Europe
 

I am going to be traveling through Europe starting next week. I just wanted to know any advice or any of your experiences. Also, any information I should know before I leave. I just graduated from Arizona State and this is my graduation present. I'm so excited!

Where all are you traveling to?

1. Take lots of reading material for any flights/train trips you are going to take!
2. Buy something to keep your passport in (if you don't already have something) since its so necessary to get around!
3. Pay for everything w/ a credit card! This way you won't lose money trying to exchange currency! Even McDonalds there will take them! (Although I doubt you'll want to eat @ McDonalds:))
4. Attempt to speak the language of whatever country you are in-it makes the locals a lot more willing to talk to you! Even if you only ask if they speak english in their language, they'll appreciate it! Buy a book that has phrases in several different languages in it! Very useful!
5. If you are going to go sight-seeing to any major musuems or gardens, eiffel tower, castles, cathedrals etc. try to buy your tickets ahead of time so that you won't have to wait in long lines when you get there!
6. If you are taking a night train make sure you don't pack a large bag-there isn't always a lot of room to store bags & if there is you'll have to store it up high (a heavy bag could make it harder to lift it up above bunks)!
7. Take a CAMERA!!! Or several-cameras are usually more expensive there! (And keep it in your carry-on!)
8. And oh yeah-have fun! :D

Keep your passport somewhere very very safe. Mine was stolen in Bath, and I realized it on a Friday afternoon around 4pm, and the embassy closed at 5pm for the weekend. It was awful. Luckily, this was pre 9/11, so I was able to get back into the country because I had a copy of my passport, and the embassy was wonderful. So also photocopy your passport and keep that copy somewhere else than your passport. It saved me!

Have a great time!

Becareful with this one. If you're backpacking, you don't want to carry too much stuff with you.

When you pack your carryon, wait 24 hours and then take out half the stuff you put in. I swear, you will not want it nor will you need it.
Do not eat at McDonalds, KFC, etc. Why on earth would you go somewhere only to live just like you do at home? If you were planning to live long term that's one thing, but you're on vacation.
Take one day out of every week you're there and just wander aimlessly. Don't do the typical things. Just go where the wind takes you. That's when you find the most memorable things.

Make a copy of your passport pages w/ all the info, and the fronts and backs of any credit cards or atm cards you're bringing with you. leave the copies with your parents, or someone equally trustworthy. this way, if shi.........hits the fan, you just call someone who's number you have ocmmitted to memory, they can fax a copy of the passport to a local embassy to facilitate getting a new one, and they can cancel the credit cards for you.

Also, if you're going with other people, each one of you should get a travel guide produced by a different company. That way, if all of the hostels/hotels listed in one are full, you can look in the other one.

To make room for souveniers [sp?], go through your udies and clothes. Bring some of your older stuff and after you wear it, throw it out, thus creating room for new stuff.

I have to disagree slightly with rho4life, or maybe add on to what he said. You should definitely have a copy of the passport with you. If I didn't have mine, I wouldn't have been able to get back into the country for 3+ days. It would have been a huge expense. You need to be able to get to it asap. But your parents having a copy back in the US is a good idea too.

Another idea for extra room is to pack an extra bag. I did that on the same trip, I was gone for a month and had a ton of extra stuff. The extra bag really helped out.

Errr ... sounds evil, but don't forget to try a shot of Absynth (sp?). It is illegal everywhere else but UK, Spain, and Eastern European countries (Czech Rep, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland).

I know this off topic, but absynth is legal in Canada too - can by it at the local liquor store.

lol this is going to be long
 

lol this should be my specialty since i just got back from living in europe:) what the others suggested is definately a must- your passport and credit cards are everything- don't let them out of your sight!
*if you are in a hostel- and it seems a little shady- lock your stuff up- we almost had some things stolen- (the front desk usually has locks- but theres a small fee- it might be worth it for your peace of mind)

*as crzychx said- definately wander around (i lived in london for 4 months- and i felt like i barelly knew my neighborhood- yes you will be in different countries- but just go all over anyway- plus you'll get a good feel for the culture- etc- thats practically all i did in dublin- and it was my favorite city) and DEFINATELY at least TRY to speak the language- there is usually a phrase thing in the back of guide books- and the locals will appreciate it- even if you sound a bit funny- but it helped us out a lot (getting free drinks/food etc)

