Are you thinking of planning a trip to Europe? Have you never been before? Do you want to learn more about traveling abroad?
I recently took my first trip to Europe and had an amazing experience. Along the way, I encountered a few surprises and thought I would share my thoughts so others can be better prepared, or at least get a laugh at my naive American tourist perspective.
Preface
This was my first trip to Europe, and many aspects of the experience differed from what I expected or was accustomed to. My travels were limited to Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris. Because Europe is a vast and diverse continent, these observations reflect my personal limited experience and customs may vary in other regions. This was absolutely the trip of a lifetime, and I truly had so much fun! This list is supposed to be helpful and give others insight so they know what to expect.
What I enjoyed
Transportation
I was thoroughly impressed with the variety of transportation in Europe. Once in the cities, I found that they were super walkable with most places being under a 20-minute walk from our hotel. If a location was farther, the public transit system was super easy to use. We took trams, subways and buses around every city, and it was cool to experience public transit in a different way than I experience it in the Midwest.
It was also fairly easy to travel from country to country using the Eurostar train system. It was easy to book, and the train attendants were very helpful. We missed our stop heading to Brussels, finding ourselves in France. The staff were quick to accommodate us in our mishap and got us on the next train back free of charge.
Pricing
I was expecting high tourist pricing for things like food, souvenirs, museums and other experiences. I was pleasantly surprised to find that things were pretty affordable for highly “tourist-y” areas. Even our nicest meals were never above 30 euros per person, and it usually was about 10 euros for fast food. As for museums like the Louvre, Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum, tickets were all cheaper than similar museums in the U.S. — like New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Food
I do not think I had any bad meals on this trip. Every single meal was so amazing and just hit different. We visited a lot of authentic Italian restaurants because it is my favorite type of cuisine. We also visited a lot of cafés and coffee shops for brunch, and they were delicious. I recommend all of the places we got food because they were just that good! Though, apparently, you give away that you’re a tourist if you customize your order at restaurants, like asking for no tomatoes or ketchup on your burger.
English
Traveling in Europe is super cool because you get to experience so many different cultures, including their language. What is also nice is that most people speak English, as well as their native language. As a tourist who knows zero Dutch, zero German and a minimal amount of French, this made my experience very easy, and I only mildly felt misunderstood or unable to communicate with individuals.
What to Expect
Paying to Use the Bathroom
I was surprised to learn that many public restrooms in Europe require a small fee for use. The cost is to reduce vandalism and cover maintenance and cleaning of the restrooms. While the cost itself was not inconvenient for us, it highlighted an issue of accessibility, as access to a basic necessity is limited to those who are able and willing to pay.
Smoking
Cigarettes are definitely still cool in Europe. While walking around these cities, I ran into approximately three people standing outside smoking cigarettes on each block I walked. In Paris, restaurants and cafés have covered heated patios where guests can smoke. Unfortunately, this results in the inside of restaurants being smoky and unenjoyable for some guests.
Shower Situation
In the three hotels I stayed at, I was met with some interesting accommodations when using the shower. First off, most hotels in Europe do not provide you with washcloths, so consider bringing your own or packing a loofa for your trip. Additionally, the showers I used did not have curtains or doors. They only had a piece of glass that covered half of the shower. I ended up flooding my bathrooms more times than I would like to admit.
Late Lunch
We arrived in Paris on a midmorning Thursday, checked into our hotel and were ready to get some lunch. It was about 11:30 a.m., and all of the restaurants were closed. They said they were open online, but they were not accepting customers until noon at the earliest. Lunch is definitely more of an afternoon meal in Europe, rather than being a late morning or early afternoon meal like in the U.S.
Other Pictures
Here are a few more photos from my trip for you all to enjoy.
Take tHat Trip
I highly recommend traveling to Europe as it was a great way to experience different cultures and immerse myself in something new, and frankly, a little bit scary.