What Americans Should Know Before They Visit Europe
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- Heading to Europe for the first time and not sure what to expect? Well here we have a video that goes over a lot of the things that first time visitors to Europe might need to know before they come. From hotels in Europe, to toilets in Europe, to eating in Europe, there is a lot of great tourist advice for first time visitors to Europe
Filmed in Salzburg, Austria
Copyright Mark Wolters 2022
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Cash is not king anymore (except for some spots) now it is all about contactless payments. So be prepared with your google pay, apple pay, and credit cards. As contactless payment is everywhere (well almost everywhere)
We also have pin/chip card payments everywhere in The Netherlands
This may not help foreign tourists much but I'm just saying it's not nearly all contactless payments.
In most dutch supermarkets you can not pay with visa
@@AudieHolland Not neccessarily: vending machines in train stations are usually contactless only and many toilets as well.
@@patrickreuvekamp If you're at a train station already, much better to go to a shop there and you can pay with chip or even cash.
Vending machines at Dutch train stations are pretty useless. Only candybars and softdrinks.
Was about to comment on this! There has been a massive wipe out of places taking cash the last year... Contactless is now king.. We take a small amount of money and use apple pay on our phone... keep an emergency credit card in your shoe.
As a northern European it is quite eye-opening to see how much emphasis he places on telling Americans that they will have to walk places and use stairs. The fact that he suggests they do some physical training before coming here is actually hilarious...and a little worrying.
Yeah, if they come to Sweden it will be like; "where the bus at?" Comes one a day. "Ahh so we need to walk?!"
Eastern European here, and i have the same reaction. I mean Americans walk to a store and in city centers right? Or at least in their parks? Is really that uncommon to go to the shop by foot and walk for 3 hours to get the bests deals on produce, meat and etc.?
@@nocimnotcreativewithnames1014 yes
@@nocimnotcreativewithnames1014 I watched a video about this from the channel Not Just Bikes and they explained that in the U.S the majority of residential areas have such strict zoning laws that only single family homes can be built there,.No shops, no cafes, or anything else. Just huge areas of houses. Usually there are big box stores within driving distance, but not walking distance. So having a car is a must, and people don't go walking in their neighbourhood because there is nothing to walk to. In the cities it is different, but most people don't live in the cities because it is too expensive. Once they leave the residential area it is just roads with many lanes and no sidewalks.
Those that do live in the cities often don't go walking either because the U.S is built for cars . You can never guarantee that if you decide to walk to a destination you won't encounter an 8 lane highway that cannot be crossed by foot, so people just don't really walk as much as we do in Europe.
@@JamesD-iw6pr Wow, America really is the land of cars. Explains why, during tourist season, so many of them take so many breaks in cafes or on bark benches.
me as an european hearing you genuinely advise people to practice walking before coming here is one of the funniest american things i have ever heard
As an American myself, it's actually really sad. Obesity especially among youth is a terrible problem, and one can only imagine the other underlying health problems in those folks.
@@thunderbird1921 infrastructure being centered around cars. Compared to Europe, walking or cycling just isn't safe.
I agree there's a funny side to it, but to be fair, there are certain edge cases to be aware of. For example, the US in general prioritizes "accessibility" for people with disabilities, so you'll see things like handicapped parking spaces, wheelchair ramps, handicapped restroom stalls, large elevators, handrails on most stairs, large aisles, scooters in stores, etc. I've never been to Europe, but my perception from videos like these is that such features are less common, particularly in older city centers which predate many of these considerations. So yes, practicing walking might be valid advice for obese people, but it might also be for elderly people with walkers and things like that.
@@davidboeger6766 Most places have accessibility features. Where I live, sidewalks have wheelchair ramps, dedicated parking spaces for disabled people, accessibility ramps for trains, doors wide enough to get a wheelchair in and most businesses have added wheelchair ramps in case there's stairs to the entrance. Even my grandma, back when she had issues with her legs and required a walker, still walked everywhere and it's quite common to see elderly people walk with them.
I live very close to my best friends-less than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers). I’d love to walk there and back when I go to visit, but there’s no sidewalks and the roads are unsafe for pedestrians, with cars going up and down hills at 35-50 MPH (56-80 KPH). The continental USA isn’t as densely populated as Europe, so most of the cities are designed for cars, not pedestrians. 🤷♀️
Most important thing: Europe is not a country, but a continent.
and the entire continent is smaller than our country lol
@@shaunsteele8244 Your point being ?
@@krunoslavkovacec1842 my point is this fact is why many Americans think of Europe as a "country"
@@shaunsteele8244 I can understand that but even North America has the US, Canada, Mexico etc. Only Australia is a country-continent, and whatever Alaska is.
@@shaunsteele8244 Sorry, not true. Europe as a whole is bigger land-wise, and people-wise. Population: more than 746.4 million. Population US: 329.5 million. Which doesn't matter at all, but it does make your 'point' invalid.
Another important tip: learn the Metric system and Celsius before you head to Europe.
I learned Celsius strictly so I can complain about the weather back home to people in my hostels without having to constantly look up conversions
Good thing this doesn't apply to Canadians 🤭
I've got my iPod loaded up with the band 37 Degrees and the famous song by The Proclaimers, "I'm Gonna Be (804.67km)."
Its so easy, better measurement
Noone really need to, every one have a smartphone shows you celsuis or fahrenheit, km or miles just like you prefer
For North Americans: Get familiar with the 24 hour clock. You might think that you won't need to as you have your phone set to use the the 12 hour clock, but when your train departs 14:55, you need to know when to be at the station.
And I don't agree about the service. European service is not about trying to get the biggest possible tip, it is about respecting the customers privacy and allowing them to enjoy the meal without interrupting them.
6:11 Also there are free refills in Europe. I don't know how common they are in general, but where I live they are quite common (depending on the restaurant chain).
I once read a comment that went something like: "WTF they use Military Time in Europe?!". 😆
The person didn’t know most of the world uses the UTC standard, and that their "military time" is just a variation of that.
@@Hodoss After all, there's been a lot of war here.
@@Hodoss Uhm, UTC is a timezone offset, not the 24h format ;)
Wait... Americans don't use a 24 hour clock? 😱
Good video, Mark! However I wouldn't call European customer service 'not as good', because this is very relative. As a European, I consider European customer service great, because it is giving me space to breathe and time to enjoy myself, whereas in the US I almost feel intimidated by the over-the-top tipping culture based service, where I feel like I just need to tell them 'please leave me be unless I tell you, that way you will make the best tip'...
I just posted a very similar approach. For me the best waiter is invisible. Only if I raise my hand or call you, you come and check what I need. Otherwise, let's just assume I'm ok and I don't need to be check up on
Dutch waiter here! I always try to serve my customers by looking around to see if anyone seeks my attention, and only visit a table when I notice empty plates, or glasses, etc. In line with what you describe; being attentive while giving customers some privacy to enjoy themselves.
However, I came to realise that American customers often found it rude that I made them request their check, instead of immediately bringing it after they finished their food. While to European customs, such practice would make customers feel rushed and unwanted. So while trying to provide good service, I’m considered rude and not so good at my job by those visitors from the States. If anything, I would wish that tourists get familiair with the European service industry and our ways, instead of immediately labeling it as bad since it doesn’t match what they’re used to.
German here.
It is not that our service is not good, but we Europeans are not entitled like some of those Karens and Kevins over there, so we use much more common sense here. It is not that a server or waiter or clerk is my personal slave for the time of the transaction.
For most waiters in Europe, it is a profession, not a job "to get you by" like in the States. Thus they get paid a real wage. One way to clue in if you should tip is look for a service charge on your bill. If you see a service charge, the "tip" is built into your bill.
@@ArekuMizuhara Genau das habe ich auch gedacht!
A small thing: Service isn't worse, it's just not what you are used to. We don't want our waiters asking us every ten minutes if everything is good, we'll tell them when we need something and if we don't there is no need for the waiter to be bothering us. Also: the Netherlands is so flat we rarely ever need elevators. All streets are pretty flat.
But waiters in Europe have salaries. They don't have to beg.
Was going to say the exact same thing. I think ‘good’ standard Euro waiter service is they ask how your day is when they take you to your seat, politely take your order and will be happy to explain the menu, a friendly ‘enjoy your meal’ and ‘was everything okay with your food’ before and after courses. What more do you need?
I found the ‘in your face’ US service very overbearing, particularly all the questions and general small talk when sorting the bill...
From a business standpoint, it would be interesting to see the differences in server to table ratios. With the expectation to check tables in at their tables regularly, you probably can't serve as many.
