Americans - avoid thinking "Europe" is a place. You're visiting France, Germany, the UK. The idea that "Europe" is one homogenous blob will cause you some issues!
Agree as an American. A lot of Americans think of Europe like a "United States of Europe" with European countries like France, Italy, Germany, etc... being states instead of individual countries within the European Union.
Whilst I agree to an extent, I think a lot of Americans use the term Europe because when they visit, they usually go to more than one country within Europe. So I do understand them saying yeah I’m going to Europe this summer rather than listing 6 countries or something.
@@xLightningbolt If someone said that to me, I'd be asking which countries in Europe. It'd be like someone saying they're going to Asia, it's a little vague.
I recently visited my favourite Mexican restaurant in the UK and there was an American tourist in there screaming at the staff "DON'T YOU KNOW THIS ISN'T REAL MEXICAN FOOD, I CAN GET MUCH BETTER STUFF BACK HOME". Like, who would have thought it was easier to find authentic Mexican food in a country that borders Mexico, rather than a small island nation thousands of miles away!? This is when I realised that the stereotype is real
Plot twist: what they considered "real mexican food" is american tex-mex. In New York two spanish brothers are killing it with a chorizo paella; obviously that's as far away from any kind of paella you can find anywhere in Spain (much less in Valencia) that you can go, but it's very popular in the USA, apparently. Every cook which opens a "my country food" restaurant in a foreign country quickly learns how to modify the original recipe to cater to local tastes.
You recommend American Express to use in the UK, but as someone who has worked in quite a few retailers in the UK, I'd stick with Visa or Mastercard because lots of places do not accept Amex due to the fees you have to pay them to have their cards used in your shop
I use an Amex (purely so I can say "do you take Amex") and the only place I can't regularly use it is on the bus, pretty much everywhere I normally go to takes Amex these days, even corner shops and local cafes up north
I've never understood the AMEX model, at least from the '90s when I remember it. It is not a credit card at all but some kind of third party debit card that all banks, even archaic USA banks now provide to their customers by direct debit. Amex charges 5% minimum to the retailer. Visa/MC you can get less than 2% depending on volume and are well established. Of course the wokerati are in charge of the payment networks and can cancel people and businesses on a whim for thought crimes so maybe AMEX will make a comeback even if it charges so much for pretty much nothing otherwise. ETA: The small biz I used to work for would accept AMEX, but the customer would have to soak up the 5% fee. All the (foreign export) customers would agree to this. Apparently the banks with collusion of parliament have now made it illegal for a retailer to charge more than cash value for any transaction and can't card add fees meanwhile they can add VAT to everything.
@@Drew-Dastardly The cashback / rewards on Amex tend to be a lot better than on other cards; and the people that have them tend to be richer than average. And rich people tend to spend more money. I use it wherever possible in the UK. The places that I visit regularly that don't accept it are One Below (Pound Shop), Gregs, and Screwfix. B&M Bargains, Iceland, B&Q, Poundland, Aldi, and Lidl used to not accept it but now do.
Saying Bonjour before you ask for anything in France is a real pro-tip!! It's considered very rude not to do it, and you're starting every conversation on the wrong foot. Random people can and will ignore you, service people are forced to keep interacting but will resent you for it. Just say bonjour. It does not matter that you, personally don't feel it's a big deal, that does nothing for the widespread social expectation. If someone says bonjour to you pointedly, it's because you fucked up and didn't say bonjour; you should apologize and say bonjour.
Or as I experienced it in Alsacia: you don't say "bon jour" and people will reply in French and pretend they can't understand you. Start with a smile and "bon jour" and suddenly everybody spoke my native German and was very happy to chat.
Honestly, as a Brit I always say hello or excuse me when asking people stuff here in the UK so I thought it absolutely baffling somone would just walk up to a French person and not say bonjour first 😂. I think I annoyed the Germans in Berlin by being overly formal too.
@@jordyboy62 No, people in Berlin are annoyed (and annoying) by nature. The mere fact that you exist and have the gall to ask a question is an exquisitly inconsiderate imposition on their daily routine and hence worthy of the deepest loathing that could possibly be expressed in a couple of syllables - resulting in a "Ja, wat?" being shot at lethal speed at your ears while a poisonous stare will pierce your eyes. Most Germans agree that it is best not to ask questions in Berlin and if you absolutely must, be ready to run for your life. My apologies to the two friendly Berliners that I have had the pleasure to meet over the years.
Omg the memorial thing. There is one square in Kraków, Poland with a Holocaust memorial in the former ghetto area and it has chairs scattered around. Too many people climb up on those and mess around without knowing what it is. Another time in Warsaw I have seen people taking selfies or dumb pictures with the Warsaw Uprising monument. Like I know it looks cool and epic but telling your child to go up to it and stand in a way so the gun of the figure points at them is NOT funny. I won't even talk about the outrageous things people do in Auschwitz sometimes cause I have no patience left for it. 🙄 Common sense seems to not exist nowadays.
Don't even, I went to visit Sachsenhausen concentration camp outside Berlin and 1 member of the group kept asking where they killed people and asking "like Auswitchz?" also taking photos of literally everything while smiling. It was so unsettling and just disrespectful. Even the Americans there were on their best behaviour.
I assume this is made for an American audience because there is nothing more infuriating to many of us than describing Europe as a country. The diversity of culture, language, history, food, attitudes…… across the 44 countries in the continent of Europe is immense. The delights and experiences of travelling to Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Romania, Greece, Lithuania……..etc.etc. are all very different as any true traveller will delight in.
Someone pointed out that when people travel to Europe they often visit many countries, so it becomes more convenient to say Europe. I am from South America and visited like 6 countries in one trip, so I kind of get the generalization when researching what to do. (As long as it is understood that there are many countries with vastly different cultures)
Exactly…that does not change the fact that it is infuriating to the ‘natives’ to be grouped under a banner that merely describes a continent, not a country. Even stating ‘Western Europe’ or ‘Eastern Europe’ or ‘Scandinavia’ or ‘the Balkans’ would be less irritating.
Depending on how you count them, there are 50 countries in Europe. Just think of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England those 4 countries of the nation the UK. There are others with a similar skew.
@@NotJulius44 Nope. Europe is a continent. UK belongs to it but is not part of the European Union. It's not United Europe, it's European Union. Union of European countries. There are borders, just nobody controlling them. Most countries speak different languages and have different history, customs, some of them have different currency. They have separate political systems and they make decisions for governing the country. Different types of democracy. UK has Parliament, Poland has Sejm, just as an example. Ministers, presidents, judicial systems - every country has their own. Et cetera
@@InsoIence explain why the demographics have been affected by these uncontrolled borders then. Europe is in the decline of native europeans. It is sad. Starting in Greece or Italy, where the migrants can choose where to go after that.
