Tips and advice for first-timers to Europe
May 25th, 2013, 09:41 AM
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Tips and advice for first-timers to Europe
We're in the middle of our umpteenth European trip from the US, and here (in no particular order) are some things I think will help those people making their first trip.
a. When you think you have a tentative itinerary, eliminate half of it. You will lose close to a day with each move you make.
b. When you pack, take out half of the stuff and leave it at home (I'm still working on this one myself).
c. You'll wear 25% of the clothes you brought 75% of the time.
d. Bring well-broken in shoes and a pair that is good for wet weather. Sore feet will ruin your trip.
e. Plan an itinerary and trip hat fits your interests. You don't need to go somewhere just because everyone else does.
f. You will arrive jet-lagged and a bit discombobulated unless you are someone who can (a) sleep on planes and (b) is super organized so you get a great night's sleep at home before leaving on your trip.
g. You will get lost. Allow time for this.
h. Don' t overplan, and allow time for serendipity. These can be the more memorable parts of your trip.
i. Be flexible.
j. Visit local supermarkets because it is fun to see all of the different things from home (and you can save money by buying some supplies here).
k. think about how much stuff you can schlepp around with you. In train stations you will be carrying your things up flights of stairs and lifting it up on to trains, usually with very little time to make a connection.
l. Don't assume you'll always have lovely weather that is conducive to doing what you want to do.
m. Renting a car--probably not wise on a first trip, and if you do you will need a person to be the navigator and a person to be the driver. If you do want to rent, learn to drive a stick shift if you don't already know how (rental rates for sticks are much cheaper).
I'm sure there are other things I've forgotten, but I hope this helps.
a. When you think you have a tentative itinerary, eliminate half of it. You will lose close to a day with each move you make.
b. When you pack, take out half of the stuff and leave it at home (I'm still working on this one myself).
c. You'll wear 25% of the clothes you brought 75% of the time.
d. Bring well-broken in shoes and a pair that is good for wet weather. Sore feet will ruin your trip.
e. Plan an itinerary and trip hat fits your interests. You don't need to go somewhere just because everyone else does.
f. You will arrive jet-lagged and a bit discombobulated unless you are someone who can (a) sleep on planes and (b) is super organized so you get a great night's sleep at home before leaving on your trip.
g. You will get lost. Allow time for this.
h. Don' t overplan, and allow time for serendipity. These can be the more memorable parts of your trip.
i. Be flexible.
j. Visit local supermarkets because it is fun to see all of the different things from home (and you can save money by buying some supplies here).
k. think about how much stuff you can schlepp around with you. In train stations you will be carrying your things up flights of stairs and lifting it up on to trains, usually with very little time to make a connection.
l. Don't assume you'll always have lovely weather that is conducive to doing what you want to do.
m. Renting a car--probably not wise on a first trip, and if you do you will need a person to be the navigator and a person to be the driver. If you do want to rent, learn to drive a stick shift if you don't already know how (rental rates for sticks are much cheaper).
I'm sure there are other things I've forgotten, but I hope this helps.
May 25th, 2013, 10:10 AM
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Great tips--most of them apply to any long-distance travel, not just to Europe. Even within the US, if I am flying coast-to-coast, I don't count the first day of the trip as anything but "travel and get adjusted."
May 25th, 2013, 10:28 AM
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Don't worry about what you are going to wear. The locals don't care, and you will not blend in anyway. Wear what you normally would - you will feel more comfortable and that is important on holiday.
