Europe this week- Basic Advice!

5 days away and you don't have any accommodations or anything planned?

What sort of tips are you looking for? We don't have a crystal ball that tells us why you are going to these places and what you hope to get out of them.

Tips I would give a first-time European traveler are to research, research, research well in advance, get a bunch of guidebooks, and figure out WHY you even chose to go to those places to begin with. Can't see planning a European adventure without SOME idea of why you thought it was a good idea to begin with.

Do you have sleeping reservations? On that budget you may have to stay in hostels.

Oh sorry I didnt say that! We've had the hotels booked for months! We have an idea of the sights we want to see- I chose these places because I've always wanted to go to Rome & France & my sister who just got back from Europe said to go to Munich as well... Like I said; theres nothing specific we're going for except that we all have always wanted to go to Europe & these are the three places we could all agree on!
So we have the flights from here to Munich & in between each country & hotels paid for- so we'll need to pay for public transportation, food & activities...
I've read the "Let's go!" books as well as other tour books, so I have done a bit of research, I was just wondering what you as veteran travelers I'm assuming, wish you had known the first time you went to Europe

Exciting, we're going to Rome for the first time next week!

Ah, maybe I'll see ya there!

DOTK;

The best advice I can give you is to be open to local experiences and people. Talk to the locals and ask them about them. The sights are the sights, they take care of themselves. What may make your vacation special is having some interaction with the "locals".

Be humble, you are in their "home".

I always learn how to say "May I speak English, please?" in the local language and as much other basic language I can manage - certainly "please" "thank you" "That tasted very good", "You have been kind/nice", etc.. Al ways ask someone if you can speak with them in English, it is a simple courtesy for which I have often been thanked and, I am certain, one for which I have often received more assistance than I otherwise would have simply because I extended it. . Try and imagine how frustrating it would be if someone just walked up to you and started speaking Italian, presuming you could understand them. Of course, most people connected with the tourism industry and almost all younger Europeans can speak English but that is not really the point. It's not just an exchange of my , or your tourist dollars for a service that I can understand - something that should be "expected" of them. Europeans are richer for their multi-cultural experiences and multi-lingual abilities and I, for one, am always grateful that they make the effort to assist me in a way that makes me comfortable.

Of course, if you are fluent in French, Italian and German, you can probably ignore all this advice

As for me, I have to go brush up on some very rudimentary Dutch and Italian.

In case I don't post again, Have a great time.
Daughter of the king

Sometimes I feel like those on this forum are just old.
Click on the op's name and you can see the previous posts.
I happen to remember her distinctive "nom de plume" but come on guys, give her a break.
I wish this were more useful in the “first time” category but there are others here who are really great at this.

Just old? How about being experienced travelers with information to share?

First time (especially young) travelers from the US are often far too trusting of mankind. Be cautious and watch out for one another. This doesn't mean that you're going to meet Jack The Ripper but there are lots of folks out there who would love to take your money whether it's the pickpockets, purse snatchers or scams. If someone wants to sell you a really good leather jacket for a seemingly unbelievable good price, just walk away. If someone wants to give you a gold ring that "you must have dropped," just walk away. Watch your handbags and how you carry them - preferably across your chest and not just off your shoulders. If you use a backpack, don't put anything of value in it. Don't drape your purse or backpack on the back of your chair at a restaurant, put it by or between your feet. Don't get totally immersed in a phone call to the point that you're not aware of your surroundings. Be street smart and aware of things around you and you'll be fine. Have a great time and let us know how you enjoyed it when you get back.

And if approached by young, poor looking young woman who hands you a note to read, don't!! It's another scam that abounds in Paris.

I agree that you need to be open to experiences, such as sitting in a cafe and indulging in a bit of people watching.

Please don't be offended by the following comment. Try to keep your voices down. Americans tend to speak loudly for some reason I don't understand and it can become very annoying. The rest of the people on the train/bus or in the queue outside the Louvre really couldn't care less what you've been doing or where you are going next.

In restaurants in Rome and Paris, the bill is usually not brought to you until you ask for it. It's different from the US where I understand the bill is brought virtually as soon as you finish eating. In France it is considered courteous to greet the shop staff when you enter and to bid them goodbye as you leave. Unlike here in Australia where the shopper usually wishes the staff would clear off and leave them in peace!!

