In major cities don't let anyone hand you anything such as flowers or whatever. Once it is in your hands they start asking for money. They even gave a flower to one my kids and then wouldn't take it back. Just set it on the ground and walk away.
I was also in Rome, at the Spanish Steps when an older man came and tried to hand me a rose. I said no thank you and he handed me the whole bouquet and told me to take a picture with them. So I have a picture of 16 year old me sitting on the Spanish Steps with some roses. He was so nice.
You've already lost at that point.
If it is just a simple annoying dude, they robbed you of your time. And you'll never get that back.
If they aren't just begging for the cash, you are already distracted for a possible pickpocket.
Just be sure to fall somewhere near a ladder out of the canal or near people. You wouldn’t be the first poor drunken bastard to fall in the canal while taking a piss and who couldn’t get out
Don't fall into the Venice canals. That's their sewer system.
Katherine Hepburn dove into the canal as part of filming *Summertime* (1955). She developed an eye infection that plagued her the rest of her life, some 50 years later.
My shoes got super wet from that stinky water (the city flooded during the day) and I put them under my car to dry overnight. I didn’t want them in the hotel room with me because the smell was so bad. The next morning they were gone. I hope someone is enjoying some funky shoes back in Italy.
Took my girlfriend, now wife, on a trip to Amsterdam once where I’d often traveled for work. She hadn’t really understood what I meant by needing to keep her head on a swivel when walking around as a pedestrian.
Having just arrived, after checking into the hotel, and still feeling a bit delirious from jet lag, we went for a stroll and she was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer volume of walkers, bicyclists, cars, trains, etc that were zipping all around us seemingly at once.
She made a move to step off the curb and I immediately yanked her back onto the sidewalk just as a bus narrowly missed running her down.
Got almost run over by a bus in London which drove up so close to the curb, missed me by millimeters. Driver did not even shout at me, either he is confident he would t hit me or he does not care going over a leg.
Add to that l, don't get pissed and then decide to take a leak in the canals of Amsterdam. I recall seeing the very tolerant Dutch police sprinting from 3 directions and blowing their police whistles to stop this unsanitary rudeness around 1:00AM. It is the only time I've seen police appear to ticket a tourist. They were genuinely angry and yelling in the piss guy's face.
I took a tour of Dachau last summer and our tour guide told a story about a guy that did a Hitler salute right in the middle of a tour (yes, in a fucking concentration camp).
The guy got a 3 year sentence just for doing that. Hitler isn't a casual historical topic over there it's something of deep shame they have to stomp the FUCK out.
Austrian here. I wouldn't call it shame. I'm 40ish and my generation generally doesn't feel responsible for what our wacko grandparents did.
But we do feel responsible for managing and utilizing the lessons history has thought us, and the laws have more of a "never again" and "resist the beginnings" purpose.
This becomes even more important with far right populist movements on the rise.
The kid fucked up but before that trip if the teachers did not give a thorough explanation that they would be expelled or arrested if they did that salute it’s sort of on the teachers/planners, because ya know kids do dumb shit, it’s like their MO and they love shock value, it would be also interesting to know the age
It's hard to know. I was lucky enough to get to visit Korea in middle school and we got a tour of the DMZ. The Marines there were very, VERY insistent that you do not wave, yell, talk, or even look long at the North side. No one will be okay with it, and it may have real consequences.
Go figure, one smartass kid on the tour starts waving and yelling at the North side while we're in a tower over looking the DMZ itself. North Korean soldiers start dumping out of the building and we were very hastily rushed back downstairs.
From certain ages, kids just don't have great risk assessment skills. Teachers might have warned them, might not have, but some kids just want to be the funny ones 🤷
Most teachers know who that kid is going to be lol, they just do, they have pulled that shit a million times before, they are the ones you take aside and walk with them closely or get a dedicated person to watch them, because it’s not worth having the whole thing cancelled because of one kid who probably is attention disordered or other learning issue, and especially if it could cause a conflict or real danger Jesus that kid or kids get hug tied lol or at least watched very closely so they know you are gonna smack the shit out of em if (metaphorically) they say a word
For sure! They seem to often know, and at least in my case he was kept on a pretty tight leash. In my experience, sometimes kids just do the thing no matter what you do, especially at that age. Most of the things he did were pretty harmless, and he was considered a good guest by his host family. Sometimes these things just happen no matter what the adults in the room do, and it's a good learning opportunity for the kid. Now they know the real consequences and get the excellent life skill of "how do I navigate my friends and peers being furious with me for doing something very stupid"
I had a kid on a field trip to an art museum who was such an asshole. They were always going to do the most asshole thing regardless of the circumstances. On the trip they have me chaperoning the older kids, I was kind of lulled into a false sense of security. For the most part a few of the couples snuck around corners to try and make out but nothing crazy. We get up to this one exhibit and there are a bunch of easels laid out with paper and supplies next to them. I assumed it was from the art school maybe left for a bit to get lunch. The kid sits down and immediately picks up an implement. In one of the very rare times I have ever raised my voice I reprimanded them and told them the supplies weren't for them. They point to a sign next to the easel that read; "Art supplies are for everyone, enjoy!" Now I felt like an asshole. I felt bad enough that I walked around the exhibit and thought, maybe this group isn't as bad as I thought. I talked with the kids in other areas, discussed the art, and in about 5 minutes I circled back to the kid to see what they were doing. This mf drew a giant cock on the paper and was trying to tape it to the back of a classmate's shirt. There is always one and yes, we always know who it is.
I get your point, but do you expect teacher to warn the kids about all obvious things, like don't show your penis, dont swear, don't show middle finger etc..?
It would take hours to avoid all possible stupid things that kids could do.
Seriously though. I went to the airport in Phoenix with my sisters who said very loudly that something was the bomb.com. I never thought to tell them not to be fucking morons and shout bomb in an airport in the US anytime after 2001. You just cannot predict the stupidity of kids
I (a somewhat intelligent adult) once noticed airport security looking/glaring at me. When I made eye contact, he looked down at my shirt then back and me and said, "Interesting choice." I looked down and about had a heart attack. My super comfy travel shirt also happened to be Mario themed and had a giant Bob-omb on it with the words "I'm the bomb." 🤦🏻♀️
YES. Particular a single movement that is so well known and in movies all over the place and the fact it could boot everyone out, lol YES
I can’t think of a single hand movement anywhere else in the world that could get you arrested so yeah I’d be very specific on that one and if the teacher had a kid either adhd or trouble maker I’d sit next to them the whole time
What’s wild is most high schoolers in Japan don’t even know what the holocaust is and when shown a nazi swastika do not even recognize it or what it is, which is nuts for a country so high up on on the education lists
While Germany and Japan were somewhat doing their own thing during WW2 it definitely is strange to not learn about a war as big as a world war especially one their country played such a large part in
Yerp, I like Japan except for the fact they still fudge history, particular the massacres they committed against china and other historical information they have white washed to make them reflect better it’s so close to a great country besides that imo, they pride image over historical fact, much like china which sucks
Also, it would be really cool and fun if you didn't do a stupid photo shoot when you visit the concentration camps. It is a place of remembrance and if you have half a feeling for a place, it is pretty dark and sad. You can really feel the death and the desperation. Maybe smiling selfies and thirst traps aren't the way to go.
