Europe is the global leader in tourism, accounting for roughly two-thirds of international arrivals worldwide. The growth rate of this share accelerated in the 2010s, with the continent reporting a peak of 745 million international visitors in 2019.
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the volume dropped dramatically, as lockdowns and emergency measures were implemented, but in 2021, things started to get better again, with travel and tourism amounting to 1,450 billion U.S. dollars of the European GDP; this figure remains way below pre-pandemic levels, but the industry is clearly rebounding.
So in an attempt to help everyone planning to explore this corner of the world, let's take a look at a Reddit post that asked its users, "What should people avoid while traveling to Europe?" From getting around and eating out to keeping safe and interacting with locals, continue scrolling to check out the biggest mistakes to avoid!
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Have one or two plug adapters, make sure your mobile is SIM Unlocked, have copies of your passport ID page, don't keep all of your money in one place, notify your bank that you'll be using your card abroad...
As an American who did this foolishly: American chain restaurants. You flew 5,000 miles across an ocean, don't waste your time eating American food you could have gotten in Ohio. Don't just try the "local" stuff, go out of your way to find small mom and pop restaurants that the actual residents prefer.
The best meal of my entire life was in such a restaurant in Greece. I had rented a car with a friend who was visiting his grandparents and we were driving up north from Athens for hours. I kept trying to stop on the highway for some American or similar fast food (Pita Pan is legit decent fast food).
We had pulled off onto a smaller road and for hours didn't see anything. We were so hungry we promised to pull over at the next restaurant we saw. When we finally saw one we pulled over immediately, only to find ourselves in someone's house. It literally looked like someone's driveway. Eventually I noticed a little coke branded refrigerator (filled with beers) and realized it really was a restaurant, kind of.
Inside was literally some grandma's house but the living room was full of small wooden tables (probably 4-5). We were the only ones in the entire place besides grandpa who was reading a newspaper and having a coffee. You could see into the rest of the house, which was literally just some old people's home. Grandma excitedly welcomed us and asked us what we wanted to drink. The food was whatever she cooked that day, you didn't have a choice. That day it was some kind of meat (either beef or beef + goat) in red meat sauce with potatoes and some Greek salad and hearty bread. I guess if you didn't like what she was serving, you were out of luck, but it was utterly divine, best thing I've ever had. It was also like $7 for the whole thing.
I figure she literally just cooks for herself and her husband and makes 2-3x as much on the chance that a few people stop by. I wish I had some idea where that place was, but I'd never find it in 100 years of traveling again. :/
i cant believe anyone would even visit another country and then go to McDonalds, thats... so odd
Be respectful to memorial places. Don't come to the idea to make selfies or similar.
Inform yourself about the traditions of the country. In some countries, you can openly make smalltalk with strangers, while in another one, you do have to approach them like a wild animal.
Yeah, the picture in this post is of the Holocaust memorial in Berlin.
If you ever visit England and go to the lovely little town in Shropshire called Ludlow...You should avoid eye contact with Dennis...f****r will talk you to death
Don't rent a car if you're going to stay at a major capital, it's not worth it, it's much better to use public transport and get an occasional Uber
Check the rates for daily, weekly, and other long-term tickets for public transport. They are usually much more affordable than one-way tickets.
Avoid assuming Europe is all roughly the same. It's a continent, not a country. You don't go to Japan and expect it to be like Indonesia just because they are both in Asia. In other words, it all depends on which country in Europe you are traveling to.
Insinuating that Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland - and possibly some parts of Cornwall are in England.
Doesn't go down too well.
Don’t f**k around with the royal guards in London
Too many tourists seem to think the guards are playing dress up like its Disney land. They're not, they're real f*****g soldiers and will NOT take any nonsense from you.
Avoid speaking without exchanging greetings first (in France at least) and not responding in kind when someone greets you. In other words, exchange *bon jour*s before you ask where the toilet is.
Avoid letting your kids act like monsters in public--in restaurants, in particular.
Avoid rushing through meals (unless your kids are acting like monsters).
Dressing "patriotic". I saw a lad in the West of Ireland in a shirt with a big screaming eagle on it and a wall of text on the back like "this is AMERICA, we salute the FLAG, we pray to GOD, we speak ENGLISH... and if you don't like it I'll help you pack!"
