Tips for Future Europe Travelers

Our last day in Berlin was not super exciting, though it was fun. We rented bikes and had the city as our cul-de-sac. Biking is such a great way to get around town and I wish that Kansas City was more bike-friendly. We really enjoyed riding through the streets of Berlin. After lunch and some shopping, Mark headed back to the hotel for a nap and I went back to Checkpoint Charlie and to an open-air exhibit called the Topography of Terror, which was really boring. We met up to return our bikes and had a nice dinner, then tried to get some sleep before our 3 a.m. wakeup call.

Now we’re over the Atlantic, halfway through our 9 hour flight. And that’s just one out of the three legs. I cannot stop thinking about seeing Turner and Hooch again, and about the cheese dip and margarita I’m going to get from 54th Street tonight. And Mexican food in general. Mark says “Chipotle” every 10th word. By the time I get a chance to post this we will be home sweet home.

I know a couple of people have been reading this because they are planning upcoming European trips, and I have some insight for you. I hope that some of my mishaps can save you some time, money, and frustration.

First of all, if you have connecting flights on different airlines, do everything you can to know which gate the connecting flight leaves from, or at least what terminal the airline is in. If you don’t know this and ask someone official-looking at the airport, they will lie to you. With certainty.

Second, if you are flying on an airline that is not a major airline in the country you’re in, realize that they may not have their own ticketing counter. When we flew out of New York, it took us forever to find the Air Berlin counter because there is no Air Berlin counter- it is an American Airlines counter with a small Air Berlin sign.

If your connecting flights are not on the same airline, allow at least 1-1.5 hours for your layover. I usually want the quickest layover possible, but it can take time to switch between airlines….especially if you check bags.

Mark has been keeping our finances straight while we’re over here, and he noticed two $30+ charges were pending and we weren’t sure what they were. When they both cleared, we realized it was for two phone calls we made. Each was less than a minute. We called from Austria to Switzerland and Austria to Germany to take care of some business with places we would be staying. We called from the train station- that is the mistake. If you have to call when you’re in Europe, do not call from the train stations…unless you enjoy spending close to $70 on two short calls. You can call much cheaper from Internet cafes or by using calling cards.

Stay at least two-three nights in each place. We didn’t and felt rushed and unsettled at times.

Pack light. Roll your clothes and only bring things that have multiple uses. I am not usually a light packer, but I was able to fit everything into a carry-on. Or at least a bag that they let me carry on….not sure it would have fit in the little box they use to measure it. You are moving around so much and having lots of luggage or big luggage would have been a big hassle. And get good, durable luggage…I thought mine was…it wasn’t. Carrying a suitcase is not fun.

Check the carry-on limitations for each airline you’re flying on. Most are not strict about

Pack a water bottle, an alarm clock, and a calculator. The water bottle because you cannot get a small cup of water for less than $3. I just filled mine up at the hotel and carried it everywhere. I didn’t have the last two and wish I did. Hotels do not generally have clocks. The calculator would have been handy for calculating exchange rates, especially when you’re traveling between countries that use different currencies, and also for when you’re charged and given change in one currency, but paying in another.

Ladies, tampons over here do not have applicators, so plan accordingly if that will be an issue.

Take a bike tour…most big cities have them. They are fabulous. Rent bikes to get around. Also fabulous. I much prefer it to using the subway system, and wished that we had done it earlier in the trip.

Travel sites say to get an international student ID, which costs around $25, to take advantage of student discounts. We used our UMKC IDs and never had any problems.

If you’ll be traveling between cities by train and have questions, feel free to ask me….it can be complicated to figure out. I didn’t understand it until we got there….and still don’t understand all of it, but I have a good feel for it.

Invest in a good guidebook. We used ours a ton. Also learn basic phrases in their language.

This sounds stupid, but check the weather for where you’re going and really think about that when you’re packing. June in Germany is not the same as June in Kansas City. I packed like it was. Germany June is more like KC April….I brought one cardigan and one hoodie, and they are both pretty stinky now.

Save a lot and budget well. We paid for everything in cash and stayed within our budget. It was very enjoyable knowing that we don’t have to pay for this vacation after we get home.

Start a blog and send me the link so I can read it!

Thanks for reading and I hope this is helpful. I love to travel and am thinking about stating a show Samantha Brown style…whadda ya think?