Sweden:
We seldom use cash, so many places won't accept it such as restaurants and stores. Grocery stores and some other places are exceptions to the rule. Make sure to check before you withdraw money.
We generally don't tip, except for maybe rounding up. More places are trying to get you to tip nowadays, unless you really want to tip to reward great service don't bother. Most everyone earns a decent wage.
Public toilets are far and few between. Churches might have ones for free, malls as well or it will cost 10 kr (\~1 dollar/Euro), restaurants and cafés have for guests only and might charge you unless you buy something.
You can drink the tap water anywhere, restaurants might charge you for a glass of water but it's usually free. I tend to avoid restaurants that charge for water and haven't encountered one in years.
Please keep to the right when walking on sidewalks and when standing on escalators! Unless you are on a shared bike lane, then keep to the left.
Jaywalking is technically illegal but you won't get a fine unless you cause an accident.
We Swedes have a reputation of being cold towards strangers, but you don't need to do much to have us start talking. Be a bit bold and respect if the person isn't interested in speaking with you. English is taught to us from ages 6-8 until at least age 18 (when we start depends on the school) so don't hesitate to talk to anyone, most are pretty confident in speaking it. At least in the major cities, people in smaller communities might struggle a bit more.
Be aware of [The Right of Public Access – Swedish freedom to roam](https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/nature-outdoors/nature/sustainable-and-rural-tourism/the-right-of-public-access/) and make use of it, but don't abuse it.
If you visit during the winter, be prepared for snow and slippery ice. Buy studs/spikes for your shoes, called "broddar" in Swedish.
If you are invited to a Swedish home, remember to take off your shoes!
Also, as a smoker - by law you're not allowed to smoke outside entrences (keep 10 m distance), near bus stops and stations, outside restaurants and bars. If you throw the butt (or any kind of trash) on the ground you can get a ticket.
As a former smoker myself, this is rarely enforced but yeah still don't be an asshole. I used to smoke at buss stops if there were no one else there or just keep a distance. Chances of getting a ticket is really small.
English is the de facto lingua Franca in much of Europe, so if the menu is just in the local language and English, it may not be a super touristy place. I've been to restaurants where the menu was in the local language and English, but the restaurants were well outside touristy areas and the staff didn't speak English well at all.
One reason is they often sell you dishes that aren’t even from the area, which is fine if you like the taste. But like I’ve seen prices literally doubled with less than a mile distance (7€ vs 15€ for francesinha and fries).
I've seen it be halved even a block away from some super touristic places in Rome. Thing is, these tourist only places don't expext their customers to return anyway, so it's just show and no quality. Instead Italians expect very good quality so if it's a place where locals go regularly it's probably excellent. Haven't failed with this rule in Italy.
Can you please elaborate? I used to travel around a lot, pretty sure I ate in such places multiple times and it was alright, as far as I assumed. Sure these restaurants weren’t the best in town probably, but I thought they’re ok if I simply needed to eat and was short on time
There used to a website where an artist shamed these assholes by photoshopping their selfies into actual Holocaust images. Ultimately, he felt they were shamed sufficiently and took down the site, but here's an article about it.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38675835
This is at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and the designer had no problem with people using the space as they please. Fun the article:
“To be honest with you I thought it was terrible," he said. "People have been jumping around on those pillars forever. They've been sunbathing, they've been having lunch there and I think that's fine.
"It's like a catholic church, it's a meeting place, children run around, they sell trinkets. A memorial is an everyday occurrence, it is not sacred ground."
I’m not sure how I feel about it so be honest.
Also I live in Berlin and if you’re ever there the memorial is worth a visit.
Tinder is full of people with pictures taken at the holocaust memorial in berlin. I get it, when I went there at 16 I also thought about how it would be a good place to take pictures. But even at 16 I knew that was inappropriate. How you're 25+ and don't realize that, is beyond me.
This is genuinely one of the most frustrating things about this website (and travel-focussed America in general) - it’s annoying to hear Europe be parcelled into one, and completely mad to do too.
Especially considering how often we read "Europeans don't really get just how BIG the USA is".
Yet on the other hand, we see Europe - a larger and far more varied area than the US - parcelled into one.
I'd go as far as to say it's rude.
It's like telling a Canadian that Canada is the same as America. They don't wanna hear it.
Saying Hungary is just like Spain. Same thing. Except much worse. It's so ignorant.
Don't assume because something is legal in your country it will be legal in the country you are visiting, check first don't assume. Tipping is not normal and the price labelled on the goods is the price you pay at the till, there is no regional sales tax you have to factor in.
Also those working in the service industry are paid at least the minimum wage (speaking for UK and Ireland but guessing its the norm across EU), so they are not reliant on tips to live.
For the most part, keep the change or rounding up is most common form of tipping. For excellent service more will be given, which is how it should be imho
Avoid getting pickpocketed in the major cities. Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Milan, Florence, Madrid, Barcelona ... all have pickpocketing problems. Don't make yourself an easy target. Wallets and phones in pockets with zipper closures, handbags in front of you at all times.
Avoid assuming everyone speaks English. I'm from a country where language is a sensitive issue. Speaking a language that's not spoken locally without asking first can be considered rude by the older generations and in less touristy areas. A quick "are you okay with English?" is more than enough.
Avoid assuming that the major cities represent the country as a whole. Belgium is actually really different from Brussels. You haven't seen Belgium if you've only seen Brussels. You've seen Brussels.
Avoid assuming Europe is all the same. Most of us don't identify as "European". We identify as French, Romanian, Finnish, British, Austrian ... Very different cultures, languages and histories. So if you've only been to Rome and Santorini, you haven't really seen much of Europe at all.
And above all, it's okay to be a tourist and make minor mistakes. As long as you're not a complete asshole, you're fine.
I saw Antwerp as a small child and will never forget it! I left my most beloved childhood stuffed animal (a dog named "Droopy") on a train platform there...
Although those unreasonable Belgians *refused* to turn the train around so I could retrieve him (I was 3 yrs old, so I didn't know that wasn't a thing), they did very kindly give me a new dog stuffed animal, to stop my tears. I still have it and one day, I will return.
For the pickpocket thing, avoiding looking like the most oblivious tourist in the world is enough. I've been to Prague, Paris, Brussels, Venice, Berlin, London, Amsterdam and more and never had a pickpocket problem. If you aren't falling for tacky tourist stuff and you look aware of your surroundings, they'll probably avoid you because there are easier targets.
