Are you a first timer to Europe? Well you have started to do the single most important thing you can before travel- research! This forum has many ideas on where to go, when to go, prices, what to expect, etc. If you have any other questions-please ask. Those of you seasoned in the topic- please feel free to add anything you feel fit.Before You Go

Important Documents

If you’re a new traveller, apply early for your passport and, if necessary, any visas. Check with embassies or consulate offices in regards to visas before you leave as well. Bring your passport, traveller’s checks, ATM and credit cards, adequate ID, and photocopies of all these documents just in case they are lost or stolen. Other things you might want to bring if you have them are a hostelling membership card, travel insurance forms, and an ISIC card.

Luggage

If you’re covering most of your itinerary by foot, a sturdy frame backpack is ideal. A suitcase is fine if you plan to stay in one or two cities and explore from there, but it can be cumbersome if you’re going to be moving around a lot. A small daypack is also a must. Be sure to check luggage weight and size limits for airlines and countries.

Clothing

When packing, be prepared for any climate, especially rain. Bring clothes that will dry quickly if you are travelling in a rainy climate. Flip-flops are essential if you plan to stay in hostels with communal showers. If you plan to visit any religious or cultural sites, you may have to cover your shoulders and legs to be respectful, so bring something other than tank tops and shorts. After you gather all the clothing, you think you’ll need for your trip, go over it again and eliminate half then add twice as much money. Your goal should be to pack light! This way you’ll have room for souvenirs and other belongings you acquire along the way. Experts advise taking the backpack you plan to bring and walking with it for a few blocks to see if it is comfortable. Too heavy? Continue to leave more stuff out- don’t forget people in Europe need the same things as everyone else-it has laundry facilities and stores to purchase items if needed.

Other Useful Items to Pack

Money belt, padlock, umbrella, safety pins, alarm clock, sun block, and plastic bags (for damp clothes, soap, shampoo, and other spillables).

Security

Make sure to bring some locks. They make ones now that wont be cut off. Also bring a padlock because many hostels will provide lockers (but not the lock). Therefore you can store you valuables safely. If you’re staying in a large, party like hostel, you may even want to bring a bicycle lock so you can lock your luggage to a bed. Also try to get something that goes around your neck where you’ll keep your most important documents and the bulk of your cash. Lastly, if you have something very expensive, copy the serial numbers as it will make it easier to identify to the police.

Once You’re There

Language

Learn some of the language, the niceties at least, just to be polite.

What are the most useful languages? German, French, Italian and Spanish will likely allow you to communicate with most all of Europe, be it West or East, with Russian for the far Eastern areas.

If you can, get business cards of any hotels/hostels you’re staying at that you can show to your cab driver or anyone else if you need directions or are heading back.

Activities

Don’t focus your whole day on just tourist activities. While these may be lots of fun, you’ll experience the country much better by travelling off the beaten path and hanging with the locals.

Weather -

The weather is changeable, and varies from south to north. It can change from moments of brilliant sunshine to thick fog, to showers. This is especially true in northern Europe.

Summer days range from cool to hot with a normal temperature of 16° C (61° F) in the north, higher in the south.
The normal annual rainfall is above 1000 mm and the normal annual snowfall is 300 cm in the north or in the Alps, it can be much more.
In June and early July, fog is common and should be expected in the north ESPECIALLY the UK, whereas August and September are sunny, warm and sometimes windy. We can promise no scorching heat waves in the North, but it can get very hot in southern Europe.
Winter snowfalls and snowstorms are spectacular and worth witnessing because of the forces involved especially in the Alps. The bravest photographers will be rewarded with out-of-this world scenery. Again snow in the north but not in the south unless in the mountains.
*As you can see the weather varies depending on where you are in Europe. For the most part, it is much like the US- north is snowy or cold and foggy except during summer, south is hot and can be rainy.

Voltage -

Electrical outlets in Saint-Pierre & Miquelon are 220 Volts, 50 Hz and the physical sockets are Standard French. Canadian and American appliances will only work with adaptors and voltage converters. Some B & B’s still have 110V outlets.

