CandyQane
- February 17, 2020
- , 7:30 pm
- , Travel
6 Things to Know when Traveling to Europe
Hey, Y’all!
As a child growing up, I used to dream about traveling the world; something I’m sure most of us still do. I would wonder about the little things, for instance, is the food just as tasty and diverse as I was accustomed to? Would our cultures be similar? Do we share the same holidays, etc?
The thing that really seemed to drive my inquisitiveness was listening to my aunt recount tales of traveling the world with her ex-husband who worked in the UN. All of my desires from my childhood to know more about the world started creeping back. As a result, I decided that I would not let my curiosity get the better of me, rather I would start seeking the answers my mind was searching for as soon as possible.
So for my 25th birthday, I jetted off to Europe and I have been consistently going back almost every year since. It is on these trips that I have encountered a few things, random as they are, that we take for granted here in North America.
Below you will find a list of 6 points that I think is good to know for first-time visitors and shows clear differences between North America and Europe.
1. Condiments: Have you ever found yourself at a drive-through placing an order for some fast food that you could basically already taste- even though it’s not in your possession yet? You know exactly how much ketchup or BBQ sauce you’ll need to make the meal perfect. Now picture yourself driving off and digging into the bag only to realize you didn’t get enough hot sauce or ketchup, etc. How does that make you feel? That’s right, you’re mad. BIG mad. You’re probably screaming “why are they being so stingy? They’re acting like giving me 5 packets of ketchup is going to cause them to lose money from their paycheck!” Now I want you to also imagine traveling across the globe, going out to eat and coming to terms with the fact that you have to pay for each condiment. Nope, it isn’t free. That hurts, doesn’t it? I know. I feel it too.
2. Washrooms: You know the feeling you have when your bladder is pressuring you to relieve yourself, anywhere, as long as it’s immediate? The problem is, that usually happens when you are a hop, skip, and a stone throw away from home. Basically, an accident is brewing. The good thing about North America is that there’s a bathroom just about everywhere; restaurants, train stations, museums, some shops, gas stations, etc. In numerous European countries, you’ll find that there may not be a bathroom on every corner and once you locate one, there is a very good chance that you may be required to pay to use the facilities. So unless you have 50c or so just loosely roaming around in your pocket, you better make a deal with God because you will find yourself possibly in the bushes, behind buildings or worse. It’s really just a matter of where you are when your bladder attacks. However, if this does happen to you and you are in or near the mall, you’ll be a-okay.
3. Payment Options: No cash? No problem! Debit or credit cards will always be accepted- no matter where you go; unless of course their machine is down. Let’s face it, we have become a society that hardly ever has cash on us. Why should we? We have wallets on our smartphones that house our credit cards and only requires us to tap our phones and voila! Payment is received. Heck, even some homeless people residing at the side of highways can be seen holding signs that say “debit cards accepted.” Churches- mine included- also now provide you with the option of paying via debit or credit card. Gone are the days where it’s mandatory to have actual cash to drop in the offering plate. But while traveling, you’ll quickly realize that many places only accept cash. So before you take that trip, make sure you are prepared. And if you’re not, you may be blessed enough to be vacationing somewhere that have debit machines around every corner.
4. Ordering Water: Water is my favorite drink. Well, apart from orange juice and milk. Yea, I said milk. Tone down the judgment, will ya? I am among the rare few in my age bracket, who will drink plain water over everything else. This is why whenever I go to a restaurant, I am completely satisfied with only drinking a tall glass of water with my meal. Now it is important to note- to my own detriment at times- that when asking for water in a European restaurant, you have to precisely state what type of water it is that you want, ie, still/flat/no gas water. If you fail to do so, you will be served their preferred sparkling water. Now once you order your water, it could be served in a chilled, glass bottle which will also appear on your bill at the end of your feast. Yea, another example of how essentially nothing is free in that part of the world. But hey, at least it’s not water from the tap.
5.Transportation: Here in North America it is mandatory to pay train fare before entering the subway and there is no way around it. But that’s not the case everywhere. I remember visiting Austria and being in utter confusion when my friends and I kept purchasing train tickets and there was nowhere to drop a ticket or tap a machine as ‘proof of payment’ when either entering or leaving a station. Now, while this city– and I am sure there are others– will let you into their subway without ever checking to see if you’ve paid first, don’t get fooled. If you are caught not paying, you will be charged with a hefty fine or jail time. So proceed with caution. Is it worth it to be in trouble for something like this, especially when you are so far from home?
6. Vacation Time: This one isn’t really relevant to this list. I just threw it in here because I am still so shocked-and if I am totally honest, jealous of those people living in countries that do this. Most jobs in North America only give you 10 days of vacation time which can be extended based on seniority and depending on the job, it may take several years for that to take effect. This is a big contrast to Europe, where the minimum amount of paid vacation days given are between 20-30 days. After a quick google search, I found that Bulgaria generally gives its residents a whopping 104 days for vacation.
You know, now that I think about it, why haven’t I moved to Europe yet? Between free schooling, the number of vacation days given, including how easy it is to travel between other European countries (and how cheap it also is), I think this change could be good. Oh and let’s talk about the fact that some countries also give naps during the workday. Alright, I think I did it. I just convinced myself to make the change. Who’s with me?
Thanks for taking the time to check in with me.
Xoxo,
CandyQane 💕