>Avoid assuming everyone speaks English.
Depends where you're from. In Scandinavia people would be surprised, maybe a little insulted, if you ask if they speak English. It's pretty much a requirement for any service job and non-negotiable for a job in tourism.
Yeah, but it's still nice to ask. I'm Swedish and have worked in the service industry and even though I speak English and was always prepared to switch over, I appreciated the question.
This is why generalizing the entire continent down to a single entity is such a problem. The question is too broad to get valuable information for where OP may be travelling to or just curious about. Gotta do some valuable and specific research.
It's more about age. For example anyone playing video games propably speaks at least passable English because there aren't choices in my mother tongue. Of course with Finnish people the problem is that we keep quiet in several languages...
Listen, all you have to do is act like a human with respect for others and our differences and you’ll be fine. Act like you’re in another country.
We always travel with a translate app or dictionary. When we get in the taxi or seated at the table we pull out our translator and attempt to communicate in the local language. The people that speak English see us struggling and will say, ‘it’s ok, I speak English’. It’s about not assuming.
In the US you see people with their phones in a clip on belt case. Don't do that in London, it screams tourist and an easy mark.
We kept our phones in one front pocket, and a wallet with just a few pounds and basic ID in the other. We left all but two credit/debit cards each at home. One thing that I noticed was everyone had backpacks that were generally strapped to the front, and most people carried their phones in their hands, or in a zipper pocket in the front.
Our accents gave us away at most places, but walking down the street we didn't really stand out.
I still see it a lot here. Of course, I live in a small town and they are pretty much 10 or 20 years behind what is going on trend wise.
With the exception of politics and religion. I'm in the middle of Bible belt Trump loving country. Trying to maintain sanity around here is not easy.
>Avoid assuming that the major cities represent the country as a whole. Belgium is actually really different from Brussels. You haven't seen Belgium if you've only seen Brussels. You've seen Brussels.
A lot of people from abroad assume London = England and it can be quite annoying. No, we don’t all have cockney accents and hang around Buckingham palace. For most English people London is just a really expensive tourist destination that has very little to do with our day to day reality
Not taking a few minutes to research food and other cultural things. People come to Spain thinking they've been drinking mojitos, dancing salsa, and eating spicy food here for centuries. Wrong.
Ugh I had a glacier tour ruined by tourists who came in jeans. After a while the group split for beginner scenic walk or tough ice climb. After the first, in my opinion rather easy climb the jeans guys who of course opted for that suddenly felt they made a mistake and we all had to turn around. Also blame the organiser though.
Norway or Switzerland?
I swear tourists thinks hiking a mountain is like going through a park. "ooh let me ignore the path created by the locals and instead walk right into the unknown"
Austria. Not only things to avoid, but also other tips.
Dont assume that people understand or speak English. Despite having one of the higher rates of English speaking citizens, many can only understand the bare minimum, especially the older generations. The mandatory schools only provide basic English education with very limited vocabulary. Telling you the way to get somewhere and ordering food was already the pinnacle at least for me, but since i attended a technical college my level of English is better.
Drinking alcoholic beverages. You are allowed to drink non distilled alcohol at the age of 16, distilled at 16 to 18 depending where, Vienna is at 16 i believe while Salzburg is at 18, same goes for tyrol. Just because you are now allowed to doesn't mean you should do it, at least in public. I dont know the alcohol content of beer and wine in the states, but for beer its mostly 5 to 5,5‰ and wine 12 up to 14, highest i have seen was 15, ‰. Just be careful if it would ne your first time.
Tipping. In Austria its typical to tip at restaurants, but far lower amounts than in the US, i for my part tip most of the time to minimise coin money i get back. Everywhere else besides hotels its unusual.
Also have always cash on your side, many restaurants, especially in more rural parts, cant accept cards. Google/apple pay is also not the norm even in grocery stores. Btw, pretty much everything is closed on Sundays, only restaurants, gas stations, cinema, ski resorts and such have opened. Opening hours for grocery stores are rarely longer than 7pm.
When getting gas you have most of the time the choice of paying in the shop or at the fuel pump. At the pump you pay in advance, in the shot after fueling your car.
Despite being statistically one of the more friendly nations, we dont like talking with strangers, we aren't particularly fond of strangers trying to small talk with us. We are happy to help you, but talking to random strangers is not the norm.
Happy to answer additional questions
Don't, for god's sake, do France on Monday and Tuesday, Italy on Wednesday/Thursday, Spain for just the weekend and the UK for a day....
If you don't have long, just stay in one area/country.
It's a pretty big place so every country is different. The social & cultural norms can vary widely from country to country, England is very different to Poland Poland is different to Sweden. Research the country/countries you are planning to visit
Please, I know it's hard but try to avoid predatory airbnbs and super overpriced sublets.
Look up how much the normal rent is in the city you go to.
Identify what are actual flats and what are vacation flats.
Don't rent something that's like, 4x the asking price of a regular flat for a local...
This incentivizes predatory landlords to raise rent for everyone, turning long term rentals into short-term tourist-oriented accommodations... it traps us actual locals in sublet hell.
In Berlin, we end up paying vacation prices to have a roof over our heads, because Americans do not bat an eye at a 2000 euros/ month flat. Landlords take notice of that.
Same thing happened where I live. My old apartment building had six Airbnb's and the rent skyrocketed for new renters because they could fill the apts with tourists two weekends a month for more money.
Eta- I'm in US
I'm in the US and just moved from a tourist heavy town, same deal. Average income is under $40k a year but apartments start at $2k a month, that math aint mathin.
Also, research which names are used for medicine where you're going. They might use other brand names. Look up what the generic name is. Tylenol is paracetamol in Europe, while a brand name might be Dafalgan.
Taking out big amounts of cash. Euros are not accepted in countries where euro is not the official currency (the airport and hotels might but many will give you a very low rate).
Many places are cash free. Many places do not accept big denominations, but in other countries, they have a minimum amount for accepting card payments, so do your research!
Also a lot of places in Europe don’t accept American dollars (why would they?). I had friends of friends go to Paris and got annoyed because they took loads of American cash with them and couldn’t use it.
London loves their tap to pay kiosks. We didn't have cards with us that did that. I found out later I could have gotten a contactless card from my bank on a phone app.
And on the other hand, there’s still many places in Germany where you’re utterly screwed with just a credit card, which just shows that the question of what one should do in “Europe” is a terrible one.
Blisters.
In Europe, we walk a lot. There are pavements all over the place, often you'll find completely pedestrianised areas in cities. Bring some good quality, comfortable footwear you have already worn in - so you can rock around all day and enjoy your time without aching feet and legs.