*try lots of different food- if you find an english speaking local- ask them for suggestions- but be careful abotu courses- in italy for example- they have an appetizer then a pasta- then a meat- but its not all the same price (as in a meal)- it can get kind of expensive! oh yea- the wine is AMAZING- try as much as you can- and afford lol plus its cheaper then beer/ liquor a lot of times)

*if you go out to clubs etc (which you should b/c its a blast) try to pre-game since obvi drinks can get so expensive- idk if you'll be in london- but the pound is so bad to the american dollar- the euro is a little better (but we often just bought beers down the street for a pound- then walked to the bars but you can have an open container in london.... oh yea- absinth- its good- but careful with it going down- my friends brought some back from prague- you are supposed to soak a spoonful of absinth with sugar- light it in fire- then drop it inyour shot glass...blow it out- and take the shot- it feels like your swallowing listerine- but then your gag reflex kicks in.... (but its strong- so your messed up for awhile)

*take tons of pictures (obviously and if you go with people- if its not a digital camera- get the pictures on cd so you can share them)

*if you want to buy things off the street- HAGGLE- you can usually drop the price quite a bit- (i got a really nice gucci bag for $30 euro when he was asking 65)
*don't be afraid to ask for directions- its better to ask (if you can find someone who speaks english but a lot of times the locals just point you to where you need to be)- then to be wandering around for forever

** be careful of crowds and little kids running around you- a lot of times they are trying to distract you to pickpocket you- but don't be paranoid- just keep your eyes open

*drink lots of water and try to eat right and get enough sleep- you're walking around- so you need your energy

*pack with layers in mind- not outfits... bring 1 or 2 pairs of jeans- shirts- something to go out in- a sweater- but make sure stuff is versatile- you'll be carrying this for awhile lol (and you can do laundry if you have to)

* you might get a little irritated after awhile with your surroundings- and thats normal- its culture shock- you may not since you aren't going to be there for that long- but its hard not having the comforts of home etc- so when that starts to happen- just take some time out- try to relax- maybe make a phone call home- check your email- etc

**bring a journal and try to write in it everyday or so- just writing about the things you did and how you felt about them- will be really cool looking back on later... i learned a lot in europe- i hope you do too:)

have a great time! PM me if you need anything!!! (i'll prob add to this or i might pm you b/c i'll prob think of more stuff) i went to paris, nice and rome (and took trains in between- etc), dublin and of course london- so if you have particular questions about those too- let me know

Thanks for all the advice already. I just ran into a guy today at Copymax when I was making copies of my passport and cards and he gave me some helpful hints too. I will be starting in London, then plan on going through Amsterdam, Munich, Paris, Venice, Rome, and some others. I'm going by myself, so I'm a little scared, but I really hope to "find myself" while I am there. My friends make fun of me when I say that, but I definitely hope that this is a life changing experience. How long is a flight from Arizona to London? Are British Airway flights nice? I dont really understand the time zone difference but I leave Arizona at 7:05 PM on Monday and arrive in London at 1:05PM Tuesday. I'm sure I will have more questions throughout the weekend, so I'll post. Again, thank you so much for your tips!

Tips for Americans in Europe
 

I learned this bit of wisdom when I was in Italy several years ago:

In Heaven.....

The Cooks are French
The Lovers are Italian
The Policemen are English
And it is run by the Germans.

In Hell....

The Cooks are English
The Lovers are German
The Policemen are French
And it is run by the Italians.

You might chuckle at this now. Trust me, any American who has been to Europe is laughing out loud at the truth in this!

Be respectful in the beautiful churches & cathedrals. They require that you be a bit covered up... no bare shoulders, no spaghetti straps, no tank tops, NO shorts, no uncovered bellies, no tube tops.

Get several of the Fodor's books. They are worth their weight in gold! Have fun!

I have never flown British Airways, but I hear they are an excellent airline.

I have done the flight to London numerous times - it is very long, so bring lots of things to keep you occupied.

