Hey there! I’m getting married soon, and in the process of planning my wedding, I’ve put easily 100 hrs into some travel advice for my guests. For most of them, this will be the first time out of the country, or out of North America (some have been to Mexico). I figured since I put so much effort into what I hope is good advice for beginners, why not put it here?
I’m not sure how this page will evolve, but for now it might be a little rough. Also, since the audience for this advice was originally written for residents of the United States, there may be some things here that don’t apply to people residing in other locations.
There are a lot of links that just got copied over. None of them (except for the Holafly one) benefit me in any way. The Holafly one is a standard link they give each customer to refer people.
Tips for first time travelers to Europe
Rule 1: Sleep on the plane
It’s best to sleep on your red eye flight. The longer the flight is before you land in London (or Paris) the better.
It takes about 30 minutes to get to altitude, and then about an hour for dinner service. If you are at the back of the plane then add a little more time. They leave the lights on for a little after that, too. You want as much time as possible to sleep (or take a sleeping pill and recover from it).
The first two days are still hard, but if you follow the rules for overcoming jet lag, then you’ll feel great for the rest of the trip
Rule 2: The clock is right, not your body
For example, if you land at 9am, then it’s 9am even if it feels like 1am. If you normally eat breakfast, then pop into a convenience store or coffee shop and grab a bite to eat.
When you get sleepy around 2pm, drink a coffee or a soda or something that wakes you up. Try your hardest not to sleep until after 8pm, but if you can’t manage it, then don’t nap for more than 30 minutes.
The biggest thing for the first two days is to trick your body into the correct time. Example: Eat a snack at lunch time even if you aren’t hungry.
All that said, if you are a napper, then nap. You know your body best.
Rule 3: Drink Water!!
It doesn’t matter if you normally only drink Dr. Pepper or Tea during the day. Your body needs more water than ever after that long flight.
I know it hurts, but buy the bottle of water when you need it because it won’t be free anywhere. At restaurants, you have to order water and answer “Still or Sparkling?”
Sometimes in London they will have tap water that occasionally is free. For the thrifty, please double check any signs around a bathroom sink before deciding to fill up your reusable bottle.
On a similar note, it’s best to avoid alcohol for the first day since you will be more dehydrated than your normal hydration level at home.
Rule 4: Sleep until 5AM
This is a weird rule if you’ve never been to Europe, but your body will be wide awake around 3AM on the morning after your first sleep. To prevent jet lag, pretend Santa is coming and you have to be asleep until at least 5AM. You’ll probably fall asleep again somewhere around 5AM, so don’t turn off that morning alarm unless you leave the room for the day.
Rule 5: Know where your passport is
On plane/train days, keep it in an easily accessible pocket in your hand luggage. All the other times keep it in the bag you leave at the hotel.
Before you leave the hotel for the last time: find it/put hands on it, show your travel companions, have them show you theirs, and then put it away. It should always go back to the same location in your hand luggage. It’s great to narrate this part, too; it helps you remember that you did have the passport right before you left the hotel. Think of it as a more serious version of “phone, keys, wallet” as you leave the house.
You’ll need it in your hand luggage for long train rides across the country (i.e., for the trip from London to Salisbury) for when they check your ticket. They don’t always ask, but if they do then its good to have it handy.
FYI 1: All About Restrooms (aka WC)
The number one thing for a person that needs to pee is “what sign am I looking for?” That sign is usually solid color text on a white background that reads “WC”. It stands for Water Closet. I’ve noticed this is pretty universal across Europe in general.
The toilets will be shaped funny (perhaps square-ish), but if you paid money to get into the restroom then they will usually be nice and clean.
Pay-Toilets are usually like 50 cents, and they usually have a tap to pay with your debit/credit card. If you don’t have that, then make sure you exchange a few bucks and keep the coins (coins go from like 10 cents up to 2 pounds) on your person.
For the thrifty, the best advice is to use a free bathroom whenever you see one. The restrooms at tourist attractions (or pay to enter places) are usually free. Restaurants usually have free restrooms, too.
Speaking of thrifty….occasionally…., there might be a bathroom attendant that hoards the toilet paper or paper towels in exchange for “a tip”. I’ve only seen this at free restrooms [at nightclubs]. This is another good reason to keep a few coins on your person. Just drop a coin (like a buck) into the tip jar and do your business.
McDonalds usually has free restrooms! The cleanliness completely depends on the situation, but they are usually free!