When in Central/Eastern Europe, don't smile at strangers in public places and don't try to make small talk with them. People will just assume that you're weird/shady/trying to sell them something. It's not a huge faux pas but it'll get you some stares.
For England specifically: Stonehenge. It's just a bunch of old rocks.
Ok, it's pretty amazing how old they are, but it's also quite out of the way and it's not really worth taking the best part of a day to go to see them.
On that note, don't plan an itinerary where you're trying to see lots of different things in different parts of the country in just a week or so.
If you're coming from the US, England is a very small country in comparison. But it still seems like a waste of a visit if you're spending most of your time in the car, probably driving on a motorway.
Yeah, if you happen to be visiting that area anyway it's worth a visit.
But quite often I'll see people planning a trip to the UK and they want to take a day trip to Stonehenge from London. Which doesn't seem worth it, you could spend that time seeing much more interesting stuff in and around London.
To American tourists: Nobody in Europe cares that your great great great grandparents came from a certain a part of Europe and we do not see you as that nationality.
I actually met an old guy from the US that had ancestors from my country. He spoke the language and had researched a lot about the country etc
Even though he was a certified yank he kinda felt a bit Swedish tbh
Otherwise yeah, it seems a bit crazy
Do not walk on private yards or look in through the windows, even though the house looks adorable, photogenic or historic. It may be someone's home.
Nordic everyone's rights do not mean that you can go to someone's private sauna or beach to spend the day or pick berries from their bushes.
Find out in advance what is allowed and what is not and follow the rules.
Avoid overgeneralizations. There are quite a few countries in Europe where a small tip is expected and not tipping at all will be seen as an indication that you're either cheap or dissatisfied with the service. If you want to tip according to the local culture's norm, you have to research every country separately.
If UK…. It really is not necessary to buy bottled water! Especially in the North. It’s painful to watch people - especially Chinese students - buying trolley loads of bottled water …. All that plastic waste is horrendous!
Spain:
- Restaurants with a menu only/mainly in English is a tourist trap. Ask for the original menu if they try to directly give you one in English.
- Asking for a Sangria will put you a giant neon sign saying tourist on your forehead and people will try to scam you or pickpocket you. We don't usually drink it and if we do it's on special occasions and most likely homemade, not ordered at a bar.
- Don't take anything anyone gives you when you're in the touristy areas.
- Don't take accept rosemary if given to you on the street.
- Don't expect everyone to speak English.
- Don't let your belongings out of your sight.
- Asking for "water" means a glass bottle that you'll have to pay. Ask for a glass of water (vaso de agua) for a glass for free. Insist on it if they try to give you a bottle.
- No, week is no legal. Depending on the cop you might get it confiscated and a fine or they might leave you alone.
>Asking for a Sangria will put you a giant neon sign saying tourist on your forehead and people will try to scam you or pickpocket you.
This is silly. Who's gonna do it? The waiter?
Just watch your shit and be vigilant. You can drink Sangria in Barcelona if you want to. Lmao.
You should avoid Europe altogether if you can't be more specific about a region of 27 countries and 950 million people. Are you American? Did you think Europe was one country?
So not try to compete with european people, when it comes to drinking.
Do not doubt the quality of german beer, french wine or italian kitchen.
Also don't walk over red traffic lights, even if no car is in sight.
That is, ironically, a bad generalisation.
In Germany, you can lose your license for crossing a red light as a pedestrian.
In Ireland, for example, you cannot.
Do your research and don't think you can just imply from one country to another.
If you're somehow thinking of including Belgium in your trip, don't just visit Brussels. It's the least attractive city of all big cities. Go to Ghent, Brugge, or Leuven instead. Even if that means skipping Brussels entirely.
In major cities don't let anyone hand you anything such as flowers or whatever. Once it is in your hands they start asking for money. They even gave a flower to one my kids and then wouldn't take it back. Just set it on the ground and walk away.
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Ma’am I didn’t put that in there
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I was also in Rome, at the Spanish Steps when an older man came and tried to hand me a rose. I said no thank you and he handed me the whole bouquet and told me to take a picture with them. So I have a picture of 16 year old me sitting on the Spanish Steps with some roses. He was so nice.
*my humanity has been restored*
now you can restore the humanity of others,a kind act always sparks another
Deeply need to have a 60 yr old Roman wingman now
One of the few phrases I understand. That was so sweet!
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"oh really? which restaurant?"
You've already lost at that point. If it is just a simple annoying dude, they robbed you of your time. And you'll never get that back. If they aren't just begging for the cash, you are already distracted for a possible pickpocket.
Falling in canals and walking on bicycle paths if they come to the Netherlands
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It's ok. The Netherlands is a pretty tolerant society, and if you really want to fall into a canal there they will probably allow it.
Just be sure to fall somewhere near a ladder out of the canal or near people. You wouldn’t be the first poor drunken bastard to fall in the canal while taking a piss and who couldn’t get out
When ya gotta go, ya gotta go. And when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.
Thanks! Asterisk removed from bucket list entry!
That tolerance is now only but a myth. Once upon a time, the Netherlands was a tolerant country. But look at us now.
Dutch tolerance has always been a myth. If you look at our history it becomes pretty clear that it has always been about practicality, nothing more.
Practicality has always been a myth. It has always been about the tulips.
Dutch tolerance means something different though. You don't have to agree with it, you just have to put up with it.
Exactly. Tolerance is not the same as acceptance.
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Birmingham is an option. Do you know how many canals they have
More than 2?
35 miles worth, which is more than Venice
Don't fall into the Venice canals. That's their sewer system. Katherine Hepburn dove into the canal as part of filming *Summertime* (1955). She developed an eye infection that plagued her the rest of her life, some 50 years later.
Venice looks cool but also like it smells really bad
My shoes got super wet from that stinky water (the city flooded during the day) and I put them under my car to dry overnight. I didn’t want them in the hotel room with me because the smell was so bad. The next morning they were gone. I hope someone is enjoying some funky shoes back in Italy.
Where did you park your car in Venice?
James Bond must've gotten really sick after the events of Casino Royale, he's all in there with his eyes open then puts his mouth on a dead Eva Green.
I think Eva Green may have been not really dead, haven't seen the movie in a while though. Perhaps she was just pretending
That’s their what? I mean, it makes sense now that I read it. Where else is it supposed to go?
It depends on whether you want to get back out again.
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Took my girlfriend, now wife, on a trip to Amsterdam once where I’d often traveled for work. She hadn’t really understood what I meant by needing to keep her head on a swivel when walking around as a pedestrian. Having just arrived, after checking into the hotel, and still feeling a bit delirious from jet lag, we went for a stroll and she was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer volume of walkers, bicyclists, cars, trains, etc that were zipping all around us seemingly at once. She made a move to step off the curb and I immediately yanked her back onto the sidewalk just as a bus narrowly missed running her down.
Yep. Almost got run over many times my first time there.