Related to Voltage: Converters & Adapters

Get an electrical converter or adaptor if you’re heading off to countries other than North America. Ask us if you have questions on what you need.

Internet:-

There are a variety of ways to get online in Europe. If you plan to use your dial up modem, it’s not easy to do, as their telephone wall ports are different than those in the US. However, most hotels have wireless as do public coffee houses like Starbucks. Internet cafes are plentiful in most of Europe, however can be expensive. Most hostels also have internet, many free. (Some cities in Europe that’s rare, but they offer the internet for very little).

Currency and Banking -

The official currency in most of Europe is the Euro (€).That is different in Great Britain, as they have kept the Pound. Banking establishments will provide currency exchange services as will Travelex in the major airports. Major credit cards and traveller cheques are commonly accepted. I don’t like traveller cheques myself, as they have to be cashed in for cash, as many merchants do not accept them. Note: You can get money from machines, but not they’re not usually called ATM’s. They are called Cash Points, not new to those of you from Canada. Your bank will usually charge a fee like 2 bucks, and then the bank there charges the same (can be higher or less). Also note- there is no 1 Euro bill- they are coins. Also not new to those of you in Canada.
Example of a Euro bill:

[/img]http://www.st-pierre-et-miquelon.com/media/euro/5testf.jpg [/img]

Business Hours

Most businesses are open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Most shops are closed Saturday afternoons and Sundays.
Displayed prices include taxes, as do many meals so you usually do not need to tip in Europe. This varies with countries.

Many people ask about safety and travelling alone in Europe and it is very safe, and while you may encounter pick-pockets, bag-snatchers and other petty theft, it doesn’t take much to prevent many of these incidents. For the most part, since many people tend to concentrate their travel in Western Europe or just the edges of Eastern Europe travel is very safe whether you travel alone or as a group, that’s not saying Eastern Europe is dangerous, it’s simply that with less tourists and weaker economies in areas there is more of a chance of problems, running from theft to muggings, though for the most part it’s just a safe or dangerous as anywhere.

Just like any place, some cities have poor and dangerous areas, but unless you search for them you likely won’t find them as you head to the museums.

DRESS AND MANNERS

Learn some of the language, the niceties at least, just to be polite.

What are the most useful languages? German, French, Italian and Spanish will likely allow you to communicate with most all of Europe, be it West or East, with Russian for the far Eastern areas.

Don’t make yourself an obvious tourist by dressing like a total tourist. You don’t need a huge bag, nor do you need to wear your camera around you neck, have a sweatshirt with the American, or for that matter, Canadian flag, or other clothing items that have some kind of label splashed across the front of it and please, ditch the baseball cap (especially those of you who wear it backwards?). Also, if you’re bored sometime, just sit around and find out where people are from by what brand of fleece, backpack etc. they have. Endless fun.

Semi nice, clean casual clothing that’s not really bright will make you blend in so that you’re not instantly picked out as the tourist. For most of Europe it’s not too hard to look similar to the locals with many people having European heritage and the fact that most large cities have a fairly diverse population.

Not many people wear shorts either, or tennis shoes/hiking boots. Plain, comfortable shoes can make all the difference, it’s one way to tell where someone is from by shoes or clothing style, and not just American, but which European country they’re from.

SECURITY

Watch all bags and belongings on trains, buses and subways. Don’t hang jackets or bags off of chairs in restaurant, that’s when they disappear.

Especially pay attention as luggage is loaded and unloaded along the way; I’ve seen some people’s things mistakenly taken by others as it was unloaded from a bus.

Don’t carry wallets or anything of value in pants or jacket pockets, that’s just setting yourself up for a pickpocket.

Mostly I carry it with me if the place where I’m staying does not have a locker or doesn’t seem secure. Otherwise I carry it.