FYI 2: Underground = subway = train = metro
TL;DR (too long; didn’t read). check out my step-by-step photo guide for navigating the trains. This guide starts at the airport, so skip to step 8 for information specifically concerning the trains.
The London Underground (and Paris, too) is a great public transportation system. You will have a card called “The Oyster Card” (Paris has the Paris Visite Travel Pass) that will have like $25 on it. You tap to get onto the platforms, and tap when you leave.
The Oyster Card also works on the local buses. There’s a place to tap the card when you get on (but not when you get off). Just mimic the locals.
As a last resort, your credit card may work to tap-to-pay. It’ll just be a tad more expensive.
On crowded public trains: go ahead and practice pick-pocket safety (i.e., keep your backpack or purse in front of you/in your lap). The pick-pocket risk is the same as any large city in the US (i.e., not dangerous, but practice common sense safety), so you don’t need to be too scared.
FYI 3: First Floor is Level 0
Yeah, so if the building is on flat ground, then the door you walk into brings you to the “Ground” floor, sometimes called Floor 0 (or Level 0). If you walk up the stairs, then you are on Floor/Level 1. All bets are off if it’s a split level. Just look for signs if it matters. It’s usually based on which street is the more populated street, though.
FYI 4: Everything is Smaller
Restaurants are usually smaller, grocery stores are smaller, convenience stores are smaller, gas stations are smaller. If you are looking for a familiar thing, just remember to look a little smaller.
Come to think of it, the clothes run smaller, too.
FYI 5: All About Restaurants
This goes extra for Paris, but for Europe in general, restaurant service is slow. Just be patient and give yourself a lot more time than you think if you have hard set plans post meal.
Typically, you just walk in and find a table at pretty much every establishment unless you have a reservation or there’s a sign that says otherwise. They will usually acknowledge you quickly and bring menus. If you aren’t comfortable just grabbing a table, then look concerned by the entrance and a waitress will recognize you as American, take pity on you, and then escort you to a table.
If you want water, then you’ll have to specifically order it and plan on paying for it. They come in multiple sizes measured in liters. I just remember the big bottles of soda are 2 liters to make the judgement for how much water the table needs.
Also, you don’t usually give the waitress your card to pay. They will bring the card reader directly to you and you use it yourself. If you give them your card, then they will do the payment activities and give you a weird look.
When you are ready to leave, you may have to flag the waitress down to pay. Please be polite; the restaurant culture calls for a relaxed pace, so if you are in a hurry then you are the weird one here.
Tipping isn’t expected, but for reference a 10% tip is for great service.
FYI 6: Look Both Ways Before You Cross a Street
I know this is infantilizing, but they drive on the “wrong side” of the street in England. It can be a little disorientating when you do your “Left, Right, Left” and miss a car coming from an unexpected direction.
Please just be more cautious because your road crossing instincts don’t work as well with wonky driving rules.
FYI 7: Navigation
If you can’t find the road sign in the city/town, then look on the side of the buildings on the street corners.
Also, download the google maps area for the places you’ll be.
FYI 8: Paying With a Card Overseas
When you pay with a credit card (or debit card), you will be given the option to pay in the local currency (in this case GBP, or £) or USD. Always choose local currency because you get the best conversion deals from your bank. When you choose USD you are accepting whatever exchange rate the merchant has. It’s usually not great.
This rule may be different if you are using a small credit union or regional bank. Check with your personal bank if this is the case.
Most of the large bank chains (Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo, etc) don’t require you to notify them when you travel anymore. It is usually best to notify them anyway. You should be able to log onto your online banking account and find the form easy enough.
Travel Products for People Who…
Are Frequently Hot
I’ve found a few well rated portable fan options from amazon.
There’s one that sits around your neck. This one is for people on the go through the airport. This would also be great for people who don’t use a neck pillow.
There’s one that you can sit on the airplane tray. This would be great for the plane ride or a hotel or what not. Planes are usually cold, but every now and then you get stuck on a hot one. If you are a person who finds themselves overheated in closed spaces, then this is a good option for you.
Are Light Sensitive
I highly recommend a sleep mask. I’ll link a few options below. These are great for the red-eye flight on the way over and for sleeping in the hotels abroad. I find hotels abroad don’t care about street lamps getting through the window as much as American hotel chains do, so sleep masks really come through for blocking that out.
Here’s the one that I use. It comes in a pack of 3 for $10 total. It’s the kind made of foam where your eyelids aren’t touching the fabric. You’ll want to take some hand soap and wash them in the sink and let them airdry once before using them. Other than that they are super comfy, and I have had no problems with them.