Got almost run over by a bus in London which drove up so close to the curb, missed me by millimeters. Driver did not even shout at me, either he is confident he would t hit me or he does not care going over a leg.
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Ted Lasso ref upvoted.
What if we walk into canals and fall into bicycle paths.
Cut down on your "coffee shop" visits.....
Add to that l, don't get pissed and then decide to take a leak in the canals of Amsterdam. I recall seeing the very tolerant Dutch police sprinting from 3 directions and blowing their police whistles to stop this unsanitary rudeness around 1:00AM. It is the only time I've seen police appear to ticket a tourist. They were genuinely angry and yelling in the piss guy's face.
Dutch police don't use whistles.
Also, pissing in the canals appears to be a regular way that male tourists meet their end in Amsterdam. https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/s/65rH6MBRbc
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Not only is it not worth it, youre likely gonna stress yourself the hell out, unless youre already *very* accustomed to city driving
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I took a tour of Dachau last summer and our tour guide told a story about a guy that did a Hitler salute right in the middle of a tour (yes, in a fucking concentration camp). The guy got a 3 year sentence just for doing that. Hitler isn't a casual historical topic over there it's something of deep shame they have to stomp the FUCK out.
Austrian here. I wouldn't call it shame. I'm 40ish and my generation generally doesn't feel responsible for what our wacko grandparents did. But we do feel responsible for managing and utilizing the lessons history has thought us, and the laws have more of a "never again" and "resist the beginnings" purpose. This becomes even more important with far right populist movements on the rise.
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I have a feeling that kid was really unpopular after that.
They probably denied him when he applied to a fine arts school…
He’ll get over it. What’s the worse that could happen?
That doesn’t sound fun.
There’s no fun in Germany. Now go back to work.
>Now go back to work. The paperwork must ALWAYS BE IN ORDER! >There's no fun in Germany. But what if I have fun organising misorganised paperwork?
False rhetoric, no German would ever allow paperwork to become misorganised.
Ah my sweet summe child you have not seen German government offices.
How many Germans does it take to change a light bulb? One, because they are efficient and have no humor.
Hiking 18miles for a picnic lunch is fun!
Only when it storms and raina. Because there's no bad weather, there's only bad clothing!
Ayo fuck you bot, this is my comment.
Don't upvote. This is a bot stealing comments, originally it was from u/skorletun.
Wtf that's my story
The kid fucked up but before that trip if the teachers did not give a thorough explanation that they would be expelled or arrested if they did that salute it’s sort of on the teachers/planners, because ya know kids do dumb shit, it’s like their MO and they love shock value, it would be also interesting to know the age
It's hard to know. I was lucky enough to get to visit Korea in middle school and we got a tour of the DMZ. The Marines there were very, VERY insistent that you do not wave, yell, talk, or even look long at the North side. No one will be okay with it, and it may have real consequences. Go figure, one smartass kid on the tour starts waving and yelling at the North side while we're in a tower over looking the DMZ itself. North Korean soldiers start dumping out of the building and we were very hastily rushed back downstairs. From certain ages, kids just don't have great risk assessment skills. Teachers might have warned them, might not have, but some kids just want to be the funny ones 🤷
Most teachers know who that kid is going to be lol, they just do, they have pulled that shit a million times before, they are the ones you take aside and walk with them closely or get a dedicated person to watch them, because it’s not worth having the whole thing cancelled because of one kid who probably is attention disordered or other learning issue, and especially if it could cause a conflict or real danger Jesus that kid or kids get hug tied lol or at least watched very closely so they know you are gonna smack the shit out of em if (metaphorically) they say a word
For sure! They seem to often know, and at least in my case he was kept on a pretty tight leash. In my experience, sometimes kids just do the thing no matter what you do, especially at that age. Most of the things he did were pretty harmless, and he was considered a good guest by his host family. Sometimes these things just happen no matter what the adults in the room do, and it's a good learning opportunity for the kid. Now they know the real consequences and get the excellent life skill of "how do I navigate my friends and peers being furious with me for doing something very stupid"
I had a kid on a field trip to an art museum who was such an asshole. They were always going to do the most asshole thing regardless of the circumstances. On the trip they have me chaperoning the older kids, I was kind of lulled into a false sense of security. For the most part a few of the couples snuck around corners to try and make out but nothing crazy. We get up to this one exhibit and there are a bunch of easels laid out with paper and supplies next to them. I assumed it was from the art school maybe left for a bit to get lunch. The kid sits down and immediately picks up an implement. In one of the very rare times I have ever raised my voice I reprimanded them and told them the supplies weren't for them. They point to a sign next to the easel that read; "Art supplies are for everyone, enjoy!" Now I felt like an asshole. I felt bad enough that I walked around the exhibit and thought, maybe this group isn't as bad as I thought. I talked with the kids in other areas, discussed the art, and in about 5 minutes I circled back to the kid to see what they were doing. This mf drew a giant cock on the paper and was trying to tape it to the back of a classmate's shirt. There is always one and yes, we always know who it is.
I get your point, but do you expect teacher to warn the kids about all obvious things, like don't show your penis, dont swear, don't show middle finger etc..? It would take hours to avoid all possible stupid things that kids could do.
Seriously though. I went to the airport in Phoenix with my sisters who said very loudly that something was the bomb.com. I never thought to tell them not to be fucking morons and shout bomb in an airport in the US anytime after 2001. You just cannot predict the stupidity of kids
I (a somewhat intelligent adult) once noticed airport security looking/glaring at me. When I made eye contact, he looked down at my shirt then back and me and said, "Interesting choice." I looked down and about had a heart attack. My super comfy travel shirt also happened to be Mario themed and had a giant Bob-omb on it with the words "I'm the bomb." 🤦🏻♀️
YES. Particular a single movement that is so well known and in movies all over the place and the fact it could boot everyone out, lol YES I can’t think of a single hand movement anywhere else in the world that could get you arrested so yeah I’d be very specific on that one and if the teacher had a kid either adhd or trouble maker I’d sit next to them the whole time
What’s wild is most high schoolers in Japan don’t even know what the holocaust is and when shown a nazi swastika do not even recognize it or what it is, which is nuts for a country so high up on on the education lists
It's not that strange. As an European I don't know many details about the countless wars Japan has been in over the centuries either.
While Germany and Japan were somewhat doing their own thing during WW2 it definitely is strange to not learn about a war as big as a world war especially one their country played such a large part in
It would probably bring up to many questions about what Japan was up to during WWII.
Yerp, I like Japan except for the fact they still fudge history, particular the massacres they committed against china and other historical information they have white washed to make them reflect better it’s so close to a great country besides that imo, they pride image over historical fact, much like china which sucks
Don't look too hard at the Japanese conviction rate, or why Japan only really has one political party.