The classic North American mistake is to start with, "I'm going for my first two week holiday to Europe, and I will visit London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Vienna, Zurich, Berlin, Prague and Budapest." And then they see nothing of the cities they visit except the airport and the railway station.
In two weeks I would say you can comfortably visit 2 larger countries like Italy and France, Portugal and Spain or 3-5 smaller ones like Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland or Slovakia, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia. Of course you won't see everything, but you can see a lot, especially if you rent a car.
@@ligametis no you can't, you can maybe visit Rome and Paris, not France and Italy. I think it's better to choose what you want to visit instead of thinking in terms of countries
@@nessuno3783 It gets boring staying in one of those cities for longer than 2-3 days, especially if you have a car at your disposal to freely visit countryside towns, castles and nature.
@ligametis 1) There are plenty of things to do and visit in Rome for way longer than a week, I've never been to Paris, but I'm sure it's the same 2) if you get bored to stay in a city you can visit things that are nearby 3) I agree that visiting the countryside can be beautiful but you need to choose a smaller area, if you want to visit Italy in a week you will only see the highways, pick a region or two and enjoy them
@nessuno3783 In a week I saw Bergamo, Bologna, Florence, Pisa and Rome. In another week I saw Milan, Cinque Terre, Turin, Nice and Monaco. In another week Naples, Caserta, Sorrento, Capri and Bari. Or one week for whole Sicilia. One of these weeks is more than enough Italian experience for a single holiday. Second week you can easily spend in France or elsewhere, that is more interesting I think than spend two weeks in a row just in Italy.
Some extra tips -Really understand the region you're going to. Belgium and Switzerland are both home to multiple languages, so your Bonjour may not be as appreciated in Zurich or Bruges as in Brussels or Geneva. -sometimes a great way to explore a city is to wander around and find the everyday beauty inside the city rather than just looking for the sights, but do turn around if you feel even slightly unsafe.
Totally agree with just wandering around. I was in Dublin earlier this year and took a walk to the harbour. The residential area was just beautiful, with kids playing on the street and people talking to each other with Irish accents.
@@itsgonnabeanaurfrommespeak for yourself. To me the city I grew up in is still stunningly beautiful and I still discover new little things within the architecture.
Little correction to the first one: No Uber in Germany. Over here you actually need professional training to commercially transport people so Uber never became a thing here. Also in Germany *all* restaurants are required by law to have the menu with prices posted outside so there's no surprise in how high the bill is.
No that’s incorrect Yes Uber failed at first, because of the strict german commercial passenger transportation laws, but they changed their concept of hiring drivers and tried again and have successfully entered the German marked 4 or 3 years ago But Taxi companies are still preferrd by the German public (especially by adults over 30 with a regular income) and being subvented by the government
Maybe there is no Uber in small towns or villages, but you will see a lot of Uber and Bolt in bigger cities. I'm from Berlin, and I'm using Uber or Bolt only, as the taxi prices are just mad. My friend from Munich does it too, so you haven't been to a bigger city obviously.
On the restaurants: there's a difference between having a copy of the menu in a display case next to the entrance and those big stand-up displays on the sidewalk the comment is talking about. The latter ones are okay for to-go and fast food places imo, but any "proper" restaurant with a stand-up display that's more than a chalkboard with the daily specials feels just off.
I encountered a tourist once who was trying to find a famous bridge. There was one small problem however; they thought they were in a completely different country. They were so sure of themselves too. It was kinda funny but sad too. (For context you can take these international boat trips along major rivers and I guess they got confused about where they were)
I've had tourist ask me how to get to the tulip fields. It was Amsterdam in october. He didn't understand that there were no tulip fields in the middle of a big city and tulips aren't blooming in freaking october.
@@MartijnPenningssame with one of my friends, she’s Columbian and talked about wanting to visit Amsterdam so she could visit the tulips and windmills. I just smiled and nodded, “Yeah… Tulips and windmills in Amsterdam… Yep” and left it at that, though I did tell her there were other things to see there as well
Danish citizen here. This video is really good! There are lots of good advice regarding travelling in Europe especially: "Do your research at home" and "There are plenty of cultures in Europe, what is polite in one country is frowned upon in another country." Good job Evan! ^^
French teachers use Emily in Paris as an example of what not to do. They are very big on social greetings and take it as a sign of respect. The English don't care so much, but it's worth checking your ground with older people. Particularly if you're American, a bit of old fashioned politeness can go a long way, just don't tell people to "have a nice day!"
Also, in Germany, please do not give a long-winded story about why you need something. I found my ex making this mistake a lot. He would start into a story about what he was doing, why it broke, what broke, and so explaining why he needed an item. And I would often need to interject, “omg, he just needs a Dingsbum!”
@@puellanivis And likewise, if you need something at the kind of store that you need to ask for it, in England it is rude to just bluntly ask for what you need - you’ll get it and go home happy, probably never catching the subtle “You are rude” communications that the British do - but you are talking to an expert in something who will probably know what you need better than you do, so a quick explanation of what you are doing and why you need the thing you are asking for is acknowledgement that this person is a tradesperson who has a skill and not a clerk paid minimum wage to take your money and smile, and therefore polite to do, even if you think you know better.
@@hashbrown4me Be whatever you like, just don't be surprised when people don't treat you serious because you don't want to meet them half way. Nothing more to say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Germany got a lot better about accepting cashless transactions everywhere, thanks to the pandemic. Turns out that the shops were perfectly willing to implement this - it was just the banks charging them extortionate fees, not just for the service, but per transaction on top of that. That's why, before Covid, even the shops that _did_ have electronic payment, only allowed it above a certain sum, because below that, the bank fees would result in a _net loss_ on the sale.
That "it costs too much money!" is just a lame excuse anyway. There are two methods: Either you have to enter your PIN. In this case the terminal will contact the bank sever, check if there's enough money to complete the transaction, and - most importantly - block the amount on your bank account. The shop can be very certain to receive the money. And if something goes wrong, they already have all the data to complete the transaction at a later point. This costs a small fee. Something like 0.01% to 0.03% of the transaction volume, and at least like 1 cent. It's been a while since I worked in that area, so those numbers might be off. But it's not even close to "resulting in a net loss". And yes, the fees are really that small, but if you think about larger chains like a certain swedish clothing store, they make MILLIONS of revenue in a month (and yes, I know how much they made because the firm I worked for worked for that certain clothing store in the area of electronic payment). Then there's the "electronic direct debiting scheme", where you need to sign the receipt. This is totally free of charge for the shop, but in turn they forgo the added security of the other payment method. So, if they worried about "the cost of a terminal" they can simply switch to direct debit, and have no added cost at all, but it's a lot more convenient for the customer. Just hold your card over the terminal, maybe give your signature (mine never looks like how I signed on the card, because those electronic pens are _terrible_ to write with...), and be done with it. No need for spare change in your pockets, and the store also has less cash lying around, making it impossible for any criminal to rob the store. Sorry for the little, hopefully not too incoherent rant, lol.
