Traveling in Europe can be many things to many people. It can be a backpacking trip while you’re in college, or it could be the romantic trip of a lifetime that you take when you’re retired. Either way, there are some things you should probably know:

• Look Into Visa Waivers - Obviously, you need a passport to travel to Europe, unless you’re an European national. If you’re an European national, you don’t need to be reading this page. For Americans and Asians, you will probably need a visa to enter a European country. However, certain countries have a mutual ‘visa waiver’ program. Generally, for a short stay, if your country is on a list of permitted countries, and you fulfill some other set of criteria (such as being free of criminal records), you can obtain a ‘Landing Visa’ or a ‘Visa Waiver’ allowing you to enter the country for tourism or business purposes. You fill out a form on board the plane, and the border inspector asks you a few questions and stamps your passport. If they’re suspicious, they’ll ask you more questions; in extreme circumstances they’ll refuse to grant a landing visa. This method of entry is generally much cheaper and easier than obtaining a visa in advance. You should either ask your travel agent, or Google ‘visa waiver’ or ‘landing visa’ and your destination country to ascertain whether you are eligible for such a process.
• Explore Cut-Price Airlines - European countries did not deregulate their airlines until recently. As a result, many cut-price airlines are still in experimental phase with respect to their pricing and schedules. This means you can sometimes find total steals in terms of air fares. The last time Tip Dude checked, Ryan Air and EasyJet were two operators that were offering really cheap flights in Europe. There are probably more charter operators out there also. It is always worth checking if you can get a good deal on these mostly intra-European operators, even if you’re only flying from London to Amsterdam. Of course, the in-flight experience varies, and a message board such as Flyertalk would give you the low-down.
• Stay At Youth Hostels - Youth hostels are something of a European phenomenon, although it has recently spread over to North America as a way to find accommodation cheaply. Hostels are generally located in somewhat marginal areas of downtown - not unsafe, but some degree of caution should be exercised. They offer bunk accommodation with many youngsters sleeping in one big room. Some have male-female segregation, some are co-ed and some of the more upscale ones would have a limited number of suites (but almost always you’d need to share bathrooms with other guests). The thing to remember about hostels is that everyone else who stays there is traveling, too, so they probably mean no harm. But most people are traveling alone or in small groups, so they’ll likely want to chat and you’d be expected to provide a little company. Most people have fun stories to share and perhaps travel tips about particular cities they’ve visited. Obviously, beware of your surroundings and never leave valuables out of sight. If you’re hosteling, travel light.
• Or Stay At A Bed And Breakfast - If youth hosteling sounds too rough for you, try looking for a bed and breakfast. Bed and beakfasts are basically small hotels that are converted stately homes that are generally situated in historic neighborhoods close to the downtown. Sometimes, the owners occupy one master bedroom and rent out the rest of the rooms to vacationers. There is generally a dining room and home-cooked breakfast service. The owners are usually very hospitable people and would have tips on where to find lunch and dinner in nearby restaurants. All in all, bed and breakfasts offer a much more intimate experience in a much more down-home, local setting than multi-national hotel chains could. Tip Dude has had very good experience with bed and breakfasts in a variety of European cities (and also in Vermont). Review marketing literature published by the various tourism boards, and you will find more information about these interesting small-scale hotels.
• Understand The Language Barrier - If you’re traveling to a country where the main language is not English, it is good to pick up a tourist phrase book. The trouble is that you’d be pegged as a tourist (and therefore attract crime) if you are running around with a phrase book. In France, for example, most people speak some English, but generally refuse to speak it on principle. If you memorize some of the phrases and try to use them, they’ll speak perfect English back to you and make you feel stupid. But the objective is to have a good experience, and memorizing these silly little phrases shows you’re trying your best to be a good visitor, and it is appreciated. If you simply ask for directions in English, they’ll give you the answer in French slang spoken faster than you could shake a stick at. So, study your phrase book in advance and try to be a good diplomat and make it seem like you respect the host countrymen. Most of them will help you and speak English to you, to show their respect of your country and your little attempt at learning their complex language. If you have three left tongues, at least make yourself learn the basic please, thank you, excuse me, and the word ‘toilet.’
• Buy Travel Guidebooks - Tip Dude generally don’t use guidebooks, but everyone who has used a Lonely Planet guidebook say they are pretty good. Most large bookstores have a section on travel guides. The reason travel guides are helpful is because a region’s most interesting spots are usually not immediately obvious from the flyers in the hotel lobby or the booklet at the tourist office. The most interesting spots don’t need to do that kind of advertising. You will want to spend some time before you actually get there in researching the destination and what you would most like to see. For many people, this is an important step in the vacation - the anticipation phase. So, do yourself a favor and buy a guidebook, read the relevant sections before leaving home. Plan out all the things you want to see and figure out how you’re going to get there. Once you’re on the road, hide the guidebook and keep it for reference only - you don’t want to be pegged as a tourist.