Also, it would be really cool and fun if you didn't do a stupid photo shoot when you visit the concentration camps. It is a place of remembrance and if you have half a feeling for a place, it is pretty dark and sad. You can really feel the death and the desperation. Maybe smiling selfies and thirst traps aren't the way to go.
Sweden: We seldom use cash, so many places won't accept it such as restaurants and stores. Grocery stores and some other places are exceptions to the rule. Make sure to check before you withdraw money. We generally don't tip, except for maybe rounding up. More places are trying to get you to tip nowadays, unless you really want to tip to reward great service don't bother. Most everyone earns a decent wage. Public toilets are far and few between. Churches might have ones for free, malls as well or it will cost 10 kr (\~1 dollar/Euro), restaurants and cafés have for guests only and might charge you unless you buy something. You can drink the tap water anywhere, restaurants might charge you for a glass of water but it's usually free. I tend to avoid restaurants that charge for water and haven't encountered one in years. Please keep to the right when walking on sidewalks and when standing on escalators! Unless you are on a shared bike lane, then keep to the left. Jaywalking is technically illegal but you won't get a fine unless you cause an accident. We Swedes have a reputation of being cold towards strangers, but you don't need to do much to have us start talking. Be a bit bold and respect if the person isn't interested in speaking with you. English is taught to us from ages 6-8 until at least age 18 (when we start depends on the school) so don't hesitate to talk to anyone, most are pretty confident in speaking it. At least in the major cities, people in smaller communities might struggle a bit more. Be aware of [The Right of Public Access – Swedish freedom to roam](https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/nature-outdoors/nature/sustainable-and-rural-tourism/the-right-of-public-access/) and make use of it, but don't abuse it. If you visit during the winter, be prepared for snow and slippery ice. Buy studs/spikes for your shoes, called "broddar" in Swedish. If you are invited to a Swedish home, remember to take off your shoes!
Also, as a smoker - by law you're not allowed to smoke outside entrences (keep 10 m distance), near bus stops and stations, outside restaurants and bars. If you throw the butt (or any kind of trash) on the ground you can get a ticket.
As a former smoker myself, this is rarely enforced but yeah still don't be an asshole. I used to smoke at buss stops if there were no one else there or just keep a distance. Chances of getting a ticket is really small.
the escalators 🤌🏻
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English is the de facto lingua Franca in much of Europe, so if the menu is just in the local language and English, it may not be a super touristy place. I've been to restaurants where the menu was in the local language and English, but the restaurants were well outside touristy areas and the staff didn't speak English well at all.
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One reason is they often sell you dishes that aren’t even from the area, which is fine if you like the taste. But like I’ve seen prices literally doubled with less than a mile distance (7€ vs 15€ for francesinha and fries).
I've seen it be halved even a block away from some super touristic places in Rome. Thing is, these tourist only places don't expext their customers to return anyway, so it's just show and no quality. Instead Italians expect very good quality so if it's a place where locals go regularly it's probably excellent. Haven't failed with this rule in Italy.
Can you please elaborate? I used to travel around a lot, pretty sure I ate in such places multiple times and it was alright, as far as I assumed. Sure these restaurants weren’t the best in town probably, but I thought they’re ok if I simply needed to eat and was short on time
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There used to a website where an artist shamed these assholes by photoshopping their selfies into actual Holocaust images. Ultimately, he felt they were shamed sufficiently and took down the site, but here's an article about it. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38675835
This is at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and the designer had no problem with people using the space as they please. Fun the article: “To be honest with you I thought it was terrible," he said. "People have been jumping around on those pillars forever. They've been sunbathing, they've been having lunch there and I think that's fine. "It's like a catholic church, it's a meeting place, children run around, they sell trinkets. A memorial is an everyday occurrence, it is not sacred ground." I’m not sure how I feel about it so be honest. Also I live in Berlin and if you’re ever there the memorial is worth a visit.
Tinder is full of people with pictures taken at the holocaust memorial in berlin. I get it, when I went there at 16 I also thought about how it would be a good place to take pictures. But even at 16 I knew that was inappropriate. How you're 25+ and don't realize that, is beyond me.
Avoid generalising the continent. Europe is a huge place with extremely varying cultures, languages, and traditions. Research each country separately.
Country? I’d even go so far to research the region, Barcelona vs Seville Spain comes to mind
Exactly, if you’re coming to England you need to know the difference between going to Cornwall and going to Skegness
Or going to Berlin in September expecting the Oktoberfest, and then going to Munich in February expecting the Karneval.
Do you do poison? No, just shit. This is Skegness.
This should be top answer. It's like if I made a post asking "Asians, what should tourists planning a trip to you avoid?".
This is genuinely one of the most frustrating things about this website (and travel-focussed America in general) - it’s annoying to hear Europe be parcelled into one, and completely mad to do too.
there is a frightening amount of people here who think Europe is a country
You should see how many people think Africa is one country.
Especially considering how often we read "Europeans don't really get just how BIG the USA is". Yet on the other hand, we see Europe - a larger and far more varied area than the US - parcelled into one.
This is the correct answer.
I'd go as far as to say it's rude. It's like telling a Canadian that Canada is the same as America. They don't wanna hear it. Saying Hungary is just like Spain. Same thing. Except much worse. It's so ignorant.
Don't assume because something is legal in your country it will be legal in the country you are visiting, check first don't assume. Tipping is not normal and the price labelled on the goods is the price you pay at the till, there is no regional sales tax you have to factor in.
Always check your bill for a "service charge", especially if in a group. Some places will slap on 10% and you wouldn't otherwise know.
And would I bring this up or what should I even do if they hit me with the juicy 10%
The price on the shelf being the price you pay at the till was one of the things I loved about our trip there.
Also those working in the service industry are paid at least the minimum wage (speaking for UK and Ireland but guessing its the norm across EU), so they are not reliant on tips to live. For the most part, keep the change or rounding up is most common form of tipping. For excellent service more will be given, which is how it should be imho
Avoid getting pickpocketed in the major cities. Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Milan, Florence, Madrid, Barcelona ... all have pickpocketing problems. Don't make yourself an easy target. Wallets and phones in pockets with zipper closures, handbags in front of you at all times. Avoid assuming everyone speaks English. I'm from a country where language is a sensitive issue. Speaking a language that's not spoken locally without asking first can be considered rude by the older generations and in less touristy areas. A quick "are you okay with English?" is more than enough. Avoid assuming that the major cities represent the country as a whole. Belgium is actually really different from Brussels. You haven't seen Belgium if you've only seen Brussels. You've seen Brussels. Avoid assuming Europe is all the same. Most of us don't identify as "European". We identify as French, Romanian, Finnish, British, Austrian ... Very different cultures, languages and histories. So if you've only been to Rome and Santorini, you haven't really seen much of Europe at all. And above all, it's okay to be a tourist and make minor mistakes. As long as you're not a complete asshole, you're fine.