The only thing I'll say about not carrying a wallet or similar is that if something happens to your phone then you're totally screwed for not just contacting someone for help but also now have no way to pay for anything... this is especially true if you're travelling alone.
@@musanonymouse Kind of, I think. But I can understand, that you don't want to take the risk, if you can avoid it that easily. I mean, you'll probably use your phone for taking pictures, navigating and communication, too. So its much more likely to get damaged. A friend just recently dropped his phone into a well. And I know for sure, that my cards work completly fine after I soaked my wallet a few month ago. Said phone isn't working anymore.
@@musanonymouseNot really, anyone with common sense keeps their cards and cash separate, and doesn’t take all their cash out with them. Relying completely on a phone is a bit silly for any number of reasons.
@@musanonymouse Using only a phone is nothing like using only a wallet. My wallets battery can't die, if I drop it in a puddle I can still spend its contents, my wallet can't have technical difficulties. The odds of having a problem relying on a phone is dramatically higher than card/cash. I actually went out just using my smart watch for paying and found a fair few machines that just didn't like it, plus it took longer to do the transaction than using my card due to having to unlock it. I get that on Apple its faster and more reliable than Android, but 75%+ of people DON'T have iPhones.
I think it's worth pointing out that there are many European countries where it's illegal to not carry a valid photo ID when you are outdoors so you should always have that with you. I don't think most places would have a problem if you are a tourist if you don't have it on you but if you have any kind of contact with the police or officialdom they will ask for it.
“The Pusher” is a reference to the Yogscast where people joked about Lewis (one of the founders) being unhinged as would tend to get in videos and spiralled off into a whole narrative about him being a serial killer who pushes people into the Bristol canals. I believe there were also some incidents where people had fallen in the canals irl which is probably also where the joke originated from.
And also there was a huge ghost story in the media about there being a serial pushing people in Manchesters canals. Loads of bodies but nobody every caught
Also he got the pusher craze after Simon pushed him into that canal. And later Duncan stealthy made a entire background character about it. (But yes there was a time, that due to bad walk paths near bridges, people tumbles into the Bristol waters at a alarming rate).
From my experience, having no cash on hand is risky. So I always go to an ATM to get the equivalent of 30-50€, just in case. It saved me from a card terminal in a bar that just stopped working and too many other situations.
Agreed. But you really don't need more than that, it's rare you can't pay by card, and virtually everywhere will accept some form of electronic payment. That said, some of those are still local, like Swish in Sweden, or Payconiq in Belgium, etc.
Agreed. Also keep a physical card on you instead of just relying on your phone. It's all fine when everything's working but once it fails, then you're screwed. It could be your phone not working or your bank stopping payments by phone
@@joevictor53 Yup, I accidentally dropped my phone in the sea while in Cyprus last year and if I didn't have my travel card with me I would not have been able to pay for anything!
And if your bank locks your card for "suspicious activity" (this has happened to people around me a lot when they travel), you'll want to have some cash around
One thing to add to the public transport thing: check for accessibility if that's a problem for you. I was mostly okay with the london underground (enough escalators and elevators), but the paris metro... stairs, stairs, and stairs forever. We had to get an uber because I couldn't lift my legs anymore
Can I start a question with "Excusez-moi"? Haven't had French lessons for more than a decade and I thought it would work like this as well. (Like, for a bakery it makes more sense to say "bonjour, madame/monsieur", but when you need to ask for the toilets? I'm a bit confused🙈 )
@@DragonriderEpona Very good point starting with "Excusez-moi madame/monsieur, les toilettes s'il vous plait ?" would certainly be acceptable in some cases, like you've been in a bar for some time and you need to relieve yourself ASAP. But then, if you're in the street and you want to ask your way, I would recommend "Excusez-moi madame/monsieur, bonjour, la rue de la République s'il vous plaît ?". That would be my take on this. OFC this is the general idea, the implicit rule is to show people that you respect them, and expect the same in return.
@@DragonriderEpona You can absolutly start with "Excusez-moi" then ask your question. If you're using "Bonjour" (or "Bonsoir" in the evening) you are not even obligated to add "Madame/Monsieur" behind that. I don't really get this point to be fair, this is just a polite way to have the attention of the person you are willing to talk to. I mean, how do you ask something at a random people in your life ? Surely you don't grab his/her shoulder and ask "Bathroom ?".
Oooooh yes the American chain thing 😂. I'm Dutch, I was in London about 20 years ago on a Big Bus Company tour bus, which was actually a lot of fun. The guide/commentator had good humor. Next to us were a couple of young American ladies (early 20s I'd say, maybe even late teens). All they did was point out every Starbucks and other American chains that they saw. At some point they got off to go to Starbucks. At the same stop a couple of American ladies got on (in their 30s-40s) that were thoroughly enthusiastic about the actual sights of London. Lo and behold, a minute or two later the bus driver noticed that traffic in the opposite direction was stopped and it was probably because someone important was heading in our direction. The guide told us we'd try and hang out for a bit, we were across the street from a small church where people were waiting outside. And who got out of the fancy car that arrived a minute later? Prince Charles. Yes, the current King of England. See what you miss out on when you go to Starbucks? 😂
With regard to the American chain fast food: I do think it’s fun to try regional offerings on the menu. When me and my friend (Dutch) were traveling through Eastern Europe when we were in college we tried quite a few burgers or whatever that were not on the Dutch McDonalds menu
For those who visit Finland, I can warmly recommend El Maco. Mexican inspired, delicious. El Maco fries are awesome too, I might like them even more. Sadly, Filet-o-fish & apple pie are no longer available here..
I was a bit shocked at the patisserie display/ offerings McDonald's had in the Czech Republic, and I do like the wraps they have in the UK. It's the only thing from Mc D's I am willing to eat.
11:41 Places that I highly recommend the "touristy guides" are places that change a lot with context. But always choose wisely. For an example, I went to Germany and booked a tour of one of the concentration camps with one of those agencies that offer free walking tours. It was a whole different thing than going by myself because of the context and history in it. Of course most of it was because the guide was great and studied history in college with emphasis on that period. But helped a lot on not being a "empty" visit
5:26 Being respectful in memorial places is so important. My mother is buried in the french cemetery père Lachaise and Maaan do I hate tourists. In the 15 years I came to see her, I cannot count the numbers of time I encountered families wearing shorts, tank top and flip flops having a picnic near my mother's grave. Children screaming and running everywhere, parents laughing and taking selfies, couples kissing or more... I'm so sad to see widows, orphans and other people that just lost a loved one, crying the day of a ceremony and being face to face with (let's face it American's) tourists who doesn't respect the place they visit. It also stand for the catacombs. Even if the deceased are gone since 200 years it's still a place of commemoration of lifes.
