Over the past few months, I’ve written about traveling to Europe. There’s a lot of great European travel content on YouTube, and one common theme several bloggers discuss is the mistakes tourists make in Europe. Some of it’s about specific countries or regions. I’m throwing my hat in the ring by answering the question: What are the five biggest mistakes tourists make when visiting Europe? Do your best to avoid these mistakes and have the best European vacation ever.
Why trust my opinion about this topic?
Let me start by answering a question: Why should you trust my opinion? I’m not a travel expert. I’m not a travel agent and don’t have a product to sell you which I consider good. I’m simply a guy who’s obsessed with going to Europe. I have visited Europe over 20 times in the past decade. I average going there at least twice a year. What’s my bias? I’m an American. I’m not a European. I don’t live in Europe. I travel to Europe from America. The best way to learn how to travel to Europe is by going and making mistakes. Trust me, I have made plenty of them. I’m publishing this content to help others avoid the stupid mistakes I’ve made visiting Europe over the years.
Mistake #1 – picking the wrong route
For many tourists going to Europe, it is a massive investment on your part. Some of you will spend thousands of dollars going there, and I want you to have the best time ever. If you picked the wrong route, you could end up in countries you don’t like, on the road the whole time, not getting a chance to see stuff, stuck in long ass lines doing a whole lot of nothing. I wrote a blog about five factors to consider when planning your European vacation. I recommend reviewing this content if you’re starting the planning process now.
Remedy #1 – do some research to get expert opinions
Expert opinions resources include travel books that you can read, videos that you can watch, and websites that you can visit. When I say experts, I mean local people from the places you’re going to see or someone like Rick Steves, who spent his entire adult life going to Europe. For Heaven’s Sake, do not get travel advice from some teenager on TikTok. Here is a helpful hint. Suppose you’ve picked your country and have no idea how you want to spend your time. Go to Rick Steve’s website and look at the tours he offers his customers. You see an example below. I’m not saying you need to follow his route strictly. It is a good baseline in case you have no idea where to go.
Mistake #2 – trying to do way too much in a day
I have made this mistake several times on previous trips. Imagine you are in a big European city like London, Paris or Rome and only have a few days. Each city has so many sights that it’s impossible to see everything unless you race around the city like a crazy person. God help you if you have many other travelers with you. I have witnessed family members screaming at each other because they want to see everything. That is not a vacation to me. It sounds like an episode of The Amazing Race, and I would avoid that scenario. It is not worth the stress.
Remedy #2 – leave some slack in your schedule
Paris is the perfect example of a big city full of sights. It also contains cafes, green spaces, and beautiful parks where you can enjoy coffee or put your feet up and relax. It is a great way to spend time on your vacation. I used to visit places with the wrong mindset. I thought this was the only time I would be there, and I needed to make the most of it and see absolutely everything. When I travel, I think I will return here one day. I will see what I will see while I’m here and leave some time to relax. I’ll see the rest the next time I visit.
Mistake #3 – tour only the popular places
It’s easy to tell if a sight is popular. It’ll be packed full of tourists. I’m not saying you don’t tour these places. I’m saying don’t go only to the popular ones. Here is a relevant example. If you go to Barcelona, you will want to tour the world-famous church of La Sagrada Familia. I’ve been there twice. Both times, it was full of people. If you only visit the popular places, you will be surrounded by fellow tourists, shoulder to shoulder, trying to get good pictures.
Remedy #3 – get off the beaten path
There are several ways to get off the beaten path. It might mean going out into the countryside and seeing smaller cities or villages that are not as popular but still have incredible sights. For example, one of my favorite things to do in Barcelona is to wander around the El Born neighborhood. It houses a beautiful park and a church, which is much older than Sagrada Familia. If you visit this place, it will not be nearly as crowded. You can climb to the roof and get incredible pictures of the Barcelona skyline.
Mistake #4 – visiting during the high season
The high season for most of Europe occurs during the summer months of June, July, August, and September. There are three reasons not to visit during this time.
- Europe is packed during the summer, and Europeans also take vacations in Europe. If possible, I would avoid August. It is the worst month to visit.
- Europe has experienced several heat waves over the past decade, and it has been getting scorching hot, especially in southern Europe.
- Several hotels in Europe don’t have air conditioning. It is not the norm in Northern Europe, and for the ones that do, it’s not quite the same as American hotels.
Remedy #4 – visit during the shoulder or off-season
Visit Europe during the spring, fall, or even winter. I’ve gone to Europe over Thanksgiving break, and it was terrific. Consider visiting Southern Europe during these seasons. The weather is excellent.
Mistake #5 – don’t make any reservations
I call this the backpack mentality. If you’re young and going backpacking around Europe and have all the time in the world, disregard this advice. It is a mistake not to make any reservations for the rest of us. I understand that it is a nostalgic idea that we’ll throw on some backpacks and go wherever the wind takes us. We’ll figure it out when we get there. I’m here to tell you that doesn’t work anymore when traveling around Europe. You may ruin your vacation by winging it.
Remedy #5 – make reservations for accommodations and dinner
Make some reservations in advance for every place you’re going during your vacation. At a minimum, I recommend reserving your accommodations and dinner the first night or two in advance. If you go to some famous tourist sights, you will also want to buy your tickets in advance to make sure you get in. Some of you say you want to be spontaneous, which I appreciate. However, you don’t want to spend or waste time looking for a place to stay or standing in a line at a restaurant waiting to be told there are no tables available.
Last common mistake – acting like an American
Let me wrap up this blog by discussing another common mistake many Americans make when visiting Europe: acting like an American everywhere you go. Many pickpockets target tourists, so do your best to avoid standing out as a tourist. For heaven’s sake, do not wear an American flag shirt anywhere.
Final remedy – live like a local
Do your best to live like a local while visiting Europe. I’m not saying you need to speak the language. Instead, do your best to blend in. When in Paris, the fashion capital of France, dress a little nicer. They have the Autobon in Germany, so you’ll obey the rules of the road. In England, you’ll drive on the left side of the road and perhaps drink room-temperature beer. In Spain, you’re going to eat dinner late at night. The goal of traveling to Europe is to soak up the culture and live like a local. Avoid the mistakes I included in this blog, and have the best vacation ever. Let others make these mistakes.
I am Doug Keating, and this is my letter to my sons.