• Travel On High Speed Trains - High speed trains are generally a very expensive way to travel in Europe. It can be fun, to experience something that we don’t have in North America, and it does get you from city to city very fast -usually in under 3-4 hours. It’s certainly preferable to flying. However, do be aware that one thing it does not offer is cruise-like comfort. For those of us used to Amtrak travel and its leisurely pace, its sleeper cabins and its dining cars - high speed trains are not like that; they are built for the business traveler, focus on speed and convenience rather than luxury. You will find laptop plug-points and perhaps even wireless Internet; you will not find leather or velvet upholstered seats, and the curtain (if it’s there at all) will likely be cheapish, plastic, and value-engineered. If you’re after a land-cruise type experience, you would need to find an outfit that specialize in land cruises, such as the Venice-Simplon Orient Express.
• Beware Of Rental Cars - The only reason you’d want a rental car in Europe would be to visit a rural area where you have a friend - and therefore need some flexibility in scheduling. Europe has quite an anti-car culture and parking is a problem in every city. Gas is very expensive, and the roads are generally much narrower than in the U.S., and people drive a lot faster on these winding narrow country roads (because they’re used to it). If you want to see rural areas but don’t have any specific destination in mind, package tours on-board tour buses are usually the best bet. If you must rent a car, be aware that your U.S. drivers’ license may not be acceptable in all European countries. You may also be asked to leave a hefty deposit. Also, the road signs may not mean the same things they do in the U.S., and could be written in the local language. In the U.K. they drive on the left side of the road. Even if you’re visiting with a local friend, it’s always better to leave the driving up to the locals. If you ask them how to get to their location by bus or train, most Europeans will be very happy to come pick you up at the train/bus terminal if their location is truly rural and inaccessible.
• Try Package Tours - Package tours are highly recommended, for those traveling alone and in small groups. Package tour operators generally have local contacts that allow them to do certain things that you as an individual wouldn’t be allowed to. For example, there might be preferential admissions, or be offered private tours that others don’t generally get to see. Even if you choose to travel to and in Europe without a tour group, some tour operators offer short tours within Europe that depart from a city and end in another. Instead of making travel arrangements, you could use the package tour to complete one leg of your travel. However, be aware that most of the tours require advance reservation/booking. You will be able to find some of them through online resources, but you should also check with a travel agent because sometimes they are aware of valuable information about specific tour operators or specific tour programs that you wouldn’t be able to find out on your own.
• Beware Of Pickpockets and Fraudsters - Tip Dude hears stories all the time about American tourists getting pickpocketed in Rome, London, Paris, Amsterdam (but never seem to in Frankfurt). It’s hard for Tip Dude to imagine, since he’s never been pickpocketed all the time he lived in Europe. However, based on the collective experience, it should be said that pickpockets in all European countries operate in different ways. They’re pretty creative. You sort of need a generic city-sense to understand how to avoid getting pickpocketed. It’s not really something that can be taught in a tip-format. You just need to be constantly aware of the possibility of petty crime. The best advice Tip Dude can give is probably, ‘Do not trust strangers.’ If you see some shady character in the subway, he is probably cruising for bags to steal. Keep your bag with you at all times. Do not ask some random person in the airport to watch your bags while you go to the bathroom - take the bags to the bathroom with you. Use traveler’s checks and credit cards, do not carry cash. Keep your passport with you at all times (so that in case you drown, they can identify you - and so that they don’t steal it and sell it to some illegal immigrant who will assume your identity). Strap your camera to your person. Do not leave any valuables in hotel rooms. If someone seems really friendly and offer unsolicited advice, beware - they might be a scam or con artist. Don’t get too drunk in the company of strangers. Blah blah blah. The list goes on. If you maintain suspicion, you’ll not become a victim to a petty crime, you’ll have a great time, and you would (like Tip Dude) wonder how anyone could get stuff stolen from them in Europe. If you let your guard down, you’ll be that Midwestern tourist who returns from Paris and complains about having all their cash taken. There, that’s probably the best advice Tip Dude can give on that topic. Oh, and don’t forget, you’re much less likely to get gunned down or knived in Europe than you are in the U.S. - so if you think someone is about to rob you, just walk away. Run away if you must.

What are your tips for traveling in Europe?

• Top Ten Tips - Riding Public Transit In An Unfamiliar City (10)
• Top Ten Tips - Adding More Walking Into Your Day (2)
• Top Ten Tips - Traveling In A Group (1)
• Top Ten Tips - Orienting Yourself In A New Neighborhood (0)
• Top Ten Tips - Going Dumpster Diving (7)