From Vancouver it takes about 9 hours, so it will probably be 10, maybe 11 hours from Arizona. (Yes I do realize Vancouver is further West than Arizona, but it is also further north and the flight from Van to London generally goes over the pole, thus less kilometres to fly because of the shape of the earth...)

The reason you don't get into London until a day later is there is a 7 hour time difference (it's 8 hours from Van and I believe Arizona is an hour ahead), so you technically land in London at about 6am Arizona time.

Really? I thought it was illegal. I might have to try me some.

dude! they can laugh all the want- but you are going to have an amazing time! I can almost promise you taht you are going to come back a stronger, more wordly traveler with so many interesting stories- then they can see who will be laughing:)

as far as traveling by yourself- my advice is to not limit yourself. My friend maria traveled all over italy by herself but she didn't have as great a time b/c she was in the hotel by 9 and didn't get to explore as much. Even if you don't want to- go to the bar you saw around the corner and try to chat people up- there are a LOT of irish/english pubs allover europe- they are terribly in fashion there- so you will definately meet people- but strike up conversations- you'd be surprised who you meet.

also- if you are staying in hostels- try to make friends with the people you meet in the common room or in your hall- we met some incredible people on our travels and had a blast. When i was in dublin- it was just me and my best friend- we met two other girls that weres taying in our room- and we met up with them in london a few weeks later- and we still talk to them (i also met people that went to college in my home town) so don't be shy:)

This is great advice. I'v never been travelling by myself. But you will definitly meet other travellers along the way. Just be friendly, but be yourself. You'll never run out of people to talk to and to hang with.

I think it may be a less potent brew...

You'll have a blast! I live in Germany (North of Frankfurt!). The best part about being here, is the ability to see so many amazing things! My nuggets:

-take a boat tour in Amsterdam, especially a late one!

-I hated Paris. The Eiffel Tower was amazing, but the rest wasn't that great. Again, take the boat tour late when everything is lit up. WATCH YOUR WALLET HERE! Wander the cemetaries, they are amazing! And, be careful of where you stay...four star there doesn't mean the same thing as it does in the US!

-Just outside of Munich is Dachau, a concentration camp. I visited there awhile back, and it is just something to experience.

-While in Rome, drink from the fountains! I learned that THIS is wear the phrase 'When in Rome...' comes from! We spent so much money on itty bitty bottles of water, and finally saw everyone drinking from the fountains. It was the coldest, best tasting water I'd ever had!

-If you can stop in Pisa...do it! That's been my favorite place so far!

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know!

aj

I hope to spend a week in Munich in October visiting my family.

Some suggestions:

- In Paris, don't forget to go to Montmartre area, where the Sacre-Coeur is. One of the most romantic place on earth, where Renoir often got his ideas for his paintings. Also if you like paintings, it is worthed to visit Musee' du Louvre, and perhaps the Musee Picasso, housing the most outstanding Picasso works (duh!)

- In Rome, visit Santa Maria in Cosmedin, by the Isola Tiberina. It is most often ignored by tourists, but then you would regret it, because it is one of the tradition you have to do besides throwing coins to the Trevi - put your hands to the Bocca' della Verita' (the Mouth of Truth). If you have time, attending the Greek Orthodox mass here is unbelieveable. You are in time machine back to fourth century mass!
To understand layer of Rome, visit San Clemente church south of Colosseo. You keep going down, underneath the modern street level - as the 16th century church was built on top of 4th century early church, which had been built on top of an ancient Roman temple. You can see arches literally emerged from the floor.
I agree with ajuhdg - drink as much water fountain in Rome as possible. Nothing is like you experience before, drinking from water fountain in Rome.
If you're in Rome during the Pantecost - visit Pantheon at noon, where you can see red rose petals falling like rain through the occulus of the church. The most amazing thing you've ever imagined.

- In Capagnia region, Positano and Amalfi always come to mind. Riding a bus along Amalfi Coast to Positano or Amalfi, makes you respect the early Italian engineer and the bus driver. Never seen anything bluer than the Mediterranean. Also visit Capri, see the Blue Grotto where all you can see is a natural cave with natural blue light comes from underneath the water.