@@enculpius No - here in Europe we do not have waiters having to treat us like children.
When Europeans go out to eat, we do it to spend time with those that we go out with, not to spend time chatting with the staff and we are adults, that can get the attention of the waiter when we need it.
@@enculpius Not factual, when it is based on opinions - but that's a common mistake for childish people to make. And getting a grown-up treatment, can seem pompous and rude, when you are used to be treated like a child.
In Europe ‘they don’t care about the customer’ ‘so the service isn’t so good.’ What an incredibly superficial judgement. Service in the US is mercenary and unqualified. Service in Europe is qualified and real and egalitarian = Mutual respect, not ‘kiss my ass and I’ll tip you.”
well in northern europe people tend to be a lot more reserved, many aren't up for small talk and faffing about.
northerners can be pretty stoic and it takes a while for them to warm up on you, being that out there on first greet just feels awkward to them,
out of place, if they don't know you, don't come on too strong, it will be an unpleasant situation for both parties involved in terms of expectations.
as the more extraverted party expects a somewhat proportional response to their openness, and the other party wasn't even looking for the situation to begin with lol
it's just a different way of treating one another that extends way beyond just customer service, it's just how their society operates
in mediterranean europe, people tend to be way more kissy kissy huggy huggy when greeting too, and usually have a stronger bond with multiple generations of their families eating together, it's just their culture.
it's a sign of mutual respect to treat each other like human beings the way i see it too
but some things in american culture are quite bombastic, so i'm not sure if getting rid of tipping culture would change their views on entertainment all that drastically. again, it's a cultural thing too :D
i've seen plenty of american southerners that were actually nice people, not just nice to be nice, they were geniunely interested
you know, the kind of people that would invite you, some rando foreigner, to their bbq after meeting you in a bar and starting some talk back and forth.
these people would love to hear stories from other places and what we think of their great and proud USA, it's all good to me :D
especially if you're a bit away from all the big cities, it's a pretty simple life out there still, and neighbours know one another well, everybody knows everybody lol
and these people love to have guests around to spice up things a bit from time to time, they are genuinely thrilled to have you around.
in the deep south, many people are actually crazy friendly, they don't have to fake shit.
so i do think the notion that americans act fake because their entertainment is so sensationalist, and they're so used to overly positive reinforcement, is sometimes used too much as a trope that undermines the true hospitality and friendlyness a lot of american people have, i find it to be unfair as a cudgel
putting all the chips on tipping culture being the culprit is a risky bet too, plenty of other american industries are sensationalist and overly bombastic, and they don't have tipping culture and get a good base salary, it's just how a lot of americans present themselves, getting out there and showing themselves, many reserved people complain americans are pretty loud, and that has nothing to do with the tips or lack thereof or even their salary, it is incentivized culturally in the USA to excel at something and show you're good at it, being assertive in making sure you get yours, that is the american way
this is why in the USA people may be running over one another to get inside somewhere, and in the UK it's a deadly sin to even ponder the idea of jumping the queue... exceptionalism is part of the american culture a lot more.
in some european countries, sticking your head out above the field, you're going to get it cut off (figuratively)
in the USA, you're fucking nobody until you stick your head out above
neither are absolutely wrong nor right, but yeah, at least pay those kids a better base salary than 2.50 i guess, as inconsequential i think it is for the cultural diffrences ;)
@@dutchdykefinger chill matr
@@dutchdykefinger literally no one is reading that bro
@@dutchdykefinger I agree with much of what you said as a midwestern US former waitress.
@@dutchdykefinger It has nothing to do with being reserved it has to do with being professional.
What is considered good service in USA would be considered horribly bad service here.
Rule #1: Don't call major cities towns! They might look small because there are no skyscrapers but most of these "towns" have millions of habitants.
We call our own major metros “towns” sometimes. Cities with millions of people in America
"Service [in Europe] isn't as good."
No, American style service is just super-exaggerated because y'all don't pay wait staff enough and those people are sucking up to ya to earn rent.
Good video otherwise though. 👍
Or we tip people for being good at there job.
@@cactusjack3059 Nope, you tip them because this is mandatory. In Europe we use salaries.
Exactly, a tip shouldn’t be mandatory for the waiter to earn enough to eat.
lol so true, I worked as a waiter for the first time in Paris and loved it, then moved to Canada and took a try at it. The waiter in Canada is basicaly the front window with a happy face that has to make the customer feel good, then there's the rest staff behind that does all the work but without the tips, it's kind of cheap.
@@selinane2Seli-zw3pz it’s not mandatory
I’m an American living in Germany! Best tip of all is to come with an open mind! Europe is amazing!!!
Europe is amazing
We are visiting Berlin for the first time this September. Are there vineyards nearby?
@@mmc9828 no, It's not the wine climate over there, too cold in the winter. For wine, head to the West/Southwest of Germany. 🙂
@@isabelladeruiter4046 Thank you!
@@mmc9828 No. The Vineyards are located near me in the South near Stuttgart and the French border! Berlin is an amazing city though! Have fun!
My tips for Europe:
1) Check local customs. Nothing is more annoying than wanting lunch during siesta. Or know when it is Ruhetag in (for example) Germany. These things can screw over your well planned days.
2) Don't be the melodramatic fool. I've seen tons of foreign tourists making a fuzz over a custom they seem not fit to them. Or talking too loud in trains (like Mike said) or as I saw once in Venice an American lady falling so dramatically that it sounded like a goose dying in air. Don't make a fool out yourself.
3) Try musea that don't are the classics. Europe is sometimes called a living museum, true, but there are so many fun things. For example in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam the 3 big ones (Van Gogh, Stedelijk and Rijksmuseum) are on the same square, are brilliant, but look at the smaller ones as well. It's way less crowded and just as interesting as well. Like 'Onze lieve Heer op zolder'. It's a hidden catholic church in a house. Or the Tropenmuseum about all places the Dutch have been. Lots of quirky ones as well and so fun.
4) Don't do Europe in one visit! It's like saying to do the US in one holiday. That's absurd, insane and you always miss good stuff. Take your time. The distance from Moscow to London is like New York to Denver. Tons of stuff is inbetween and it would be a shame to.miss it.
5) Europe is old, but still, people live there. Respect the locals. Don't be that douche that takes a piece of the Berlin wall or the one who puts his name in the Charles Bridge in Prague. You end up with somethimg not worthy anyhow.
Moscow to London? Russia is considered Europe?
@@itsniquenique45 Quite a big chunk of Russia is in Europe, including Moscow. Also most of Russia's population lives in the european part of the country. (~80%, but do look it up)
@@itsniquenique45 The eastern boundary of Europe is the Ural Mountains, which is still more than 1,200 km (750 mi for you) to the east of Moscow. European Russia is 38% of the area of the entirety of Russia but home to 75% of its total population, and makes up most of Eastern Europe. (Historical trivia: up to about 200 years ago, Russia was considered a part of _northern_ Europe.) Though I noticed many Western Europeans and Americans are confused about this and think Eastern Europe is the formerly "communist" members of the EU, even though those are in Central Europe and no further east than Greece or Finland.
Regarding talking too loud on trains (and other public transport), it bears elaboration that "loud" for most Europeans (as well as most people in the rest of the world) is already a much lower volume than "loud" for Americans. This is because the personal bubble is smaller and people learn to set the volume of their speech to a level enough to be understood. So if you're an American and travel on public transport anywhere else in the world, try to talk at a _really_ low level, if at all, or else you'll not only stand out but will be seen as a nuisance.
At what time did you want to lunch? Because what you call "siesta" (a nap) for us is "la hora de comer" (lunch time) and it usually goes from 1pm to 3.30-4 pm. And that's the busiest time for restaurants. So unless you arrive in a restaurant too close to the closing, you shouldn't have any problem.
For those Americans who are adventurous enough to rent a car & drive on European motorways (you call them expressways or freeways), remember 1 thing: LEFT LANE(S) are for PASSING Only, or, the right lane if you're in Ireland & the U.K.. If you are in the Passing Lane & a faster car comes behind you, flashing its lights, YOU have to get out of the way. And, using your cell phone while driving can be treated as a moving violation. In Germany, Moving Violation convictions=Automatic & Immediate suspension of your driver's license in the country--including Foreigners. Not sure if the German authorities would contact your American state's DMV regarding the conviction or not, but, why take the risk?
Spoiler, the german police (rightfully) doesn't give two shits about if you're a german or not. You wanna drive in a different country? Cool, but learn the rules first. Just like I as a german can't go to the US and drive without a care in the world
And if a traffic light is red, is RED!
