Basejumper.com - archive

1515, 1472, and 1366 are taking Florida BASE
on its first trip to big wall countries in April

My wife is coming with me and loves to plan.
She is worried about new chip technology vs.
the old magnetic strips on our credit cards.

Any of you jet-setters having problems
using your plastic in these countries??

I have a MasterCard and Maestro (Debit card), both equipped with chip and have had no problems with them here in Europe.

However, please take into account that for example in Switzerland, not necessarily all places accept credit cards. So be preapred to carry some cash with you. Generally in CH all major hotels, restaurants, etc in bigger cities accept plastic (at least MC and Visa) but this is not the case in smaller villages and especially somewhere in the mountains. For example the Chalet im Rorh in LB does not accept credit cards but only cash. You can do cash withdrawals (at least with MC) from ATM's which are quite well available in the cities. For example on the way from Horner/Chalet to LB train station there are 2 ATM's where you can take cash with international credit cards.

I second what was said. ATM!

ATMs with your ATM card is the way to go for all the transactions in my opinion.

If I remember correctly the exchange rate was slightly better, but it also helps you feel part of the country when you spend their money, and it helps with the "budget" because when you pull out $200 worth of cash you see a pile in your hand, you know how quickly you are spending it, considering $200 will not be 200 in the local currency due to exchange rates.

You definitely want to contact your credit card company prior and get their exchange rates and fees. My card has good exchange rates with no transaction fees for foreign transactions, but one that we have in our company would make you go bankrupt as they charge so many fees...

I used my credit card for a rental car and things at the airport. Maybe one or two transactions. Cash for everything else. The ATM is on the way to the exit point in most cases.

Note, this assumes you have cash in the bank and are not putting the trip on credit cards for that reason.

OMG. You are not really asking this seriously, are you? Are you starting your career as a troll?

Look, we have running water (in some places even hot), we have electricity (actually a way superior system than in the US - we don't regularly have "rolling blackouts" in the most hi-tech zones of Europe). The roads are paved, and in some places you can legally go as fast as your car can. Cellphone service - and I mean as in "actually working" - is a given in Europe, where the GSM/UMTS System is not a marketing dream, but an operative system that is considered a commodity.

And yes, magnetic strips work. Basically everywhere where CCs are accepted, they work. I have not yet seen a machine that can read a chip, but NOT a strip (the other way round, yes).

One word of caution: rental car companies and hotels like to put so called "reservations" on your card at pickup/checkin, which are effecively reducing your credit limit. So make sure that the limit is high enough (they charge the entire duration of rental/stay). But this has nothing to do with stripe/chip..., so excuse the offtopic

blue skies,
flummi

Credit cards should be all good (obviously tell the cc company that youre travelling so it doesnt get shut off) but I will add that I got all my cash from the exchange booth at the airport because I didnt know any better and the exchange rate was significantly worse than if I would have swapped all my USD for swiss francs in LB.

Not sure if this was mentioned, but make sure you let your CC company know youll be traveling because they would see the charges as potential fraudulent charges and deactivate it if they didnt know! Have fun!

Capital One is THE only way to go. If you dont have a CO card, get one before you leave. They are one of the only major card companies that do not charge any foreign transaction fees (not talking about cash withdrawls just regular purchases). I spent two months traveling around and used the hell out of my card. I used my regular bank ATM card to withdrawal cash as it was cheaper than using the cc for cash.

Passport.
Debit Card (for ATM's)
Credit card.
Euro capable cell phone. (install a local, pre-paid SIM card.)
Rig.

that's about all you really need. the rest can be bought anywhere you would land in Western Europe.

check on those per transaction fees. as an Economist type, you'll understand that one transaction fee for cash can be much cheaper than many transaction fees for $10 purchases.

with base numbers so big, tell them to stay at home. we accept base jumpers from the united states of freedom only bellow 400.
everyone else: welcome.

add tracking gear

and wingsuit if you have less than 50 basejumps

you fail.

how are they supposed to charge their GoPro's if they don't have a US to Euro electric plug adapter ???

it's the basics that will really ruin your Euro trip.

No video=might as well stay in home and keep doing Static Lines from 320ft.

Hello, I'm from Switzerland. I don't know about Italy but we here in Switzerland are not very familiar with credit cards. Actually in some small towns in the mountains even money is not very common. They are more like Eskimos, they prefer that you pay with your wife instead of your money. But in the big cities, like Zurich, some will accept traveller cheques as well.
Please don't forget to pay your Lauterbrunnen Landingcard, we accept shiny stones, glass pearls and if your wife is good looking, figure out what else :-)

What about Wal-Mart gift cards? Will they work?

Are you stealing again someones internet? Go back to your igloo! :)

How about food stamps

Good point. Call your cell phone company. Verizon had a $15 fee that will cause all data to be free and cheaper voice... They even pro-rated the fee for the 3.5 weeks I was there, not the complete month. Best $12 I spent (both times I went)... They even will rent phones that will work in Europe if yours does not.

Someone I know with ATT and an iPhone got a $3,500 bill for roaming data as they at the time did not have a $15 per month international addon. Verizon's $12 was a lot cheaper. ;-)

Ive had a couple of issues in france and some places in switzerland where I couldnt use a non-chipped card (for instance the restaurant at sputnik). The vast majority of places are totally fine, just make sure you tell your companies you will be traveling and make sure your ATM will work if you need cash.

Anyone travelling to Switzerland also needs to be aware that they *will* have to deal with people who don't speak English.

The thing to do in that situation is to talk very slowly and very loudly so they can understand. Works great!

Walt

I have been to 23 countries in the last 12 years.
I am on my second passport. I always learn how
to say a few phrases in the appropriate language.

