10 points to remember while traveling in Europe

Hey fellow travelers,

I have been living in Germany since 2013 and have traveled in Europe at every opportunity I got. Along the way I have gathered some experiences which can be helpful for first time travelers to Europe. So, here is a list of the lessons I learnt while travelling across Europe:

1.   Not spending enough time at one place

If you go city/country hopping too fast everything will look the same. You won’t be able to distinguish between cobbled streets or churches if you don't spend a good amount of time in each city. 'Good amount of time' could be variable on your interests but the point is to take in the specifics of a place instead of just checking it off a list.

To really understand the culture and history of a city I have started relying on walking tours. Normally in this format a local guide takes you around the city they love on foot for about 1.5 to 2 hours. If you ask, they also give you great tips about places (restaurants, hidden gems, authentic shops for local delicacies) you can visit after the tour.

There are other forms of tours as well like a hop on-hop off bus, segway, etc. and its up to you to find what works for you.

Boat ride on Mosel river in Germany. Thanks to smartphones, the location is saved ;)

2.   Not finding out the local delicacies in advance

Local cuisine gives us a glimpse in the history and traditions of a region. It is more than just tasting the ingredients and feeding your hunger. Its an experience which you may totally hate or you may not like today but it opens a door to a new possibility and you may develop a taste for it in the future. I am a vegetarian 💚 and that really limits my options to about 1/10th of the menu in a lot of places. However, I have regretted coming back from a city and knowing later on that they had a vegetarian/vegan delicacy that I didn’t know about or if only I had asked, they would have provided a vegetarian option.

Having said that I know how comfortable and satisfying it is to stick to the cuisine from your home country and what your taste buds crave for at the end of a tiring day spent sightseeing. All I am saying is, do your research and list a few items that you would like to try when you visit the region.

Ate these dishes in Poland. 
1. Pierogi ruskie - dumplings made of potatoes and cheese topped with caramelized onion
2. Flatbread like a pizza

3. Local currency

Many countries in the European region don’t use the Euro and have their own currency. Research beforehand how much local currency is advisable to carry and where will you get a good conversion rate and also where NOT to convert the money as it can cause significant loss for you.

Here is a great video (not by me) on the topic of exchange rate in Prague.

4. Weather

If you come from a country where the sun is always shining and are not used to the weather apps, make sure you install one. No matter which season it is, it might rain, get really windy or cold. It is highly recommended to check the weather app in the morning before stepping out and be prepared.

Found out its going to be a rainy day after renting these e-bikes

5. Relying too much on reviews

I like to plan and know what to expect so I used to read a lot of reviews of hotels, restaurants, museums as well as top ten sightseeing places in a city. But lately I have realized - 
a) people are too critical 
b) their experience is subjective to them, their mood, their exposure to the world, how much have they traveled, etc. 
E.g. one cannot expect the service in a restaurant to be the same in Germany and Thailand. These are two very different places, just because its a restaurant does not automatically set the same expectations because it matters where it is situated in the world.

Of course, I still read reviews but at the same time when I read something like “amazing view”, “must-see”, etc. I also take a look at the photos, the effort to reach this place, my interest in that kind of activity and then decide. We have limited time and money; I like to spend it wisely.

6. Opening times

When you plan your trip, always check the opening times of all the places that are on your itinerary. Cultures again make a big impact on the opening times as well. Some close in the afternoon, some close by 6 pm so make no assumptions. 
In Germany, all shops (including malls) are closed on Sundays. 
In Spain, we were surprised that the restaurants open very late around 8 pm while in small towns of Austria, Switzerland things are winding down by 9 pm.

7. Avoid Europe during Christmas and year end time, if you are interested in sightseeing! 

During Christmas time travelling and staying is costly as it is but to put a damper on all the excitement most of the attractions are closed on 24, 25, 26 (sometimes), 31st December and 1st January! The city tours, museums, churches and even most of the shops and restaurants are open for limited time or not at all. The initial novelty of looking at Christmas decorations soon wears off and then you are left wondering what to do next. Christmas markets in most of the cities end by 22nd December.

In will get dark by 3 pm giving you approximately 5-6 hours of day light. The amount of day light reduces as you go north. It will be freezing cold so you can't stay out in the gardens and parks for a long time. So, unless you want to be cooped up in your hotel room its better to avoid Christmas time.

This reminds me of a funny experience (in hindsight) when me and my friends entered a train station in Madrid at 10 PM. The gates closed behind us just as we entered. We punched (and wasted) our tickets to get on the platform as we thought there has to be at least one train going in either direction. But to our surprise the train station was deserted and there was no train after 10 PM as it was Christmas eve!  We tried to call the helpline via the emergency phone on the wall but no one answered it. We imagined we were locked in for the night on the platform. We went towards the other gate on the platform to found it closed too. After pressing some buttons and pulling some levers around the gate our friend found the magical button to open the gate, we rushed out and heaved a sigh of relief! As the gate was open, some other tourists started going in, they were lucky we were still around so we stopped them otherwise they would have had to rediscover the magical button to open the gate!

The good side: beautiful Christmas decorations!

8. Not everyone can speak English

Every year we see the difference that more and more people are accepting English and every place is becoming more tourist friendly 👍😊. However occasionally you will still come across a restaurant which does not have a menu card in English or a train station without any boards in English. The announcements for sure will never be in English unless its a big city. So be ready to communicate with hand gestures. 
In smaller cities people do not speak English. You cannot possibly translate everything you want to say or ask using cool translation apps. Most of the time people will be kind enough to give you time and understand while some odd 1% won't! Don’t let it dampen your spirit, find someone who can help you.

We had such an experience at a train station in Paris where the lady behind a ticket counter simply refused to communicate with us as she spoke only French. A passer by saw us and came to help us buy the tickets. Kindness is everywhere!

Urmm....No, thanks!

9. Budget airlines

Keep an eye for the 'hidden' costs like seat booking and luggage. Some airlines have made it mandatory to check-in online and if not done there is a heavy cost for forgetting to do it.

10. Beware of being conned

Well, actually this applies to the whole world 😄! There are hundreds of ways that you could be scammed and no one can warn you of all the possible ways. But some basic awareness can help you be alert. Beware of being conned by basically anyone who approaches you. That sounds like a very cynical way to look at the world but unfortunately that’s how it is! Even if someone stops you to ask for directions, make sure your belongings are on you / with you, else someone might be sneakily taking your bag away while you are being a good Samaritan. 
Items like small toys bought from road side vendors might not work as they are being marketed. I fell prey to one such 'dancing magnetic toy' scam in Barcelona. Also pick pocketing is a big nuisance in many touristy cities. So be very careful and look after your belongings.

Finally, just an observation. You will miss fancy shiny buildings and modern infrastructure after a while. Except some parts of big cities everything else is as it was a few decades or even hundreds of years ago (unless it was destroyed in the wars).

That’s all for now! I will be back with more hopefully soon! Till then travel and grow!