Europe Travel Tips and Tricks
I just got home from my European vacation about a week ago. I had a great time and learned a lot as I went. Hopefully some of these tips will help you whether you’re traveling to Europe for the first time, or the tenth. :)
Find inexpensive, centrally located rooms or apartments to stay at. More personable than hotels, and often times cheaper. Airbnb’s are located in countries all over the world.
StudentUniverse for flights
Discounted flights and travel for ages 18-25 (only certain flights, trips require proof of being a college student). Our international flights were around $900 each and included a pillow/blanket, two meals, snacks, free drinks (and booze), and unlimited movies/games/music on the screens for each seat!
You can add different time zone locations to your world clock so you know the time and how it relates to other locations. This comes in handy for when you’re trying to figure out the time difference and when to call or text family and friends at appropriate times! I wore a watch and kept my time set as it was so I always knew what time it was at “home” that way too. It also tells you how many hours ahead or behind that location is from the other locations you add. This is especially helpful for if you travel to different countries in Europe with different time zones.
Birth control time change
Because of the time difference, I had to set a new alarm on my phone for when I take my birth control. It’s important that you take it at the same time everyday for it to be effective.
Oyster card for bus and tube
In London, go to an underground station and get an Oyster card and reload it each day. There’s something called a “daily” charge you can add that is something like 5 pounds and you can use your Oyster card all day. If you’re not staying in London for a very long time this is useful. The tube is the easiest way to get anywhere you want to go in London (when it’s not on strike). There are signs in all of the stations so you know which tube to take where and where to transfer. You can always ask someone too! Most people were very helpful. Oyster cards work the same for the buses too for getting around London. To use your Oyster card, you simply tap the card on the reader and it will light up green for being accepted or red for being rejected (which means you need to add more funds at a station kiosk or attendant window).
If you’re in a hurry or too lazy/tired to figure out the tube or bus system, use Uber. Ubers are cheaper and arrive much quicker than taxis. Taxis at airports usually charge a flat fee which would’ve been 55 euros in Paris. So I had the Uber app on my phone and an Uber cost me 18 euros. I had Uber set up before I got to Europe so all of my rides were charged directly to my bank card.
Book online to save money
Self explanatory. A lot of attractions offer discounts if you book online, like the London Eye. However, they required us to print out our confirmation email and we did not have access to printers at our Airbnb’s. But if you plan ahead better, this will work for you.
Fast track for London Eye
I totally recommend doing this. It was not much more than the regular admission fee and the line was so much shorter! You buy your ticket and have all day to use it so my best friend and I went when it was getting dark and the sun was setting. We didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes.
Again, a way to save money. A lot of museums in London and Paris offer museum passes that include various museums and gardens for one fee.
In London, when we got our aquarium tickets there was a special that included our aquarium visit and a choice of a scary 4D attraction, Shrek’s adventure 4D attraction, or something else I can’t remember (lol). So we did the aquarium and Shrek. The aquarium is a must! Probably the best aquarium I’ve ever been to (and they’re very big on preserving underwater life and animal rights, there were videos and signs everywhere). Shrek was also the cutest thing ever! I was really skeptical and not into it at first but I loved it and I’m in my mid 20s. Unfortunately they didn’t allow anyone to take pictures during the actual “adventure,” but at the end you can take pictures.
20% tip included at most restaurants
I never even thought to look if the tip was included at restaurants because that’s not how it works in the U.S. typically. My best friend noticed that we were charged a 20% service fee/gratuity/tip at most restaurants AND we were still tipping (I usually tip around 20% – meaning I was tipping wayyyy too much lol). And we figured out that’s why the service probably sucks at most restaurants because they get that 20% tip no matter what. A lot of the servers took forever to bring us our checks, check on us, refill drinks, etc.
Buy bottled water on the street
Drink bottled water whenever possible because sink/tap water might not be purified. Do not order bottles of mineral water at dinner, they’ll cost you like 8 euro/$10 USD. Instead, buy bottles of water from guys on the street for 1 euro and drink those wherever you go.
Wear Nikes and your feet will thank you later. I literally walked more than 10 miles each day.
