Travel Tips

Europe

Europe is one of our favorite places to travel. With its history and culture there is always something to do. It is also a great region for Americans to travel to because while you’ll immediately notice the differences between Europe and the U.S., you’ll also notice plenty of similarities. Below are some tips that will hopefully help you and make you more aware prior to your vacation. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Hotels:

Room Size - In general, European hotel rooms are smaller than American ones. They also tend to be very simply decorated, often without carpeting. This is not to say that they are inferior, just different. Don’t worry though; you aren’t traveling all the way to Europe to spend time in a hotel room anyway.

Bathrooms (part 1) - Bathrooms in hotels are also generally smaller. Sometimes they are very small, so small in fact that instead of a proper shower, they contain just a drain in the corner and a removable shower head. On tours with Great Explorations Tours, we try to avoid hotels with such tiny bathrooms, but they cannot always be avoided. We will never stay at an unclean hotel or one that is not up to our high standards in any way, remember that we are also your guides and therefore will be at the hotel with you.

Bathrooms (part 2) - Bathrooms in European hotels are not always in the room with you. Quite often a hotel will have a shared bathroom in the hall. Rooms with private baths are referred to as en-suite. This will not be a concern for you while traveling with Great Explorations Tours because all hotels that we use are en-suite.

Lifts (Elevators to us) - Elevators are not standard in many hotels, especially those that are in very old buildings. In those hotels that do contain elevators, they are sometimes extremely small, as in so small that you and your bags cannot both fit. On a tour with Great Explorations Tours we will do everything we can to help including tending to your bags if you are unable to carry them to your room.

Air Conditioning - Many European hotels are not air conditioned. Once again, the age of the building plays a part in that, but also the climate. In many European countries, the summer heat only lasts a short time, so they make do with open windows rather than AC. At Great Explorations Tours we try to book hotels with air conditioning for our summer tours, but it is not always possible, so please be prepared.

Floor Numbers - Europeans count floors a little differently than we do. They consider the first floor the ground floor and what we would consider the second floor is the first floor to them. So if you ask someone at the hotel what floor your room is on and they say “third,” it’s probably what you would think of as fourth.

The Language Barrier:

Although it is true that most European countries do not speak English as their first language, English is very widely spoken. In almost all European countries English is taught in schools starting at a very young age and English movies and music are very popular. With the exception of some small towns and some members of older generations, you will find that most people speak at least passable English. [Please see the tips for individual tours for more on language.]

Learning (some of) the Language - Now, even though many of them speak English, we have always found that making an attempt to speak their language goes a very long way. Even if you simply greet them and ask if they speak English, it is usually worth it. Foreigners tend to see it as rude if you assume they speak English, even if they do.

Please be aware that any tour with Great Explorations Tours will be assisted by someone who is familiar with the language of the country in which we are traveling, although we encourage you to try your hand at it whenever possible. Europeans are very patient with people making the attempt.

The Language Barrier in an English Speaking Country - Just because English is the native language of a country doesn’t mean that you’ll know what they’re saying. Between the brogue being borderline indecipherable at times and the local slang you may look just as confused at a Scotsman speaking English as an Italian speaking Italian. Unfortunately there's not much you can do about this except to kindly ask them to repeat themselves and hope it's clearer the second time around.

Money:

Foreign Currency - Most of Europe uses the Euro with the notable exceptions of England, Scotland (British Pound), and Switzerland (Swiss Franc). The rate of other currencies versus the U.S. Dollar in constantly fluctuating, but lately the Euro has been worth around 35% more and the British Pound has been almost 50% more. We recommend that you exchange some dollars to the currency of your destination prior to leaving for your trip. That way you have a little cash on hand when you arrive. Most banks will exchange currency for a fee, but keep in mind that it may take up to a few weeks so plan ahead. If you choose to wait, you can exchange money at most airports, but the exchange rate not be as favorable.

ATMs - Should you need additional cash, ATMs are the best way to get it. Most American bank cards work in most European ATMs. A few things to keep in mind though: 1) There will almost always be a fee, not only for using an ATM that is not your bank’s, but also for “currency conversion.” You should talk to your bank prior to leaving to find out about this. 2) You should also talk to your bank so they know you will be traveling. Banks have the unfortunate reputation for being too security conscious about foreign ATMs. If they think someone has taken your card, they will stop it from working immediately requiring you to place a call to them to explain your situation. Trust us from experience, it is much easier to do this ahead of time.

Credit and Debit Cards - We highly recommend that you take a credit card with you on your travels. Visa and MasterCard are accepted almost everywhere, American Express is becoming very common, and Discover is rarer, but still accepted in some locations. In addition to convenience, you most often get the lowest “currency conversion” fees from credit cards. Ask your provider for specifics.

Debit cards are just as convenient as credit cards and may be more tempting to use. Be aware though that many banks charge higher “currency conversion” fees on debit cards than on credit cards.

Restaurants, Bars, and Pubs:

Tipping - Tipping is looked at much differently in Europe. In situations where you order the food and drinks at the bar (see below), tipping is not required at all. If there is a waiter or waitress, or if you are seated at the bar and ordering multiple drinks, it is customary to leave change or a Euro or two as a token of appreciation, but it is not necessary for you to leave 15 or 20%.

Wait Staff - Smaller bars, pubs, and even some restaurants do not have a wait staff. You are expected to go to the bar, order and pay for your items, point out your seat if necessary, wait for your drinks, then go back and sit down. When your food is ready it will be brought out to you. This method requires a little more effort on your part, but it is very handy at the end of the meal when you don’t have to wait to settle the bill.

Restaurants that do have a wait staff are also a little different than American ones. The method is the same, but the service is a little different. Europeans do not believe in rushing you, even if you are only having a drink. That means that once your items have been brought to you, you will most likely not see your waiter or waitress again until you request them. Some travelers see this as rude, but to Europeans it is rude to interrupt you, therefore they will wait for a signal from you to come back to the table. They are usually very attentive, so it is not a bad system, you just have to know not to wait for them.

Food - The food in many European countries is very good. It is sometimes different than what you are used to, but that is part of the fun of traveling. We encourage you to try as much as you can. Chains and fast food restaurants are prevalent, especially in bigger cities, but we recommend that you skip them whenever possible. After all, you can get McDonald’s when you get home. Your Great Explorations Tours guides will be glad to help you find good local restaurants in any location.

Alcohol - Europeans are very fond of alcoholic beverages, although they do not usually drink to excess. To them, beer and wine is a cultural part of everyday life, and because of this, there are many local breweries and wineries throughout Europe. In fact, in some cases it is hard to find what we would consider a major brand (like Beck’s in Germany) because the restaurant or pub only sells locally made drinks. As with the food, we recommend you try something different, because the locally made items are usually very good. Don’t be afraid to ask the server for assistance either. They are typically very knowledgeable and glad to help.

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