Nina

Planning my first trip abroad and learning much from the worldly wise at this site, about many of the wonderful places, and people, of Europe. Any pitfalls you have come across that you could share? Things that you did that you would not have done if someone had told you beforehand. Please share the small faux paus and big nightmares of your international life with an inexperienced traveler.

Nina

Sorry about the spelling (faux pas) I should have edited.

Leslie

Nina... I have commited so many errors in my travels throughout Europe... you're going to have to be more specific as to exactly what you're interested in. *Where* in Europe are you traveling? You probably aren't interested in my two biggest regrets: 1) We got ripped off at the border between Spain and the Rock of Gibraltar, because, despite being experienced travelers, we were intimidated by the hatefulness of the crossing, and so an easy target for a man pretending to sell us a parking pass; and 2) when I was given a handful of popcorn to feed the Barbary Apes in the Vosges Mountains of France, I unfortunately offered it to the first greedy ape I encountered, and he shoveled the whole handful into his mouth. I was so sad when the park rangers wouldn't give me any more popcorn, and only then did I notice all the other tourists rationing their kernels out on at a time, so they'd last.

Nina

Hi Leslie. Thanks for the input. I felt so sad for you when I read your ape story! As for where I will be specifically, I will either take 1 month and travel with a Eurail pass and a very loose itinerary to spots in France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Belgium, possibly others; or I will not do it all at once and just fly over for small trips to see those places ( a week at a time) and visit one place at a time, probably Paris first or perhaps London. Mostlly I am just looking for the nuts and bolts of getting around and operating in these countries. The guide books never tell you about the things that go wrong. One person in another posting told about her experience not having her ticket ready on a Paris metro that I thought was very helpful. Thanks for the advice!

Erika

It is amazing how many faux pas become wonderful memories in upcoming years! Things that were perplexing or traumatic are great anecdotes at backyard barbeques in the years to come! I do suggest that if you stay in pensions or small guesthouses, ask what time the lodging establisment closes - I can remember quite a few nights when I spent the night sleeping in the hallway or outside on the steps when I hadn't realized the pension closed at a certain hour and I arrived late. I also didn't realize that afterhours in Spain, one merely stands in the roadway/street and claps ones hand for the night guard to open the doors to the hotel/pension. I also remember when I was in Paris with a friend and we sat at an outdoor cafe. My friend, in her best high school French ordered red wine. The waiter brought her hot milk!! I laughed until tears flowed. My friend, not to be outdone by the French, drank that hot milk with panache! Great memory! But, realistically, one thing I would echo from postings, is to pack lightly. I can remember my first trip overseas, when in frustration from dragging around large suitcases, I checked 99 percent of my luggage at a train station in Germany, kept only an overnight bag, and did 6 more weeks with only the overnight bag. Before I flew back to the US, I reclaimed my checked (and obviously unneeded) luggage and returned home. Have a wonderful time, keep a journal of your experiences and have lots of fun!

Lanny

Be aware that local customs may not mirror customs back at home so be prepared for the unexpected. A few years ago my mom and dad were in Barbados for a holiday. They had spent Saturday afternoon in the company of another couple from their hotel at the race track and were on their way back after the races when they passed a church. A number of people, pretty well all dressed in white, were streaming from the little church, amongst them an elderly couple, she fully dressed in white, who emerged arm in arm. How wonderful, thought mom and dad -- getting married in their twilight years. Deeming this the sort of thing the happy couple should be roundly congratulated for, the four of them got out of their rented car, stood on the walkway outside of the little church and loudly applauded the happy couple. Their applause was only cut short when the coffin carrying the deceased for whom the service was held emerged from the darkness of the church, shortly after the couple. Perhaps you can imagine their mortification! It turns out, in Barbados white is worn to funerals as well as weddings. Needless to say they claim they broke all known speed records hopping into their rental car and escaping this totally unexpected situation which they feared they could not easily explain to the mourners!

Donna

Gee, there's a wealth of information at your local bookstore in the travel section and on the web. The more you know before you go, the more incredible the experience! Research and planning will not only enable you to avoid "faux pax" and "nightmares", but will enormously enhance your becoming a "seasoned" traveller.

