Top 5 Mistakes US Travelers Make When Traveling to Europe

Worried about traveling to Europe? How to avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

As a travel consultant for over 5 years, I’ve seen the same mistakes made by Americans taking an overseas trip.  Some I’ve even made myself.  Fortunately, my clients usually followed my advice but those who didn’t, often regretted that choice.  Here are the top 5 mistakes I’ve seen occur again and again…

Failure to make plans for arrival day

Most international flights leave the US at night and arrive in Europe in the morning.  Rome, London, and Amsterdam in particular, have arrivals as early as 6 or 7am.  It may be tempting to think that’s a great idea because you have a whole day ahead to discover this exciting new place. 

The reality is that you will likely arrive tired and out of sorts after being cramped on a plane for 6-8 hours and getting little sleep.  You may well have to stand in long lines to get through Immigration before getting your bags and leaving the terminal.  And all this may be taking place before 9am!

When I work with clients arriving early, we set up some sort of activity that gives them private pick up from the airport, guided touring (in a vehicle), and a stop for food before going to the hotel in the afternoon.  Here are some examples of arrangements I’ve made:

• Rome:  airport pick up and tour to the pope’s summer palace with lunch at a picturesque lakeside restaurant.  (LINK TO PRE/POST STAY FOR SUGGESTED SHORT STAY ITINERARY)
• Amsterdam:  a group trip to a castle an hour away that was hosting a day long international fair with food and shopping. 
• Barcelona:  airport pick up with a sedan tour of the city including a stop to tour Gaudi’s park and have lunch. 

In each case, the travelers had time to rest in the car, their luggage was secured, they never got lost, and they felt the time was well spent.  They were later able to check in to the hotel, rest and freshen up, and enjoy their evening.

Not understanding European accomodations

Any travel agent worth her/his salt will tell you that comparing US hotels to European hotels is comparing apples to oranges.

• A 4 or 5-star hotel in the European system is not the same as one here.  The first thing you notice is that Europeans do not use air conditioning like we do in the US.  Many hotels have no AC at all, so you need to ask that question when researching a hotel. 
• European hotels are often in older buildings so there is no standard room size.  You might be staying in a room twice the size of your traveling companions yet paying the same amount.
• That historic boutique hotel might look wonderful online but you soon realize you’re sharing that beautiful bathroom with 3 other couples.  Confirm that you have a private bathroom!  Also, don’t expect the big plush towels found in a 4 or 5-star US hotel.  In European hotels the towels are often smaller, quite thin, and it’s just “one per customer.”
• King size beds are not a standard offering in Europe although you can find rooms with two beds connected. 
• Elevators may or may not be part of an older hotel and those that are can be quite small for someone who gets claustrophobic easily.  

My elevator story

I had an older couple traveling who needed an elevator in the hotel. While the hotel had an elevator inside, the hotel was located on small hill with no driveway from the street. Guests were dropped off at the bottom of a stairway and had to haul their bags up to the hotel. Needless to say—we found another hotel.

Of course, you can always go back to an Americanized chain hotel but many of them are still housed in older buildings.

Not considering how you get from here to there

So maybe you do all the work to plan that special trip—you make your reservations, purchase your tours, maybe even make a restaurant reservation at that popular restaurant.  But have you considered how you get from that restaurant back to your hotel?  An area might be really busy during the day with taxis coming by every couple of minutes, but night could be a different story.

My Barcelona Story

In Barcelona (a late-night city) we went to an after-hours event ending about 10pm---early for this city. We were shocked that it took us over 20 minutes and a lot of walking through some less than desirable places to find a cab. The next time we went, I had a driver waiting for us. It cost a bit more, but it was safe, reliable, and we were all in a great mood when we arrived back at the hotel (which was NOT the case previously).

Even during the day, you need to consider your movement around the city.  If you have a tour in Rome in the morning and are supposed to be at the Vatican at 1pm, you can’t assume a taxi can fight its way through the traffic in time.  It’s better to err on the side of getting there early rather than missing the window to take your tour. 

Not making preparations for the things you want to do

Reservations/pre-paid skip the line tickets

What could be worse than arriving on your cruise ship in Venice for the day, thinking you can visit St Mark’s Basilica –only to find that the wait is 3 hours without a reservation. Yes, that is becoming more typical for many of the popular European spots. Gone are the days when you could just show up and be guaranteed admittance. The exception of course is to go off season but for those who are traveling in high season, planning is key. Research the sites you want to see and then find out if they are selling tickets with timed entry. The Vatican tours are the perfect example. I wouldn’t even try showing up without one.

Dress Requirement

Make sure you know any dress requirements. The Vatican has guards whose focus is walking the lines looking at length of shirts and shorts, and especially at necklines and sleeves for women. I’ve seen tourists turned away from churches in Spain as well. Women may want to always carry a scarf or sweater.

Security Requirements

Don’t forget to look for security related rules as well. You may not be able to take that big purse or backpack into places you plan to visit. If you don’t want to leave your ID and credit cards in a locker somewhere, make sure you have a smaller wallet or a pocket to carry them.

Unrealistic Expectations for the Holidays

How many of us have dreams of that perfect European Christmas with snow gently falling as we leave the Christmas market for a fabulous holiday dinner in an Old World restaurant?  It sounds great and it can be…but that’s not always the case. 

River cruise companies are great at showing these fantastic photos of holiday cruises and talking about Christmas Eve night sailing by Bavarian villages or ringing in New Year’s Eve at the Vienna Opera House.  What they don’t tell you is how much is closed during the day to include some of the sites you might have wanted to see.

Of course, not all things close but don’t count on shops or even many of the restaurants.  You will have wonderful food on the boat but will not fully experience the area as you would even a week earlier.

Final Thoughts

Pre-planning can make or break a trip.  It certainly can take away stress caused the five common mistakes mentioned above:

• Failure to plan for arrival day
• Not understanding European accommodations
• Not planning your movement around the city
• Not making the arrangements required for desired activities
• Not adjusting expectations to match holiday closures

Your European vacation is a big investment of time and money.  You certainly want to get a return on your investment in terms of value and enjoyment. Every one of the top 5 mistakes above could have been prevented by planning and preparation.  Protect your investment and come home happier than you left.