• SNAG: The airline is charging $5 for its cheapie headphones. You really want to watch the movie, but $5?!
• SOLUTION: Plan ahead and bring headphones from home -- they'll be more comfortable, anyway. Noise-reduction earphones also work well for movies: You can actually hear the flick without the engine roar. The Bose set has a collection of plugs and adapters to fit various airline sockets .
At Your Destination
• SNAG: You've landed, you're jet-lagged, you need to catch a cab to your hotel and you have no idea what a euro is worth.
• SOLUTION: Before you leave home, go to www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet and print out a wallet-size currency cheat sheet that tells you how much 10 euros is worth in dollars so you won't get blindsided.
• SNAG: Your passport is stolen.
• SOLUTION: Make the replacement process easier by making two photocopies of your passport before you leave. Pack one in your suitcase, separate from your real passport. Give the other one to a contact back home. It's something you can give embassy personnel to facilitate the replacement process. For complete instructions on replacing a lost passport, check the U.S. State Department's guide at travel.state.gov/travel/lost_passports_abroad.html.
• SNAG: You try to use your credit card and it's denied.
• SOLUTION: Your credit card company may think your card was stolen because you've deviated from your usual spending pattern. Before you leave, call the company and tell them the dates you're going to be out of town and where you'll be.
• SNAG: You're in a remote Alpine village and you've found the perfect souvenir, but the merchant won't accept your travelers' checks.
• SOLUTION: Many places don't accept travelers' checks anymore. Instead, take your ATM card with you and withdraw money as you need it. The exchange rate is usually better than going to a currency change place, and the machine spits out the money in the currency you need. Beware of the transaction fees, though. And make sure your PIN is four digits or less, since many foreign ATMs will not accept longer PINs.
• SNAG: You can't find an ATM at your destination.
• SOLUTION: Locate ATMs in advance by going to MasterCard and Visa's ATM locators (www.mastercard.com and www.visa.com), which allow you to search for ATMs by country, region, city, etc. They also have info on 24-hour and disabled access.
• SNAG: It's time for your return flight, but you can't find your itinerary and e-ticket airfare confirmation.
• SOLUTION: E-mail yourself your itinerary and e-ticket confirmation so you can access them at a cyber cafe if you lose them. And set up a free e-mail address ahead of time at Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com so you can sign on.
This story was reported by Washington Post staff writers John Deiner, Anne McDonough, Carol Sottili and K.C. Summers.
