadium. However, with large USA contingents, our priority with on-site facilities will always be kick waxing (on classic race days) as well as gear storage. Space to glide wax (underlayers, travel wax, etc.) will be limited to racers doing a final layer of fluor or similar...and/or...after all USA racers for any given race day are on course.
- It is a good idea to take a form bench or travel supports if there is room in your ski bag. You will need some clamps to fasten these supports. Swix and Toko (likely other brands as well) sell very nice 2-3 part travel supports that are easy to carry and work well for most tasks. You can also divide up carrying tools and wax amongst several friends going to the same Worlds which makes the load in baggage easier to manage.
- DO NOT, under any circumstances, carry any wax cleaner in your baggage! Anything that says "flammable" is forbidden on airlines. Under heightened airline security this is a huge mistake with grave consequences. Usually a citrus solvent can be found in the host city and the USA group can share a bulk purchase.
- Avoid taking a large wax box. Pack basics for kick and glide in a small bag or a small cardboard box with scrapers, structure tools, etc. in another ziplock bag. A small cardboard box is nice for klister since it protects your other stuff from leaking tubes and also guards the tubes from weight in transport. Cover all your snow and temperature bases with wax selection (AXCS cannot provide wax for USA skiers...just too many logistics), but also keep it simple. If you need some different wax when at the Worlds you can sometimes find good local ski shops...but this is not always the case! You'll be surprised how few retailers you can find carring Nordic gear in Europe. Again, sharing the load on wax and tools amongst a group of friends really makes packing wax simple.
- The power in Europe is 240 volts , opposed to 120 volts here in the US. If you plug in something from here in the US it will burn out without a voltage adapter. You need either a 240 iron, voltage adaptor, or you can buy a small switchable 120/240 iron at someplace like Wal-Mart or K-Mart for about $15-$25. You’ll still need a special wall plug with a cheap switchable iron. Radio Shack or similar has adaptors and wall plugs -- note that you want one specific for the nation hosting the Worlds. In Europe this is usually a round plug with two rounded end prongs. It goes into a recessed round plug hole. Adaptors and plugs are rarely for sale anywhere in Europe so this is an important pre-trip purchase!
- An excellent travel accessory well worth the investment are "chains" for your shoes (Yaktrax.com is one popular make) or rubber outer slippers. These devices provide added traction while walking or jogging on ice and snow. European resorts and parking lots have less shoveling, plowing, sanding, or de-icing than the USA and thus you can often find yourself with really scary walks and jogs. We've actually had serious injuries in past USA groups from falls in parking lots so this isn't a casual thing.
The Long Flight and First Day/Night Upon Arrival
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- On the long flight over the Atlantic, wear very comfortable clothing and plan on changing into slippers right after you get to your seat. Fashion is fine for dinner parties but you'll have an easier flight in clothing that is comfortable for 6-12 hours in crowded airline seats.
- A good habit for long flights is to immediately change your watch to the local time in the destination city once the plane has taken off. You can get the time difference off many websites just before departure. Once you do make the change on your watch, your immediate objective is to try and mimic the day/night behavior in the arrival destination as soon as you can. For example, if you leave New York JFK at 4pm eastern time it is usually 9pm in your European destination. You thus want to eat soon (the airlines feed you quickly for this reason) and then get what sleep you can. Same goes in the "morning" at the destination.
- If you can sleep on flights, it is a great idea to eat dinner and immediately settle down for as much of a nap as you can get in on the plane. Inflatable neck and lower back pillows can help some folks sleep or relax as well as using some sleep aids (herbal and otherwise). However, it is NOT a good idea to use sleep aids untested nor mix them with alcohol. You can end up dragging for days once in Europe even with a great sleep on the plane if you aren't careful!
- Useful items for your carry-on to help the time changes and comfort levels would be: slippers, bag for your shoes if wet, toothpaste/tooth brush (noting new airline rules), a change of shirt for after you sleep, deodorant (noting new airline rules), electric shaver (men), hairbrush, and a washcloth. When you get up in the destination "morning", it is a great idea to go through the whole morning routine while the plane is still aloft to freshen yourself...all to aid your time change.
