- Handshakes are very common in continental Europe, particularly in southern European countries. Shaking hands on meeting and departing, even when you see someone several times a day, is common.

- Greeting a storekeeper on entry, and saying goodbye on exit, is standard all over Europe.

- Canadians will not face the occasional scrutiny that some Americans will receive from some Europeans, other than the occasional questioning as to just why their government requires them to wear maple leaves when they travel. Australians may find the image of “Crocodile” Dundee has preceded them, while Kiwis may find that no image has preceded them, and may wish to carry a world map to point out the location of the “Land of the Silver Fern.”

- In my experience, Americans (and Australians) are perceived in Europe as friendly, monolingual, a bit loud, and usually in a hurry. There are reasons for all of these perceptions. If I could give advice, it would be the following: try to blend in wherever you happen to be. Try not to change the place you are visiting with your presence, as with, for example, a loud conversation in English in a cathedral or museum. Slow down a bit when dealing with the people and especially in restaurants, as most Europeans expect to be left alone for long periods while eating. Trying to hurry someone or making a scene never helps a situation. There are some countries in Europe, which I won’t name, whose traveling citizens could benefit from this advice as well.