One benefit and something that’s not likely to happen in most of Western Europe is that somebody posing as a policeman could ask for your passport and then not return it, so if you have it at the hotel they have to go there, and if they aren’t real they probably won’t so you’d know you were being scammed.

Basically, it’s up to you and the security of the accommodation and the country, and the area you are in.

For security you can make copies of your passport to leave at home, carry with you and also scan and then e-mail to yourself so that you’ll have a copy should you need to get yours replaced.

Be cautious at the ATM, and pay enough attention to those around you to know if you are being followed by someone.

Don’t be paranoid, but do be somewhat suspicious of people, not paranoid, but use common sense and instinct, meaning don’t instantly trust everyone instantly. Most people just want to help or talk to you, but make sure you’re always in control of the situation.

Know where you are going, where your hostel/hotel is, and don’t be afraid to grab a taxi if it’s late at night or you end up in a sketchy situation.

If you do stay in hostels you will meet many people who you can travel/eat/drink with, though I tend not to do this as I really like my time alone, but that’s just me!

ALCOHOL

Don’t run around getting drunk. At least on your own, with a group sure, but still, what’s the point? You can do that at home. Yes, you can drink at 18 or younger in most countries, but remember it’s also an easy way to get in trouble and the laws of the country you are in apply to you. What may be legal at home is not always the same elsewhere. We act stupid when we’re drunk, don’t be a bad ambassador by getting a free night in jail. Plus, your embassy is unlikely to bail you out, and it’s probably not what you want to call your parents about.

Most of Europe starts drinking quite young, and therefore tend to drink not to get drunk but as part of a meal or just a social drink. Depending on the country, wine is often more popular than hard liquor.

Many places have strict laws against being public intoxication and open containers or public consumption. In Scotland it’s a several hundred pound fine if the police catch you with an open container, though most of the time you’re just asked to pour it out, you may find a grumpy officer that one time.

DRUGS

You’ll likely get into less trouble with alcohol than you will with drugs. Most of Europe has harsh laws against drug possession and use. That’s not something you want to go to jail for. Just because you can smoke marijuana in some cafes in Amsterdam does not make it legal to carry around. Be particularly cautious around the southern parts of Spain due to the heavy drug trade between North Africa and Europe.

FOR SOLO WOMEN

Here is my personal experience and thoughts to add to those above.

Go, go! My first time in Europe was a month long study abroad program when I was 16, and I ran around Oxford, London, and Stratford-on-Avon for a month with no problems.

Now I am 19, I chose to get my full degree in Scotland, and I went to Croatia and Bosnia in September as my first truly alone travelling and was just fine and loved it! Went to Spain in January and now I am heading to Yemen. Actually, besides two trips, UK and Italy with family, I’ve always gone alone and been fine.

Watch how the women there walk and act. I have a good term for it, but it’s not publishable much to my chagrin, but it’s something you learn quickly and most of the time people think I am a local and ask me questions that I can’t answer.

Don’t respond to male attention, something that is a sure thing in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and parts of France. After several days of propositions, catcalls, whistles, kissing noises, being followed and offers of coffee as you walk down the street you learn to ignore it. In fact, when I came back to Scotland from Spain, it was very odd to find that all the men ignored me.

Stand up tall and completely ignore them.

Sunglasses are good for this since it won’t appear that you are making eye contact/staring which could be mistaken as interest.

Find other women to sit with, the older the better, they will look out for you, trust me.

Avoid drunken males, and don’t be stupid and run off with one!

I’ve found that many of the older ways of male/female interaction still remain to an extent in Europe and in the UK so you’ll find that you’re given a seat, doors will be held, and you have the right of way on sidewalks, all those types of things. In the times where I’ve had to travel on the train in Scotland and there are guys and their drunken mates, the sober ones have made sure the drunken ones sat away from me and did not bother me.

I will add more as I have more time. Until then, feel free to reply with your ideas, as well as read our other posts, which have many details and FAQ. Also, ask questions! Don’t be shy- we’re always happy to help!
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In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.