You are not allowed to turn right, just wait the green.
I've never seen Americans doing that mistake myself, but I think it worth to tell
Yes, I remember learning this the first time I drove in Rotterdam. I actually love it. There are less cars on the roads compared to the US and the etiquette is common sense. People are less distracted and aware of your turn signals. If you're a car nut or just enjoy driving, its definitely a fun experience.
Lol renting a car in Europe inst "adventurous". Literally people from all over thr world travel to Europe and rent cars.
You can’t suspend a foreigners drivers license just for breaking a traffic law in some backwater like germany
What us Europeans also love is being lumped together under the moniker of "Europe" because we don't have any inter-European rivalries and all the cultures are very very similar....did I tell you Europeans use sarcasm a lot more than Americans do?
To be fair, we make generalisations about Americans when they would claim they're very different.
When I was in the US or anywhere outside of Europe, I understood that despite how much we think we are different, we are very similar.
I think using Europe to refer to the European Union its ok, we are "united" enough at the end of the day to not be offended by that generalization.
@@adamkun5524 the adjacent countries a bit but... Compare say a Spanjard to a Dutchman and you will be sorely mistaken. Or a German and a Greek. Or ANYONE and a Frenchman lol.
@@GundamReviver They are different. But I claimed that these differences are smaller than comparing the Spaniard, the Frenchman and the Dutchman to a Chinese, an American or a Japanese. Or at least this is how I felt when I was travelling around Europe.
I suppose a very important difference is that driving in Europe is very different compared to driving in the US. I experienced the culture shock (if you can call it that) in reverse when visiting the States. In general, roads in Europe are narrower and have way more bends, except highways. Driving speeds are lower in urban areas in Europe, but higher on (most) highways. Europeans don't do 'keep your lane' but rather 'keep right unless overtaking'. Not returning to the right lane after passing another vehicle and holding up traffic behind you is actually a ticketable offence and WILL induce road rage from other drivers as overtaking on the right is a cardinal sin in Europe. Street parking in Europe is rarely free in town centres (even small ones) and more often than not it's easiest to use a parking app to make sure you don't get a parking ticket. Also, no right turn on red in Europe. You pay after you get your gas (unless you use an unmanned pump where you first use your credit or debit card). And when filling up, fuel is much more expensive in Europe, but you can save a huge amount by only getting gas in towns or cities instead of next to the highway. Also note the vast differences in fuel prices between countries, i.e. if you're travelling from country to country, it might be worth filling up before or after crossing the border. Belgium and Germany are cheaper than the Netherlands. Poland is cheaper than Czech Republic and Germany. France and Slovenia are cheaper than Italy, etc.
IIRC, overtaking on the right is illegal in Denmark, and you might lose your license if you do it. Drive poorly enough, and your car might be seized, and sold at an auction.
Very good advice and as commented as well, overtaking to the right is an offense in Europe.
I wish police would issue tickets here in the US to inconsiderate drivers that camp out in the left lane for no reason. It’s incredibly annoying to be behind these people. They basically force other drivers in to unsafe passing maneuvers and incite road rage.
I’m some states in the US it is very normal to keep right unless overtaking. In other states, especially California, it’s whatever the heck you feel like at the time.
As a British public transport enthusiast I must correct you on one point. On European TRAMS it is now very rare that you can pay the driver. You must use a ticket machine, either on the sidewalk or inside the tram. The same is increasingly true of continental European BUSES. (In Britain (outside London) you can usually still pay the driver.) As to quality of public transport CITY public transport is usually very good. But rural transport, even in tourist areas, is of very variable quality. It depends on the country you are visiting. Eg rural Switzerland is superb, Austria generally very good. Rural Britain and France are generally poor. Note special deal in Germany this summer until August. . 9 Euro go anywhere tickets for LOCAL public transport.
At least here in the Netherlands you can pay the driver on both the tram and bus!
We use trams a lot. In many, if not all, Austrian cities you buy your ticket (maybe form a kiosk, maybe from a machine). The first time you board the tram with an unvalidated ticket, loom for the ticket validation machine and insert your ticket. If you have a ticket valid for the whole day, you only need to validate the ticket on first journey that you use it. The take-home message is that you must buy the appropriate ticket for your journey and then validate when you travel.
In Croatia you can get tickets at a kiosk or from the driver, if you buy from the driver it’s few Kunas more expensive tho 😅
I mean, the fact that there even IS rural transport is better than all of America. Lolol. Good luck finding even an Uber in a small town in the US.
Quite a few can also be bought through their respective apps these days. I commute by public transport and haven't had a paper ticket for a long time.
If you come to Italy and want to use a car, think TWICE before renting it! Use it in the countryside, in the middle of nowhere but
Under any circumstance don't drive in big cities like Rome, Naples, Milan and similar!
Raffaele: you should have added that before renting a car you first need to learn how to drive a car with manual transmission!
If you visit a country where people drive on the other side of the road, that's extra challenge
@@Duke_of_Lorraine in europe just in UK
Vouch, we took a 2-week road trip from Finland to the northern part of Italy. You have to be a master of parking and finding a spot in big cities. We tried to drive in Milan and our car was too big for the parking hall. We took the train the next day.
As an Estonian, just a quick remark about service: the American style of service would feel very out of place and even overbearing for locals. Therefore, it's not that the service is necessarily worse over here (though it often is) but it's also a different culture overall. It's not automatically considered bad service if you have to wave the waiter down to get their attention, for example.
I think the point about cash being king is not entirely accurate. I've been to Norway, France, the UK and Belgium this year alone and in all of them I could pay for everything by card, most of the times using contactless payments. Even Germany, which used to be the European cash capital, has been changing rapidly since the outbreak of Covid and bank payments are a lot more popular than they used to be even 3 years ago.
"Service" in the US is a live play where underpaid staff are constantly repeating phrases like a npc in games. At one place the waiter asked me if I enjoyed my meal. A glance at my table would have shown no meal, not even a plate. Because I just ordered five minutes ago.
He does say that "northern Europe" is more card based, that definitely includes Nordic and probably some other countries like Belgium and Germany (it's quite a nebulous term).
Often as a Canadian I feel the same way, that the service is intrusive and disruptive in Canada.
Also Estonian and my concern as someone who prefers to be cardless would much rather be, "can I still pay cash in this establishment?".
I'd be careful saying that you can get by here in Germany with card. We're still very much cash based, especially if it's small or local businesses. I advise everyone coming here to always have 20€ at hand including coins.
Another tip: when introducing yourself, don’t say you’re from state X (Utah, Ohio, etc), say you’re from the United States. It’s like a German saying they’re from Schleswig-Holstein instead of Germany when introducing themselves.
"Joey Tribbiani, America"
It depends on the other person's geographical knowledge on the US
@@Ch-xk5tv I don't agree with that. As a German I really don't cary if you're from Utah or Ohio, just tell me that you are from the US (chances are high that I already knew from your accent). If I want to know more I will ask.
I agree but you should also hear how often some Europeans give American crap for saying "I'm from US" I literally have gotten eye rolls and "yeah I know , WHERE in the US"
@@Cath38639 I actually got an attitude like that once or twice. For those people, the US is too big a country to make really any generalization as to subcultures, etc., so they are curious. On some trips I was from Philadelphia and on others from L.A. when I lived there.
I'm a Spaniard living in the US. Regarding the restaurant service, I have to say that I prefer the European style. When I go to a bar or restaurant I want to enjoy my food and enjoy my companions, and in the US I'm interrupted every minute by the waiters asking if everything's good, if I need anything, trying to have small talk... I don't consider that good service, I consider that pushy sales technique from a person that only cares about trying to get money from my pocket to theirs.
For me the best service is "You only come when I call you, and my food and drinks are brought to me as soon as they're ready".
What I miss in Europe though is the free water. And what I miss in the US is the no-tipping thing
I agree. Where it matters the european servers does their job as well as the once I've had in US. They take my order, bring my food, etc. I don't generally think the service is much better if I get called "honey" or if the waitress tells me her name.
I don't want to say it was bad in US, but it wasn't genuine enough for me to call "friendlier".
Its funny, a year ago when my sister and I were in Sevilla we noticed we were ignored by most waiters but now it makes sense. To be honest idk which I prefer lol, depends on the day I guess.
@@medalgearsalad1419 the thing is that in the US if you have to call the waiter it's perceived as if they weren't attentive enough, so it's a bad thing. Also the ratio customers/waiters in Spain is much higher (higher salary means smaller staff), so they're busier in Spain. That's why you have to call their attention when you need something. Anyway they come and check periodically, to remove empty dishes, get you another round of drinks...
