This summer was my very first-time visiting Europe and I was so excited! I researched the six countries I would be visiting so that I could learn a little bit about the culture and soften the culture shock a bit. I tried to learn a few common phrases in each language although my Dutch and German were pretty terrible. My high school French came back to me and that was very helpful in the small city of Beaune in France. I traveled to The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, and Switzerland.
Although I researched in advance, there were still quite a bit of culture shocks I encountered while traveling abroad. Different can be fun. Here are 26 things you should know as a first timer American traveling to Europe.
Restaurants
- There are no free refills in Europe. The soda you order will come in a small, chilled bottle. There was only one place in Switzerland where I saw that Iced Tea was offered.
- If you would like water, you will have to ask for it and will need to pay about 2-3 Euros. I was told in Beaune, France that you do not have to pay for water in France. But when I got to Paris, I had to pay 3 Euros at the restaurant. Beaune was the only place out of the 6 countries I visited that did not charge me for water.
- I asked for ice at the hotel I stayed at in in the Netherlands and they did not have any. I asked for some in my Paris hotel and they went to the back to get some. It sounded like they were chipping away at the ice. When they brought it to me, it was in plastic. But I was happy to have ice đ
- Most restaurants do not have air conditioning, so itâs best to sit outside. Itâs also lovely to sit outdoors and people watch.
- People do smoke. In Paris lots of people were smoking outside so we sat inside. The windows and large doors were open, so it was fine.
- Sprite, Coke and orange Fanta are everywhere. Only saw Pepsi and Dr. Pepper twice – in Paris grocery stores.
- Most gelato come with a waffle disc in your ice cream â tell them you donât want it if youâre gluten-free. I encountered this in Italy, Germany, and Austria.
- While at gas stations and grocery stores â look for package labels that say Sans Gluten or Senza Glutineâ meaning Gluten Free if you have Celiacs.
- Most restaurants in Paris had gluten-free options. So did Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and The Netherlands. Not Austria. I was very hungry there and mostly ate gelato and their amazing chocolate candies.
Bathrooms
- We stopped at some French gas stations and there were no toilet seats at all. Us girls had to hover.
- Out of about 18 cities I visited, only 3 hotels had conditioner for your hair. I asked why and was told that Shampoo is mostly used in Europe and not conditioner. With that said, my hair looked extra shiny in The Netherlands. It must be their water đ
- Outside of Paris, no one that I encounter spoke English in France. So brush up on your French or have your Translator app ready.
- The friendliest people I encountered were in Paris. Our local Parisian tour guide informed us that Parisians took a class on being friendly to tourists before they hosted the Olympics, lol. Second place goes to The Netherlands. Most people were friendly in general throughout Europe. In Germany and Austria, they were just more direct.
- In France, start all sentences with Bonjour. Itâs rude if you do not.
- In the Netherlands, people would end the conversation by saying, âOk Bye Byeâ. I thought that was so cute. Half the people I spoke with, did not speak English. Regardless of whatever country youâre traveling to, I would practice key phrases of that country before arriving.
- People are quieter in general, including on trains, buses, shops, etc. So use your inside voice. People donât want to hear our conversations.
- Iâm a happy person and smile all the time and talk to strangers, but in Europe this is very weird. People keep to themselves and do not smile at strangers.
- Customer service at restaurants is not the same as in the US. People take their time in Europe and are not in a rush. You may need to flag down your server. Just be ready to order. Servers do not check up on you like they do in the US. I had to flag them down to get the ticket to pay.
- If a restaurant says it closes at 10pm, they may be closed 30 minutes earlier. I encountered that a few times in The Netherlands.
Transportation
- Unfortunately, some of us got scammed by taxi drivers in Rome, Italy. Only take taxis that are in line at a queue. Confirm in advance that they are using the meter and that their credit card reader works. If they ask where youâre going and offer you a special rate â itâs a more expensive rate. You do not have to tip either.
- In Paris, if you are going to the airport, the law states a flat rate of what a taxi driver can charge depending on what side of the bank youâre on. They should have a taxi sign on their roof and also confirm in advance that their credit card reader works -as Iâve heard they sometimes during the middle of the ride say itâs not working and want you to withdraw cash from a bank.
- I mostly used Ubers all around Europe. I did use the Metro in Paris. It can be confusing at first but if youâre there for a while, you can get the hang of it.
- The Netherlands has a fantastic train/bus/tram system. I travelled to several cities by train and it was easy. I googled on my phone how to get from city A to city B by train and it gave the exact train names and times. Keep your ticket with you as youâll need it to get out! I lost mine on the train and had to plead in English to an official who only spoke Dutch to please let me out. Gratefully he did đ
- Although I walk daily, I was not prepared for all the walking uphill, upstairs, and on uneven cobblestone. You may need to plan breaks throughout your day or take a nap.
- Some hotel rooms that have air conditioning only turn it on in the evenings. Or have it at a certain setting that is controlled by the hotel. I had brought a small handheld fan just in case and it was perfect.
- Some hotels require you to put your key card into a device near the door. This turns on the electricity in your room. When you take the key out to leave, it will turn off all electricity. I had this in one hotel in Paris and one in Germany.
Traveling abroad was an amazing and eye-opening experience! I learned a lot and canât wait to go back. I traveled with a tour group and that was super helpful for me. Our tour guide spoke several languages and was able to help us navigate our new experiences and help us to understand and appreciate the culture of the countries we were in. This trip renewed my interest in relearning French and looking into a more immersive visit next time. If youâre traveling alone, I would recommend hiring a local guide for a few hours.