He was in a Gaeltacht at the time, one of the few surviving areas were the Irish language is the default.
🤦🏾♀️ PLEASE don't lump all of us in the US into the same trailer park as this glorious example of human waste. We aren't all ignorant racists.
To avoid, letting the taxi know you don't know where you are or where you are going, the bad ones will drive you in circles and run the tab up.
However, one thing that opened Germany up for me while stationed there was one interaction. I would ask in German "Sprechen sie englisch", do you speak English. Followed by "Mine Deutsch ist scheisse", my German is s**t. Everyone from women at the bar to elderly people would laugh hysterically and then immediately switch to English in good spirits. They just like to see you try, then they are more than happy to help you out. So my advice would be to learn a quick fire phrase that you can pop off to quickly to avoid the fumbling and starting the interaction on a bad foot.
American living in Spain here, but have been to a few other countries - if you’re American / Canadian, most folks will notice whether you want them to or not, but try to remember to use less volume when speaking, learn the tipping culture before you travel to the country (same goes for how they bring the bill, in many countries you need to ask for it, as they expect you to enjoy your meal and hang out as long as you want, and won’t interrupt by bringing the bill), keep valuables hidden away, don’t hang a purse on the back of your chair when you eat, or leave it open when you’re on the train, etc. But most importantly, remember that things will be different, and embrace those differences… they likely won’t have ranch dressing, and might bring you olive oil and vinegar with your salad, or if you order a coffee it might be an espresso or other tiny beverage. Don’t get angry about it, enjoy that it’s different than what you get at home, and adapt. I’ve found that smiling at everyone as I walk around kind of freaks them out, but there’s only so much I can change… try to learn a few words / phrases in the language of the country you’re visiting (especially for France), it can change the entire interaction if you show them you respect their culture / language. There’s a thousand things you can consider, but those are what I’ve learned are the easiest / most important. Oh, also, depending on the country, a hamburger is just the patty, so don’t get mad when there’s no bun. ;)
In a more general sense: DO SOME HOMEWORK! If you go in without reading something about how the place you are visiting is different from where you live, then you shouldn't be going. That's rude AF.
It really, really, REALLY depends on which part of Europe you are talking about. For example, Finland and Italy are very different places with different social cultures. Heck, there are differences even inside a country!
Some tips in Finland, capital area especially:
- Never sit right next to a stranger unless the bus is super cramped or something. Otherwise, you'll be regarded as a creep. Also don't walk or stand too close to people if there is space. Finnish bus stops are actually a bit funny with how people spread horizontally as far away as possible while still being at the proximity of the bus stop.
- Don't speak loudly in public spaces, only if you really have to. Otherwise, again, you're a creep. (This is more a city thing.)
- Don't interrupt other people (unless, again, you have to, or the other personis REALLY rambling on and you have limited time to speak). This is actually a significant difference between Finns and aforementioned Italians: interrupting or more like "elbowing" in conversations in Italy is normal "traffic rule" and implies active engagement and listening (assuming that both parties are "elbowing"), while interrupting in Finland implies that you aren't valuing what the other person is telling. (Source: I'm a Finn that worked a bit with Italians, I kinda needed to learn new "traffic rules" with them, it went fine after that!)
- Don't take schedules lightly. A Finn says 2 PM? They MEAN 2 PM sharp.
seems common advice for most nordic countries including germany and NL... similar rules.
If you visit The Netherlands:
- Red = dead. Red asphalt means it's a bike path. Yes, even if there aren't any signs. It's for bikes.
- Giethoorn is a village with humans living in it. Be respectful.
- The red light district isn't that exciting. There's a bunch of naked ladies inside some houses. Super cool.
- One gram of weed should be between €10 and €20. If you pay more than €20 it just ain't worth it fam.
- As for avoiding specifically: Amsterdam. It's like a Dutch-themed attraction park. Disneyland for Weedaboos.
Source: am Dutch.
Edit: a few points people are bringing up. Bike paths are for bikes, don't be a dingdong. Giethoorn is gorgeous but the islands are people's actual property don't be weird!!!! I'm not straight so I sure understand the appeal of tits but it's not the Free For All Sex Land™ that a lot of my international friends think it is. It's a neighbourhood with prostitution. And finally; Amsterdam is fun, but if you want a less touristy experience _and_ a lower risk of being hit by a cyclist, go to Utrecht.