Make sure you have a little phrase book with you so you can master some simple phrases.

I hope you have a lovely time and that this is the first of many trips.

All the above is good advice.
I remember two young American women in Chester.
They were neatly and sensibly dressed and were taking a photo.
People waited until they got their shot and received a beaming smile and a thank you. They got smiles in return.
That doesn't sound much, but those girls were good ambassadors.
Another shopping thing is to ask permission before touching the merchandise.

The business of not touching the merchandise is especially important in Italy. In many Italian supermarkets, there are plastic gloves provided to wear when choosing fruit or vegetables from a self-service display. You may be rebuked if you don't use them

Lots of good advice given already, Daughter of the King.(love your screen name).

Paris and Rome are both very walkable cities, so you can save some money by walking to most places, depending where you are staying. Then you can spend it on gelato instead!
Make sure you bring very comfortable walking shoes as Rome in particular is hard on your feet, so are all the museums with marble floors.

Rome has public drinking fountains everywhere with good and safe water, we took those lightweight aluminum water bottles with us and refilled them to save on buying bottled water.
Another money saver: Don't drink Coke or other soft drinks, very expensive in Europe and there are no free re-fills like the U.S. I think it is probably cheaper to drink wine. Of course you can get water.

Most of all? Have fun!! You are young and in Europe, it doesn't get much better than that.

I hope you have a great time and come back here and tell us your story.

This thread has some suggestions for inexpensive places to eat in Rome (mixed in with general sightseeing ideas)
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/itinerary-help-rome-in-45-days-in-may.cfm

buying snacks and bottled water at supermarkets helps to save quite a lot of money.

The first time I went to Europe at age 21 I used Let's Go and found it quite helpful.

You are going to three wonderful cities and should have a great time.

In Paris, Monoprix grocery stores have excellent prepared food options as well as a great selection of cheeses, wines, breads that you can enjoy for a meal or two and save money.

In Italy, drink your coffee and enjoy your snack standing up (when in a cafe) as it is a lot cheaper.

Most churches do not charge admission fees so this is a great way to see wonderful art without breaking the budget.

Metro cards in Paris can be a worthwhile investment.

In Munich the Karlstadt Department store has an excellent food court, not at all like what we have here in the states but with fresha nd high quality food. Makes for a great lunch or dinner option.

There are lots of small restaurants in the side streets near the Viktualienmarkt where the food is good as well as reasonable.

Wow you are all amazing!! Thank you all for the wonderful advice & I will try my best to heed to it all!

DaughteroftheKing,

Take moleskin and some very small scissors to cut it with. You WILL need it and WILL be very glad you have it! Take enough for all of you! Bandaids won't stick. they just roll up on a blister, nor will they pad the blister. Moleskin will.

Have fun, learn lots, use common sense.

You will probably learn that you will want to do your next trip differently. There are ways to get much more for your money and time.

Buon viaggio!

What in the world is moleskin & where do I get it?? I'm assuming from what you said its for blisters??

OK I looked up moleskin & the the main way to get it is online & even with the expedited shipping, it wont be here on time- I called around & the only store that has it is Walgreens & it got one great review & one bad one...

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-super-moleskin-plus-sheets/ID=prod3984750-product

Should I get this?

Moleskin is a sort of adhesive felt and is found near all the Dr Scholl's footcare products.

Moleskin (at Walmart or any drug store) comes in two thicknesses. Get the thinner one.

If you are used to using a wash cloth when you shower, bring one with you, as they are not supplied in many European hotels.

In shops when you greet people in France, say bonjour Monsieur or bonjour Madame. It feels awkward at first, like saying hello Sir, but it is natural for the French and is the polite manner of greeting. Leaving the shop I find a little more challenging, as everything I say is answered by a corresponding polite phrase so that it feels like you can never leave. "Merci Madame, au revoir" ought to cover it though.

I don't think you need to prepare for Munich.
No one here expects a tourist to learn German. Unless you wish to memorize a few phrases.
Bavaria has a long tradition of tourists from English-speaking countries and from the decades when the US Armed Forces had been stationed here.
English is also the preferred lingua franca when locals have to converse with tourists from other parts of the world.
So you don't have to feel awkward to use your mother tongue. If you wish to know if your counterpart speaks English, ask him or her, in English.
Bavarians are not known to be very soft-spoken, so you don't have to whisper (unless you visit a place of worship). Some local folks may appear a bit grumpy, but that's only on the outside. You have to try really hard to misbehave.

