Flying to Europe for the first time..

[Handsome Rob]

Experience lesson:
No matter what your cell provider tells you & how much you pay....it won't work in Europe.

Jules & I keep hold of a couple of dirt cheap UK phones for the odd times we have to fly back to England.

If you smoke, be careful in Europe. In a lot of places it's outright banned, in most others it's frowned upon. A lot of cities have no smoking in public laws & they DO enforce them.

If you dip, make sure you have a spitter bottle. Spitting is hugely rude in Europe.

Get a bus timetable for every city you'll visit. European taxis are crippling expensive ($8-$10 per mile is not uncommon) and are very good at 'detours.' Public transport is cheap, quick, very regular & clean.

Everything is expensive compared to the US. VERY expensive. Last time I was in England a pack of Marlboro was $15!

Tipping in restaurants is not expected our required. Wait staff actually get a decent wage & are not tip-reliant.

Don't forget the time difference. Not actually the clock change, so much as the daytime cycle. Here, most folk start work earlier & stores are open earlier & later.
The European norm is that most places don't start until 8-9 & many close between 5-6. Eating out is a much later affair though. Going out for an evening meal at 9pm is usual & many people don't think of going out for a drink until 10pm Edited February 6, 2016 by robtattoo

[Obiwan]

No matter what your cell provider tells you & how much you pay....it won't work in Europe.

 

My provider here is T-Mobile. I had a global roaming plan at some time in the past. However, it is expensive when using it. My phone is a quad-band GSM phone, so it works in Europe just fine. Last time I was over there, I took my phone with me but bought a pre-paid SIM chip over there and used that in my phone. Same phone, different number. Local calling is much more affordable that way. Heck, I think even calling the US was cheaper. (I mostly txt'ed my wife though).

 

Anyway, if your phone can handle European frequencies, you can use it. But your provider may not provide coverage or only for horribly expensive rates. Get a more affordable pre-paid chip over there. (and if you're phone doesn't work on European frequencies, I'm sure you can probably rent one).

 

Or, if you are not going for work, simply leave your phone at home, disconnect and enjoy your vacation.  :)

[Hozzie]

If you have AT&T, you can add a passport plan to your service. I usually get the $60 plan which gives you 300mb data and 50 cent/minute calling. It's good for 30 days from when you add it.

I have had no issues with service in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, or France.

[Hershmeister]

Disable the voice and data on your smartphone. Just use wifi. Get the following apps and you can talk /text with the people u care about while u are gone and not be bothered by anyone else!

whatsapp
Viber
Skype

[Dennis1209]

I was there for a couple of weeks in January, 1986 and loved it. Except for the part I almost killed myself snow skying in the Alps for the first time. 

 

Too bad you're 30 years to late. With the monetary exchange rate back then at 3:1, you could have bought a nice Rolex watch or pair of Zeiss binoculars for 2/3 off what you'd pay here.

 

The German food is excellent and if you get a chance, checkout a famous place in Munich called something like 'the Hauper House' (sp). It was a blast. If you do any traveling with their efficient train system, it departs every time, on time. You still probably can get those ceramic little things called Hummels (sp?) a lot cheaper over there. They make great Christmas gifts to people who like and collect them. Or a huge profit selling them back here if they don't break on the way.

 

So much to see and do two weeks was not enough. Have fun and good luck over there.

 

NOTE TO SELF: If you ever visit Europe again, leave your un-smart phone home and just enjoy yourself and take it all in. I can always face plant in my gizmo when I get back.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Dennis1209