"Dutch-themed attraction park" is the absolute best description of Amsterdam I've ever read. It's completely true. EDIT: Utrecht has knives on wheels flying around you too. I'm always scared of them when I'm there (I'm from the south-east, where things are... slow.)
In major cities don't let anyone hand you anything such as flowers or whatever. Once it is in your hands they start asking for money. They even gave a flower to one my kids and then wouldn't take it back. Just set it on the ground and walk away.
Don't make small talk, especially in northern countries. It's not part of our cultures and it's freaking us out big time. We're not rude, we're just minding our business, be respectful
Saying you're travelling to 'Europe' rather than the country you're actually travelling too.
Europe is an entire continent of vastly different countries and entirely different cultures. Saying you're travelling to Europe means absolutely nothing, and makes you look extremely ignorant (and/or American)
When arriving in Iceland on your way to France and going through customs, don’t answer the question “What is your destination?” with “Europe”. Also when they tell you “Sir you are in Europe”, don’t answer with “Real Europe”.
I travel abroad about once a year and this is the only time that I have been “the dumb American” (to the best of my knowledge anyway) and I cringe every time I think of this.
Check the language of the country you’re travelling to. You’d think it’d be common sense, but I’ve had so many tourists assuming Polish people speak Russian/German and not, you know, *Polish*. From what I’ve heard, this applies to the majority of Eastern Europe
Also, while I understand amazement with architecture that looks straight out of a fairytale (god knows I’m amazed with it too), remember that people actually live there. As in, don’t try to make a full photoshoot on one of the busiest streets of the city because it’s “aesthetic”. Definitely don’t block traffic while doing that, and don’t snap at people who are trying to walk past that they’re “ruining the photo”. Applies even more if the place of your photoshoot is literally in front of someone’s “aesthetic” house.
In the cities the language problem often is not that big. Most europeans are at least bilingual. That might not always be the case in rural areas or with older folks, though. When traveling in Poland for example, I knew enough polish words to scantily get places, but only once was met with a situation that I could not deal with either in German nor English (that one then was resolved in Latin, of all things - village priests can have their uses...).
Let go of expectations, bin the lonely planet book, go find a local who speaks English when you get there and ask them what to do. Do that. Get lost, go on an adventure, don't rate a single thing on tripadvisor.
As a Scotsman I had one of the best weekends of my life in New York City and I did it by not seeing a single tourist attraction but instead just going full immersion. "Nice to meet you. You're going where? F**k it I'll come along...." 14 hours later on a rooftop in Brooklyn. Far better view than a postcard. I suggest this approach to travel.
Avoid any restaurant that tries to strong arm you into entering.
Complaining that something isn’t how it is in the US (or whatever your home country is)
Beleive it or not, but that is even true for some people from the Netherlands visiting Antwerp (or the major Antwerp cinema complex being visited a lot by the Dutch) who then start complaining how some thing or other is much better on their side of the border. Dear Northern neighbours : we speak the same language, we understand what you're saying, and if you donot like it here : please stay at home. Flipside : this is a minority spoiling it for the vast majority who are nice people.
If you're from the US don't sign up for the bull s**t $10 per day international service with Verizon or other service providers. Nearly any airport you arrive in will have a place where you can buy an sim card to put in your phone at fraction of the price. For instance, I once got a sim card in Seville, Spain for something like 12 Euros and it came with a month of service and 9 GB of data.
Also, you can use the SIM card all around the EU, if you intend to change countries. I expend about 2 months per year in Italy (my wife is Italian) and I use my Spanish SIM card (with the same prices and service that at home).
Don't assume that everything will be open during the hours you'd expect in your home country--this is true no matter where you're going. It varies by country and region, but in my experience, grocery stores, banks, post offices, etc., had much more restricted hours than they do in the US. In the US, it's rare for a grocery store to close before 9 PM, if it's not open 24 hours. In Europe, it's normal for grocery stores to close quite early, and for things to be closed on weekends, though this varies by country.
