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21 Mistakes And Traps To Avoid When Visiting These European Countries, Revealed By This TikTok Account
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Traveling is known to be one of the most interesting, exciting, and popular ways to explore the world, learn about new cultures and make some unforgettable memories. However, sometimes not knowing things or not being prepared properly can spoil the trip and cause some issues that can even end it. Having this in mind, TikTok account @efultimatebreak decided to reveal some of the mistakes that tourists tend to make as well as tips on how to avoid them.
The travel company EF Ultimate Break is known among young adults who like to travel but don’t really want to plan the whole thing by themselves. For such travelers, the company offers packages where every aspect of the trip is already taken care of, so all you need to do is to pack your bags and get ready to have the time of your life.
The company’s TikTok account is full of entertaining and useful information for all kinds of travelers. A lot of videos are based on people’s requests to talk about certain cities they would like to visit but are curious to find out more before the trip.
Do you know any useful tips when traveling abroad? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
More Info: TikTok
Image source: EF Ultimate Break
This post may include affiliate links.
Drinking Water In Iceland
In Iceland, there’s really no need to buy bottled water. Just bring a refillable bottle and fill it up anywhere, and it’s gonna taste like bottled water. You can even fill up at the bathroom sink and it’s gonna taste better than bottled water in America.
Bored Panda contacted Arielle Mulgrew, who is a social media manager at EF Ultimate Break, to find out more about their process of creating useful and interactive content for their followers. Arielle shared how these traveling tip videos became interesting for so many people. “There are a lot of creators and brands that offer travel tips, but no one makes a name for themselves by bandwagoning. Instead, we took our travel knowledge in a different direction: all the mistakes our team members have made as American travelers on EF Ultimate Break trips.” The social media specialist revealed that once you find a unique way to provide people with valuable information, it is important to listen to their questions and requests and provide them with answers.
Greeting A Shopkeeper In Paris
A tourist mistake is to not greet a shopkeeper. A lot of tourists don’t know this, but if you walk into a store and don’t greet the shopkeeper, it’s considered extremely rude. You should always say “hi”, “hello", and “goodbye”.
No Pictures At The Red Light District In Amsterdam
Getting pictures of the girls in the Red Light District. You get in trouble with security but also these are working women, not zoo animals.
Receiving A Bill At A Restaurant In Paris
Waiting for a bill at the restaurant. The bill won’t automatically come just because you finished your meal. They’re not trying to rush you out the door, so you have to ask for the bill when you’re ready for it. So don’t wait around for an hour just wondering where it is.
If you’re curious to know where the knowledge for these videos comes from, Arielle was glad to share this. “The material is inspired by stories from our team’s travels! There’s nothing quite like living through a cultural faux pax or not packing something crucial to learn a valuable lesson, but since we want travelers on our trips to have the best experience possible, we’re giving them the ‘cheat codes’”.
Wine Tasting In Italy
Always give the house wine a try. No matter what restaurant you go to, it’ll always be super local, super great quality, and super unique to that specific location.
Ordering Coffee In Italy
In Italy, if you try to order a latte, they will hand you a glass of milk. Latte means milk in Italian. So let’s not do that.
Opposite story here: I was in Italy with my husband couple of years back ( we are American). And I ordered latte (glass of milk, because I can't drink coffee and just wanted milk with my brioche bun) and my husband ordered cappuccino, to my surprise they brought me a latte( as a coffee drink. They thought that I wanted American version of latte and not a glass of milk.
Avoiding Strangers Giving Free Stuff In Italy
In Italy, sometimes someone will come up and tie a bracelet around your wrist and insist it’s free or a present but then later on demand money for it. If somebody offers you something for free, it is not free. Don’t take it.
Now that people are aware of some of the mistakes that tourists tend to make, the social media manager also shared one of the most valuable tips that she wanted other fellow travelers to know: “Put the phone away whenever you can. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in these beautiful places, and the people around me are looking down at their phones or taking a million pictures. We’re such an overstimulated generation that we feel the need to fill silence and downtime instead of embracing them. So put the phone away until you need it. Bring a polaroid or disposable camera to remember a moment as it was. Soak in where you are, for real.”
Learning Italian Before The Trip
Definitely learn some basic Italian phrases before you get there. Locals are very appreciative when you at least try to speak their language. And they’ll be a lot of friendlier towards you, I promise.
This is true of anywhere I've been, but the Germans are by far the nicest about mistakes, in my experience. Italy is probably second?... Even my 20 basic phrases are a huge help, since one is "I'm sorry, I don't speak your language"!
Taking An Escalator In London
Always stand on the right of the escalator in the tube. Brits take this very seriously and are not afraid to be rude if you’re standing on the left. The left side is the fast lane for walking, the right side is the standing lane.