- Hydrate well on the flights over and keep a steady supply of food in your stomach. It is always a good idea to have a few high calorie food items that pack well (granola bars, nuts/raisins, etc.) in your carry-on for emergency food needs. A water bottle should be with you at all times even if empty...just in case.
- Whether you sleep on the flight or not, make sure to get up at least a couple times to loosen your limbs, get blood moving, and stretch. This is particularly a good idea in the final 2-3 hours before touchdown.
- Usually customs and passport control in Europe is a snap so the biggest hassle is dealing with lines and big bags. Always select the "nothing to declare" exit and try to stay with other USA skiers in finding ground transportation or the next connection after you clear customs. It is common to be a bit groggy upon arrival after trans-oceanic flights so having others around you know helps keep you calm and alert.
- THE FIRST DAY IN EUROPE...is the most critical day in terms of getting "on time" and being able to sleep through the night on the destination time. What often works the best is to simply keep yourself moving as much as possible throughout the first day in Europe. Stay in natural light as much as possible. Walk around the destination city. Go skiing. Do whatever will keep you moving and in light. Try as hard as possible to avoid a nap during the day and (if possible) also try and avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol in the first 24 hours after arrival. Once night comes, stay up as late as you can manage (7-9pm in Europe time is a good goal) before crashing. If all goes well, you'll have a solid first night of sleep and be "on time" henceforth. Sometimes a sleep aid is necessary the first few nights, but try and avoid them as they can impact ski performance.
- Currency conversion is always an interesting game and everyone has their theories as to the best/cheapest method. Getting a small amount of euro or other local currency at the airport is often a good idea if you have many train or bus connections...but otherwise a better method would be to find a bank outside the airport and change out a reasonable amount of currency there as you'll probably get a better exchange. Using credit cards whenever possible is always a good idea and can decrease how much local currency you'll need. However, be careful to check the fine print on your credit cards to make sure they don't charge you "hidden" fees for doing an international currency conversion (this can add several percentage points)!
- At the end of the trip, avoid the tendency to spend like crazy if you have extra currency...and do NOT change it back to dollars unless it is a very large amount! You never know when you or others can use the foreign money in the future so hang onto it in a safe place at home.
Ground Transportion Once At The Worlds
- All competitors should plan on using the bus service that the MWC Organizer will provide. It will have regular routes it follows and will stop at most major hotels. Usually a bus comes by every 15-30 minutes so it is easy to plan your day. Your hotel should have a schedule posted within 24-48 hours after arrival (but it can take awhile with some organizers so be on the watch for other pick-up locations and schedules posted). This same bus will cycle back to your hotel from the race venue.
- Usually it is not a problem for spouses, families, supporters, etc. to also hop on the MWC buses at official hotels. Credentials are rarely checked...but this can always change so be on the lookout for other area transport if limits are suddenly placed on who can ride official MWC transport.
- Depending on the site of the Worlds, it may or may not be easy to walk from hotels to various area attractions, shops, etc.. It also may or may not be easy to use the MWC buses to get to these places. AXCS makes an effort to select official travel group hotels with easy walking access to at least some amenities. If you elect to stay in an apartment doing your own cooking, you are strongly advised to get the distance and hours of a local market before making a reservation.
USA Contingent Information
- Be aware that no changes to race registration or personal data can be made once we get past 2-3 weeks out from the start of the event. The Worlds is a logistical challenge for any organizer so strict registration rules are in place to make the event go smoothly. You need to understand that there is no such thing as a "small change" with this event!
- The U.S. contingent will once again have a non-racing Captain/Coach/Team Leader at the Masters World Cup. J.D. (John) Downing, our AXCS National Director, will be on hand the entire trip as Team Captain, wax coach, feed man, and all around aide to all U.S. competitors. J.D. will be the USA representative to all team leader meetings and will also lead all USA contingent meetings most nights during the Worlds. These meetings will also serve as organizational opportunities for folks with an off-day to volunteer to help with group tasks such as wax testing and race feeds.
- The meeting schedule often has to be a last minute development simply because J.D. has to know how long it takes him to physically get back from the team leader meeting to a USA meeting location. If not announced via email and xcskiworld.com prior to official travel group departure, the meeting times and locations will be announced at the official travel group "base hotel" once we are in-country.
For more information:
AXCS Phone: 541-317-0217
AXCS Email: axcs at xcskiworld.com