Also, mind your manners. In America, you can often skip over the formalities without being seen as rude. In Europe, this is much harder. Be more direct about what you want, and more polite about requesting it. Part of what perpetuates the unfortunate "rude American" stereotype is that Americans tend to find European manners blunt, and Europeans tend to find American manners invasive.
Small family businesses would make-up their own hours, especially, on a nice day or, if the business is running slow that day. However, there's a grocery store in Germany called, REWE, that's open until 22:00 and some until 00:00.
If someone asks you if you dropped your wallet, don't reach for where you keep it. You're telling them exactly where you keep your valuables.
my advice in south africa is ditch the wallet. You will get pickpocketed if you walk in the streets with it. Rather just carry one credit card and ID, and put the rest of your cards into Stocard app or Apple Wallet or similar. Keep your hand on your phone at all times so they have to fight you for it. The reason I say "one" credit card is in case your phone's data does not work or something weird like that. There's no need at all to carry a wallet full of cards and cash here. We are 100% digital when it comes to money in our cities.
Falling in canals and walking on bicycle paths if they come to the Netherlands
I’d avoid social media and watching TV in the month before your trip and spend that time on Duolingo instead. Not sure where exactly you’re going in Europe but it’ll help you to know a couple of phrases in the language.
Street scammers in Paris, anywhere really, I just mostly see it in Paris.
carry your wallet in your front pocket, if carrying a bag or purse, towards the front. It's a comment for all tourist areas, Europe just has a lot of them.
Conceal your wallet under at least one layer of clothing. Don't put wallets in front pockets, butt pockets, or any kind of external patch pocket.
Note: this post originally had 53 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
It's simple: wherever you go, don't be an idiot and everything will be fine.
For Americans travelling to the UK I would say don't bring an AMEX card with you, bring a VISA or Mastercard instead. I don't know if it's also the same in other European countries but AMEX cards aren't really accepted in many places here (especially if you are outside of London).
Absolutely true for most of Europe. Most places in Germany will grudgingly accept AMEX after some bartering, but prefer any other credit card. That's because the AMEX transaction fees outside the USA, paid by the business, are a much higher percentage as the others , so depending on calculation the business could actually end up losing money if you pay by American Express.
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A post mostly slamming Americans disguised as things to avoid doing in Europe...
It’s not necessarily directed at Americans, though, there are other people in the planet who are not Europeans.
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Sarcasm alert: You mean... Europe isn't perfect?! Bad things can happen there?! *faint* .... Sarcasm over. Speaking as a traveling American? Just pay attention to the laws of where are you, not where you're from, and watch the natives. It's pretty easy to travel without getting into trouble since the internet came along to provide us that information.
Ah, the ever low hanging fruit of bashing Americans. With the invariable commenters looking down their noses at us. I envy a lot of things in European countries, the arrogance of some citizens prove they are just as bad as the worst Americans.
Yeah, dunno about American tourists in other countries, but having worked as a tour guide in Paris for 5 years, Americans tourists were defo the nicest and most well behaved. Would not say that for tourists of many European countries, which I will not name.
Load More Replies... I love how so many Europeans on BP are quick to talk s**t & point out every problem with America while acting like their countries are perfect, but judging by this it would appear these countries are full of thieves & scammers.
A good tip when you travel. Don't talk s**t in your home language and think no one will understand it. People get around a lot more then you think and it can become really akward really fast.
Doesn't have to be traveling. I was working a job and most of the other people were from Spanish speaking countries. I never let them know I understood. One day, I heard them talking trash about a manager. I looked up and the main guy started laughing because he realized I knew what they were saying. I then told them, in Spanish, where I grew up (Mexicantown in Detroit) and that my wife's family was from Oaxaca... Another time, I was on a work trip to Chicago. While waiting at a mall for places to open, I hear a family speaking French. The dad came up and was attempting to ask me, in English, where something was. I told him, in French, that I didn't know and would ask. I then told him what one of the workers told me... Yet another time, I was interviewing someone for a job. While looking at their resume, I saw they were from Bulgaria. I picked up a little from an employee. When I went to shake their hand, I asked how they were doing in Bulgarian. The look on her face was priceless.