May 25th, 2013, 10:40 AM
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n. If you are bringing electronics that need recharging, make sure you have the right plug adaptors. Also make sure things will work properly and not burn out when plugged in.
o. If you need to have internet access or to make lots of phone calls, investigate what alternatives will be cheapest. Roaming costs can become really nasty surprises.
p. Europe is big. It is impossible to see "all of Europe" in two weeks. You can't even see all of it in two months. Give up that idea before you even start planning.
q. Unless you are planning to stay in a single city the whole time it is better to fly open-jaw, into one city and out of another, than having to backtrack. Sure, the airfare may cost a bit more, but it costs money and time to backtrack, too.
o. If you need to have internet access or to make lots of phone calls, investigate what alternatives will be cheapest. Roaming costs can become really nasty surprises.
p. Europe is big. It is impossible to see "all of Europe" in two weeks. You can't even see all of it in two months. Give up that idea before you even start planning.
q. Unless you are planning to stay in a single city the whole time it is better to fly open-jaw, into one city and out of another, than having to backtrack. Sure, the airfare may cost a bit more, but it costs money and time to backtrack, too.
May 26th, 2013, 03:30 AM
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I thought of a few more.
r. Even if you are not religious, attend mass in one of the gorgeous churches so you can see how the architecture and art were designed to be used. Try to pick a service that has great music too.
s. Work on learning another language than English so you are not monolingual. Any additional language skills you have will help out greatly.
t. Take advantage of the opportunity to visit festivals, special events or concerts in special venues. You'll remember these things much longer than you'll remember another museum or church.
r. Even if you are not religious, attend mass in one of the gorgeous churches so you can see how the architecture and art were designed to be used. Try to pick a service that has great music too.
s. Work on learning another language than English so you are not monolingual. Any additional language skills you have will help out greatly.
t. Take advantage of the opportunity to visit festivals, special events or concerts in special venues. You'll remember these things much longer than you'll remember another museum or church.
May 26th, 2013, 06:23 AM
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Those are great tips. Taking time to stroll the streets, talk to people and sit in cafes and people watch will add immeasurably to your trip.
On packing, I'd add that if you travel as a couple, put a couple of outfits in each others suitcase, in case one gets lost. I find that Ziplock bags are also extremely useful for picnic lunches, travel snacks, or suddenly leaky containers (or tubes of goulash seasoning, pistachio cream, or dried porcini mushrooms, that you find along the way,)
And the most comfortable shoes you can find -- picture yourself walking uphill on cobblestones at the end of a hot day of sightseeing. Believe me, at that point you won't care if they make you look like a tourist!
If your language skills are limited, be sure to master please and thank you with a smile, and you'll be fine.
Have a great trip.
On packing, I'd add that if you travel as a couple, put a couple of outfits in each others suitcase, in case one gets lost. I find that Ziplock bags are also extremely useful for picnic lunches, travel snacks, or suddenly leaky containers (or tubes of goulash seasoning, pistachio cream, or dried porcini mushrooms, that you find along the way,)
And the most comfortable shoes you can find -- picture yourself walking uphill on cobblestones at the end of a hot day of sightseeing. Believe me, at that point you won't care if they make you look like a tourist!
If your language skills are limited, be sure to master please and thank you with a smile, and you'll be fine.
Have a great trip.
May 26th, 2013, 07:16 AM
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On the last day of a 6 week trip through 6 countries, driving a few times as well as taking the train, I've learned that arriving or leaving on a holiday or Sunday in medium sized or larger cities works very well. Less people on the sidewalks when I roll my suitcase from the train station or less cars on the roads and easier to find a spot to unload the car at the hotel. I didn't realize I had booked hotels requiring travel on Sundays but it will be a rule of mine for future travel. Also, take a city walking tour whether free or whatever seems reasonable cost wise. Our 18 ch / 2 hour in Luzern followed the same squares, bridges and streets we had walked just the day before on our own, but taking the tour with a local made us fall in love with the city even more.
May 26th, 2013, 09:27 AM
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Always bring a small amount of the currency for the first country you visit even you pay a premium. You will need it for transportation, a meal, and tips.
Never rent a car while in a city. And when you do rent a car, when you leave try and find a facility near the periphery of that cityso you do not have to negotiate the traffic.
As someone noted learn to drive a stick, you will literally save thousands over the course of traveling a life time.