Knowing The Difference Between Café And Coffee Shop In Amsterdam
The first tourist mistake is not knowing the difference between a coffee shop and a cafe. If you walk into a coffee shop in Amsterdam for coffee, you’re going to be pretty surprised. All I can say is that if you’re looking for coffee, go to a cafe.
Having in mind that for the past couple of years, the circumstances around the world have changed because of the pandemic, it's interesting to know whether people’s traveling habits have somehow changed. Arielle noticed that people now are “more cautious during the actual process of traveling", but it hasn't made an impact on their “desire to explore and experience new places." The woman shared that “travel can be overwhelming during the best of times and now more than ever”, this is why their company is ready to take care of some of the logistics so that people could fully enjoy their travels.
Getting Gelato In Italy
If the gelato looks piled up and fluffy, don’t get it. I know it’s really tempting, but all the fluffiness means that there’s a lot of air whipped into it. Always look for gelato that’s in lidded containers. Lids are always a good sign because it means that the gelato is being kept at the right temperature and that the store owners know that they have a really good product and they don’t need bright colors or flair to get customers in.
Finding A Place To Eat When Abroad
If a host or hostess is trying to lure you into a restaurant, my advice is not to go in and instead ask a local where they like to eat.
No Walking On Bike Lanes In Amsterdam
Walking in the bike lanes. Everywhere you go you’ll see bike paths just like this one next to the sidewalks. And you might be tempted to walk in it but please don’t. You will get run over and nobody wants that.
Also, Dutch people can sense bicycles coming, even if they can't hear them. This is an evolutionary trait, which means Dutch people can cross a road without too many problems, even if there are millions of bikes on that road. Do not try to emulate them. You don't have the genes. (;))
Using Toilet In Greece
Flushing toilet paper on the Greek islands. Greek sewage pipes are about half the size of American plumbing and clog very easily. Instead, place your toilet paper in the little bins next to the toilet.
Comfortable Footwear When Traveling In Greece
Bringing the wrong shoes. A lot of the streets are cobblestone or dirt or lightly paved, and not super ideal for heels. I’m not saying don’t bring heels, I’m saying bring something comfortable too.
Currency Exchange Abroad
Exchange rates. Don’t use the currency exchange at the airport. Just don’t do it. Those companies usually take advantage of the fact that tourists don’t know any better, so they offer really bad exchange rates and have really high withdrawal minimums. Find a bank branch when you get to where you’re going and use the ATM inside instead.
Trying Local Food In London
A lot of people come to London and they try to find fish and chips because it’s what they see in the movies and TV shows. Fish and chips are great but it’s not the only thing people eat there. England is actually really well known for their Indian food. Chicken Tikka Masala is even one of their national dishes.
Also worth noting that the posh up market looking fish and chip shops are going to absolutely rip you off, find a dated, greasy looking place that looks like its been there years, it'll be half the price and twice as good
Exactly this. I live in Whitby, and the amount of people that go to the Magpie is ridiculous as its terribly overrated, the best chippy in my opinion is the Mr Chips down near the pier. Still pricey because Whitby is a very tourist-y place, but cheaper than the magpie and a dozen times as good.
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good fish and chips is actually a rarity, there are only a handful of places where it's actually good. usually by the sea. you csn find all cusines in London and you can never go wrong with turkish, indian, chinese, thai, to name a few. the odd unassuming chicken shop can be a delicious surprise. also it's heaven for someone who enjoys spicy food.
It's like barbecue in America. Find the giuy who has a pickup on the side of the road, a smoker set up right there, that's your guy. (I'm vegetarian, but in parts of the US? That's the only decent smoked/barbecued pork you'll find. When Hubby was still a carnivore, we learned!)
There are areas, like Texas, where you look for the establishment date. If they've been in business "that" long, they must be good.
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I love the fish and chips at the Great Orme Tramway fish and chip shop in Llandudno, North Wales (UK) 😋😋😋
I don't go to england for indian food. Better try a Cornish Pastie, the real thing...or Devonshire tea or Ploughmans lunch, or roast or something english.
Best Indian food I ever had was in Scotland. Also, the worst fish and chips I ever had was in Scotland as well.
Fish and chips are horrible food in 90% of places. Lot's of burnt oil, tasteless. Only real good where I got it - is in small fisherman villages. With fresh fish.
We ate both fish and chips, and palak paneer, and Mac'n'Cheese, when we visited London on our 30th anniversary. The Mac'n'Cheese had both pickled cucumbers and parsley. I posted a picture of it on FB and my dad wondered why there were so much green stuff on my dish; he had never gotten that much green stuff on a plate in England.
We stayed at a hostel in a little town south of London. That night, one of the guys running the place offered to pick up fish and chips for anyone that wanted them. We were hungry so we asked for 2 larges, only cost like 15 pounds. I still remember this guy coming back and giving us each probably 2-3 pounds of chips and 2 entire fried fish. We shared with some other people that hadn't ordered any.