Restaurants: My tip is avoid the city centre tourist traps and look in the streets just outside. 9/10 you'll find this is where the locals eat, the food and service are better and half the price. In contrast in the tourist restaurants they know you'll probably never go again so they don't care about the food, service or ripping you off.
Any citation for that? Seems weird to generalize that food and service is better if not for tourists. In my experience, it isn't. It purely depends on the specific restaurant
@@itsgonnabeanaurfromme well that's actually true. When you move a little (like 500 meters) away from tourist area eventually shops and restaurants will be like 30% cheeper instantly. The same applies for railway stations. You do not want to exchange money there or go to cafe. Just move away a little and it will be better. Not so much, but you will have similar quality food for much better prices and better exchange rates
@itsgonnabeanaurfromme that is usually the case, as anyone that lives in a tourist city will tell you. I am all for asking for sources when applicable, but no one is doing peer review articles about "where to find good local food" (well, who knows actually). It is too subjective. It is common for tourist food to be less spicy and such because it will be easier for those not used to it. So if you want what the locals find to be authentic and good, food, you need to go to where they eat.
On top of this, if you have any medical conditions that you may need to communicate it's a good idea to have card written in the local language just in case, this came in very handy when we had to take a diabetic friend to hospital urgently on a visit to Germany.
@@nicolad8822 Surprisingly, we didn't just write "Diabetiker" on a card XD The hospital would've been fine but it was more because we were on a night out and the people we were trying to ask for help (including taxi drivers) thought he was just very drunk.
Good one. I didn't know what Tylenol is; it's a brand not sold were I live. Using generic names will keep you safer, but not every drug is sold in every European country (f.e. warfarin, a commonly used anticoagulant, is not prescribed in the Netherlands). In some countries a proper English summary of your health will suffice (Scandinavian countries, Germany, the Netherlands) but having a good translation with you will help. @@musanonymouse
The thing about not needing cash is probably true of most capital cities, but not all of them, and definitely not all smaller towns and cities. Even in London there are a few smaller businesses that don't have a card reader as it's expensive to rent one. There are also a lot of countries where tipping is expected for restaurants. Tips paid electronically can be stolen from service staff by their employers, so it's often better to tip cash where possible. Although it's true that card payments are the norm in most of Europe, it's probably still a good idea to bring at least some cash most places.
For example Berlin and Germany in general cash is still the preferred paying method in over 60 % of the time and for the majority of germans. Many smaller stores, food places and locations still didn’t accept cards or other electronic payments and even if they take Cards it’s probably only a debit card (card with a chip) and sometimes visa, but usually not amex or master Card (because the stores have to pay a ridiculous high processing fee for every transaction with a amax or master card but not with visa or a bank debit card)
An exception to not going on organised tours. Many small towns have a tourist bus that goes around the main sights. Having had a quick look at everything you can then go back to the places that interest you. In Oxford one of my friends is a bus tour guide who recites his satirical poems between stops. Ask for Andrew.
It’s still the same company in Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford, Edinburgh though? Never pay the turn up and go prices, there are usually discounts to be had.
When travelling in Rome, walking through the city we stopped at the small local eateries where the customers were Romans themseleves, the food was amazing and cheap.
Oh, this is always a golden rule - always go to places frequented by locals, you will be guaranteed they offer the best food. Now, it may also mean waiters don’t speak English that well, but this is where picking up some local phrases may be of great use :)
Also, when you buy a SIM/eSIM in EU (not Europe) you can use it throughout EU WITHOUT roaming charges. That means when you change country (like Spain -> France) you wont pay more for accepting/ making calls from/to US or whatever place you are coming from
With the restaurant comment, I saw both sides of it. When i was younger and walked through this barcelona bay area (forget the exact name), there were a ton of restaurants. Most of them had english signs, english speaking staff, for the majority of the area. The prices seemed normal for us Irish, but in Spain were far too expensive. I think my family wanted to eat somewhere, anywhere, but I think I remember really pushing to not go to those tourist traps unless we have to. Then at the end of the bay was what looked like a hotel with a small doorway and stairway leading up. Turns out, it was just a hotel taking up maybe an abandoned hotel or apartment block. It was very hidden, the staff and the menus were all in spanish, we had trouble talking to them, but in the end the food was amazing. We got really nice food there, and it only cost us 11 euro total per person. It was a steal and those people deserved to have the price higher for the quality, and not for a tourist tax. Then another time in Barcelona, we walked around, found an irish pub and tried it out. As my family are Irish, and it was my first time seeing an irish pub abroad, I was curious. Turns out they sold no irish dishes, the owners were an english family, and when my dad complained about the pizza, one of the daughters had a breakdown. Not what you wanna see as an irish tourist lmao.
In Barcelona, most things are in Catalan rather than Spanish. When I was there, I think the only place I saw Spanish was at the Renfe railway station, which had signs in Spanish, Catalan, and English. The Metro had signs only in Catalan and English.
@@katrinabryceTbf as someone who's been learning catalán for many years, in Barcelona all the official things are in Catalan or bilingual but the vast majority of the people you'll encounter in the service industry are not catalan natives and prefer speaking Spanish. I always ask for catalan and they usually request Spanish instead. I speak both so I switch but I'm always a bit bummed out because I could practice my Spanish anywhere, including in Belgium where I'm from and live.
I was buying things for Ukraine last year in Lidl here in Poland and someone drove up and handed me some perfume though his car window - told me it was a gift. I don't use perfume myself, so I said, "Thanks, I will put it in the Ukraine stuff I'm collecting and send it along with the next trailer load". I wondered how he knew I was buying for Ukraine. :) Then he started pushing me for money. I quickly realized he was one of those people - and I'm certainly not in a tourist area - just a small town south of Warsaw. I seriously was going to put it in the next trailer load for Ukraine. But I ended up shoving it back through his car window and walking away. It left a really bad taste in my mouth. I was really tempted to keep it though and send it to Ukraine. :)
Greeting people in France is hugely important. Any interaction with a person has to begin with a greeting; it's considered extremely rude not to do so and will likely be returned with rudeness or least lack of helpfulness.
If they work in the tourism industry, one would hope they would understand that the people they are dealing with are not French and may not realize that. Hopefully they learned that in tourism school and can be kind nevertheless.
