Travel Smarter European Tips
Do's/Don'ts & Facts to help you
This information will apply to most European countries, it is mainly written to apply to Central Europe, specifically for travel in Austria, Germany
"AN OUNCE OF SAUCE
COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS."
Anthony Bourdain
Do's.....
DO Enjoy the differences. In a foreign country, keep in mind you are the foreigner. Be observant of how locals handle themselves. Adapt to their ways. Learn a few basic greetings, even if you butcher them, the gesture will be appreciated.
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DO Expect your personal space to be smaller. In public places people will stand closer to you, or even lightly bump into you without “saying excuse me”
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DO Drink the water straight from the tap. It's clean, safe and delicious. When a European waiter hears a customer ask for water, the waiter often will ask “Still or Sparkling?” This means to assume you are about to pay for a bottle of water and the waiter will most likely frown when you ask for (free) tap water!
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DO use cash, Euros, to pay for most food and item purchases. Many local owned restaurants, shops and small businesses either charge extra to pay with credit cards, or do not accept them.
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DO Expect to pay a small sum (50cents) to use the WC, or Toilet.
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DO Learn to say the local greeting, i.e. Austrian “Gruss Gott”, and basic phrases. Most Europeans are more formal than most Americans, so be very polite and respectful in businesses, in shops, on the subway, etc.
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Do Pay the waiter at the table, in most restaurants pay your waiter or waitress direct (not at a cash register). Include
the tip when you pay them because it is considered insulting to leave it on the table.
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DO Take the famous advice from an unknown traveler “Bring half the clothes you think you'd need and twice as much money as you need.”
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Don't .....
Don’t expect that all your travel plans will go exactly as planned. Expect Murphy's Law to occur occasionally (Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong) and then adopt the best positive attitude, knowing you’ll have a good story to tell when you get home.
Don't confuse the 24 hour clock with 12 hour clock used in US. Europeans use the 24 hour time system, so the day starts with “00:00” (zero-hundred hours, or midnight). Time between 01:00- Noon is the same as AM. After Noon, 12:00, the hour count continues until reaching 24 (midnight). To convert the after noon time between 13:00 (1:00 pm) up to 24:00 (midnight), try subtracting 12 from the hour, e.g. 18:21/6:21pm
DON’T travel without a coin wallet, or pockets, because since the lowest paper money is 5 Euro (€), you will have a lot of 1 Euro (€) & 2 Euro (€) coins, and you'll need the necessary 50 cent coins for the public bathrooms!
DON’T try to spend US Dollars in Europe. US Dollars are NOT accepted as currency. It is recommended to order Euros from your local bank. While on the trip use your ATM to withdraw Euros.
DON'T risk being misunderstood by asking for the 'bathroom' - they might think you need a bath! Instead, opt for the more direct and universally understood terms like WC or toilet. Trust me, it's the smarter choice.
DON’T Carry all your credit cards and cash with you. On your daily touring you should only have the amount of cash you plan to spend that day, a single credit card, and your local drivers license as an ID.
Don't expect Austria & Germany to be the same. Austria and Germany may share a language and cultural similarities, but it's important to recognize that Austrians are not Germans. With over 8 million people from various ethnic backgrounds, Austria is a unique country with its own identity and history. So let's celebrate Austria for what it is - a diverse and vibrant nation of Austrians.
DON’T expect to find diet drinks, Dr. Pepper, or ice tea. The best you’ll get is Coke Light, or Neste tea in a bottle.
And don't expect a lot of ice in your drinks!
Don't mix up the ground floor with the first floor, because in Europe, they're not the same thing! The ground floor is level zero, and the first floor is level 1. So, if you're staying in room 220 at a European hotel, make sure to hit Floor 2 on the elevator, even though it'll technically be on what Americans would call the 3rd floor.