Light rain jacket/umbrella
Thankfully it only rained one day on and off for a couple of hours while we were in London. I brought along a light rain jacket that easily fit inside my Neverfull tote and it was perfect. I didn’t even need my little umbrella because the rain jacket had a hood.
Google Maps for walking and stations
Google Maps was a lifesaver for when we couldn’t figure out where to go. In most cases, it even has directions for which tube station is nearest (in London) and which numbers to take (in Paris).
Instead of exchanging your currency at airports or around the city, use bank or free-standing ATMs instead. Most of them promote no fees so you save money right there. You might have a fee on each international transaction (mine was 1%, but that still was less money than getting ripped off at currency exchanges). Also, my Capital One credit card had no international fee so I used that a bit too.
Use your change whenever possible because currency exchanges will not convert those back to USD. So make sure you spend them whenever possible. In London and Paris they have 1 and 2 pound/euro coins! Most of the tube/metro stations accept coins too. Vending machines are also a good way to use up change. You may also want to save some of your pounds or euros as souvenirs (I did).
Compare souvenir shop prices
Almost all of the souvenir shops in Paris and London sell the same items. Make sure you look around at a few so you can make sure you aren’t being ridiculously overcharged (souvenirs are always overpriced anyway). I got little sparkly Eiffel towers for 5 euros each at one stand then saw them for 10+ euros each at another stand.
VAT refund for pricey purchases
I have a whole post on this here. But if you’re going to splurge in Europe, why not get some money back? Make sure to keep all receipts for customs!
Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM is the best bag for traveling
I used this as my carry-on bag and then my everyday bag the entire trip. I was worried about pickpockets for no reason it turns out lol. My Neverfull was the best with holding everything I needed for the day (tissues, hand sanitizer, chapstick, phone, portable charger, selfie stick, rain jacket, water, maps, Oyster card, wallet, sunglasses), and any souvenirs or items I bought. That bag held so much crap and took such a beating and still looks pristine.
Buy some at TJ Maxx or online so you’re able to charge your phone and laptop! They’re pretty easy to figure out which plug you need for where you’re at.
International data/SIM card/WhatsApp
I advise just using your carrier’s international plan over an international SIM card. Here’s why: I had contacted my cell provider, Verizon, before my trip and a customer service agent told me it would be so easy to get an international SIM card and have service while in Europe. Once I arrived to Heathrow, I bought a “3 network” international SIM card for my unlocked iPhone 6 Plus from a vending machine. I got to the Airbnb, took out my Verizon SIM card (save the little metal pitchfork looking thing in your iPhone box and bring it with you in your checked bag – I didn’t know if it would count as a weapon lol), and inserted the 3 SIM. Apparently even though I swiped my bank card the SIM needed to be loaded. So I looked online and their website was extremely confusing. So then I figured out that some grocery stores sell the “add-on” credits. So I went to the local Sainsbury’s, paid 15 pounds, went back to the Airbnb and typed in the voucher code after dialing #444 (or whatever). I had service. Kind of. I was able to call (you have to dial 001 to make a call to the U.S.), use the internet, and text other iPhones. For some reason my phone would not send texts through not on iMessage. The 3 network was such a pain in the ass for that reason. So while out exploring we came across a 3 store. I went in to speak with this girl about my SIM card issues and she said that there’s nothing she can do and I could all customer service… And she gave me no number for it. So I used my half-assed international plan until we got to Paris and I figured out it didn’t work there. So I switched out my 3 SIM for my Verizon SIM and called my dad using roaming and he set up an international data plan that included 1 GB of data, 100 texts, and 100 minutes of calling. That’s like nothing for me for data and texts lol. So I chewed through that way too quick and he added more to the international plan. When I got back to London I used my 3 SIM again.
WhatsApp for texting/calling over wifi
WhatsApp is a free app that you link to your phone number. You can call, text, send pictures and videos, send audio messages, etc. but you must have wifi. This came in handy anywhere we had wifi obviously! For some reason my phone’s signal was not strong and I did not have a strong enough connection a lot of the time.
Airport/restaurant free wifi
Heathrow and CDG airport both had free wifi! That’s a lifesaver for when you’re using WhatsApp and want to touch base with family or friends.
Almost all of the restaurants have free wifi networks too in Europe too!