I love Spanish service. It's no frills, no fake politeness, but they get the job done so much better. It's so informal and I really like that.
As someone living in a country where tapwater is free (and clean, and I believe Spain is like that too), I find it hard to imagine ALWAYS paying for sixpacks of 2l waterbottles
Regarding the language stuff, I completely agree, learning a few simple phrases goes a VERY long way. I had heard the French were rude, and disliked Americans. Maybe because I had lived in Europe for a few years before I went to France for the first time, but I did not find that to be the case at all. A few simple phrases in French, enough to show that you are making a little bit of effort to recognize that you are in France, and the French will be perfectly nice, hospitable, and helpful.
That's probably because most tourists go to Paris and Parisians are considered to be exceptionally rude by most French and other Europeans. Sort of the European New York I guess.
@@boomerix - Funny, I have never found New Yorkers or Parisians to be "rude". I have found them to be busy, and not necessarily interested in being tour guides or vacation hosts, but never downright rude. Maybe I have visited enough that I just don't notice it.
@@boomerix Parisian are not necessarily rude, they are usually busy and don't have time for inpolite American or Chinese tourists that get in the way or are rude because they think they own the place
Stop & think about it. If I as a Dane were to visit New York, go into a store there like Macy's etc., and start talking Danish to the shopping assistant assuming that everybody in NYC must be able to speak Danish, what reaction would I get? 🤣
Hello! English is a foreign language in Europe, so it's ill-mannered, surely, to just assume everybody must be able to speak your language.
It's not rocket science, people 😆
@@theon9575 - English is a foreign language in Europe? I wonder what the Irish think of that (or the Brits, even though for some strange reason they don't think of themselves as part of Europe)! Lol.
But yes, I agree with you. Although you are more than welcome to speak Danish to me.
We walked 130 miles and climbed over 200 flights of stairs in 2 weeks in France. Unlike London the Paris Metro does not have escalators at every station.
Awesome! Buns of steel!!
I work in local government in the UK and part of that is having inclusivity stuff drilled into you. Naturally this includes disabilities and those with mobility issues and when my wife and I were in Paris I almost immediately noticed how bad the Paris metro is for that.
I live in the far southwest. No metro, or buses, but lots of beautiful hills, vineyards and mountains - the Pyrenees. On the highest peaks there is still some snow, although today's temperature was 33 C. I would not live anywhere else on a permanent basis. I can drive to the Mediterranean coast in 40 minutes. sheer bliss. And the wines...!
@@cobbler9113 I can assure you that the London metro is not that good either. While there are stations with elevators and especially the line to the Olympic village has been upgraded for the 2012 paralympics, a lot of stations don't have wheelchair access. That's why my and my father took the bus when we visited London 5 years ago. Those were all adapted, that's true.
I think the main problem with disability access in Europe in general is that a lot of the buildings are very old and retrofitting all that stuff in is often very difficult. The nice part is that if they have elevators in older museums, it's often in the back, so you get to see stuff regular tourists don't.
@@koenven7012 I'm not going to pretend it's perfect, in fact many of the stations in outer London are pretty bad for that. Even in the centre, being disabled does make travel more or less impossible by Tube, but if you have mobility issues only, you can still get around easily at most stations as they have escalators. Even if they don't the stations are usually close enough together where a more accessible one isn't too far from where you need to be going. My point was that in Paris, these are very rare.
Difficult and expensive to be sure. Especially if the building is a world heritage site for example.
My tip before visiting Europe is to make a list of experiences you would like to have instead of a list of cities you would like to visit.
Experiences such as renting a bicycle to ride through some dutch towns on the way to some windmills OR, finding a gelato shop near the river Seine so you can sit by the river and relax while people watching are unique memories that you'll have forever.
This way you won't tend to be focused on only visiting endless crowded tourist hotspots, museums and churches like everyone else on their first trip.
Join your experiences together, work out were you need to go and start from there.
There is nothing like going to a bakery in France and getting a fresh croissant and a latte.
Best tip on here!
That sounds divine. Just relaxing and enjoying the culture and scenery
That’s a wonderful life tip
Great tips! We love taking coffee at a sidewalk cafe in Paris and people watching. We sat outside a corner cafe watching the waiters at it and other cafes, it was like a choreographed ballet. And then you realise how very professional the service is. A great experience and a pleasure.
1) It’s not just the Euro everywhere, even in the EU. Same with adapters - check!
2) Europe is tech-y. E-tickets/QR codes for everything basically - transport, museums, royal palaces, health passes, events, etc. You don’t necessarily need new apps as this would be annoying for everyone, and usually you can still buy the old-fashioned way. Buying online is almost always the cheaper option, though. In a restaurant, ordering through a QR code is also quite common. No need to wait for waiter or go up to someone.
3) we usually don’t put put ice in water so ask beforehand
4) ACs (the big bulky type in windows) are not as common in homes/offices/smaller hotels, especially in Northern Europe.
I must be the only American who doesn't like ice in their water
When I first went to the US as a teen, I was shocked to see a waitress talk to me with a smiling face, asking me if I needed water etc. but I did not understand when she said "what kind of water, tap water?" and I said wtf, just drinking water lol like in Europe that's such a weird question and they bring you fresh bottled water. Waitress was confused as well, she went and got me a room temperature tap water from the sink, I was not happy lol.
@@choonblaze Bottled water is only a thing in some places in Europe, mostly German speaking ones. In Croatia, where I live, most places will give you tap water.
@@2712animefreak a lot of traditional places in Italy serve tap water, but only if it´s good quality (like in the Alps or near a thermal place). however, they will serve it fresh from the fridge anyway, unless you ask for room temperature.
I think that soon most places in Europe will have at least some air conditioning as some (if not plenty) of those units are in fact heat pumps that can either cool ar heat.
I’m a European (from Austria) and i was in the U.S. a weak ago to visit my sister in Chicago. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago and of course i heard before that Americans don’t move much and are generally fat and my trip to America revealed me why: American suburbs consist of patches of row houses that look all exactly the same and those patches aren’t really connected into one suburb but rather scattered kilometres apart and none of those patches have any store to buy groceries that you can reach by walking. In the middle of all those patches there’s a town center where you can find some stores but to reach it from your patch of the town you need to drive at least half an hour. You would need hours if you want to reach it by walking. So when you life in a house in the suburbs there’s literally nothing to se except houses that look all to same. There’s no reason to go outside your house and take a walk. there’s nothing to experience. If you forgot something at the grocery store you literally have to go back into your car and drive half an hour to the next store somewhere next to a road and those stores have all gigantic parking spaces. Everything in die U.S. is made to be reached by car and not foot. Even the layouts of their suburbs. So you can’t even blame the ordinary people for their laziness and obesity. Their government is to blame who built their towns in that “have a car or die hungry” fashion. Here in Europe it’s normal to have stores that are reachable in 5 minutes by foot. Even in Villages and towns.
Warning! In Italy, after you buy a train ticket you have to validate it in (usually) yellow machines BEFORE getting on the train.
Be careful because if the machine doesn't work, you have to tell some train agent as soon as you get on that the yellow machine didn't work. Otherwise you risk up to a €200 fine
Tip: Be respectful for the cultures there. The cultures in Europe are thousands of years old, they are not just the Disneyland, invented to please you. They were centuries of wars, genocides, belles epoches, golden eras, famines, religious civil wars, feudalism which made it as it looks nowadays. This backstory is responsible why its not the US. Please be respectful and dont compare it too often to the States. It can drive people mad.
"they are not JUST disneyland"??? No we definitely are not disneyland and Disneyland Paris was not built for Americans coming to Europe. It was built for Europeans who wouldn't travel to Disney World. "the backstory"??? You mean history? As in the reason why Europeans discovered then colonised America? You lot seriously need to widen your horizon. Even when you're trying to make a responsible comment you manage to offense other countries. You're not the centre of the universe.
Can’t see the U.S stand a chance in comparison
Agreed. That’s something I can’t stand. Europe is a beautiful place but I think it’s overly romanticised by Americans. They come to our continent like it’s a playground sometimes and expect everyone to worship them and every single person to speak English and never do any research into the culture. I think what’s worse is all the European culture tik tokkers are Americans who moved there, so its all shown from their perspective and it’s always compared to the US and also shown as a sunny paradise where everyone sits on a balcony drinking wine overlooking the whole city every day. 😂
@@oscarward414 overlooking city wort looking
@@doddsalfa what?
