“Learn from your mistakes, but if possible, learn from others’ mistakes.”
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| "Dublin has water fountains, but only in Terminal 1? CRAZY! Let's take a photo!" |
My first (and only) trip to Europe was a haphazard experience, filled with lots of drama, stress, joy, adventure, memories, and goats. It is a trip I will never forget, one that gave me a lot of new perspective and a lot of great stories. However, the trip was much harder than it should have been, and most of that was due to beginners’ mistakes. I will now share them with you, so that all you first-time European travelers will arrive better prepared than I was!
Mistake #1: Not bringing enough water. I soon found out that there are no water fountains in Europe. (Okay, maybe there are a few, but they are few and far between!) Whether stranded in Terminal 2 of the Dublin airport or wandering downtown Hamburg, I found myself dehydrated to the point of delirium more than once. Bring two or more water bottles, and when you find a water source, chug as much as you can.
Mistake #2: Not carrying any coins. Basically every toilet in Europe requires payment, and they often demand exact change. The moment you get into Europe, buy something small and start accumulating coins as fast as you can.
Mistake #3: Assuming your American credit card will work. Trying to buy my first train ticket, I was informed that my card was invalid. Fortunately I had enough cash, but it completely drained my supply of euros. Always carry enough bills to get you where you need to go, or else leave yourself extra time to find an ATM.
Mistake #4: Not bringing a phrase book. Learn to say both forms of, “Excuse me” (getting someone’s attention and apologizing for bumping into someone), followed by “Do you speak English?” in the native language. And then bring a phrase book for everything else. It’s a horrible thing to be stranded in the middle of Germany with no idea what the words for “ticket counter,” “ATM” and “departing trains” are.
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| Day one in Europe: jet-lagged Lisa who is, believe it or not, attempting a smile in front of the Amsterdam train station. Jet lag makes you feel the way my face looks in this picture. Be afraid. Be very afraid. |
Mistake #5: Not preparing enough for jet lag. I assumed that jet lag would involve me feeling exhausted for a few days and getting hungry at weird hours. Instead, my body went into an all-out revolt, turning me into a drugged-out panic-attack-waiting-to-happen with no appetite and lots of nausea. It took me a solid week before I felt that I had a grasp on reality again. Have all the details worked out for your first week so that you don’t have to worry about thinking on your feet when your brain is back in America. Which brings me to my final point…
Mistake #6: Thinking that planning will stifle your freedom. If you’re a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of traveler, as I generally am, you may cringe at the thought of planning an itinerary. Take a deep breath, and then plan, plan, plan. If you want some freedom, give yourself some gaps in your schedule, and/or make sure your reservations are refundable— but for the love of cheesecake, don’t just go where the wind blows you unless, a) you are a hardcore nomad, b) you have unlimited money, or c) you just got engaged right before the trip and suddenly found your whole world flipped upside down and you just couldn’t focus enough to get your act together but still wanted to have the adventure (okay, never mind; the last point gives you no excuse to stress yourself out by not planning).
The balance to this final point is that even in the craziness of on-the-fly planning, amazing things can happen— such as an incredible unplanned week in the Netherlands. That’s the beauty of travel, and life, and anything worth doing: no matter how many things go wrong, something wonderful can still emerge.
Still, it never hurts to learn from others’ mistakes.
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