10 Secrets to Enjoying Your European Travel

1. Pack Lightly- Resist the urge to pack everything you might possibly need and try to keep your suitcase no more than 24 inches high and between 20-30 pounds. With a small rolling bag and a small backpack as your carryon you won’t have to fret over how to schlep that huge bag across the cobblestones or up the three flights of steps.

2. Get on local time zone as quickly as possible- I always try to stay up until at least 10PM on the first night and if I nap, I set an alarm for no more than 20 minutes. You want to be tired at local night time so that you can sleep through the night and enjoy your time. I also try to sleep (or at least keep my eyes closed) for most of the flight over. A blackout eye mask and headphones help a lot.

3. Learn the Key Words in Local Language- Most people can speak some English in most places you will travel in Europe, but learning and using some key works in local language will make you a more sensitive traveler and will be respected by those you interact with. Learn these at a minimum

-Hello -Good-Bye

-Thank You -You're Welcome

-Good Morning -Please

-Excuse Me -Bathroom

-Entrance -Exit

4. Embrace the Local Culture- In in Spain, eat late; if in Italy or Portugal, take your coffee standing up at the bar; at a restaurant, linger and relax (you will probably need to ask for the bill when you are ready); in much of Europe, they don’t use ice in their drinks; go to a soccer match or a church service (in some places they are almost the same thing); go to the weekly market; walk slowly; sample and enjoy the local foods and drinks (my favorite part); find a winefest or other local celebration and join in; go for a hike.

5. Get International Phone Service and Travel Apps- Your phone is even more vital overseas than it is at home. Its worth spending the $12-15/day cost to add international service to your cell phone for your trip since you will be using it for booking museum and other event tickets and times, buying and using train tickets and seat reservations, booking your hotels, finding directions (by car and by foot), and much more. Having a wifi based communication tool like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger also allows you to text or call worldwide for free as long as you are using Wifi. Download apps like Eurail, Deutsche Bahn Navigator, Trip Advisor, Yelp, local transit systems in your destinations, etc before you leave.

6. Plan Ahead- I like to do a lot of research and find out lots of options for my destinations. Checking travel blogs for “48 hours in (wherever)”, Trip Advisor, Yelp, Lonely Planet, Rick Steeves forums, and local destination visitor bureaus can give you lots of ideas about places to see, things to do, including hours, costs, and what days they are closed (you don’t want to have one day in a city and a must see destination that is closed on that day).

7. Be Flexible- As much as you plan, things will change. Sometimes they will be very frustrating. Stay cool (or have a travel partner who can help you to stay cool). On a recent trip, we were supposed to take a train back from Baden Baden to Frankfurt Airport to fly home the next day. We had not made seat reservations (lesson learned) and found that all the morning trains from Baden Baden were fully booked. So, after deep breaths and some searching on the DB Navigator app, we found that we could get a train within the next half hour direct to Freiburg and then get one from Freiburg direct to Frankfurt Airport later that afternoon. So, we took the train to Freiburg, locked our luggage in the train station lockers and had a delicious lunch at a historic Brauhaus, enjoyed walking in the rain through town, and caught a train back to the airport that evening so we could fly home the next day.

8. Take Time to Do Nothing- Don’t schedule your whole trip. Plan no more one or two things you want to do each day. You will find other things you’d like to do during the day, and you will have time to take time to sit and linger- whether with a coffee and croissant at a café in the morning; with a beer, a glass of wine or prosecco, or an Aperol Spritz watching people in the afternoon; or an ice cream or dessert in the evening. Or just sit and take in the atmosphere. It may end up as your favorite memory of the trip. One of my favorite activities in Europe is to get up early and walk around town watching shops start to open, streetcleaners finishing up work, and people going about their daily activities. Its especially fun taking photos when the morning light makes your morning photos outstanding. (Sunset and night photo walks are fun too!)

9. Do Research in Advance- In addition to your travel planning, do some research into your destination. Find out a little about its history, its culture, its foods, and people. It will make your visit more enriching and may guide you to explore some places or things you hadn’t thought about before.

10. Use Public Transport- You can get just almost anywhere you want in much of Europe conveniently through trains, trams, subways, or buses, especially in Germany and Switzerland. Taking the train generally puts you right in the middle of the old town where you can either walk or take a tram, subway, or bus to your hotel. And you don’t have to worry about where to park a car. If you need faster or more direct, cabs are also readily available in most cities. For more on train travel, see my Tips on Train Travel and Tips for European Rail Passes

Gute Reise und Viel Spass!

Ciao!