My Top Europe Travel Tips
We have now officially been back from Europe for a week, much to my dismay, and now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I want to share my 11 top tips that I learned while traveling to, and in Europe, especially if it’s your first time, much like it was ours! This list will include everything from experiences (+ the process of those experiences!), things to pack, and just general tips that I feel like I wish I would’ve been able to find online when I was researching for our trip in the early months of 2023.
Image Credit: Olga in Paris for Flytographer
Europe Travel Tip No. 1
Research Where You Are Going!
I know this one may seem really obvious to some, especially if you’re like me and you love to plan, and wouldn’t even remotely dream of going somewhere without researching everything about it; but if you’re not like that, I highly recommend you start. Even though North America and Europe have similarities, they are not the same, and you should absolutely know some basic cultural differences such as tipping culture, things that could be considered rude or not socially acceptable, and if you’re going somewhere that the official language isn’t a language you speak, some basic phrases to get you by.
For example, when we were researching about Paris, we learned it’s considered impolite to greet someone in English who says “bonjour” to you, always respond back with “bonjour”, or “bonsoir” if it’s in the evening, and then proceed to speak English afterwards. Given that we are from Canada, we did have enough French to follow up with “Je ne peux pas parlez Francais, es que tu parlez anglais?” (I don’t speak French, do you speak English?), which I think really came in handy for us.
Europe Travel Tip No. 2
Never Assume Everyone Speaks English
Piggy-backing off the last tip is to actually learn those basic phrases in other languages because you should never assume that everyone you come across does speak English. Especially things like “I don’t speak (language), do you speak English/(other language)?”/ Though I definitely don’t speak for anyone other than myself, I feel pretty confident that locals will more than likely appreciate you not just assuming that they speak English, and putting some effort into respecting their language, them as people, and the fact that you are visiting their country, where English may not be the first language. That all being said, most people do speak English, but putting the effort in as a tourist visiting a foreign country goes a long way.
Europe Travel Tip No. 3
Have a Good Pair of Sneakers for Daily Use
Another one that probably feels very obvious for some is making sure you pack a good, comfortable pair of sneakers because I promise you, you will be doing a lot of walking. If you live in North America, especially, you’ll notice it’s a lot more walking than we’re used to. Europe is filled with excellent public transportation systems that are easy to navigate, and very walkable cities, unlike here, so unless you’re really desperate to take a car, you will be walking a lot on old cobblestone roads, and your feet are going to hurt — I promise you. Don’t wait until your trip to break your new sneakers in either, make sure they’re comfortable before you get there.
Europe Travel Tip No. 4
Bring a Battery Bank
Whether it’s a battery bank, charging phone case or MagSafe battery attachment, make sure you have some kind of option to boost your phone’s battery. Between videos, photos and using Google Maps to get around, your phone battery is going to drain quickly. I personally used my MagSafe battery pack from the time we left our hotel for the day, and took it off once it was dead, and usually that wasn’t until the early afternoon, and my phone was around 90% for the rest of the day. By the time we’d get back to the hotel, it was usually around 20%. If you want to be able to continuously take photos and videos, do not forget this item when you leave your hotel everyday!
Europe Travel Tip No. 5
Purchase Tickets in Advance
While we were in Amsterdam, we witnessed more than one person walk up to Anne Frank House hoping to buy tickets for that day, only to be left disappointed as there were no tickets left for the day. Popular museums and tourist attractions that require tickets go fast, and usually require you to book well in advance. Unless it’s a quieter museum, do yourself a favour & book in advance. I bought tickets for everything we did weeks in advance, with the exception of the Rijksmuseum, but we were just barely lucky enough, because tickets were sold out within minutes of us purchasing ours.
Europe Travel Tip No. 6
Book a Flytographer Photoshoot
I will admit, I might be a bit biased about this one myself because we had such a lovely experience with Olga from Flytographer, but if you’re traveling to one of your dream destinations, not just in Europe, but anywhere in the world, just budget to do a Flytographer shoot so you have beautiful, high-quality memories for life from your trip. If you’re interested in booking your own shoot, you can use this link, or code EMILYLAVINSKAS to save yourself $25 USD on your first shoot with Flytographer!
* Image Credit (Below Images): Olga in Paris for Flytographer.
Europe Travel Tip No. 7
Get Familiar with Common Tourist Scams
One thing I’m so glad that I made sure I knew when we travelled to Europe was common scams done to tourists in each country we went to. Yes, we’ve all heard of the infamous pickpockets of Paris, but did you know that there’s tons of other scams meant to target tourists going on? From selling fake Metro tickets, to friendship bracelets, and even fake petitions, there's a never-ending list. Getting familiar with these common scams made me feel confident everywhere we went that I wasn’t going to be a victim of one, and once you know, it’s pretty easy to identify. I highly suggest learning them before your trip so you can protect yourself, because try as you might, you’re probably going to look like a tourist and they will take advantage of that.
Europe Travel Tip No. 8
Leave Room in Your Suitcase for Shopping
One big mistake I made was that I filled my suitcase way too much thinking I somehow wouldn’t end up doing a lot of shopping (plot twist: I did). Thankfully we brought a collapsible duffel bag that we could check on our flight home, which I’m so grateful we did, or I would’ve been buying another small suitcase while we were in Paris, but it’s just easier if you prepare for this scenario from the get-go. You could do a collapsible bag like we did, but if you’re bringing back any alcohol, you’ll probably be like me and worry the entire flight that they got broken 😅 Either pack light in your carry-on, or leave room in your checked bag for your souvenir (and regular) shopping while you’re there!
Europe Travel Tip No. 9
Learn Your Way Around the Local Transit
Make sure that wherever you go, you know how to get back to your hotel just in case your phone dies, or you are unlucky and lose it/have it stolen. Whenever we went out, we made sure we knew the name of the station near our hotel, and what line went to it, and made mental note of our route so we’d know how to get back to our hotel. I know that can be easier said than done, but I promise you, you’re going to be thankful that you can confidently get around if you need to, instead of looking confused and getting taken advantage of (yes, there are even taxi scams there, so be wary!).
Europe Travel Tip No. 10
Take the High-Speed Trains to Country Hop
If you’re planning on going to multiple cities/countries like we did, take advantage of their high-speed trains instead of flying, if you can! We exclusively took these trains between all of the cities, and not only are they comfortable and efficient, but you can also bring your own food and alcohol to consume on board (within reason, of course)! We even saw someone with their dog on board as well. Plus, once you’re in the EU, all you do is scan your ticket, and on you go; there’s no security or passport control. It’s super efficient, especially if you plan your trip along the routes these trains take so you don’t have to backtrack. Just note, if you’re leaving or entering the UK, you will have to go through security and show your passport since they’re no longer a part of the EU.
Europe Travel Tip No. 11
Purchase a European SIM Card
Last but certainly not least, purchase a SIM card for Europe/whatever country you’re heading to, or if your phone supports it, an E-SIM, to avoid paying ridiculously expensive roaming fees from your carrier at home. I bought an E-SIM for the first time, instead of a physical SIM card, and it was extremely convenient to not have to worry about misplacing my home SIM card throughout the trip. The only downside is I did run out of data right toward the end of our trip, but because my phone supports an E-SIM, I just purchased a new one through Airalo for the amount of time & data I needed. The best part is you can easily top up your data if you need more throughout your trip! I’ll definitely be using Airalo again for any international trips I take, even short day trips to the US if needed.
I hope this list could help you, whether it’s your first time traveling to Europe, or maybe you’ve been before and just want to see what I recommend, and if you can add any more tips to your own list. If you have any other tips, drop them in the comments below!