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Just one advice: While most people in the service or tourism industry do speak SOME English, not many are fluent.
It helps when you keep your English simple.
Short clear sentences, without much polite ado. It may sound a bit rude to you when you are used to a more ornamental use of language.
But it is in fact more polite when your German-speaking counterpart can understand your questions or wishes without wading through "It would be great if you had the chance to let me experience some of your indigenous culinary suprises" only to discover that you are hungry.
Make it short and simple "Weiss beer and Weisswurst, please."

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It's only common to greet shop owners in smaller stores, or in situations where you deal directly with a salesperson from the first moment on, e.g. when you are shopping on a market.
You don't have to greet salespeople in department stores, and it is considered more polite that THEY greet you FIRST. After all, you are the customer and you bring them the euros to stay in business.

A simple "hello" (or the German equivalent "Hallo", pronounce "hullo") will do in almost any case. The younger the people you deal with are, the more common becomes it to simply say "Hi" as a greeting. And yes, you pronounce it as in English.
There are a couple of ways to say good-bye. Quite common is "ciao" (the Italian "bye").
Makes life simple as you don't have to memorize different "good-bye"s for Munich and Rome.

I think you need to learn the hello, thankyou, good morning, good evening, two places please, bill please, excuse me, sorry and two beers please in any local language.

I wonder what your itinerary might have been had you asked and planned sooner. Have a good time.

I started to repeat what everyone else said, but rather than beating a bunch of dead horses, I'll just beat one:

The most important thing IMO is comfy, broken-in shoes! If you can't walk comfortably, your trip will be miserable. Or you'll spend all your time trying to find the best way from Point A to B on public transportation and miss everything in between you would have seen walking. This doesn't mean your bright white New Balance sneakers, just a flat shoe you can walk miles in with good socks. If you're all in your early 20's, you probably don't have foot issues but blisters can always get you. And take supplies (moleskin, whatever), with you. Much more convenient than having to find similar once you're there.

What about jetlag? It can really affect your trip and how you enjoy it.

Go to bed tonite 1 hr earlier, get up 1 hr earlier, and expose yourself to lots of light.

Tomorrow night, 2hrs..etc.

On the plane, no alcohol, no coffee. Sleep, or at least attempt to. It is exciting time...you want the meal, the movies, talk about your trip...but I'd plan to optimize your enjoyment..which jetlag does not help.

On landing, check-in...but no afternoon nap. Avoid bus tours,etc first day. Lots of walking outside. Go to bed at normal 'local' time.

Jetlag-schmetlag. You are young. It shouldn't affect you as much as it will as you get older.

There are lots of ways to try to combat jetlag - my method is to try to sleep on the plane if I will be arriving in Europe in the middle of the day. Then when I arrive, freshen up and go out - sightseeing that doesn't take a lot of brain power is usually best for me. I make sure I get in a good walk, some good food and drink, and then go to bed at a decent time. Next day, I am fine.

You'll find what works for you.

<I make sure I get in a good walk, some good food and drink, and then go to bed at a decent time. Next day, I am fine. >

I do the same but like to take a one hour nap and a hot shower and then head out for a long walk and dinner. When I was young, I did not need the nap but now it helps.

In Paris, eat lots of crepes! They have crepe stands all over the place and they are cheap. I suggest a ham and cheese crepe for lunch or a nutella and banana crepe if you want a special treat!

Woohoo I cant wait! Thank you all Got my moleskin, comfy shoes, plans to sleep as much as possible with the help of my good friend Dramamine on the 8 hour flight to Europe, and do plan on eating plenty of crepes & other yummy things!

You're sisters, watch out for each other....purses, camera's, everything.
Make copies of your passports and put them in different bags.
If you have any credit cards, make a copy of them and write down the phone # from the back of the card. Very helpful after the car was broken into in Ireland.
I have 3 daughters. Have a rule that no temper tantrum can last more than 30 minutes, or until the next ice cream break.
Take lots of ice cream or gelato breaks.
Smile, you'll have a blast, and memories forever.

"Have a rule that no temper tantrum can last more than 30 minutes, or until the next ice cream break.
Take lots of ice cream or gelato breaks."

I absolutely love that!