One of our favorite things is to carry a back pack and buy chocolate, wine, bread, meat, chesse, etc from individual stores that specialize while walking around and have a feast in the room for dinner. Lunches are almost always cheaper. And then you can go out again to a cafe for dessert. If you are checking your bag pack, knives, forks, spoons, and corkscrew. If you are carrying them on carry palstic utensils and buy a cheap cork screw when you get to your destination.
If you have not made reservations and are tarvelling in the same country ask the hotel to call ahead to another hotel for you.
And we travel with two large ideas:
It is better to see a few places well, than many poorly.
Travel is about where you going, not you.
Never rent a car while in a city. And when you do rent a car, when you leave try and find a facility near the periphery of that cityso you do not have to negotiate the traffic.
As someone noted learn to drive a stick, you will literally save thousands over the course of traveling a life time.
One of our favorite things is to carry a back pack and buy chocolate, wine, bread, meat, chesse, etc from individual stores that specialize while walking around and have a feast in the room for dinner. Lunches are almost always cheaper. And then you can go out again to a cafe for dessert. If you are checking your bag pack, knives, forks, spoons, and corkscrew. If you are carrying them on carry palstic utensils and buy a cheap cork screw when you get to your destination.
If you have not made reservations and are tarvelling in the same country ask the hotel to call ahead to another hotel for you.
And we travel with two large ideas:
It is better to see a few places well, than many poorly.
Travel is about where you going, not you.
May 26th, 2013, 10:14 AM
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e. Plan an itinerary and trip that fits your interests. You don't need to go somewhere just because everyone else does
I'll add to this there are no "Must Sees" only "what you what to see."
I definitely agree with these points and would add to e. Don't dismiss a city that intrigues you just because others on a forum don't like it.
We've spent time in Brussels three times--a city that gets very little love here--We love the architecture and atmosphere and still haven't bothered to see the Mannekin Pis (and doubt we ever will). As with most cities, there's a lot more to it than the 'must sees'
I'll add to this there are no "Must Sees" only "what you what to see."
I definitely agree with these points and would add to e. Don't dismiss a city that intrigues you just because others on a forum don't like it.
We've spent time in Brussels three times--a city that gets very little love here--We love the architecture and atmosphere and still haven't bothered to see the Mannekin Pis (and doubt we ever will). As with most cities, there's a lot more to it than the 'must sees'
May 27th, 2013, 09:17 AM
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Bring an emergency stash in your own money and get cash from an ATM at the airport when you arrive. In fact, use ATMs freely for cash as long as your home bank doesn't charge a big transaction fee and a big conversion rate.
Tell your credit/debit/ATM card companies when and where you'll be traveling. Do not do this if you're British. (Per annhig, British banks stop your cards.)
In the summer bring easy-to-wash and dry clothes. I have a clothes-washing kit, with a tube of liquid detergent, a sink stopper, blow-up hangars and spot-remover. Do not bring jeans. They take forever to dry in European dryers.
To remove wrinkles (from clothing only, alas), hang the clothes in the bathroom while you shower.
Tell your credit/debit/ATM card companies when and where you'll be traveling. Do not do this if you're British. (Per annhig, British banks stop your cards.)
In the summer bring easy-to-wash and dry clothes. I have a clothes-washing kit, with a tube of liquid detergent, a sink stopper, blow-up hangars and spot-remover. Do not bring jeans. They take forever to dry in European dryers.
To remove wrinkles (from clothing only, alas), hang the clothes in the bathroom while you shower.
May 27th, 2013, 09:50 AM
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Actually, the Must Sees are usually popular for a reason. I've heard people not wanting to go the Eiffel Tower or The Tower of London because they are "touristy". As much as some people want to deny it, you are a tourist when you travel!
If you see a lot of taxi drivers/workmen go into an eatery- it's usually good and cheap. We found a fantastic sandwich shop in London this way.
If you see a lot of taxi drivers/workmen go into an eatery- it's usually good and cheap. We found a fantastic sandwich shop in London this way.
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