@@beckypetersen2680As a French person, I honestly cannot comprehend how people can start an interaction without starting with a greeting, even though I’m aware it doesn’t seem to be a thing for US Americans. I think it’s so deeply rooted for us, it’s not enough to know of this difference to not find it rude. A comparison I can think of would be if in a culture it wasn’t a big deal to flip someone off, you would still probably find it extremely rude because that’s how you were raised
@@lucie8765 Same, I'm Scottish and saying at least a quick "hi" is an automatic thing for me. I think that not only is it polite, it also alerts a person to your presence and prepares them for an interaction. It gives time for them to tune in to what you're saying, because if you just randomly start talking to someone then they probably won't hear the beginning and you'll have to repeat yourself. I didn't know Americans don't always use greetings and I am confused as to how that works. Are they always listening out for someone talking to them and can fire back immediately?!
@@lucie8765 that's actually interesting. here in russia i would immediately get suspicious if a stranger came up to me and said 'hello'. it would mean to me they are either scummers or just most likely an employee trying to advertise stuff to me. now that i think about it, i perceive it as a red flag when someone i don't know says 'hello' to me on the street. if you are lost and asking for directions, you would say 'excuse me, can you tell me where __ is?' and they'll just point in the right direction and say something like 'two blocks this way and it'll be on your right'. the vibe is you want to be as quick as possible, because you are essentially bothering a person so it is actually polite to take as little of their time as possible. don't get me wrong, 9 out of 10 times people genuinely want to help you, it's just coded that you don't want to bother strangers. hope this helps. but i'd guess it's a big city mentality, in rural areas you might end up having a 30 minute conversation with locals lol.
It's not just the capitals, but a lot of cities in general tend to have good public transport networks in Europe. As a rule of thumb: if a European city has an airport, you probably don't need a car.
The bonjours in France is a real thing. Despite being French, I have lived abroad for 30 years and when visiting France, I tend to forget the bonjours and am instantly reminded them
When I visited in Germany I spent the first four days in Berlin on excellent history tours. The only “tourist trap” on the tour was Checkpoint Charlie. The guard shack (reconstructed) was surrounded by hucksters peddling tourist trinkets! Our guide encouraged us to not buy the “junk.” The rest of my time in Germany was with kinfolk who live in small towns or farms. Using the transit in Berlin was easy, and buying ticket to my other destinations was so simple, that after three weeks in Germany I felt like a native!
I went to Berlin in 1990, just a few months after the reunification, and the the Berlin Wall was still mainly intact and the guard shack was still real (still with real East-German soldiers in it because you still couldn't cross over just like that. Even though the guard shack is a tourist trap it would be sad to avoid it because nearby is the museum with pictures and things used to cross the wall illegally. Or at least I hope this museum is still there because it was well worth visiting.
Checkpoint Charlie really is a tourist trap. .____." (Why would you want to stamp your passport for 5€? People working there didn't seem to be qualified talking about its history either.)
The Bristol Pusher is referring to a inside joke in the Yogscast fandom/group that Yogscast Lewis likes to push people into the river in Bristol hence the "Bristol Pusher" pseudonym.
I went to Amsterdam with my friend and we did a walking tour. The guide joked that there was a point system of hitting foreigners in the bike lane (a lot look like paths). Anyone from Northern Europe, 1 point, southern Europe 2 points, the Mexican in our walking tour group, the rider has won the game 😂. My ex’s mum is from the Netherlands, and he always joked that even when you’re not in the bike path, you’re in the bike path!
Being Dutch, it always amaze me that tourists think it’s not okay to walk in the middle of the street where the cars drive, but somehow it’s okay to walk on a bike path.
When I went to France with my dad, I’ll admit we did go to Subway for lunch but partly because my dad has the food range of a tea spoon. When we went back with my mum, I got a bit more adventurous
Yep, for Sweden, you don't want cash. Many places don't accept cash, and most places that do still prefer and expect cards or some form of mobile pay. I haven't used cash at all in probably six or seven years, and only rarely in the decade before that.
Which wouldn't be too much of a problem if they accept foreign payment as well. I'm not Swedish, I can't get Swish. Quite a pain in the backside when they don't take cards or cash either.
About cash... In the UK absolutely no need, but Poland and Germany from my experience are very cash-centric. It is possible without cash, but you will have to work around a lack of cash, especially for things like German restaurants.
With the car thing, sometimes it is necessary, but pretty much only if you go somewhere somewhat rural. When my family went to Montpellier, we went to a nature reserve and it was only accessible by car.
Regarding tours, I would recommend going to free ones, which almost every large European city offers. These are almost always run by volunteers, and while their English might not be always stellar, volunteer guides tend to avoid tourist traps, as they do this because they want to, not because they are being paid. Also, because these are free tours, they are always on foot and do not last more than 2 hours. Of course, do your research in advance, as some free tours might not be as useful as others.
Even if you can't duo lingo, just learning a few WORDS before you visit is so appreciated! I learn words, phrases, and also check out maps and basic geography before I go.
My friend moved to amsterdam and cycled into a canal. Apparently a common style of bike over there you brake by back pedaling. Not easy to get used to. She was quickly rescued though.
Those bikes are very common in Germany, too. To be exact they're so common, most people who are riding bikes only exceptional, don't know how to brake without that. I had so many people, including teachers and police officers, lecturing me as a kid, how unsafe my bike was, because of the lack of that brake. But, like you said, if you learned riding without, that brake is not the best safety feature...
@@gaedingar9791when I was a child my bike had brakes like that but I was too afraid to back paddle so I would just use the front break. It worked great until I had to brake quickly and flew over my handlebar because only the front wheel stopped. After that I learned to use the back break but I’m glad that my bike now just had two regular brakes on the handlebar.
@@ninamarie177 Under good road conditions (no ice, snow, lots of leaves etc.), only using the front brake is actually the fastest way to stop. You have to modulate the brake such that you’re rear tire is just barely staying on the ground. If you only use the rear brake, you'll stop way slower and if you use both and you're applying the front brake correctly, then the rear wheel will just lock up without providing any noticeable stopping force.
Great video... We were just in Great Britain last year. I thoroughly planned and researched the whole trip so when The Queen died we were able to know other things to do rather than Buckingham Palace and Windsor. No car in London or Edinburgh but I felt I needed to hire a car for our trip to Cornwall... Have more independence/do more. When we were in Edinburgh it was nice to take a day tour into the Highlands, but I'd never plan my trip around tours. Thanks Evan... Great to get your followers' tips.
I also did a daytour of the highlands from Edinburgh and really enjoyed it. Got to see quite a lot in one day and I only had one day so it was nice. Especially good when you want to see the countryside and can't drive yourself.
Unfortunately public transport is bad outside of big cities in UK, compared to other European countries. From what I hear it's better than US but it still doesn't have enough connections and it's expensive. Edit: Oh that said, Scotland is an amazing country that does so much more for its citizens than greedy England does.
@@Oligodendrocyte139 We went to Devon and Cornwall for our holidays this year. B roads in West Yorkshire? Hilly, nice views, two lanes. D&C - B roads twisty turny narrow single lane with passing places if you're lucky. I had to keep the passenger window closed to stop leaves flicking in. Possibly the only place in the country we've been happy to be stuck behind a tractor or bus: they're going to win the "you reverse, not me" argument every time.