One thing to keep in mind is that Europe has different power outlets, so if you are coming from North America you might want to bring some converters so that your plug-ins work. The U.K. and Ireland also have different plugs than the rest of Europe, so if you are going to Ireland or the U.K. and Europe you are going to need two different converters, or a universal converter (which is typically much more expensive as it kind of functions as a swiss army knife where you have to mess with it in order to get the plug you want).
I saw a meme involving the pikachu shocked face on Facebook about Americans not realising other countries have different power outlets, and there were SO MANY offended Americans in the comments with many trying to justify it by saying their voltage is better so other countries should have the same power outlets as them. XD
And in italy you'll find both european power outlets and the older italian outlets
Great tip about not talking loud, it can be pretty annoying! It is true that we Europeans usually avoid talking loud in public transport or other places with lots of strangers, and generally do not shout out our emotins in public ("Oh my God!!!").
My tip for first-time travellers to Europe would be - do not tell your first name to complete strangers, or expect them to tell them theirs. We normally do not exchange names, unless we expect there will be some longer "relationship" between us. I always find it strange when an American I happen to sit next to on a plane or bus starts a conversation by saying something like "hi, my name is...".
Except younger people, they can be very annoying inside public transport, at least here in the Netherlands it's what i see every day
@@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas younger people are annoying everywhere 🤣mostly because the're young!
@@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas never encountered loud young people in buses in the Netherlands
But why does it bother you if an American introduces himself telling his first name? It's quite obvious he's just trying to be polite and friendly.
Well, it just feels like intruding on my personal space... it's bad enough with smalltalk already (I'm a Norwegian, we don't do smalltalk), unsolicited introduction feels too much!
One thing worth mentioning for Germany: June, July and August you can buy a "9 Euro Ticket" valid for the month you buy it in and it's accepted in all regional trains and city buses, trams, subways/metros, commuter rail (S Bahn). It's pretty good in case you arrive at a German airport and you'd like to spend some time exploring the city and neighboring regions.
Edit: I'd like to add that in case you visit Hamburg - (it has a great museum of emigration!) - that ticket can get you also to Sylt - the very posh island with pristine beaches.
We're going to German for three weeks in July and this is going to be a real money saver for us. It doesn't cover long-distance/ high speed travel (IC or ICE), but everything else, its going to be a big help.
@@markeschen In case you like romantic train rides - the black forest railroad (Schwarzwaldbahn) from Offenburg to Konstanz through the black forest is a wonderful trip to look out of the window. Stunning railtrack and many little tunnels. Was an engineering marvel back in time when it was built. Yes, it's a regional train so included in the ticket.
To not confuse future viewers or those who plan to travel to Germany some other year, the 9 Euro Ticket isn't an annual thing, but a summer 2022 exclusive offer. It might not exist again in the future.
You can travel all over Europe by train. It's called Eurail or something.
@@krunoslavkovacec1842 It was about the special Summer 2022 9 Euro Ticket in Germany.
Hey Wolter, great video! As a German I really enjoyed how you prepare US-Americans.
But one very common mistake that I saw several times when foreigners plan their first trip to Europe is this:
"Let's do Paris, Berlin, London, Rom and Zürich in 2 weeks" It's not impossible but you will definitely regret it.
Or would you recommend doing NewYork, Los Angeles, Miami and San Franscisco in 10 days? Probably not.
Better chose one region and stay there for 3-4 days each city. E.g. When Rome is your favorite, combine it with Naples, Florence, Pisa and Milano (11 days). If it is Amsterdam, then combine it maybe with Paris, Brussels, Berlin (11 days). Don't waste your time in the plane.
You will love Europe so much, that you will return anyway. And then you are happy, if there are lot of (famous) highlights remainings that you can combine with less famous hidden spots. Because there are thousands in Europe ;)
The wife and I did a roadtrip in 11 days: Amsterdam, Brugge, Paris (for 3 days), drove down to Annecy and Geneva, drove back up to Brussels then back up to Rotterdam. Exhausting yes but driving though France is always a joy as an American that enjoys driving. Plus we're relatively young (30s) so we had the energy to do all of walking.
@@Shorty15c4007 that sounds like a nice trip. And you're probably used a lot to driving. But check out international train tickets. They're very flexible and you're getting around Europe for small money and totally relaxed 😉
@@phien851 Oh no, absolutely. If you're on a tighter budget, trains are much cheaper.
But me being me, I wanted to spoil myself with the convenience of driving where I want, when I want. Plus we had 2 large luggages and 2 carryons. I'm sure the train would accommodate the luggage we had but meh.
The rental with insurance was around $1100. Gas was about another $300-400.
I drive a manual at home but there is something oddly special about driving around Paris in a Seat Ibiza 5 speed. You see more of the countryside roads, villages near the highways. Adds excitement and some hecticness to the trip :)
"Europeans are very patriotic" --a man from a country where flags are everywhere and days in schools start with a "pledge of allegiance" (?!)
Depending on the service and area, sometimes you need to validate your tickets, sometimes only to buy them.
Toilets aren't the same everywhere in Europe, and it also depends on how new they are.
Speaking loud on public transport also (sadly) depends on where you are, but anyway please don't do it.
Yeah, most Europeans are patriotic about theirs countries. So what did he said wrong?
@@ceoofuzbekistan4025 He's comparing Europe and America, and he sounds like he thinks Europeans are more patriottic than Americans, while Europeans usually perceive Americans as more patriotic than them.
@@ceoofuzbekistan4025 Major exception: Germany. Not patriotic at all for reasons.
@@ceoofuzbekistan4025 Here in Europe, Americans are recognised as being very patriotic (plus the stereotypical American owns lots of guns and eats Hamburgers all day).
Patriotism in Europe depends on the country. In my country, Austria, you see the Austrian flag very rarely. Even on the Austrian National Day our flag is very rare. And I think many people don't know the national anthem. Despite that, many people are proud of their region, or city or their village.
@@hakon_dlc yea in Italy we are patriotic for the food 😂 then usually if someone is too much patriotic it's a sign wich political side they are. Not a good one in my opinion
As for any traveler to anywhere, be a little humble. I find this especially true for some (not all) Americans. Ask any European about the "American attitude", and you will get tons of stories. Yes, the European countries have their stereotypes about other European countries too, sometimes quite evil. One way to get ALL Europeans united very fast though, is to bring "The American Attitude" into the discussion.
Yes, you traveled to another country. It is not the US. Things work different here and there. Be humble. Ask questions (in a nice way). Say thank you and please. The tip of learning some native phrases is great, it shows you are trying. Another tip is to ask about the culture, the history, local traditions, language and the local food. Those are questions that will make any native happy - basically everyone from every country loves to talk about that.
Me (European who has never been outside of Europe): damn I better watch this just in case
My tip is to be careful about budget airlines. RyanAir's "Paris" flight is actually some small town an hour away from Paris. And if you get there too early or too late for the public transit, you'll be paying a very expensive cab ride into town. They also tend to be really strict about the size of carry on items/luggage. Sometimes its worth paying the extra $$ for a more traditional airline.
RyanAir also treats their staff (and their customers) like garbage.
This is exactly why I don't even consider a RyanAir flight. Being annoying is their business model. No thx!
@@picobello99 With RyanAir I've had the single handly best customer service I've ever had with an airline: I arrived like 20 minutes before my flight was about to leave (not my fault). They rushed me trough all sorts of back doors to make sure I got on. No idea why they was so friendly and helpful, I didn't even think what they did for me would be possible.
But overall, you're right. But also unfair. It's like comparing the customer service on your local commuter train with like some fancy expensive train. You get what you pay for. In RyanAir's case, that's just getting you from A to B. Which I'm happy with. If I want a nice flight and being pampered - that's a whole another experience. Flying with RyanAir is well, like taking your local bus or the commuter train. Without them the alternative for many wouldn't be to pick another airline, it would be to stay at home.
Before RyanAir, there really wasn't anything in that segment. It would be as if we all were used to only having fancy expensive restaurants with excellent customer service and someone introduced McDonald's... Like comparing apples to oranges. Both serve their purpose. But like, sometimes you just need to get from A to B. You don't need all that extra unnecessary stuff. Especially if it makes your ticket cost 100s of times more. I prefer spending that money in my destination. Eating some better food. Getting a better hotel. That stuff, the stuff that matters.
Like I did "Stockholm">"Marseille">Porto>London>"Stockholm" over a decade ago for under €5 in total, one of the flights was literally 0.something.
@@user-lv6rn9cf8m I'm not talking about customer service, but about the way the company treats their own employees. What do you think cheap flights mean for the staff? Exactly, low wages, hardly any rights, etc. They don't even get a pension. In some countries employees protested, striked even. Instead of improving their situation RyanAir just shut down their hubs there and sacked all of their employees.
