Truth No One will Tell You About Traveling in Europe

Europe is the continent of great beauty and diversity. It's a dream of every Indian to visit Europe at least once in their lifetime. As an avid traveller, I've been traveling to Europe every year since 2014 and there are a few uncommon things that I discovered first-hand. I call them uncommon because they are not explicitly included in any travel books or blogs that are generally read for research. Only after a few consistent trips, I realised that there is a pattern which is common to most European destinations.

I have on purpose included the points having a slightly negative connotation since there are so many obvious good things that everyone knows already about Europe. Being aware of them beforehand will help you prepare and deal with the situations better. I have also suggested ways to tackle them.

This post is purely based on my personal experiences and in many ways specific to Indian travellers. In no way I mean to denigrate Europe. We all must still visit this lovely continent for the millions of good things it has to offer!

1. Confusing Public Transport- When you land at any European airport, you'll have to figure out the cheapest and the fastest way to get to the city centre. Unfortunately, cabs are very expensive all around Europe and as much as you wish for convenience in the first hour of your trip, I'd suggest do give Europe's public transport services a chance. It may seem really confusing and overwhelming esp. in non-English speaking countries at first but a little bit of preparation before you fly will help you. There are multiple lines and not all lines may go directly to your hotel's location. While planning your itinerary, write the steps you need to take to reach your hotel, after you land. Search for the airport buses or trains that take you directly to the city centre and then you most likely need to switch to another train/ bus to reach finally to your hotel. Save city and airport maps in English on your phone or even take screenshots of Google maps in case you won't be connected to Internet once you land. Traveling 2-3 times will get you accustomed to the metro lines and useful phrases displayed at the station like Entry, Exit, Elevator etc. Don't hesitate to ask help from fellow passengers if you need help inside the train/ bus, like opening of doors, asking for the bus driver to stop, enquiring about your stop. It's better than trying to do something incorrectly and inconvenience others. There are hefty fines in Europe if you're traveling without ticket. Sometimes, we believe the travel pass that we bought covers a particular metro/ gondola/ bus but it may not. The key here is to research properly (you can even watch YouTube videos) on how to travel on public transport BEFORE you fly.

2. Struggle for Vegetarian Food- I can't remember how many times I ate only potatoes in various forms on my trip to Ireland. There are of course countries like Italy (see image below) where you'll be spoilt for choice even in vegetarian food, but Hungary, Czech or even Switzerland mostly have just salads, fries or sandwiches to offer you. The best way is to rent apartments and cook your own meal, at least dinners, while you laze around in cute cafes for breakfast and lunch. There is an awesome spread of breads and desserts that you can find in cafes. TripAdvisor provides wide listings of restaurants in your destination. All you have to do during your planning phase is to put 'Vegetarian ' filter, check out the menus of those restaurants and make a note of the ones you like. Tag them with the places you'll be visiting or your B&B, so that you don't have to venture very far. It may seem an obvious tip but this is so useful in saving your time and unpleasant experiences regarding food abroad.

3. Underwhelming Big Iconic Cities- There's so much talked about the big European cities like Paris, London and Rome that your expectations already reach sky-high even before landing there. But the reality check is that London is far from offering you the authentic British experience, Parisians can get very rude and unhelpful, parts of Rome are really ugly and full with beggars. Then there's also pickpocketing which is more rampant than you imagine. Having been to most of the capital cities in Europe, I can only pick as my favourite one, and that too I found lacklustre when I visited the second time in 2020. The heart of Europe and the real charm lies in its villages and countryside. That's where you'd find the most helpful people, prettiest scenery, cutest cafes with amazing service and the slow pace of life that you wish to enjoy. My least favourite European trip has been the one where I picked only cities and no countryside. Liking cities or nature is a personal choice of travellers too but I'd recommend staying at least 3 days in a European village, even if the rest of your trip involves the cities. You'll never regret it.

4. Tough to Find Medical Help- I found out that I was expecting just a day before I had to fly to Paris with my sister. My mother who's a Gynaec advised me to still go for it and I did. There were times on my trip when I was too anxious of certain pregnancy related issues and wished to see a doctor to ease my worry. There was not even a single clinic or hospital nearby (I was staying in Montmartre, which is a prime location) which my B&B owner could recommend. Even if I'd have found one, there is a huge language barrier in France. During my Swiss trip, I developed a mild cold and forgot my Vicks Vaporub in India. I checked at various stores but there was only a big pack available for 36 CHF! The situation is valid even for small illnesses as you need a doctor's prescription to buy even simple drugs. We, Indians are used to getting prompt medical help in our country but sadly this is not the case even with the European residents. Unless there's an emergency, hospitals will allot you an appointment date which is weeks later. Best solution is to watch your health and carry a medical kit with you. Carry even those medicines which you think are not necessary. It's better safe than sorry.