The one exception to the American chain thing might be going to KFC in China, as it is very different there and a lot more popular than in the West. Also, I generally avoid getting travel SIMs at the airport and instead research where to get them in a city centre shop, as airports tend to be very expensive.
KFC actually is really good in China. Also Pizza Hut. They serve steak there! And all of those big American fast food chains do have lemonades with small citric fruits in them. (Or at least they used to have 6 years ago when I was there.)
Most cities will have guided tours by a historical society or something like that. Its usually someone who just likes to talk about the local history and they are usually pretty cheap. But stay away from the big companies that sell you guided tours. Those will be available for free online as they just hit the major landmarks 😂
I recommend buying a travel guide (meaning a book) for individualist travelers for the country or reagion you're visiting. It may look old-fashioned, but they save a lot of searching on scattered internet sites of variable quality, and they pay for themselves in no time with practical tips on what to do and what to avoid. You can explore any European city on your own with a day ticket for public transport and a good travel guide. You can use your time on train or bus rides to be informed about the next town or village you're visiting. There may be good apps, too, but they're harder to find.
My sister travels a lot. She ALWAYS has a book guide, especially when planning the trip. It's obviously not the only source she uses, but it's always super useful.
@@lellab.8179 Exactly, of course I also use other sources like hotel booking sites or Google Maps (also for restaurant reviews), but the work that goes into a good travel guide is still absolutely worth it. I know that some people don't even look at them because they think it's an outdated concept, that's exactly why I posted this. There is no good widespread digital replacement yet, certainly not for free, because collecting this kind of information and keeping it current is really time-consuming.
My partner is BBC (British born Chinese), a few years ago her friend from Russia came to visit with her 8 year old daughter. We took her to China town and to a really good restaurant full of Cantonese locals. The 8 year old started crying and said she found it scary. So we went round the corner to the cheapest, nastiest tourist place round the corner, pictures of all the food and an all you can eat buffet for £10. The 8 year old was ecstatic and very happy. All the restaurant staff came out to stare at my partner wondering WTF she was doing eating here.
You can get SIM cards in airports, big train stations, big malls with multiple shops, electronics shops and in small specialized "Telecom" shops on the high street. In countries where they are bound to you - all you need is a valid ID or passport. It'll take a few minutes for the salesman (or saleswoman) to fill in the form, but it is easy and cheap for you. If you can't find a shop when you arrive, just ask a local (hotel staff or B&B owner) for directions. Also something to keep in mind: inside the EU it does not matter where you bought the SIM card, there is no roaming fee in any EU country - so if you visit multiple countries, get the card in the first one and keep it till the end. If you travel between EU and UK you have to ask - some companies still have free (or cheap) roaming, some don't.
@@ketchup901You need a number if you actually want to call anyone. E.g. if you want to call ahead to a hotel that your train is late and they should please wait for you. Always get a number - it's not hard since you have your passport (or some other ID) with you for the travel anyway. BTW: You don't need the ID to recharge the card.
I'm Italian! Little tip, while in big cities you will most likely be able to use a card, in many smaller settlements this won't be the case yet, despite it technically being illegal not being able to take cards😅 So a little cash (in euros) in hand will still be useful!
Iceland is clearly omitted, since you do need a car there, unless you want to spend the whole time just in Reykjavik. There's literally no other way around...not even a train. It's pretty much all villages tbf. You'll never deal with scammers or pickpockets either because people are just that nice. There's only been one recorded bank robbery for goodness sake. Kinda surprised no one mentioned just shopping at grocery stores or other shops, instead of eating out.
Well, you can certainly do that - and you will get the best deal -BUT you won't get any part of the international cuisine experience will you? I mean, most of us would just go buy things we know and regularly use/eat. At least I would. I'm old enough to want to eat out when I travel. If I can't afford that, well, I'd prefer to stay home where I can afford it.
I mean, there are some buses that can be used in Icelend to move around, and a lot of people just go on long hikes. Though of course, car makes it so much easier to go around.
I was actually able to get almost anywhere by public transport even outside Reykjavik. yes, it's not as convenient as a car, but as far as I've seen on the time tables, you can get around the whole island by bus if you have the time. 😊
If you're only in a place for a very short time, then taking a guided tour will give you the highlights. Years ago I was in Boston for one rainy Sunday, on my way back to UK, and I took a guided bus tour. It was a great way to see the city in the short time I had available - especially given the weather. I decided it was a place I wanted to come back to (which i did a few years later) of course the tour was a bit cheesy with people dressed up reenacting throwing tea into the harbour etc ...but still.. In London there's the hop on hop off open top bus tours with audio guides which can also be a way to see the city - I assume they're available in other cities too.. But in general I'd agree with Evan that exploring on your own is much more fun and rewarding, especially if you're going to be staying somewhere for a few days..
ES-flinter had a very good advice, that can be rephrased differently: You are not visiting "Europe", you are visiting several very different countries with different customs and language. (it was, later in the video)
Riding a bike being like playing a videogame irl is so true. I'm Dutch, I'm 26, I have been doing this my whole life, but I still pretend I'm Anakin Skywalker in the battle of Coruscant, or just trying to dodge the white markings or else I lose a life, etc.
I think trying McDonald's in a different country isn't too bad of an idea. Each country has its own specials with some typical coponents. I tried Taco Bell and Jollibee in Madrid because I heard of it and we don't have it in Germany. Not the best, but now I know :). And sometimes you don't have the time to stay at the restaurant for 1h, because you have to get the train back from a day trip to a different town or after you have finally arrived from the airport and just want to eat something. To me, when traveling alone, finding something to eat is pretty difficult. Firstly it is a bit uncomfortable sitting at the table alone. And I can never decide if I shall go here or check another one first. And another one. Maybe the next one. Oh, over there? Nah...But the previous one is too far away now. And then I'll end up at McD's, because it is simply much easier. Don't get me wrong, I love great food :D.
The other thing - sometimes restaurant food in Europe is insanely expensive. McD's may be all you can afford unless you actually just go to a grocery store and eat food like bananas and cereal - which, of course, you can also get at home.
@@benlee6158turist traps are usually exactly in the city center and around turist atraction, so "even" is not really fiting here, more like "especially"😊
I mean, in the UK you can go for fish and chips instead. In Belgium there are good reasons why McDonalds aren't everywhere, you can go to a "frietkot" instead and order fries with stoofvlees and a Bicky burger. In the Netherlands you can go to a frituur and order fries with peanutsauce or get a snack from the wall (Febo is known for that). So you have fast, cheap and simple alternatives to the McDonalds, that also offer things that McDonalds just doesn't do. I'm not sure why McDonalds never offer warm peanutsauce with fries, when it is everywhere.