Tayside in Scotland is good for chippys. I've been practically raised on them
Chicken Tikka Masala is not an English National dish, it was invented in Scotland (Glasgow to be specific). it's a huge favorite in England and is much celebrated, but that doesn't make it a national dish.
Scotland is the same way. When I visited Scotland of course I had fish and chips, but I also tried the local fair, sausage rolls sausage pies kidney pie and Chicken Tikka Masala. The thing to remember in Scotland, as if he asked for a Coke you will get a small 4 ounce class with Coke. If you ask for ice they are going to look at you funny but they will bring you ice. Normally the drinks are cold when they are served. And a normal meal in Scotland is extremely expensive, about twice that of the same meal in the US. Remember, most staples have to be brought to the island, they are not grown or raised there.
If you come up North I highly recommend the Chips and gravy, or Chips and curry sauce; don't limit yourself to Fish and chips
If you want decent fish and chips, head to somewhere with fishing boats.
Chicken Tikka Masala is so Indian, that its not so popular in India too.
When I was in London, I ate at a middle eastern restaurant in an open air market and later found a little hole in the wall diner full of locals. Excellent.
I went with friends to an Italian Restaurant in London with a banker in our party. He was so well known, the table he wanted was cleared of its patrons (I thought that was rude). Everyone was tripping over themselves to take care of the banker. I had never been in such a situation before or after. It was like a movie
That fish & chip plate look gorgeous! Yes, Doc 10 ref. It does look really good, tho'! Even the salad, too and I'm not big on tomatoes.
England is also known for their Indian food jokes. Looking at you, Lenny Henry.
I didn't have any fish and chips when I visited England. They have fresh fruit open air markets we don't have in my city.
Hard to find a place that still makes Haddock fish 'n chips, everything's slimy wet cod now.
Haddock's big in Scotland (at least where I've lived on the North Coast and in Aberdeen, it's been the go-to fish in every chippie I've been to)!
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IF I want Indian food, I'd go to India (or stay home), I love fish and chips! but get that white muck off it!
That's what you're reading into it. It doesn't say known EXCLUSIVELY for its Indian food.
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You're missing the point! Whether pizza is American or not, you can get some fantastic pizza here. I'm not talking Domino's or Pizza Hut. England has a long history with India, with lots of immigrants who know how to make great Indian food. Doesn't matter that the Tikka Masala is not British, there are many people IN England that know how to make it well.
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Overpacking When Traveling To Greece
Overpacking, which I know sounds like a cop-out, but in Santorini, you could be walking up hundreds of steps with your luggage, so you wanna pack lightly.
Traveling Around The City
If you’re going somewhere new for the first time, definitely check how late public transportation stays open. If you’re still out and public transportation closes, cabs are going to charge you 3-4 times their normal fare because I know they can get away with it. And when you’re super tired, it’s that late, you’re just gonna pay it.
Eating Street Food In Paris
One of the tourist mistakes is eating at restaurants and cafes. The best thing I ever ate was a crepe from a food cart just on a random street.
No no no. I am parisian and the best crepes are the ones you get from actual creperies (restaurants specialized in crepes). There are lots of them in Montparnasse area. Paris doesn't have street food culture. The street food in Paris are for tourists, sorry!
Joking Around In London
Don’t make jokes about the American revolution. No one else will think they’re funny.
OK. This totally depends on who you're with. I play a word game tourney on a team mainly consisting of Yorkshire folk. We tell LOTS of American Revolution jokes. Nothing insensitive. The war was over 200 years ago, for heaven's sake! I had relatives die too, but time moves on.
If you are not used to drinking spirits, do not try to keep up with Slavs in pubs/bars. You will regret it. BUT, if someone offers home-brew spirits, drink it and appreciate it, then refuse another one if you are a weak drinker. (Slovakia)
I can affirm this and upvote a hundred times. (Trust this. One shot, and you're done. This stuff makes tequila look like water.)
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#9 that is not an escalator in London!, That image is a moving walkway type thing in either China or Japan,FFS
These are always such rubbish posts. Often written by a person who has travelled for the first time ever and think they're woke
If you are not used to drinking spirits, do not try to keep up with Slavs in pubs/bars. You will regret it. BUT, if someone offers home-brew spirits, drink it and appreciate it, then refuse another one if you are a weak drinker. (Slovakia)
I can affirm this and upvote a hundred times. (Trust this. One shot, and you're done. This stuff makes tequila look like water.)
Load More Replies... #9 that is not an escalator in London!, That image is a moving walkway type thing in either China or Japan,FFS
These are always such rubbish posts. Often written by a person who has travelled for the first time ever and think they're woke
