Things Nobody Tells You That You Should Know Before You Go to Europe

I just came back from Germany for the second time and I've noticed a lot of minor things that make travel less enjoyable and some things that make traveling there better than home (for us Americans).  I wrote a post about Rome when I went there a little over a year ago and I've been to France since then, so I'm basing this post on a mixture of European, but mostly German experiences.   So I apologize if some of what I mention doesn't apply to most of Europe.  Anyway, in case you haven't been there, here's some advice nobody tells you (but that you should know), before you go to Europe…

Pack the following things
- International Electric Adapter: Their plugs are way different than ours and without an adapter, you won't be able to plug in anything electric that you take over from here.
- Shampoo and Bar Soap: Europeans like this all-purpose hand & body soap/shampoo in dispensers which is good for the environment but not that great on your hair, (and you don't get extra travel sized containers to take with you)
- Travel Iron: hotel rooms don't each have irons and boards, you have to borrow one from the front desk and that can only happen in the morning when housekeeping is in
- Alarm Clock:  Whether you use a travel alarm clock, your phone, or your watch, keep one handy because many European hotels don't have alarm clocks, although sometimes they're built in to the TV.
- Euros: many places don't take credit cards, so use an ATM to get Euros out whenever you can.

At a minimum, learn how to say these phrases in the native language(s)
- Hello and goodbye
- Good morning, good day, good evening
- I would like… please… thank you
- Where is… and more specifically, Where is the bathroom?
- The numbers
- Can I please have the check: the Europeans wait staff are rarely in a hurry
- How to ask if a menu item has something you don't like or won't eat

Peculiarities
- Ground floor is floor "0", the U.S. second floor is "1"
- Many escalators don't start moving until you approach them, (motion sensor)
- Stuff is just plain expensive, especially clothes.  Even some European things are sometimes cheaper to buy in the U.S.
- You can't get a glass of tap water anywhere, have to buy a bottled water, with or without "gas" (carbonation)
- If you rent a car, most of them have manual transmissions because that's what 95% of Europeans drive
- The switch to the bathroom light is often outside of the bathroom which makes one highly vulnerable to pranks
- They play a lot of American music on some of their radio stations
- You need Euro change to use some public bathrooms
- The hotels there do not have gyms, so with all the good food, beer, and wine, walk a lot or expect to gain some weight.

Good things
- The food just tastes more wholesome (and probably is)
- Breakfast buffets are amazing
- You usually don't have to bus your table at a cafeteria style place
- Coffee is way better, especially in Italy
- Beer and wine are generally better
- The bread and cheese are better
- Sweets are not over-sweetened like in the U.S. and they probably don't use corn syrup
- You don't have to tip nearly as much, not sure how much though
- They really like soccer
- More variety of cars to look at
- You get to drive fast on the highways
- Most people usually know at least a bit of English
- They sell cooler toys
- People are thinner
- People take time out to eat and don't work while eating
- On the business side, customers treat you like guests will usually buy you lunch, coffee, water

+ Atul

Comments

[Liz]

You really hit it on the nail. A couple more peculiarities: usually there are no coffee machines in hotel rooms, (at least that's the case in France), people in Europe seem to read more fiction and less self-help books. Great post!

[UH2L]

Hi Liz,

Thanks for commenting. I forgot to mention the coffee maker. Good add. I didn't know about reading more fiction but I'm not at all surprised that they read less self-help books. They seem to have it more "together" than we do, (on the whole).

Nice blog by the way. If I ever go to Corsica, I'll be sure to look you up.

Atul

[Aleksandar M. Velkoski]

Good points Atul. Updated maps may be of help as well!

[Manali]

Interesting.

[Paul Goulas]

Hello Atul,
I agree with everything you mentioned about traveling in Europe. I am Greek, so I go to Europe every summer to visit family and friends. I took my American friend to Greece with me this past summer and he loved it. But there are some things he wished he had done differently. For instance one thing that bothered him was that he did not know how to speak the language at all and understand any of it. So like you had said learn how to say some important words and greeting phrases. I also have to add that if you want to drive in a European country you have to have an International Driving Permit. You can get it at any AAA office. All you have to do is bring your valid U.S driver’s license, $10 (plus tax and shipping and handling: $11.90 if from the United States and $14.60 if you are already overseas), and two ORIGINAL passport-size photos (also available at AAA offices). The International Driving Permit (IDP) is a document that provides important information from your driver's license in eleven different languages, including English. There are some countries that do not recognize a driver's license from the United States, but officially recognize an IDP (e.g. Spain). The IDP can satisfy these types of situations. Keep in mind, however, that while a certain country's government may not require an IDP, car rental companies located in that country, such as Hertz, may require an IDP to rent a car. Purchasing an IDP prior to departure can save a lot of potential hassles.