Learn to Convert

First I just wanted to add something I forgot on the packing list yesterday.  That would be a luggage scale.  Don't leave home without one.  You will be much happier knowing your bags are within the appropriate weight restrictions.  Here is one on amazon right now for a really good price.

Learn to Convert:

Europe is on the metric system.  You will not hear terms such as pounds, miles, gallons, or Fahrenheit.  Instead it will be kilograms, kilometers, liters, and Celsius.  There are little tricks you can use to convert.  They may not be 100% accurate but you will be really close:

Kilograms = 1 kilogram is about 2.2 pounds.  So 10 kilograms would be 22 pounds and so on.  The actual true conversion is 1 kilogram is 2.20462 pounds.  The easiest for me is to double the kilograms and then add the first number to the total.  For 10 kilograms I double it (20) and then I would add the first number of 2 for 22 pounds.  For 15 kilograms I double it (30) and then I would add the first number of 3 for 33 pounds.  For 28 kilograms I double it (56) and then add the first number of 5 for 61 pounds.

In Europe when referring to someone's weight they also use the term stones.  1 stone is 14 pounds.  So if someone says they weigh 10 stones then they weight 140 pounds.

Kilometers = 1 kilometer is .62137 miles.  My cheat for this is to take the kilometers and divide by 2 and add back 10%.  So if the speed limit is 100 kilometers it would be 100 / 2 = 50 + 10% (10) for a total of 60.  The true answer would be 62 miles but as you can see we are extremely close and divide by 2 and add back 10% is super easy. 

Liters = 1 liter is .264172 gallons so 4 liters is 1.05669 gallons.  So this one is easy because it is safe to say there are 4 liters in a gallon.  So if you wants 10 galls of gas it will take 40 liters.  True would be 10.57 gallons for 40 liters.  As you can see close enough. 

Celsius =  C to F: Multiply the temperature by 2 and then add 30 (actual formula is multiply by 1.8, add 32)   ex: 22 C is roughly equal to 74 degrees using my method, actual conversion is 71.6
F to C: Now just work it backwards, subtract 30 from the temp. and then divide by 2
Currency conversion changes with the exchange rate.  The exchange rate today is 1 US dollar is equal to .92 cent Euro.  So first you need to figure out what 1 Euro is equal to in US dollars.  So on a calculator take 100 and divide by 92.  The result is 1.09.  (I rounded to make it easier - actual is 1.086)  So if something costs 10 Euro then it would cost 10.90 US.  (Actual would be 10.86)  If you want to make it even easier then add 10%.  So something that cost 35 Euro would be 38.50 US.  (Actual would be 38.02)

I hope this helps :)