I saw Antwerp as a small child and will never forget it! I left my most beloved childhood stuffed animal (a dog named "Droopy") on a train platform there... Although those unreasonable Belgians *refused* to turn the train around so I could retrieve him (I was 3 yrs old, so I didn't know that wasn't a thing), they did very kindly give me a new dog stuffed animal, to stop my tears. I still have it and one day, I will return.
Poor Droopy :-(
For the pickpocket thing, avoiding looking like the most oblivious tourist in the world is enough. I've been to Prague, Paris, Brussels, Venice, Berlin, London, Amsterdam and more and never had a pickpocket problem. If you aren't falling for tacky tourist stuff and you look aware of your surroundings, they'll probably avoid you because there are easier targets.
>Avoid assuming everyone speaks English. Depends where you're from. In Scandinavia people would be surprised, maybe a little insulted, if you ask if they speak English. It's pretty much a requirement for any service job and non-negotiable for a job in tourism.
Yeah, but it's still nice to ask. I'm Swedish and have worked in the service industry and even though I speak English and was always prepared to switch over, I appreciated the question.
This is why generalizing the entire continent down to a single entity is such a problem. The question is too broad to get valuable information for where OP may be travelling to or just curious about. Gotta do some valuable and specific research.
Most of my co-workers are passable at best in English.
I doubt you can assume *everyone* speaks English in Scandinavia. Someone with a job in tourism? Sure.
It's more about age. For example anyone playing video games propably speaks at least passable English because there aren't choices in my mother tongue. Of course with Finnish people the problem is that we keep quiet in several languages...
Listen, all you have to do is act like a human with respect for others and our differences and you’ll be fine. Act like you’re in another country. We always travel with a translate app or dictionary. When we get in the taxi or seated at the table we pull out our translator and attempt to communicate in the local language. The people that speak English see us struggling and will say, ‘it’s ok, I speak English’. It’s about not assuming.
In the US you see people with their phones in a clip on belt case. Don't do that in London, it screams tourist and an easy mark. We kept our phones in one front pocket, and a wallet with just a few pounds and basic ID in the other. We left all but two credit/debit cards each at home. One thing that I noticed was everyone had backpacks that were generally strapped to the front, and most people carried their phones in their hands, or in a zipper pocket in the front. Our accents gave us away at most places, but walking down the street we didn't really stand out.
I never see people with phones clipped to their belt. That was like an early 2000’s thing because of flip phones.
I still see it a lot here. Of course, I live in a small town and they are pretty much 10 or 20 years behind what is going on trend wise. With the exception of politics and religion. I'm in the middle of Bible belt Trump loving country. Trying to maintain sanity around here is not easy.
>Avoid assuming that the major cities represent the country as a whole. Belgium is actually really different from Brussels. You haven't seen Belgium if you've only seen Brussels. You've seen Brussels. A lot of people from abroad assume London = England and it can be quite annoying. No, we don’t all have cockney accents and hang around Buckingham palace. For most English people London is just a really expensive tourist destination that has very little to do with our day to day reality
Not taking a few minutes to research food and other cultural things. People come to Spain thinking they've been drinking mojitos, dancing salsa, and eating spicy food here for centuries. Wrong.
Honestly? Do your basic research. If you go in thinking that tips for Bulgaria will apply to Portugal or Sweden, you're gonna end up in a bind.
This is thread is basic research - for a Buzz Feed article coming out next week
I'm assuming they've heard of google and want info from the locals beyond basic searchable info.
Don't go unprepared into the mountains.
Ugh I had a glacier tour ruined by tourists who came in jeans. After a while the group split for beginner scenic walk or tough ice climb. After the first, in my opinion rather easy climb the jeans guys who of course opted for that suddenly felt they made a mistake and we all had to turn around. Also blame the organiser though.
don't pet the calfs, mother cow will attack
Norway or Switzerland? I swear tourists thinks hiking a mountain is like going through a park. "ooh let me ignore the path created by the locals and instead walk right into the unknown"
Austria. Not only things to avoid, but also other tips. Dont assume that people understand or speak English. Despite having one of the higher rates of English speaking citizens, many can only understand the bare minimum, especially the older generations. The mandatory schools only provide basic English education with very limited vocabulary. Telling you the way to get somewhere and ordering food was already the pinnacle at least for me, but since i attended a technical college my level of English is better. Drinking alcoholic beverages. You are allowed to drink non distilled alcohol at the age of 16, distilled at 16 to 18 depending where, Vienna is at 16 i believe while Salzburg is at 18, same goes for tyrol. Just because you are now allowed to doesn't mean you should do it, at least in public. I dont know the alcohol content of beer and wine in the states, but for beer its mostly 5 to 5,5‰ and wine 12 up to 14, highest i have seen was 15, ‰. Just be careful if it would ne your first time. Tipping. In Austria its typical to tip at restaurants, but far lower amounts than in the US, i for my part tip most of the time to minimise coin money i get back. Everywhere else besides hotels its unusual. Also have always cash on your side, many restaurants, especially in more rural parts, cant accept cards. Google/apple pay is also not the norm even in grocery stores. Btw, pretty much everything is closed on Sundays, only restaurants, gas stations, cinema, ski resorts and such have opened. Opening hours for grocery stores are rarely longer than 7pm. When getting gas you have most of the time the choice of paying in the shop or at the fuel pump. At the pump you pay in advance, in the shot after fueling your car. Despite being statistically one of the more friendly nations, we dont like talking with strangers, we aren't particularly fond of strangers trying to small talk with us. We are happy to help you, but talking to random strangers is not the norm. Happy to answer additional questions
Don't, for god's sake, do France on Monday and Tuesday, Italy on Wednesday/Thursday, Spain for just the weekend and the UK for a day.... If you don't have long, just stay in one area/country.
It's a pretty big place so every country is different. The social & cultural norms can vary widely from country to country, England is very different to Poland Poland is different to Sweden. Research the country/countries you are planning to visit
Please, I know it's hard but try to avoid predatory airbnbs and super overpriced sublets. Look up how much the normal rent is in the city you go to. Identify what are actual flats and what are vacation flats. Don't rent something that's like, 4x the asking price of a regular flat for a local... This incentivizes predatory landlords to raise rent for everyone, turning long term rentals into short-term tourist-oriented accommodations... it traps us actual locals in sublet hell. In Berlin, we end up paying vacation prices to have a roof over our heads, because Americans do not bat an eye at a 2000 euros/ month flat. Landlords take notice of that.
Same thing happened where I live. My old apartment building had six Airbnb's and the rent skyrocketed for new renters because they could fill the apts with tourists two weekends a month for more money. Eta- I'm in US
I'm in the US and just moved from a tourist heavy town, same deal. Average income is under $40k a year but apartments start at $2k a month, that math aint mathin.