I'm generally also of the "no tour groups" opinion, with one exception: I did a bus tour to see the Northern lights in Norway, and it was great! The guides do an awesome job of finding a good spot, keeping you entertained, and (in some tours such as mine) taking professional photos and serving food over a campfire. You don't need a tour group to see the lights, but it increases your odds and makes things more fun. The broader takeaway is: use tour groups only for something you would have a hard time doing yourself (i.e., where you get significant advantage from having a professional with you).
I've been out of the USA once and its was to Edinburgh for the Fringe in 2017, so some of these connect to my experience: 1. YES we walked everywhere (aside from buses to/from the airport, and maybe a few other times). Sure the crowds were insane, it was the Festival season after all, but walking was just fine. 2. RIP our whole school group used 3 for our cell service, no wonder it sucked trying to reach each other when split up!! 3. Did go to McDonalds a couple times, not for "ooooo how different" and 1000% cuz it was convenient and I was _hungry_ and I wanted food I know my picky ass would eat, plus it was like less than a block from our flat. That said the Cadbury McFlurry was kind of cool. Tbh I was more baffled by how it _did_ literally taste different because like the USA really be out freestyling where as the UK has a few more regulations around food. 4. Again, went in 2017, so like I was the idiot who still brought cash, which honestly was helpful for the times I had to use the bus since it wasn't modernized to just take credit/debit just yet and we didn't spend money on bus passes since we were only going to be there for 2 weeks and walking was just easier. 5. I guess out Highland tour was a "touristy" bus trip, it was just our group though so that was good and our guide was so nice!! It consisted of Doune Castle, aka where the filmed part of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the Wallace Monument and then into Sterling and then to see Sterling Castle....its was very sweet even if it was for us silly little American. Even made it all the way up to I believe Loch Katherine, though quite a fog had set in so unfortunately not too much of a view. Oh also the lovely Hairy Coo, so cute, favorite type of cows by far!!
On the Mcdonalds front, as someone who's very picky with food due to my autism. Sometimes its really nice having a place where I know I'll like the food wherever in the world I am. Where if im stuck somewhere there's nothing I like, at least I won't starve.
Not exactly correct as McDonald’s products aren’t homogeneous. Different franchisees have different hygiene standards and different countries have different items. What’s this got to do with autism?
@@jamiewarner3637Agree that McDonald’s is different in different countries, but please educate yourself about autism instead of making stupid comments about something you clearly don’t understand.
@@jamiewarner3637 Autism can cause a lot of sensory issues that can significantly impact eating. I can't eat anything spicy, for example, not even pepper on my food, because it's too overwhelming and causes me pain. For some autistic people, certain textures and smells and tastes can make eating a lot of different foods difficult. ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder) is also pretty common with autism, I believe, though I don't have it.
In Geneva, most hotels will offer you a free public transportation pass for your stay. That allows you to take all transports in the canton, apart from the CGN paddle steam ships.
Going without a car is good in most of Europe but if you are going between Spain and Portugal I recommend flying or driving. Especially if you are in Southern Spain or have any plans to visit Gibraltar. Especially if you are not fluent in Spanish. I found public transit / intracity buses to be either very slow or difficult to figure out because English proficiency is very low. Also Uber drivers are really hard to find between Algeciras and Gibraltar (especially if going to Algeciras). The Spanish are more likely to use Cabify.
As someone who lives in the Netherlands and lived close to the Keukenhof, bus tourist are something. We always make fun of them because they come in droves, hardly see anything of anything and then leave. But they got the pictures to share with family! Also any touristy place will have either scammers or tourist traps and pick pockets because where a lot of people are you will find people wanting to take advantage. Be humble and enjoy the things at your own pace and please go somewhere else then Amsterdam, it's literal tourist hell and the country has much more to offer, even cities with canals.
Note on modes of transport in the Netherlands - in terms of top to lowest priority it goes like this: boats, trains, bikes, busses, cars... yes, a train I was on had to stop because the bridge was still open to let a boat through! XD Bikes are accepted as the kings of the road - you better look in every direction all the time on a big open square!
That's because bridges are sometimes open for so long at once there literally isn't a single moment in the day no trains would have to stop. Although railroad bridges opening up is quite rare, most are so high up they never open.
about the tourist group thing. There are actually services that are quite fun in the Netherlands, at least in Friesland. For example, traveling on the Frisian waters in a 40-person sailboat with a lot of educational stops at mills and the Frisian cities. A lot of the stops are like; "here is the city, you can join the tour or be back at this time." The sailboat has overnight options too.
I've always said american tourists find french people rude because they don't know how important greeting and politeness is over there. Any interaction with a waiter, cashier, shop owner, hotel attendee, bus driver, random person on the street or even on the phone HAS to start with a "bonjour" or a nod and smile and end with "au revoir". It is considered very rude to just start talking without greeting, unless you already know the person, and people will feel irritated by your rudeness, and might let you know how unpleasant they find your behaviour by being rude or standoffish themselves. Aknowledging the other person with a polite greeting is the key to pleasant social interractions.
I have been with Three for over 20 years now. Never had a problem with them either. I was going to go to EE a few years back. What stopped was their staff, they were rude, by shouting over my head. They could have taken the 4 steps to talk to each other. So I will never go there.
As someone with a weak bladder, I ALWAYS ensure I have a stash of local currency in small change for when I might need to use public bathroom! I have only once encountered a card payment system for this once - in Brussels - where you had to buy a token to enter the bathroom, and you could pay for the token by card.
Also with street scammers: Don't stand there and watch because you think you're clever, know it's a scam and will not bet money. Someone will pick your pocket, while you stand there gleaming to see the tourist that will bet and get scammed.
The organised tour group thing, avoid the package holiday thing of on and off the bus and shuffling round over days.... however the part or full day tour is a good option, with a competent guide - particularly a walking tour of a city. And this goes for most places in the world.
Another great video Evan, out of curiosity, how many countries have you visited? And which ones are on your list of where you want to go? I want to go to Japan, South Korea, France, Denmark, and New Zealand.
If you ever go to Denmark make sure you get outside of Copenhagen, preferably to a completely different part of the country. You can travel from one end to the other in 6 hours by train.
Little addendum to the "just pay with card": always ALWAYS select "pay in €" and let your bank handle the exchange. NEVER take the option to pay in your own currency! Just assume it's always more expensive than what your bank charges you. The same goes for ATMs. Never let the ATM operator do the exchange for you. And read the info on the screen carefully, they want to confuse you. If the ATM fees seem exorbitant, cancel the transaction and find the next bank. ATMs in/outside banks usually have the lowest fees.
I know "please","thanks you","excuse me", and I'm not good at your language in 12 different languages. Very helpful! But, I've also gotten a bunch of free food for speaking very poorly in different languages and being honest about it and trying my best to talk the native language.