Yes, I will notify my bank and American Express.
Yeah, I will bring some dollars and euros in cash.
Yep, already registered and will buy a landing card.

I am bringing:
2 rigs
2 GoPros
1 tracking suit
1 net book

N0 cell phones
N0 wingsuits SBD

I know you guys and gal were just having fun
but I never implied Europe was not modern,
in fact I love Europe, been a few times in the
past for business, honeymoon, skydive, just
never for BASE jumping, but I am excited.

Thanks to the gentlemen who sent PM's

Lastly, both of my jump buddies have already
been to these walls. As preparation I have been
running, dieting, practicing flying my new-to-me
green PF tracking suit, and researching site data.

If you do not plan to bring a cell phone, please get a (prepaid ?) from local store for the duration of your trip before jumping in LB. I hope you have read the local rules that it is MANDATORY to CALL Air Glaciers before EVERY jump. So please get yourself a cell phone, there are no phone booths with fixed lines in the exit points.

Thanks for helping us to keep the valley legal!

Hey markus, always wondered, why doesn't the valley get radios like Norway? More universal and cheaper over the long run.

Hey charlie,

there are several reasons to it. We have discussed this a lot since it would be quite obvious choice to communicate the traffic between jumpers. For example to avoid potential freefall collisions / close calls between jumpers going left with WS from High Nose and jumpers doing tracking jumps the same time from lower exits on the Nose.

The main reasons why we have not implemented a radio -system is because the main reason for calling AG is not to communicate between jumpers but to communicate between jumpers and AG helicopter traffic. AG has a person "stand by" on the phone 24/7 who knows their heli operations and can coordinate with that. For them carrying around a radio just for jumpers would mean 2 communication channels instead of one and to implement this it would mean extra effort from their end. Also there can be coverage issues with the radios, in situation where the "stand by" person is out from the helibase in LB.

Also nowadays everyone more or less has a cell phone. I know for people with foreing SIM cards it can be pretty expensive to call but it is quite easy and cheap to get a prepaid from for example the post office in LB (for example buy one for the group you are jumping with).

Like said, we have discussed regarding this a lot and can be that one day we have a radio system like Norway to sort our own traffic. Still I would see it for the reasons mentioned above, highly likely that even with the radio system between us, we still have to give AG a call to communicate between their operations.

What we can think of is that maybe we (SBA) can buy couple of really cheap cell phones to Horner (and save the AG number to the memory) where jumpers can rent them for nominal fee if they don't have their own. All they would need to do then is to get a prepaid SIM from post office or a Kiosk to it and they would be good to go. Just thinking of possible ideas.

if you can afford to BASE jump and fly to Europe, you can afford to buy a cell phone there as well. i bought a small SwissCom Nokia a few years ago for around $90. too easy to get on the internet and add a few bucks to it when the balance gets low... if you don't travel there often, you could probably just sell it to someone else later.

as long as you have at least one phone between the few of you traveling, you'll be fine. don't be a jerk, call AG!

Yes, I have read the rules.
Yes, I registered with your website.
Yes, I will be buying a landing card.
Yes, I will bring gifts for the famers.
Yes, I want the valley to remain legal.


I am not a phone person, I do not text.
However, Josh & Jeff are and will handle
this task for the group. If I was going by
myself then I would just buy a burner.

When are you guys going to upgrade to the superior American cell technology, though?

silly silly GSM... what an abortion that was...

way to go European CEOs!

haha yeah right, Florida jumpers have been travelling to the big walls since before you started skydiving.

Dont go in. Seriously. Better work on your exits.

Hatin' is bad

nobody hatin', just stating facts and concernes ;) have fun, be safe, don't go in. (and work on your exits)

Whew. I'm planning a trip later this summer....glad I'm 388! ;))

So awesome, and true!!

Bring gold, the swiss like to store that kind of metal for you:-). In return you can get sme vouchers to buy food and drinks, no credit cards needed.

If you've never bought a European plug adapter before, I highly recommend this one.



Several jumpers can plug in at the same time:

Honestly Tom each member of your group should have a communication device. You dont have to be a "phone guy" but if you are planning big wall jumps especially in Norway with a green suit in spring the difference between having communication and not could be a life saver AND if you are smashed up on the talis it may be nice to talk to somebody.(Cr card will not help here). I carry 2 devices at all times (radio & TLf)

Good point, thanks bro, in that
case I will prbably buy a burner.

You should buy me some to bring! ;))

AND KNOW WHO to ring if the shit hits the fan with the number in the fucking phone!. Have plan, know the name of where you are. Have the number of a local jumper in the phone. Mountains can be very uncomfortable places, expect the unexpected. And enjoy

BTW: This site was originally set up as a constructive project. What the fuck happened?

just for the record, in Norway the radio system used by the SBK is american walkie talkies on channel 13-13. European walkie-talkies suck too much anyway.

No matter if you go to Switzerland or Italy, always bring cash, your AmEx definitely won't work. Visa and MasterCards work about half the time. Cash is king, even the fuel pumps use cash!

If you go to Norway they'll just look strange at you if you bring cash. Don't even plan on using the 1000 kr bill, it's almost never accepted and nobody has change. Your AmEx probably works half the time, but not in pubs and restaurants. Visa and MasterCards work all the time, and no, the fuel pumps don't accept cash :) The magnetic stripe is pretty much phased out meaning if your chip is defect the card is useless. Leave your check-book at home, unless you plan on visiting a bank (open only for a few hours in the middle of the day ..)

Why doesn't someone just buy a walkie-talkie or two to the heli-firm in Lauterbrunnen?

Motorola UHF ??
I buy from you when you go. We use chnl 05-05 up our way.