@@picobello99 Yup. Same kinda thing as I was saying was the difference between like some fancy expensive train in Japan and your local commuter rail or your local bus driver. Your local bus driver works long hours, if he can use the toilet it's probably by pure luck.. same thing. I'm not condoning it or anything but like.. we get it. Obviously it's going to be that way.
I'm mostly concerned about the pilots though, the actual safety of the flights - that stuff.
Even though I’ve been to Miami once and saw for myself that walking or public transport is not really an option, I was still shocked to hear the thing about walking. Literally just last week I hiked 60 kilometers (90 miles) over 4 days on hilly terrain and it was great. Granted the only foreigners I ran into were some Germans.
We germans were born to hike, no vacation without a hike or at least some bike tours :D
Are you sure 60 km is equal 90 miles?
I’m calling ducktales on hiking 90 miles. The average person hikes 8-15 miles a day. 90 miles in FOUR days? Are you sure lol
I think you got a bit confused in your conversion. 60 kms is just under 40 miles, not 90.
Thats not true. Walking and public transport is 100% an option in Miami. Source: native South Floridian who doesnt drive
On some local trains the doors do not open when the train stops . You must open the door to enter or exit .
Aren't all trains like that except metros?
@@gchecosse I don't know if this is what the OP meant, but in some places in Europe there are still some very old train cars where you have to open the door manually. There are a few remaining in Croatia, where I live.
@@2712animefreak In the Netherlands we have new trains mostly, you have to push a button to open the door if you don't it stays shut
Many metro cars in Paris have a latch that you must manually work to open the door. I was there just a month ago. Same cars from 20+ years ago. Other cars had automatic doors.
You were right to start with toilets. One thing you did not mention is how Eurotoilets are low water. Europeans generally find the high-water US toilets to be wasteful -- and sometimes a bit concerning regarding splashback.
Be prepared for the Dutch toilets. We have a platform for our poops and pees, haha. Many foreigners seemed freaked out at the thought of being confronted with the food of yesterday, once they turn around to flush. I can imagine it's a shock when you've always seen it under water. So...be prepared.
That's the kiss of Neptune, either Poseidon. xD
Practise walking! That's culture shock right there..
As a European I definitely prefer the customer service here! It's realistic and genuine and you aren't hounded by the staff 24/7. I understand servers are paid a lot less in the US, but it was damn annoying being bombarded all of the time in the US. I even had servers ask how I wanted to pay the tip and how much. Tipping is not the same in Europe and if you feel generous it's 10%.
For what it's worth, it really shouldn't be the case in the US that a server hounds you for the sake of getting tips. It does happen occasionally, and maybe they hound foreign visitors more out of fear of not getting tipped, but it's not the norm, and would likely cause many Americans to tip less. It's kind of just assumed that the service should be prompt and respectful, and it's also more or less assumed that the tip will be 15%-20% regardless of the level of service, because they're basically not making money if you don't tip. My wife literally tells me to tip less when servers do things like rush us out the door or mention tips to us. A good server will generally just do quick, simple checks for refills, dessert orders, making sure steaks are cooked as ordered, replacing empty condiment bottles, etc. It should not feel like an interview.
Yeah in Europe they only follow you around in the stores smh
I'm American, but I've been living in Europe für decades. It's fun to hear about all the details that would seem odd to Americans. I got a healthy dose of reverse culture shock watching your video. 😊
12) There are many bus stops only on reqest in Europe. In some countries and regions (for example all of Germany, Austria, most of the Czech rep.), there are even all stops only on request. When you want leave the regional public bus (tram, train), you need push the button on the door BEFORE the stop. When you don't do this, the bus doesn't even have to stop!
13) When you say "How do you do?" - We know, what you mean. :-) But when an European say "How do you do?" in his language, he really want to know how do you do, so how are your feelings. We, Europeans, are not rude, but a little bit more direct and more honest. :-)
Yep, in Czechia it's as follows (from my experience)
- City buses usually have marked request stops with an announcement that the next stop is request only (this announcement may be only in Czech though, so it's better to just push the stop button anyways if you're not sure)
- Regional buses have all stops as request only, so you better push that STOP button if you wanna get off
- Regional trains (Os, Sp) have marked request stops (the information displays and announcements will state that a stop is request only), and the button is usually near the door and is clearly marked in a few languages
- Fast(R)/InterCity/EuroCity trains stop on all their stops, because all of their stops are big population centres
I have only experienced uncomfortable situations with American tourists so far, I can sum them up for you in a few points.
*1.* Avoid loud speech, I've heard screaming and I thought someone was in pain, turns out they were calling over their daughter to have pizza.
Not to mention every American on the train, bus or other public transport. Sssht.
*2.* Avoid backhanded compliments. I love it when people speak their mind and I hate fake politeness and I hate insecure PC-attempts at a conversation, but don't give me a compliment like; 'Your country is cleaner than I expected' or 'Wow, your cleanliness is nearly up to the standards we are used to' or 'I love how good your English is, why doesn't your country just change your native language to English, it will be so much easier for all the tourists!'
*3* Don't fuss over your safety. Keep an eye out for pickpockets, and don't walk away with strangers or buy weed on the street or just walk into anyone's basement, but especially when there is a government sign on something, inviting you over, it's likely that it is very safe.
The Dutch water has no chlorine, but it has the same quality as mineralwater. Our local church is as sturdy as ever, just because it's old, it doesn't mean that it will collapse when you walk inside. Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's frail.
*4* If possible, leave your car at home. A couple of times a week, when I try to cycle to my parents, I'm in a rush and have 3-4 bags hanging from my steeringwheel and I can't just pump the breaks when something's standing in front of me.
And I stíll see the same local Americans driving around their car, blocking the entire street, trying to carefully manouvre through the alleys without scraping it.
The car doesn't fit, the cow-horns on the dashboard annoy me, the alleys aren't made for that size cars and once I pump my breaks, I have to start over again and build up the speed.
Don't bring your car. Leave it at home. The public transport is fine here, you don't fit in the alley with your car, it will not be appreciated and if you try to pull this trick on the bike-lane in Amsterdam, you'll find that nobody is able to break and you'll have 30 people crashing into your precious truck. Leave. it. at. home.
My biggest tip, Europe (and a lot of the world) isn’t as convenient as the US for some things. Its rare to have anything open 24/7 and sometimes even after 8pm. Always make sure you bring all of your comfort OTC meds like stomach/allergy/cold/headache pills because there is no making a quick midnight trip to CVS. Same goes for night time food and snacks, especially for jet lag.
In countries like France, most stores are closed on Sunday.
Plus on the topic of food. Our portions are typically human sized and not over the top large, unless you go Five Guys lol
@@caolkyle ... which is a good thing. Less people are overweight. And in many country, food is much better/higher quality than in the US.
I think in most of Europe, you can always find a pharmacy that is open for emergencies.
@@Daneelro You can also get certain meds at a gasstation that's open 24/7, yes I know not in all of EU you an buy meds everywhere, this differs
Two tips for northern europe - #1. Do not brag, your status or wealth at home nor the fact that you are american impresses us. #2. Try to read up on the metric system.
Other than that you are welcome - be friendly and open and you'll recevie the same treatment.
As someone from Ireland, agree with the whole “Americans being loud” thing. It’s true. Please keep the noise level down. Also I’ve been to multiple European countries and use my card everywhere, I very rarely have cash. A lot of places now are ‘card only’ because of covid 19. It means less handling of dirty cash. 😁👍🏻
Those businesses are screwed if/when their card machines or the internet connection ever goes down. On my last break, one business had that problem but fortunately they were still taking cash. Being so germaphobic that people are afraid to touch cash is a pretty unhealthy mindset. (Not to mention that we touch other things all the time; why should cash be made the sole scapegoat?) This isn't to say don't bother with a card though because they are very useful.
Germany is still mostly cash only.
Going solo to Europe for the first time in about a week and the videos have been so helpful!
Have fun over here!
Thank you, it really isn't normal to be loud anywhere. But especially on trams, trains, buses... You can always tell Americans are around the corner. Because you hear them from miles away.
I prefer theEuropean "service" I really dislike being pestered by waiters and shopping assistants. And anyone who has ever worked in bars, restaurants or shops will tell you customers are not kings ;o;
I really do agree, I don’t want to have to pay people to do their job in restaurants or hotels! It’s like giving money to a beggar and not treating him/her as my equal.
If the customer is king, the waiter or other staff member is emperor.
