Our first pre-trip meeting will be held at Burlington County College, Pemberton, NJ on Saturday, June 24, 2000 at 10:30 a.m. The meeting should conclude at around 12:30. The meeting will be held in the Teleconference Center, just to the left of the foyer as you enter the College Library. The Library has a unique white silo-like rotunda, and is located at the corner of the Pemberton Bypass and Route 530 (make the turn onto 530, then enter the campus. The Library is the first building on the right). This is an optional meeting, but recommended for at least one traveler from your group. We will mail the shared information to those unable to attend or who live at a distance.

At the meeting we share up-to-date information on the details of our tour, provide travel tips and answer your questions. In addition, I will handle some business that will involve the exchange of money, namely, the cost of the bus to Newark International Airport, an opportunity to obtain foreign currency in advance and the sale of plastic pocket ponchos.

Thirty-four of you indicated an interest in taking the bus from Vincentown to Newark. Because of the Republican Convention (which chartered almost all the buses in the region) I had a difficult time getting a bus for the trip to Newark. As a result, I was unable to obtain the cheapest transportation (Starr or Academy) and had to settle for Crystal Coach out of Moorestown. The cost per person for the round-trip is still very reasonable: $35 per person (which includes the gratuity). If you chose to take the bus, please bring this amount to the meeting: cash or check (made out to Joe Laufer). If you miss the meeting, please mail the check as soon as possible, as the bus must be paid for in advance. (Note, those only going one way will be charged $17.50 per person).

While the "Krone" is the currency of the realm in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, each country has its own version of the "Krone". Thus, we will be dealing with three different currencies on this tour. As is my custom, I will make a "bank run" between the first and second meeting and obtain a supply of foreign currency for anyone who would like to be prepared for the first day in each country. I generally recommend that you take a small supply of Travelers’ Checks (in case of loss of wallet) for easy replacement, and a small supply of each currency for convenience upon arrival. Credit cards are your best bet abroad for the best rate, and if you have the ATM option with your credit card, you can readily get money in the local currency as you need it. You can approach your personal bank for foreign currency, if you wish (you will probably have to order it in advance). But for your convenience I will collect money from you on June 24 and return it to you in Norwegian (NOK), Swedish (SEK) and Danish (DKK) Krones respectively at the meeting of July 29, just before departure. I will only take money in $50 increments for each country you choose, up to $100 per country per person. Thus, if you want $50 in Krones for each of the three countries, bring $150; if you want $100 for each, bring $300. Since we will be arriving first in Denmark, you may only want to get Danish Krones, which is perfectly acceptable. No matter what you select, bring cash or check (made out to Joe Laufer) to the meeting on June 24. This will be your only opportunity to take advantage of this service.

Internet users who want to keep up with the daily exchange rate for each of the countries we will visit are invited to log on to the Universal Currency Converter, www/xe/met/ucc. I will prepare a handy exchange guide, which will be distributed at the July 29 meeting.

As of this date, $1.00 U.S. was worth 7.7 DKK, and 8.6 NOK and SEK. In reverse, 1 DKK is worth 13 cents, and 1 NOK and 1 SEK are each worth 11.5 cents U.S.

I generally recommend that participants pick up a cheap plastic pocket poncho at K-Mart or a local drug store for the trip. Recently I came across a source for these ponchos and will have them at the meeting on the 24^th. They fit handily in your pocket or purse and are ready for use during that unexpected rainfall while you are touring. Cost of the poncho: $1.00 each.

Tour Director: Karen Svenson of EF’s London Office. Her name indicates that Karen is Scandinavian -–and we look forward to her group nurturing and leadership on our tour.

Airline: Information not available on this date. We should have the information in advance of the meeting on June 24^th.

Hotels: The only hotel information we have at this point is the hotel in Copenhagen:

The hotel is centrally located and within walking distance of public transportation and points of interest.

Thank you for returning the feedback sheets with emergency contact information, passport numbers and your optional tour selections. Most of you returned them in a timely manner. If you have not, you will find enclosed a PURPLE Q version of the sheet, which should be mailed to me immediately.

31 individuals have signed up for the Elsinore optional tour in Denmark and 30 have signed up for the Drottingholm Palace tour in Sweden. For the few remaining who still may be interested, this is the last chance to sign up prior to the tour

Some of you may have tried to order free travel brochures from the Scandinavian Tourist Board. The information I provided in the last newsletter came from the AAA Europe Travel Book. It is no longer operative. The CORRECT address is:

If you call, don’t use their automated system, but speak to a customer service rep to order your materials. Be an informed traveler – get your information in advance

You can also visit their great web site: www.goscandinavia.com