Tricia

I was always scared I would enter the mens restroom so carefully read the signs in most countries or waited to see which one the women went in. I was in Germany at a nice restaurant. Went downstairs to use the "toilette", came out to wash my hands and a man appeared from no where with a warm towel. I was speechless. I was still zipping up my pants. He went back out and sat at his little table. I went upstairs and told my daughter what happened. She wanted to use the restroom too. This time we were prepared. We gave him a coin worth $5 in his little ceramic bowl. He exclaimed "for me"??? He got so excited,and spoke just a little English. I told him we wanted him to know it was from some friendly Americans and that we appreciated his help. He ran to the supply room and got me some candy. He kept holding my arm and my shoulder when I would try to leave and managed to tell me he had cousins in Florida and he loved Amerika!! We loved him!

Leslie

Nina - The two best bits of advice I can give you for general travel in Europe is 1) always learn at least the 'polite' words in the different languages, and use them. They're listed in every guide book. 2) Use your bank money card to withdraw cash from banks in the different countries. This is much cheaper, quicker, and more convenient than traveler's checks. Credit cards are okay, but they are not so widely accepted in some countries, such as Germany. Oh and 3)... (the 3 most important travel tips I can give you) is pack light! You'll be using public transportation a lot, and you'd be better off with a backpack.

Neal Sanders

Here are the rules I've come to live by when travelling abroad: 1) Assume airlines will misplace or mis-direct luggage. Accordingly, carry on board the essentials you'll need for the first day or two. 2) Don't pack more than you can carry at a dead run through a terminal. At some point on your trip, you are guaranteed to find yourself scrambling for a train or a flight. The luggage you're carrying will be the difference between making and not making it. 3) Never pass up a clean bathroom in a strange land. Enough said. 4) Teach yourself a basic 200 word vocabulary of the places you're going. A little French, German, Dutch, etc. goes a long way toward opening peoples' hearts. 5) When in doubt, fall back on English. On the first morning of my first trip to Japan, I thought I had figured out how to ask for my breakfast check. I got a beer for my efforts! English is the second language of virtually everyone in the travel and tourism industry. 6) Use public transportation. In Europe, busses and subways will get from the airport or train station to the center city, or from attraction to attraction, at a fraction of the cost of a taxi. You'll also meet more people. 7) Invest in maps. Detailed city maps especially. They'll last you for years, and are the one way to ensure that you're on the right path to whereever. 8) Stay close to the things you want to see. Saving $25 a night on a hotel by staying on the fringe of a city is no bargain; you'll spend that much just on transportation back and forth. It also denies you the luxury of going back to your room for a rest or a change of clothes. 9) Research your visit thoroughly. Guidebooks are relatively cheap, and part of the fun of travel is the planning. 10) Don't overschedule yourself. Leave time for the unexpected church, flower market, ice cream stand, or cafe. 11) Limit the cash you carry and xerox everything. I carry a xerox of my passport in each suitcase, along with credit card numbers, etc. Incidentally, the only time I've ever been the victim of a vacation theft was in Augusta, Georgia. 12) Don't leave your wariness at home. If someone on the street offers you 3000 lira for a dollar and the exchange rate is 1900, you can assume something is fishy. 13) Don't come home empty-handed. The most forlorn phrase in any language is, "I wish I had bought that when I had the chance." 14) Don't try to bring in the vacation under budget. On my first trip to Europe (there were still wooly mammoths), I had a 28-day student Eurail pass and $100 in travellers checks. If I had that trip to do over again, I would have brought along another $100 so that I could have splurged on good meals or hotels a few nights. 15) Remember that the joy is in being there. Linger over the cup of coffee, stop into the club where you heard the interesting music, open your window at night and hear the sounds of a foreign land.

Erika

Outstanding advice from Neal! May I borrow those from you ?

Neal Sanders

Erika: Actually, I think each of the replies to Nina's query has been superb -- especially your own. My fervent hope is that someone at Fodors has the common sense to compile the best of these if and when that "archive" section goes active. I'll add one more to my list: it's how my wife and I choose hotels when we travel: We buy a city map (the Falk maps are our favorite), lay it out flat, and identify all the places we want to visit. We put a quarter on the most important ones, a dime on the "second tier" stops, and so forth. We then identify the hotels that meet our price and comfort objective, and focus on the ones that are most central to the most money. That's where we stay. As a result, we can usually walk to most destinations. If a travel agent wants to put you up in a hotel and all you see are a few pennies nearby, you know you need to find a new travel agent!