- In Prague, visit the Old City Hall every hour to see the apostle's parade of the clock. It was cheesey, but it was fun at the same time. Tee-hee ;) Also visit the Vinohrady area, it is NOT a tourist area, but I just don't understand why none of the tourist books mentioned Vinohrady in more details - this is where you can see least tourists and experience Prague to the fullest with locals. See the Church of Sacred Heart in Vinohrady 2 by Jose Plecnic.

- In Amsterdam, if you have time, you need to get out of the city. Yeah, Amsterdam is cool and yadda yadda, but there are more cool things outside as well. Go to Sans Schans (sp?) to see the authentic Dutch Windmill - most of the windmill throughout the Holland were in here, and some of them are still active, and you can enter the mills to see how they made the oil or color essence. Or you may go to the Northern Dam, which WAY cool when you realize that the water levels are different on each sides of the 30 km+ bridge. Or visit Delta Project. Makes you wonder ...

Have fun in Europe. Watch out for pickpocketers, especially where people don't have any personal bubbles.

Great memories!
 

I am really enjoying the memories this thread brings back! Visiting Europe certainly makes you appreciate all the conveniences that we have in the US... and also makes you see how spoiled we can get because of them. It opens your eyes to the history there is out there and acknowledge how insulated we can be here in this country. Our history is SO short in comparison.

I hate to say it, but be very careful being an American in Europe right now. We may not be very popular right now :(

Definitely check into how to call home to check in with your folks. I hear that trying to use your US cellular carrier can be horrifically expensive.

Re: Great memories!
 

How to call home -- In every big city I've been in in Europe, I've seen call shops galore. You go in, go into a little booth, and make your call, then pay at the end. Ask the clerk how much it'll be to call to the States before you start so you don't get surprised by something expensive, but all the ones I've seen have been very reasonably priced.
From what I hear, your US cell phone won't work in Europe anyway -- different, non-compatible systems. Not to mention needing an electrical converter to charge it, and then having to carry it around, too. Don't bother! Your best bet are call shops.

Sometimes those places are also internet cafes, too. My advice about finding a place to go online is to look around and don't go in the first place you see. If you're going to be in a city for a few days, mentally note internet places you see and how much they cost. If you go off the beaten track a little bit, onto less tourist-populated streets, you can generally find a MUCH cheaper deal. It'll mean the difference between 3 Euro per hour and 1 Euro per hour, which can really add up over the course of a trip.

Re: Great memories!
 

yes- the first part is sooo true- i was very homesick for minor conveniences... you'll be surprised how much you miss gas stations and taco bell etc lol but you'll find alternatives- you might jsut have to be a bit creative:) but these are minor inconveinces for the experiences you'll be having

as far as being american... we basically stick out like sore thumbs.. and there really isn't any question where we are from. It's easy to be lost at this fact and you feel very...exposed. However, try to blend it- the locals notice when you try their culture- they think its funny lol- but also- you'll start to appreciate our culture for all its obnoxious splendor:)

the call places and internet cafe's are alllll over the place- we used them all the time- but careful about the cost- a pound (in england) and a euro or so an hour for internet is appropriate- they try to overprice things- so watch out- also def ask about the rrate to the states BEFORE you get in the booth- so there isn't any surprises- when i was in dublin- it was 10 cents a min which is pretty good.

:)

Half of my family lives in Oberstdorf, south of Munchen (Munich). It may just be paradise for me. Its at the southern most part of Germany right next to the Swiss border and a shorty drive to Austria. Its like being in Obersalzburg (the famous mountain town you see in many pictures). Bavaria is my favorite state in Germany. The south of Germany is very relaxing and a lot of peaceful fun. The western part of germany and the northern part is more industrialized and more developed and overall a better place if you want to go shopping for clothes, go clubbing and stuff like that. Some of my favorites cities in the western and northern parts were Hannover, Mainz, Bad Homburg, Wiesbaden, Dusseldorf, Hessen, Koln, Hamburg, Bremen, Leubeck, Saarbruken, Dortmand, Frankfurt and and the list goes on and on....;)

LPPh- If you can make it during the last two weeks of september....you'll be there in time for Oktober Fest.