Yeah, the greeting thing. One reason many tourist think waiting staff in Europe is rude is because they themselves are rude and the staff reflects that back to them. Greet staff (as if they are human beings....) and don't order (you are not their drill sergeant) but ask. And by Glods toenails never order(...) off menu >:(
In whichever country or town I find myself, I always seek out places where local office workers take lunch. Invariably, one can find a decent salad-entrée-dessert plus a half carafe of local plonk for €10-€15, and it will be fresh, local produce, not mass produced, and including local cuisine.
You ranking O2's network above Three's makes me question your sanity. Must be a London thing. FYI if you didn't know already there are only four UK networks, EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone. All the other carriers are 'Virtual Network Operators' and use one of those four. Also how long ago did you make that tier list because T-Mobile UK and Orange UK don't exist anymore?
For the tourist group plan thing, definitely agree. If you want to lessen the work on yourself there's plans from travel agencies that covers plane ticket and hotels, and the rest is up to you. Another good thing about those plans is there might have some add-ons like cheaper amusement park tickets or even a local guide that you can book! When our family went to Italy we booked for half a day of a local guide that knows English, and it was fascinating to listen to him talk about the history and fun little informations. :3
It's so annoying when people assume that European countries are all the same, or maybe different on the same level as US states differ from each other. Chances are they're not! Sure, most Europeans can speak English on some level, but there's only a couple of countries in Europe where you'll actually hear mostly English around you, and where road signs and such will be in English. The Nordic countries are similar to one another, but Finnish is nothing like the Scandinavian languages. And the northern culture is very far from say Italian or Spanish culture. Some countries have kings and queens, others have never had them.
Also the UK is part of Europe, but in many ways an outlier. Even the plug sockets are different between the UK and mainland Europe. If you've only been to the UK you can barely say you've been to Europe although it's technically correct.
@@durabelle The plug sockets aren't even the same in mainland europe, sure, most have changed to the standard. But having moved from Netherlands to Denmark, I was shocked that my European standard plugs wouldn't always fit because of the ground pins not being there
Here in Bristol the old abandoned docklands site has been re-built as a fancy touristy area, including an aweful lot of pubs and nightclubs. Drunks stumbling headlong into the old harbour waters is a regular weekend event.
Speaking as a brazilian. For us, it's cheaper to take Cash to spend abroad than using your credit card, because there's a Tax (official one, not from the banks). It also helps keeping track of how much did u spend/still have.
As an Italian I can agree with the exchange greeting (pains to say how similar sometimes we are). Also in italy be careful of pickpocketing. Also yes we still use cash
Your network tier list is bad and you should feel bad. T-mobile and orange don’t exist in the UK anymore and when they did they were F tier. No, wait, T-Mobile was F Tier, orange was D tier because you got Orange Wednesdays. T-Mobile and Orange merged to become EE. The two worst networks merged and with their powers combined they turned off half their masts. And the worst part of it? They keep making those godawful Kevin Bacon ads even though they don’t do free cinema tickets anymore. But you know how I know EE can’t be S tier? No EU roaming. On O2 I can go wherever TF I want and use my minutes (that used to be 3’s saving grace but they got rid of it) but on EE you have to pay extra for that
Rather than O2, you're better off getting a piggybacking network like GiffGaff, Smarty, Voxi, Lebara, etc. They use the same network signal as the big ones but so much cheaper and you get more data
If you find a 'pay what you feel at the end' type tour, TAKE IT! These tours are guaranteed to be good because they need to impress their customers sufficiently for them to cough up afterwards. I have never been let down by these tours and have always given generously.
4:00 My friend went on a tour to Germany a while back (lucky!) and in one of the bookstores he asked for Mein Kampf. He was super surprised to find that he was immediately thrown out of the store, and he was laughing at it when he came back. All I could do was facepalm
@@musanonymouse Mein Kampf is not actually forbidden in Germany. But for a long time, the state of Bavaria held the copyright and didn't allow anyone to print it. It was not illegal to own though. And now that the copyright expired (80 years after the death of the author), you're technically allowed to print (and sell) it if you want to. Asking for it might still get you kicked out of bookstores though - social consequences, but no legal ones.
Honestly, he deserved to be kicked out. Though the book itself is not illegal when it is a copy of a commented edition. It's for studying purposes (e.g. you're a history student and need to use it as primary source material). Normal book shops don't have it. There was a huge public debate when a new, commented edition was published some years ago.
Oh and street scammers are all over Seattle! I can’t say who they are, but they are from Southern and Eastern Europe and beg at the entrances to grocery stores and at church exits on Sunday. They use small children as props, sometimes given Benadryl to keep them quiet. They wander up and down the West Coast.
In Austria you definitely need Cash as there are still a lot of places that only accept cash. (also having your wallet in your backpocket is not that unusual here, it’s not a problem except in touristy crowded areas)
Actually, on that cash/card scenario: Master Card will not work in more places than you might anticipate in The Netherlands - there is a fee attached, which even our biggest grocery store chain Albert Heijn just doesn't want to deal with... ...soo, keeping one debit card on you might be wise. :)
Almost the same in Germany You probably will have problems trying to pay with Amax or master card The chances Visa or even better a debit card (the one with a chip) being accepted are way higher But keep in mind germany is still a cash driven country and in some smaller stores or food shops (especially in berlin) they usually don’t accept any kind of card or electronic cash payment
The architect of the holocaust memorial in Berlin said himself that he wants people to experience the memorial in their own way. That includes running around on top of the blocks, playing hide and seek in between them and even taking selfies. People need to stop viewing it like a graveyard or some holy place. You want to use it as an outdoor gym or playground? You do you.
Not all of the places are designed to be that though. You doing you no matter what, in a completely different country, just shows lack of sensitivity for their history, customs and generational trauma. If you are a guest in a country, you should respect your hosts.
Tourist groups are good for countries that are not safe like afrika, some latin american countries and some south/southeast asian countries or certain areas within them. In europe you can basically go anywhere without having to worry. And the areas where you might should worry, you don't want to go anyway, because there is nothing worth seeing.
Also while I generally agree on the exchange thing, I would always advise to bring at least a small amount to change for the local currency, as there are sometimes quaint little places that do not accept credit cards, even today, and also just to have some emergency cash reserve if say your card get lost or an ATM eats it.
Evan, I thought you were a MUCH better international traveller than that! Our own son knew all the tourist tours in the Netherlands were crap as they didn’t go to any of the places we had taken him in the past. As a result of us travelling there at roughly the same time he rearranged his Europe tour to met up with us just outside of Amsterdam next to the tourist windmill site you visited (short train ride into the city) where we were staying and we visited the remaining non-tourist and some of the tourists places that even he knew would be good! NSW in Oz🇦🇺
