Over to You

At this point, the planning, packing, and buying are over (and so is the cultural sermon). You’ve got your passport, tickets, and rail pass in hand, your stuff is all packed, your plans are more or less made, and you’re ready to go. There’s a 747 out there with your name on it, and Europe is yours for the taking. The rest of this book concerns the practical things you need to know about travel in Europe, because that’s where you’re going. Congratulations.

A Micro Course in European Culture

A number of guidebooks list some of the customs and social idiosyncrasies of the various European countries, to help travelers avoid offending their hosts. In general, this is a good idea, but I sincerely doubt that many travelers will be able to pull a particular custom out of their memory when the occasion demands. The following advice should work in all European countries, and all countries in the world, ror that matter. Ninety-nine percent of it is common sense, but it does bear repeating. I apologize for any tone of self-righteousness, and I admit that I have violated many of these rules myself.

- Never simply speak English to someone and expect them to answer you in English. I find this extremely rude. How would you react if someone visiting your hometown started talking to you in Swedish and expected to be answered? Always ask, in the local Ian-guage, if a person speaks English. If they don’t, say “Thank you” in the local language before moving on.

- Beginning a sentence with “please” will work wonders. “Please, where is the train station?” sounds a whole lot better than “Where is the train station?”

- If you are holding a conversation in English, it is a nice gesture to thank the person for speaking your language, and thereby making the conversation possible. Whenever I have done this it has been appreciated gready by the person I thanked.

(Almost) Being There

After all the planning and purchasing, it’s finally getting close to departure time, and there are only a few last-minute details to consider. I will also belabor you with some personal advice in this chapter. Heading out for Europe can be a stressful process, and I hope this advice makes the trip as smooth as possible.

- On international flights you should call your airline within 72 hours of your departure time to confirm that you will indeed be going and to check for any schedule changes. Some airlines may offer your seat for sale if you don’t, although this supposedly is rare.

- One point to be careful with. If you miss or no-show at one portion of your airline trip, the rest of the trip is canceled. I’ll repeat this in the section on going home.

- Definitely call ahead and make a room reservation for your first few nights in Europe. The last thing you want to do on arrival is look for housing. Also, you’ll probably be wiped out from the trip. A room in a small pension or cheap hotel, as opposed to a dorm bed in a hostel, might make for a quicker recovery. See Chapter 10, “Communications,” for details on making international calls.