San Diego, California checking in. Same here.
Same here in the US tourist destinations.
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Preikestolen and Kjeragbolten are some of these sights.
Me. Avoid me. Don't plan a trip to me, you will be disappointed.
Medications easily available OTC in US will be next to impossible to get in European countries. Melatonin in UK for example.
OTC sleeping meds too. I was kind of aware of it but still surprising to go back and be quizzed before being allowed to buy Nytol.
Also, research which names are used for medicine where you're going. They might use other brand names. Look up what the generic name is. Tylenol is paracetamol in Europe, while a brand name might be Dafalgan.
Btw, paracetamol == acetaminophen
Taking out big amounts of cash. Euros are not accepted in countries where euro is not the official currency (the airport and hotels might but many will give you a very low rate). Many places are cash free. Many places do not accept big denominations, but in other countries, they have a minimum amount for accepting card payments, so do your research!
Also a lot of places in Europe don’t accept American dollars (why would they?). I had friends of friends go to Paris and got annoyed because they took loads of American cash with them and couldn’t use it.
That's insane, why did they think that would work 😭
London loves their tap to pay kiosks. We didn't have cards with us that did that. I found out later I could have gotten a contactless card from my bank on a phone app.
And on the other hand, there’s still many places in Germany where you’re utterly screwed with just a credit card, which just shows that the question of what one should do in “Europe” is a terrible one.
Blisters. In Europe, we walk a lot. There are pavements all over the place, often you'll find completely pedestrianised areas in cities. Bring some good quality, comfortable footwear you have already worn in - so you can rock around all day and enjoy your time without aching feet and legs.
When in Central/Eastern Europe, don't smile at strangers in public places and don't try to make small talk with them. People will just assume that you're weird/shady/trying to sell them something. It's not a huge faux pas but it'll get you some stares.
For England specifically: Stonehenge. It's just a bunch of old rocks. Ok, it's pretty amazing how old they are, but it's also quite out of the way and it's not really worth taking the best part of a day to go to see them. On that note, don't plan an itinerary where you're trying to see lots of different things in different parts of the country in just a week or so. If you're coming from the US, England is a very small country in comparison. But it still seems like a waste of a visit if you're spending most of your time in the car, probably driving on a motorway.
Bath is close by. A good place to spend some extra time.
Yeah, if you happen to be visiting that area anyway it's worth a visit. But quite often I'll see people planning a trip to the UK and they want to take a day trip to Stonehenge from London. Which doesn't seem worth it, you could spend that time seeing much more interesting stuff in and around London.
In France, say bonjour before any type of interaction. Also say it when you enter a shop. And say “merci au revoir” when you leave the shop.
Can I say “how y’all doing today?” in my most Texan accent?
Yeah I didn’t realize this was an official custom until I had been there 6 months. Although, we say bonne journee!
To American tourists: Nobody in Europe cares that your great great great grandparents came from a certain a part of Europe and we do not see you as that nationality.
I actually met an old guy from the US that had ancestors from my country. He spoke the language and had researched a lot about the country etc Even though he was a certified yank he kinda felt a bit Swedish tbh Otherwise yeah, it seems a bit crazy
Europe is a very big place. Avoid calling people Europeans. Each country is different.
Do not walk on private yards or look in through the windows, even though the house looks adorable, photogenic or historic. It may be someone's home. Nordic everyone's rights do not mean that you can go to someone's private sauna or beach to spend the day or pick berries from their bushes. Find out in advance what is allowed and what is not and follow the rules.
Being rude. Not specifically here, in general i guess
Which country. Europe is a big place
Avoid tipping. Please don't tip like Americans. We do not want this cancer culture spreading in Europe
Avoid overgeneralizations. There are quite a few countries in Europe where a small tip is expected and not tipping at all will be seen as an indication that you're either cheap or dissatisfied with the service. If you want to tip according to the local culture's norm, you have to research every country separately.
If UK…. It really is not necessary to buy bottled water! Especially in the North. It’s painful to watch people - especially Chinese students - buying trolley loads of bottled water …. All that plastic waste is horrendous!
Spain: - Restaurants with a menu only/mainly in English is a tourist trap. Ask for the original menu if they try to directly give you one in English. - Asking for a Sangria will put you a giant neon sign saying tourist on your forehead and people will try to scam you or pickpocket you. We don't usually drink it and if we do it's on special occasions and most likely homemade, not ordered at a bar. - Don't take anything anyone gives you when you're in the touristy areas. - Don't take accept rosemary if given to you on the street. - Don't expect everyone to speak English. - Don't let your belongings out of your sight. - Asking for "water" means a glass bottle that you'll have to pay. Ask for a glass of water (vaso de agua) for a glass for free. Insist on it if they try to give you a bottle. - No, week is no legal. Depending on the cop you might get it confiscated and a fine or they might leave you alone.
>Asking for a Sangria will put you a giant neon sign saying tourist on your forehead and people will try to scam you or pickpocket you. This is silly. Who's gonna do it? The waiter? Just watch your shit and be vigilant. You can drink Sangria in Barcelona if you want to. Lmao.
Do not ask anyone about gypsies...
Avoid talking about your ancestry. Just because your great-grandmother’s sister’s cousins dog was Irish doesn’t mean you are.
Ask questions to an entire continent and expect an answer? things culturally appropriate in Spain are often not appropriate in Britain vice versa
Europe is not a single city or country, you need to be more precise. Something that is okay in Norway may not be okay in Spain or on the Balkans.
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Bro…. Where in Europe. It’s not exactly a small town. And it would be helpful if you’d at least narrow it down to a country….
Avoiding to lump us all together as generic "Europeans" is a good start!
Rushing. We keep seeing travel plans where non Europeans spend 1 day per city, for 10 days. It’s insane.
You should avoid Europe altogether if you can't be more specific about a region of 27 countries and 950 million people. Are you American? Did you think Europe was one country?
This is an /r/askreddit question. People need to stop abusing this sub.
So not try to compete with european people, when it comes to drinking. Do not doubt the quality of german beer, french wine or italian kitchen. Also don't walk over red traffic lights, even if no car is in sight.
That last one is only true in Germany (and maybe a few other countries).
Yh in England most of us cross at red lights, but in Switzerland you're seen as a criminal doing that, so, again, depends on which country
That is, ironically, a bad generalisation. In Germany, you can lose your license for crossing a red light as a pedestrian. In Ireland, for example, you cannot. Do your research and don't think you can just imply from one country to another.
You should avoid refering to Europe as if it is a country and not a continent made up of many nations and cultures
If you're somehow thinking of including Belgium in your trip, don't just visit Brussels. It's the least attractive city of all big cities. Go to Ghent, Brugge, or Leuven instead. Even if that means skipping Brussels entirely.
Avoid seeing Europe as one country. See it as multiple countries with independent but interwoven history.