Europe’s Best
I love traveling Europe, but it’s not always easy. Even if you have vast resources, sooner or later on a trip there you’re going to stumble upon some European intricacies that add or detract from your trip. I’ve had my own struggles through visiting over 30 countries and more than a year of traveling around Europe, but still there is so much that I really enjoy about it. Here’s a few thoughts about some of the things that I really love about Europe.
1. Architecture – Every country in Europe has interesting and often fantastic architecture. Of course some have better than others – for example Italy has greater and more abundant architecture than Slovakia or Wales and it’s not even close. But yet Czech Republic, which was once joined with Slovakia (as Czechoslovakia) has more unique architecture than Switzerland, which is a much wealthier country. Some of the best cities for architecture in Europe are Barcelona, Florence, Paris, Amsterdam, and Prague. There are many others too, there are also some duds like Lodz (Poland), Brussels, Warsaw, Chisinau (Moldova), and Bratislava (Slovakia).
Poznan, Poland – a wonderful mid sized city that gets very little attention.
2. Cheap Accommodation – Airbnb, GowithOh, Booking(.com) and other websites offer really great options for nice, central accommodation for really reasonable if not cheap rates. I just traveled through Poland recently for 3 weeks and stayed at apartment/flats in or near the city center for around $35 a night on average with Airbnb. But I put in time for research, negotiated a bit, and tried to figure out other variables like distance from the train station, etc. Don’t forget about hostels too, as there are many new and really nice hostel options, often with apartment options within the same buildings or near by locations.
European hostel
3. Public Transportation – Bus and Train travel in the US aren’t that common, but in Europe they are the primary means of getting places. If you’re under 26, and want to see Europe by rail, you can buy a Eurail train pass (Global pass, Select pass, Multi-country regional pass, or Single country pass) which give a nice discount on the regular train fare. These passes are not valid in every country though. Eastern European countries do not participate in the rail pass, and bus is still the best option in many of those countries. Many countries have excellent to very good rail systems. They offer varying speeds, class seating arrangements, and go through basically every single town in the country. Keep in mind that Europe has the greatest passenger rail system in the world and there are reasons why. Bus systems are generally quite good too, although they are much more common in Eastern Europe. Reservations are now required on some routes so be aware of that before boarding. Websites that I use for public transport in Europe are www.seat61.com, www.rome2rio.com, www.busbud.com, www.eurail.com, and http://www.priceoftravel.com.
4. Budget Airlines – if you need to pay for a plane ticket or travel by rail Europe has more and better choices for low prices than we do here in the US. Europe has an assortment of low cost air carriers such as RyanAir, EasyJet, WizzAir, AirBerlin, and more. You can often find flights across Europe for US $20-30. Last minute and and booked in advance deals can both be had, where last minute airfare in the US will probably get very expensive. Great sites to bookmark for travel in Europe are www.fly4free.com, http://travelfree.info, and www.secretflying.com.
5. Scenic Travel – Europe has some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. One of the things that makes European travel so fantastic are the many mountain ranges including the Alps, Kjolen, Appenines, Carpathian, and many more. One of my favorite trips is the train route from Oslo to Bergen, Norway. It’s simply spectacular. Northern Italy and routes through Switzerland are just as amazing. But even in places where there aren’t any mountains, the views can still be incredible (parts of Finland for Example). And taking buses in other parts of Europe, such as through the Balkans in Bosnia, can be fantastic too. Public transport in Europe is quite affordable, but for longer bus and train routes across countries, flying is often cheaper and much faster. The US has more geographic variation than Europe, but the scenic travel there is still amazing.
Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Northern Ireland (don’t look down)
6. History – Europe has some very old historical footing that often America’s history look like a one day flash sale at Macy’s. To learn more about that history, there are countless museums and history centers. My uncle traveled to Europe at various times to research our family lineage and wrote several books about his findings. Europe’s history is fascinating.
7. Beautiful Women – Although I would prefer to be married, I’m not. For much of my travels in Europe, I have been single. IMO European women are generally very natural, thin, unique looking, feminine and beautiful. I was on a date not long ago in in the US with a women that was offended when I opened a car door for her. She said “I can open the door myself”. I told her that I knew she could, but that my gesture was done out of politeness. Not long after I went out with a nurse at a local hospital who told me she wanted to get branded on her forearm – with a hot poker. Although Europe is very liberal, women there are still very feminine and haven’t embraced the radical leftward feminism that many have i the US – and that is very refreshing.
8. Ambiance/Atmosphere – There are a lot of annoyances and inconveniences traveling through Europe, but each year, millions of tourists descend to its lands, why? Because it’s stunning, interesting, and unique. The old buildings, quaint, cobble stoned streets, major landmarks, art, restaurants and amazing ambiance/atmosphere that seems to be around nearly every corner. In Paris for example, I’ve been mugged, gotten lost countless times, had encounters with rude people, gotten my backpack torn into with a knife, and other experiences that leave a stain on my time there. But it’s a beautiful city and still one of my favorite in Europe. A huge part of that is the built in atmosphere of the city. It’s truly enchanting.
9. Music – the US has some great and unique music like jazz, country, and various forms of rock, but Europe also has a lot of good stuff. Recently I was in Estonia for the Tallinn Music Week festival and heard music from unknown bands like NOEP and Onuka. Many big bands in Europe like Manu Chao barely get mentioned in the US. Techno and dance music is also more popular overseas too.
10. Culture – I find the customs, culture and language in Europe to be very interesting because they vary so much. Even within a country there is a ton of variation. Take Italy for instance, the culture and accents in the North and South are much different, as is the food, and so is each of the people’s opinion of each other! In Sweden, people in the north and south have difficulties understanding one another, as the dialects are so different. In Belgium, a country the size of West Virginia or Maryland, has regions where Flemish (local language), Wallon, German, French, Dutch, and even Luxembourg(ish) are spoken as the main language!
11. Fashion – Europe has it all fashion-wise. The good, the bad and the ugly. Well we do too in America, but it’s different. There isn’t a lot in the US like what you’ll see in the streets of Rome or Milan, or in Eastern Europe for that matter. Parts of Eastern Europe look like a strange 80’s MTV video, and is usually a fashion mess for men. But for women, the East is filled with shorter skirts, high heels and tight clothing to show off the best looking women in the world. You’ll see something different and characteristic of the people in just about every new place you’ll visit, like big wool sweaters in Iceland to a lack of shorts and sandals in Italy. Deals aren’t easy for quality goods anymore in Western Europe as the Euro currency conversion increased prices basically across the board. But just knowing things will be new and different to find unique clothing, gifts and accessories is cool.
12. Nightlife – Nightlife in Europe is different than it is in the US. Clubs are more significant there, but there are more unique nightlife spots from the island oasis of Ibiza in Spain to the walled city of Dubrovnik. Some countries have more of a pub culture like Ireland, while others are very club oriented like Russia. Some of my favorite drinks and alcohol is from Europe too. For me, Poland has the best booze in Europe, and the price is always right too!
Europe’s Best
Europe keeps me coming back. Flights there aren’t that long, but the time change is difficult. Eastern Europe has more appeal to me now because it’s not as crowded with tourists, is less expensive, and even safer from the rising threat of tourism that’s becoming almost common in Western Europe. I’ll be visiting some new European countries, Belarus and Ukraine in a few months. They will be quite different than other countries that I’ve been to before, but I’m hopeful they will be equally enjoyable.