Erika

Thank you, Neal, for your kind words. I would like to add one more comment and one more anecdote, at the risk of boring someone. Nina, short of anything illegal or unlawful, I would think that any difficulty you encounter would be no more grievous than something you would do here - embarrassing, perhaps, but we have all suffered through some embarrassing moments. Some ten years ago or so, three of us met in Malaga and decided to drive to Morocco. No major mishaps until we drove to Rabat. We did encounter many difficulties due to the language barrier throughout our trip. We were stopped at a road block by soldiers carrying sub-machine guns. But, the one episode I wanted to mention (because it is on the very grey side of being unlawful) was in Rabat. We stayed in a nice hotel and the concierge allowed us to "borrow'" a bellboy to act as our guide for a few hours. We drove about, and in his best English, he attempted to tell us about his city. We came up to a beautiful estate, with lovely wrought iron gates. The gates were open, and I was driving and I misunderstood his English. I drove through the gates, thinking that this was some palacial estate, now a tourist attraction. Within seconds, our car was surrounded by guards, all bearing weapons. Our guide blanched, and leapt from the car, with his hands outstretched - awaiting handcuffs. I had no clue what was happening, but I couldn't allow him to be hauled away. Babbling that I was indeed a stupid tourist, I begged the guards not to hurt him. They, not understanding babble, turned to me. I wrung my hands, and kept pleading. Finally, after they agreed not to take the young man (all done in gestures) I found out that I had turned into the palace grounds, and the King was in residence. Needless to say that is something not done! I may add, after we all exited, the next item on the "tour" was a view of their prison! The young man told us that he could have ended up there (and I presume we could have as well). Their prison had no fencing surrounding the building, no windows, just a huge brick building. No R&R, so no fence needed. As I said, short of illegal, embarrassing moments will happen!

Nina

Thanks everyone, Leslie, Erika, Neal, Tricia, Lanny, you are all incredibly helpful and hilarious.

Janice Nagano

My cultural faux pas:

In France at the outdoor markets, do not touch or pick your own fruit as we do here in the states. I once made the mistake of handling some peaches at an outdoor fruit stand in Paris. The next thing I knew, two big hands were on mine wresting the fruit away from me. The man glared at me and refused to sell me anything.

I had no idea what I had done wrong until a small schoolgirl told me in broken English "He say you not touch the fruit."

Food is especially sacred in France.

The Do not touch the fruit.

Leslie

This topic is just too easy... I can't resist another tale:
In Eindhoven, The Netherlands, we went out to a pizza restaurant. There were signs everywhere for the local beer, Oranjeboom, so we ordered two with our pizza. Of course you've figured out that our pizza came with two very large orange juices. We drank them down, despite it being a beverage we had never previously considered enjoying with pizza, and after dinner, asked for two 'BEERS.'

Lynn

I've only been to Europe once--this past August--and am not near the expert of others who have posted and perhaps they can confirm or deny the following. Two weeks before my trip, I was listening to a weekly talk show on AM radio from AAA. The topic was Europe and one piece of advice from the host proved true (to my amazement). She told the audience when traveling to Europe, to pack washcloths because you won't find them in hotels in Europe because the Europeans feel they are unnecessary and that Americans use too much water. Well, just for the fun of it, we packed two washcloths, and wouldn't you know it--when we got to our hotel room in Rome (a 4-star hotel, at least), NO washcloths. We had a good laugh since we had come prepared. However, now I'm curious had we called housekeeping, would washcloths have been provided upon request???

Leslie

It is true... you will find *no* washcloths in any country in Europe. People do not use them. Much as I try to fit in to my surroundings, I really do prefer to have one, so I always pack a washcloth when I travel about.

Grover

971106 0950 EST
Re: Wash cloths in Europe. Europeans use them and they are furnished/available in U-class hotels. However, Europeans consider them to be personal-hygiene items and as such unsuitable for common use.

Juliet

To the last poster -- thanks for clarifying
that. I had always suspected as much because
I've traveled a fair amount in Europe and even
though there were never washcloths in the
hotels, you could always find plenty of wash-
cloths for sale in discount or regular dept.
stores. Since I often shop in stores where
there are NOT a lot of tourists as clients,
I suspected that Europeans did indeed use them
as there are tons for sale in the stores. I
wasn't sure why hotels didn't give them to you,
but I thought perhaps they considered them
personal items because that was the only thing
I could think of. Seems odd to me since it's
no more personal than a towel IMO, but I know
it's European hotel custom by now. I just don't
feel quite clean without using one and it's a
lot more difficult to just use a slippery bar of
soap than a washcloth. Once I asked for one in a
London hotel because I'd forgotten to pack one,
and the desk clerk acted like this was the
strangest thing she'd ever heard of -- in fact,
she referred to it as a "facecloth" which I
thought was really bizarre, as my face is the
one part of my body that I never use a washcloth
on.