@@flitsertheo I prefer doiing the french way... and we all know how we treat kings in France
I'd be careful about asking the concierge where to go out. In most cases it is OK, but in some hotels they have side deals with really crappy places to direct guests there. Asking locals on the street, especially if they seem to be having a fun time, is a better idea.
I would say if you are timid of traveling, Ireland is the most beginner friendly country. Everything is beautiful, no language challenges, people are amazing. Looking to move there.
Perhaps Americans would find Ireland to be a good fit because American culture was largely influenced, especially in some places, by immigrants from Ireland!
"no language challenges", you sure about that? XD
@@Nekotaku_TV yeah, been all over Ireland multiple times and occasionally you will run into typically an older primarily Gaelic speaker, but you can work around that with even only a few words. A bit of eastern Europeans working in Dublin, but never had and issues communicating with them.
@@anthonyfalteisek688 i think the comment referred to the irish accent rather than gaelic or people who don't speak english 😁
@@sleniger ahh, well I never found it to be any more difficult than any other type of accent.
I'm heading to mainland Europe for the first time for a 3 week vacation in Austria, and I've been thankful for your videos.
Hope you have a great trip. Austria ia beautiful!
Martin Švoňava the british islands?
As an european I can confirm the crack between the beds is dangerous. I fell down there once when I was small, it took me 3 weeks to find my way out.
We just got back from a 2-week river cruise, visiting 5 countries. Your videos were valuable in preparing us for the trip. I am looking forward to our next adventure.
Thank you Mark for being honest about the realities of having a physical disability/difference and the nature of public transportation in much of Europe. I have been living in Germany since 2013 and I have mild cerebral palsy, I walk differently and struggle with my balance from time to time. It's frustrating that even in big metro areas like Düsseldorf and Berlin elevators are frequently out of service, stairwells dangerously crowded and transportation stops not accomodating to people in wheelchairs/big prams.I have a three year old who sometimes has to travel with me and some of these elevators can barely fit us both.
i dont know about Germany, but for example Spain has ramps next to stairs practically everywhere
I can just say Switzerland is excellent for physically impaired and disabled people. But maybe you have some first hand experiences to share?
Really helpful video! You’re so right about learning some phrases. It’s respectful. I love the formalities in Europe. The hardest thing for us was the transit systems. Not the big ones but the underground in the cities 🥴. I could some lessons! You are great! Thank you
Learning little bits of the local language, or at least showing an interest in learning bits of the language goes a long way with locals. I find this is doubly true in countries that may be less popular or less well known.
Also, look into what the culture is like around tipping before you go. Knowing ahead of time can save you some awkward moments.
When I was in Croatia we were at a restaurant during a slow time of day. We had just landed and were hungry, and we definitely are, drank, and were merry. The waiter was awesome. He sat with us for a bit, taught us some words in Croatian, and even had a drink with us. It was the best service I ever had in my life. However, we had been told that tipping can be seen as offensive in Europe, so we never gave the guy a tip. It turns out that they DO accept tips in Croatia, and I still think about that waiter three years later, and how I should have tipped him the value of the entire meal.
You just look at the wage in general by country. Wages in Croatia are relatively low so you should tip about 10 kuna at least. It's offensive to tip in Japan, Korea and so.
I had a similar experience in Austria... the beautiful waitress was sitting with us and talking with us. Then like an idiot I drank too much and I don't remember much of what happened next lol
I honestly haven't heard of any country in Europe where tipping is rude. That it isn't obligatory doesn't mean it's rude or not appreciated. You don't have to tip, but it's always nice to do so.
u are 100% correct. DO tip. Everywhere.
The only place in Europe where tipping in a restaurant is not the norm is Sweden. However, partly in terms of the amount (rarely as high as in the US) but much more o in the precise method, there are very different tipping customs across Europe, you need to look them up beforehand. In some places, you can pay the tip officially along with the full price with any payment method. In other places, tipping is always in cash. In some places, you tip by rounding up, elsewhere you give small change separately. In some places, you tell beforehand how much you want to tip, elsewhere you let the waiter dole out the change but you leave it on the table or the bill.
As a European, I’d say this was very accurate. Well done!
I’m frequently baffled at people (quite often fellow Americans) who are so bothered by the differences they find in traveling…isn’t that one of the reasons one travels, to experience something different than home?
I wonder what some of my fellow Americans would think if they were plopped down in Asia or Africa then. The only reason some countries feel so similar to us is because they've been so "Americanized" (which I actually think is sad, because it means their traditional culture is being overridden or worse destroyed). I remember reading how some foreign folks were dreading this when American influence spread widely after World War II.
Plenty of Europeans do the same when they visit the United States.
Thanks for your video... perfect timing... we're flying over to Frankfurt in 31 days and its my first time in Europe in over 20 years! I especially needed that encouragement to keep up my daily walks!!!
Hi,
Not sure how long you're planning to go, but since the gas prices are at an all time high...the German government subsidizes training.
This means you can get a ticket for a month, basically throughout Germany, for only €9.
Pretty cheap way to get around.
Definitely get the 9€ ticket while you can
All true!My daughter and I were wandering around the Gare Du Nord lost trying to find the Metro.A very nice lady came up to us and in perfect English offered assistance.Forever grateful to her.Go enjoy ,be courteous,learn a little French,Italian etc and you will have a great time.Oh yea watch what ever video Mark has on your destination,very informative!
You were very lucky that the lady was honestly trying to help you. Many scammers lurk around at Gare du Nord
@@wingedhussar1117 Yes! I foiled a pickpocket in the Gare du Nord subway station. I saw him and his friends get into the train behind me. When the train started, I grabbed for my wallet. He already had my pocket unzipped and his hand on my wallet. I was able to grab the wallet from the outside so his hand came out empty. He just stared at me for a moment and got off the train at the next stop.
The same in Germany: Often people aimlessly wandering major trainstation are scammers. Use your common sense and don't be destructed by them telling you some story.
planning our first trip to Europe, great info, really appreciated
Thank for another grand “heads up” video! Hope your family and you are well!
Keep in mind that here we use meters, kilos, litres and Celsius temperature.
Most cars are with manual transmission. No ice in water (but it is from fridge), unless you ask for it. Smokers are not considered as killers.
Well, it depends. In Sweden, smoking is more or less banned in all public places. We have also switched from manual transmission cars to automatic in recent years.
Although they should be as they are... This is the ONE field where I wish Europe would catch up with the US.
@@testcardsandmore1231 smoking is forbidden in all indoor public places in all Europe, I believe. But smokers can smoke outdoor, without risking being chased. Cars have automatic transmission if they are hybrid, that is not the greatest part in Germany, France, Italy, Spain.
@@laurag.colombo2897 Here in Sweden smoking is banned also in many places outdoors.
In public places in Germany you can normally open doors by pulling as you walk in. They are called"Fluchttüren" which means that in case of emergency people who want to get out can push the door open which is faster if you need to get out really quickly ;)
In Finland all doors must open outwards since 18th century. I believe it's same in Sweden, since the law is from times when Finland was part of Sweden.
The story behind the law is that there was multiple church fires where people could not get out of the building, because the doors were inwards opening and and the croud was pushing everyone in front of them in panic, effectivelly jamming the doors.
Yes, all doors open towards you in Sweden, including front doors (which means ‘kicking a door in’ like in the Hollywood movies is impossible) The one exception is bedroom doors, which open inwards and therefore can be kicked in if there’s a fire
In hotels, railway stations and most shops, there are automatic doors, though, so no need to worry about pushing or pulling
@@mariawerner8447 "Shit, there's a fire. I've gotta go take a nap super quickly before I burn."
@@jattikuukunen Sadly, many people die every year because of smoking in bed, including World famous jazz singer Monica Zetterlund.
3:00- I saw that when I was in Zurich Switzerland, an old lady in front of me on the tram didn’t have a ticket because she didn’t know how to buy one but they told her to get off the tram with them and she got fined.
I really enjoyed your video. 🤩⭐️
Thanks for Sharing! 👍🏼💕
Greetings from Albania. 🇦🇱
Lots of good advice in this video! I hope you enjoyed gorgeous Salzburg. I live about 1 hour (by train or Autobahn) east of there. Here is my advice for visiting a restaurant or café: in Austria, never assume that you can pay with your card at the end of your meal. Lots of places only take cash, payable at the end of your meal or refreshments. Note, this is different from the UK (I'm English), where a debit card payment at the end of your meal in a restaurant is very common. On the other hand, in a UK pub you would typically pay up front for refreshments, either in cash or with your card (ask if not sure what is acceptable). Happy travelling!