Here’s a more fancy option starting at $60. It’s silk, so I guess it’s great if you have allergies to certain types of fabrics on your face.
Need to plug stuff in (aka probably everyone)
You probably don’t go anywhere without a thing you have to charge, right? Here’s a list of stuff you’ll NEED and stuff you might want.
To charge your electronics, you’ve basically got two options:
1) plug it into an outlet at the hotel at night (You’ll need a Type G plug converter)
2) use a portable battery bank for everything. (I’ve actually done this once, it’s not bad).
For 1)
To use the wall plug, you’ll need an adapter. Here’s the one I’ve used. It’s great because is a one-size-fits-all kind of situation. You’ll never have to worry about where you travel as long as you bring this bad boy. It also comes in different colors. To be very clear: it is NOT a voltage converter, so you can’t use it for hair dryers or straighteners. It’s great for your phones/laptops, though.
If you must bring your own hair dryer/straightener or other electronics that require heavier power usage, then here’s an option for you. It’s bigger and costs a little more, but if you need it, then you need it. If you just need a hair dryer, then I really recommend checking with the hotels you are staying in to see if they already have one there.
For 2)
You may already have your favorite battery bank ready to go. If not, then I recommend this. It’s the one I’ve used for a few years now, and it hasn’t let me down, yet. I recommend at least getting something to these specs: 20000mAh. This means it’ll charge your phone a few times before the bank needs recharging.
You can probably find an electrical outlet that takes USB when you want to recharge your battery bank or your phone, but I wouldn’t count on it.
want a neck pillow
You probably know you want a neck pillow for a red eye flight, but do you know there’s a lot of options?
Here’s one that’s a classic: just a foam circle to go around your head. It’s also shaped nicely to actually hold up your head. These are a huge upgrade from the bean filled ones of the past. It comes with a strap for the back of the seat, but you don’t need it and you probably can’t use it anyway (the tv screens are on the back of the seat). This one is also a reasonable price. It’s what you would find at the airport (maybe even $10 cheaper), but it also comes in a bunch of colors if you get it from the amazon link.
This one is a newer style. It’s still the nice foam, but it’s got a different shape to it. It’s got an asymmetrical shape, too, so I’d be inclined to stick to the classic, but maybe you should check it out. It is more expensive than the classic one linked above, but maybe that’s because it’s better? IDK, I’m just giving options.
Here’s an objectively weird option. It looks like a pool noodle you are cuddling. To be fair, it’s only weird because everyone else at the airport will have a neck pillow that goes around your neck. It’s also not foam, it’s an inflatable pillow. It’s got a soft surface, though, so don’t actually think pool floaty. There’s two big pros to this: it’s cheaper and rolls up real small.
Here’s another weird one. It’s also inflatable, but this time you put it on the plane tray and lean forward. It’s basically an inflatable box with a hole in the top like a masseuse table. I’d say the major downside to this one is that it would be harder to use in other modes of transportation (like the car).
want to cover their passport
So, you want to cover your passport in one of those cute little passport books? Is it because it’s pretty? yay! do it. Is it because you are worried about security? okay, get an RFID-blocking one.
Either way, you’ll probably find that you don’t actually want to cover your passport after one trip. Passports legally have to be bare anytime you need to use it. That means taking it out of your cute or secure wallet. That means constantly bending it in and out. and then you’ve got this annoying empty wallet thing to manage through the passport control line and you’re all flustered trying to get it back into the wallet while more strangers shove their way around your while you block the exit.
How Do I Have My Phone Work Overseas?
Abigail has used Holafly for a few years in multiple countries. You can get 6 days for $25 with unlimited data. You can use Abigail’s referral link for 5% off.
You 100% want to make sure your phone is eSim compatible, though.
You’ll buy an eSim for the amount of days you’ll be abroad for your expected locations (there is a Europe in general option, or a UK specific option, for example). Right before you leave the US (whether that’s a direct flight, or the last US based layover), go ahead and scan the QR code that is emailed to you. That will set everything up on your phone for you. You will need internet to do the setup, so if you forget then connect to the airport wifi when you land in Europe.
You will need to set this new eSim as your primary Sim, and then restart your phone. Some phones do this automatically.
Download WhatsApp and set it up with your US phone number. You can call/text with internet through WhatsApp. (You probably want to do this before the trip)
Adventures with Abigail 