5. Prejudice & Stereotypes About Indians- Oh I can write pages on this. As much as I love the European hospitality, I am also dumbfounded on how ill-informed the western world is about India. On my first ever trip to Europe in Ireland, the cabbie was surprised that Indians could 'afford' coming to Europe since everyone in India is so poor. My B&B owner in Germany who was also a university professor asked my husband if I would burn myself after his death. The correct way to respond is to not take this personally or get offended, rather politely correct and educate them about India, without sounding too jingoistic and pompous. Again, not everyone in the west believes so and I hope there are fewer ignorant people than the informed ones. Indians have recently started traveling abroad so frequently and we are still learning on how to manoeuvre and behave 'like locals'. We may look clumsy in shopping from the self-checkout Tesco stores or gas stations and this can attract condescending stares. The solution is to observe, learn and move on. The way we get treated is a significant experience on our trips and often it can be improved by our own behaviour.

6. Language Barrier- This obvious problem has the obvious solution: to learn a few basic phrases and use them thoroughly on your trips. Parisians value the 'Bonjour' so much that if you enter a store without greeting, prepare to get cold treatment. Indians can get very matter-of-factly and often we can just go about our business without the small talk or greetings. Europeans may not be as forthcoming as Americans but a 'hello', 'thank you' etc. preferably in local language will surprisingly go a long way in improving your 'people-experience' in Europe. The real problem comes in situations involving non-basic knowledge. Like in a departmental store, all products have labels in local language and you may inadvertently buy something which has meat/ fish (in case you are a vegetarian) or something you're allergic to. Taking your phone out so often to use Google translate on the ingredients sticker becomes too tiring and annoying. Or even worse, you have booked an Uber and just can't locate the cab. The most frustrating thing would be on the phone trying to explain to the driver your location and not all Uber drivers speak English. There has been instances when even basic English questions like 'does it have meat?' 'which way is this place?' are not understood by locals; they will just shrug and move on. Well, you may try using translator apps that 'speak' in local language; I haven't used any, I just type my question on google translate and show them the screen. But overall, you WILL certainly feel a little lost in non-English speaking nations.

7. Lonely Streets at Night- Europe is very safe to travel alone and that's the reason I keep planning my solo trips here. But there are certain occasions when you feel slightly 'unsafe' or unguarded esp. when you're alone. I travelled to Italy in December when the sun would set at 4 pm. Regardless of a few people roaming around, I felt a little uneasiness in the dark and lonely alleys and I would try to wrap up my sight seeing before 5 pm max and return to my B&B. On my trip to Switzerland, I landed in Zurich at 9 pm and reached my B&B by 11 pm. The buses were running from the airport and all was well until I reached my bus stop and found complete darkness and no one around to help me show the way to my B&B. Days starts early in Europe and wind up early too. Unless there's a street famous for nightlife you will find most streets empty as early as 7 pm. While empty streets doesn't necessarily mean lack of safety but I found myself fearful and anxious of walking back to my B&B all alone. I have experienced this is in every single European city I have travelled to. Keep your mobile always charged so that you can rely on it to use the flashlight. Have the number of the local police station etc. handy on your phone in case of emergency.

8. Driving not a Joy Ride Always- The best way to see Europe is by a car, no doubt. Travellers often make the mistake of hiring the car for the entire duration of their trip. You don't need a car in European cities. That'd actually be a disaster. Finding a parking spot, driving through narrow lanes, understating traffic rules etc is much more overwhelming in cities where there is more traffic and you have no scope of error. But definitely rent a car in the countryside. There's no better way to travel. Barring UK and Ireland, all European countries drive on the right, which is opposite to that in India. It is a real struggle to get accustomed to the opposite driving side, following the stringent speed limits, turning on roundabouts, method to allow passing etc. for the first 2-3 days on your trip. Allow yourself some breathing space at the start of your trip; even if you're renting a car as soon as you land and driving into countryside, keep the driving time to your destination within 2 hours. This way you'll get a mini hands-on driving tutorial without getting too tired.

9. High Dependency on Weather- I always include a 'rainy' day itinerary in my planning. There's a high chance that if you're travelling to places like Switzerland or Austria where the weather is unpredictable, and most of your 'sights' are the mountain top views or hikes, there will be at least 1 day of heavy rains/ snowfall or cloud cover. 200 CHF spent to reach on top of Jungfrau mountain only to see clouds could've been spent somewhere else, on that particular day. While you choose a to go to the mountain top by checking live images everyday, you will need alternate plans to fill those rainy days. Those are generally indoor attractions like a palace, cafe hopping or even a few forest hikes where the ground is not slushy or slippery. European cities like Paris, Rome etc. however, pose no such issue, though it is advisable to carry an umbrella in your day-bag even in summers.

10. Substandard Service- Most of the iconic European cafes are hole in the wall with cramped seating and very busy waiters. They don't have time to answer your 'what do you recommend?' 'would you customise this for me?' queries. Again, there are a few exceptions but Europe is notorious for offering bad customer service. If you don't have a reservation in a restaurant, don't even bother peeping in. And if the menu is in the local language, use your google translate app to see what you want; refrain from asking the waiter. You may get a cold response or no response at all. A couple of times, I have tried the Indian restaurants in Europe and what a pleasant change it was! Not only in the food but also in the service. There were long conversations where the owners (who typically come from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh) would come over and share their life-stories, would even invite their head chefs to interact and ask genuine feedback about the food. Keeping your service expectations really low in European restaurants will save you some frustration and if you're a solo traveller eating alone, you can in fact expect long delays in getting your food and extra cold treatment.

If you have reached till here, congratulations and thank you for reading this long article! You're now better equipped to plan your Europe Trip!