In the Netherlands cash isn't accepted everwhere and many places don't accept credit card. This goes for restaurants as well as shops. Make sure to bring a debit card!
Also, even if a place accepts credit card, that doesn't mean that you won't be better off paying cash: many restaurants will bill an automatic service surcharge (on the assumption that credit card users are less willing to tip), and this is not considered a rip-off. If you're not familiar with local customs like this, read your bills before paying.
Our first trip to Europe was to England. London was a great experience. It prepared us for future trips to other countries.
Some very useful tips here Mark! Definitely agree with the walking part 😂
Good practical advice, thanks mate.
In France Glass doors often have stickers saying POUSSEZ (push) or TIREZ (pull).
In Germany, due to fire department rules all doors must open to the outside so that in case of panic the pressure of people wanting to get out of the store / the building opens the door. So pulling the door is at most shops always working, but many of those doors just open to both sides ;-)
Same in the UK. I think it is a law that all new buildings that are open to the public must have doors that open outwards.
The doors opening to the outside thing is actually not working for all doors, but rather for doors to public places with many people inside. Older doors and doors to smaller shops traditionally open to the inside, which I find actually a bit dangerous sometimes, because of that panic aspect. I think they to it a lot more in Italy though, expecially when refurbishing older buildings.
As a Londoner, now living in the Netherlands for several years - these are such great tips!!! Something to really highlight is that rooms, beds, apartments, stairways, portion sizes, cars, roads, table layouts - are smaller than you find in the US. Most things in fact!
Great channel!!!
Yes.......but the scams, if any, are much smaller and less frequent.
@@victormeidan1062 I would say it really depends. It's not so much country-to-country difference nowadays, but overall, you will find tourist scam traps in particular places in Stockholm, Prague, Vienna, Paris, Madrid, and in every major tourist city like this. I would always recommend finding some info on local tourist scam traps in a given city you are about to travel. Indeed, we have shifty characters eager to steal every of your tourist penny in Europe also, like anywhere else.
Excellent video. Very informational.
You are one of the most charismatic people I've ever seen. Thanks for the content.
Wow! We have had a small button and a large button toilet for over 12 years here in super exotic Los Angeles California. Been to Europe and it was amazing! Walking! Oh yes! walked close to 10 miles a day in York England and Edinburgh, Scotland. Getting lost in Venice, Italy was fantastic! Athens Greece felt a bit uneasy to be honest.
If you are disabled, in Germany, you should ask directly for a disabled-friendly room. Not every hotel room is designed in such a way that disabled people can use the normal rooms. hotels only have a certain number of rooms
Great video, Mark. I didn't get to Europe until I was in my '40's. The toilet one was key for me.
Mr. Mark, we love your videos. Every time we decide to travel, we checked your videos. Your videos very helpful tips. Thanks
Currencies: I have met tourists who thought they could pay in Euro everywhere in the EU, which is not the case. Most of western Europe uses the Euro but in northern and eastern Europe they often have their own currencies.
Also be careful when you pick up a foreign currency at an ATM, especially the "Euronet" ATM's, which you can find all over Europe and which are notorious for giving terrible exchange rates.
Also don't exchange cash at train stations or airports because they will give you bad rates, (only if you really need cash for a taxi for example.)
Find exchange rate for local currency before travelling.
Always buy your tickets at a machine or online! It could be 2x more if you buy it from the conductor.
Great vid
Some countries close shops on Sundays. Need to plan accordingly and avoid Sunday if possible. Also, specialty stops close early - like 6-7PM.
Let me add a bit here.
In Edinburgh, we learned that the first floor is not the ground floor. It made for an interesting elevator ride until we asked a local.
The sodas are cool, not cold. We found sodas in an open cooler, like cheese and yogurt are often sold here.
There wasn't fountain soda at the gas station like we have in the United States.
We didn't stay in a single hotel with an ice machine or A/C. It was unseasonably warm for a few days of our month long trip.
I loved every second of my visit to Europe.
yep
air condition is very rare in europe, sure a lot of cubicle-style buildings have them but it's rare to have a wall-mounted unit in houses, it's almost unheard of except for certain cubicle style and apartment complex buildings
i do however have one of those portable carrier air conditioners, and those would be seen more often in regular domestic houses than the wall-mounted built-in units.
i ride it out of the storage for just a couple of days a year to deal with the worst heat, then it goes back in the storage again not to be seen for the rest of the year
it isn't even standard in places like south spain or france
people over there just generally open up 2 windows against one another and hang up their clothes to dry on the wind as they may aswell ;)
but i must add that it's pretty imperative to have window screens to keep the insects out, because they'll come flying in all the time :D
The push/pull thing reminded me of a fun little story: My girlfriend is in the US army and was deployed over here in germany. In the first week a bunch of the freshly deployed guys and girls decided to take a train to a closeby town (Bad Windsheim is pretty cute btw.) and the train arrived on time (wow). But the doors didn't open on its own cause you have to push the little button. So now you have 25+ people in front of their train but not one of them knew this little fact and the train just left without them :D
🤣🤣🤣
Great video! I agree with all points!
In Europe, when you order a coffee, expect it to be hot. Don't complain if you take a sip and burn your lips and try to sue the restaurant for not informing you. That happens only in America.
How to enjoy :
1. Find the big square near the big church, sit down, and slow down. Drink something nice
2. Get lost. No seriously, wandering aimlessly around is much more fun than walking like a pre-programmed robot the same route everybody else takes. Who knows what you might find?
I've been to Europe 4 times (soon to be 5) and I agree with most of these. Those toilets with buttons are getting common in North America as well. At least in Canada. And in my travels, I've always been good with using my credit card almost everywhere. That being said, I always bring about 500 euros cash for a 2 week vacation.
Glad you liked it here! Love from The Netherlands :)
Also make sure your credit card has touchless pay. I know most credit cards already have this but you'd be surprised how many people think just because it has the chip that it means that it also has NFC. If you got a smart watch with NFC, it doesn't hurt to add your cards there as a backup.
Nice, friendly post 😊🇪🇺
Learning a few words in the language of the country you are visiting is soo important! You will get treated so much better!
If Americans hire a car in Europe, it won't be a 5.7 litre V8 automatic SUV! We drive 'compact' cars with manual transmissions, and we have corners! No driving 200 miles in a dead straight line like in Arizona or Utah! And the fuel is either call petrol or benzine, never, ever call it gas, as some cars do run on actual gas (LPG)
I highly recommend paying attention to having the ticket on public transport. And not just having one, but having the right ticket. I was in Vienna with my spouse this spring and we took a train from the airport to the city. We bought tickets from a ticket machine and should have focused more on which tickets to buy and we accidentally bought the wrong ones. Well, we got on board the train and of course, had the ticket inspectors board the train at the next station. :D Having the wrong tickets would have cost us €210 but the inspector maybe had a good day or something and took "only" €105. When the inspector left, some local guy sitting behind us told us that the inspectors patrol very regularly the stations near the airport as this is a very common mistake that tourists make when buying train tickets.
We have travelled a lot in Europe so should have known better. :D Super irritating.
Lived this basic video.thank you.
In Russia there's a way to enter public transport: you first lane up at the sides of the doors and let everyone out, then come in.
Also, check the weather before your trip - it may surprise you.
In most of europe in order to obey to safety regulations, doors in public places have to open to outside ( pull to enter, push to exit) so that if there's an emergency inside and people start to panic and push each other the door opens and you get pushed out.
So yea about the confusion about doors, you usually have to pull if you get inside somewhere
I am Australian and have travelled in Europe and the UK. Interesting how there are a number of commonalities between Europe and Australia, more than the Australia and the U.S. First floor = same; tipping = variable, but not the norm; people are helpful, but the customer is not always king. No endless refills here either. Flushing of toilets, same as Europe. Lots of walking, but like the U.S. we’re a large country with some large urban areas so lots of driving too; like the U.S. public transport exists but is not up to the high standards of Europe (something I really miss), especially outside the major cities; on public transport tickets are often purchased via a machine before boarding (or by a adding money to a transport card); cash used to be king but COVID has changed that. Public toilets are free, but like the U.S. I’d generally give these a miss. Hotel rooms generally similar to Europe, but there are lots of U.S. style rooms too; like the U.S. elevators (called lifts) are bigger. Also not mentioned: like Europe we use metric.
Well maybe bcs Australia is commonwealth and bonding to UK (UK is Europe)
Thank you so much that would be really helpful for me thank you so much again😁😁
Nice video thanks for the helpful info! Your comment about losing your dad in the crack of the bed cracked me up 🤣