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A tip from an eastern european: if you assume that we are "something like russia", expect us to speak russian, look for russian-like experiences or buy russian/soviet memorabilia (actually sold in souvenir shops by non-locals) we are going to be VERY pissed.
Most of these are good advice. I would also suggest you learn simple phrases of the language of the country you intend to visit, like 'hello', 'thank-you', 'good bye' and 'do you speak English'. English is the language of the EU countries but do not expect everyone to speak it, especially in rural areas. Don't forget, if someone from a foreign country visits your country and doesn't speak your language, it is the same if you visit their country.
Just one further comment. A friend went on a tour bus in Europe. The bus broke down and they ended the tour a full two days late.
Wow Little L, you do know that *gasp* there are bad tourists from all countries? Tourists can behave poorly no matter where they are from. Please stop with these stereotypes.
Load More Replies... It's simple: wherever you go, don't be an idiot and everything will be fine.
For Americans travelling to the UK I would say don't bring an AMEX card with you, bring a VISA or Mastercard instead. I don't know if it's also the same in other European countries but AMEX cards aren't really accepted in many places here (especially if you are outside of London).
Absolutely true for most of Europe. Most places in Germany will grudgingly accept AMEX after some bartering, but prefer any other credit card. That's because the AMEX transaction fees outside the USA, paid by the business, are a much higher percentage as the others , so depending on calculation the business could actually end up losing money if you pay by American Express.
Load More Replies... A post mostly slamming Americans disguised as things to avoid doing in Europe...
It’s not necessarily directed at Americans, though, there are other people in the planet who are not Europeans.
Load More Replies... Sarcasm alert: You mean... Europe isn't perfect?! Bad things can happen there?! *faint* .... Sarcasm over. Speaking as a traveling American? Just pay attention to the laws of where are you, not where you're from, and watch the natives. It's pretty easy to travel without getting into trouble since the internet came along to provide us that information.
Ah, the ever low hanging fruit of bashing Americans. With the invariable commenters looking down their noses at us. I envy a lot of things in European countries, the arrogance of some citizens prove they are just as bad as the worst Americans.
Yeah, dunno about American tourists in other countries, but having worked as a tour guide in Paris for 5 years, Americans tourists were defo the nicest and most well behaved. Would not say that for tourists of many European countries, which I will not name.
Load More Replies... I love how so many Europeans on BP are quick to talk s**t & point out every problem with America while acting like their countries are perfect, but judging by this it would appear these countries are full of thieves & scammers.
A good tip when you travel. Don't talk s**t in your home language and think no one will understand it. People get around a lot more then you think and it can become really akward really fast.
Doesn't have to be traveling. I was working a job and most of the other people were from Spanish speaking countries. I never let them know I understood. One day, I heard them talking trash about a manager. I looked up and the main guy started laughing because he realized I knew what they were saying. I then told them, in Spanish, where I grew up (Mexicantown in Detroit) and that my wife's family was from Oaxaca... Another time, I was on a work trip to Chicago. While waiting at a mall for places to open, I hear a family speaking French. The dad came up and was attempting to ask me, in English, where something was. I told him, in French, that I didn't know and would ask. I then told him what one of the workers told me... Yet another time, I was interviewing someone for a job. While looking at their resume, I saw they were from Bulgaria. I picked up a little from an employee. When I went to shake their hand, I asked how they were doing in Bulgarian. The look on her face was priceless.
Load More Replies... A tip from an eastern european: if you assume that we are "something like russia", expect us to speak russian, look for russian-like experiences or buy russian/soviet memorabilia (actually sold in souvenir shops by non-locals) we are going to be VERY pissed.
Most of these are good advice. I would also suggest you learn simple phrases of the language of the country you intend to visit, like 'hello', 'thank-you', 'good bye' and 'do you speak English'. English is the language of the EU countries but do not expect everyone to speak it, especially in rural areas. Don't forget, if someone from a foreign country visits your country and doesn't speak your language, it is the same if you visit their country.
Just one further comment. A friend went on a tour bus in Europe. The bus broke down and they ended the tour a full two days late.
Wow Little L, you do know that *gasp* there are bad tourists from all countries? Tourists can behave poorly no matter where they are from. Please stop with these stereotypes.
Load More Replies...