Top tips for Americans visiting Europe

Wi-Fi coverage across Europe is excellent. Most hotels offer it free of charge, as do many cafés and bars. You can even get in on public transport in some countries, though it’s not super reliable. If you’re going to be travelling in Europe for any length of time, then the most cost-effective and convenient solution is going to be either purchasing an international plan before you leave home or buying a local SIM card on arrival. If you buy one in a country that is part of the European Union (EU) then it will also work on the same rate in other EU countries. An eSim is an increasingly popular alternative, not requiring a physical sim card, and allowing you to quickly switch between carriers which is very handy if you’ve visiting multiple countries.

The European Union’s ETIAS travel authorisation system will apply to American travellers, but it will not come into force until the last quarter of 2026. It’s expected that most applications for travel authorisation will take just minutes to be processed and cost €7.

The ETIAS will be valid for three years or until your passport expires and can be used for short term vacations (up to 90 days in any 180-day period). Find out more details on how to apply for the ETIAS. There is a similar but different system for visiting the UK. You need to apply in advance for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) which costs £10 and usually takes three days to come through. Most American travellers, including babies, will need to apply for an ETA.

Passports must have at least six months validity remaining from the end of your trip. The Schengen Agreement allows visa-free travel through most European countries.

Europe has 24 ‘official’ languages, but there are over 200 spoken across the continent. Don’t worry about struggling to be understood, though. Most people speak at least basic English, and many do so fluently. That said, if you’re only going to one or two countries then it can be useful to learn a few basic phrases before departure. Even if you only master Hello, Please and Thank You in the local lingo, it will be appreciated.

Popular attractions like the Louvre in Paris, the Coliseum in Rome or the Alhambra in Granada should be booked in advance, and so should any tours that you’re hoping to join, to avoid disappointment. If you’re travelling in summer (July to August) then allow at least a couple of weeks to be on the safe side. Trains rarely need to be booked ahead, but it doesn’t hurt if you want to be sure of a seat, or a bed on a sleeper.

Tourist taxes are becoming common across Europe. Usually a few euros per person per night, they are payable at your accommodation on arrival. These taxes are designed to help mitigate the effects of tourism, such as crowding, litter and strain on public transport.

Reliable, inexpensive and regular trains make crossing borders in Europe very easy. Some regions lend themselves perfectly to this. Spain and Portugal, for instance, make natural bedfellows. Our England and Scotland rail tours whisk you from the Roman architecture of York and Bath to the beautiful Scottish Highlands. Train tours of the Baltic states allow you to compare the capitals of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, while a rail vacation around Scandinavia hops from Copenhagen to Oslo by train, boat, ferry and bike.

Learn more in our guide to European rail holidays

It’s tempting to see as many places as you can over the course of a single trip, especially when you need a long flight to get here. The problem is that can you end up staying in each spot for only a night or two and end up not really experiencing anywhere properly. It can also be quite exhausting. You will have a more enjoyable and memorable vacation if you’re not rushing around everywhere. If you are interested in a multi-country vacation in Europe then perhaps consider a tailor made trip by train, where you can add in an extra night or two here and there, and slow things down a little. You’ll have a better time, and the local communities you stop in will benefit more from your staying longer as well.

Another way to make the most of your time on a European vacation is to take full advantage of your stopovers. For instance, Icelandair offers the opportunity of a few days’ stopover in Reykjavik at no extra cost, while with TAP you can enjoy up to 10 days in Lisbon or Porto at no extra cost.

Travelling light makes life a lot easier if you’re going to be on the move quite a bit, whether that’s getting on and off trains and buses, or negotiating pavements that can be uneven and crowded. Try to leave final decisions on clothes until a few days before you depart so that you have a clearer idea of what the weather is going to be like. You can easily buy anything you forget or that you realise you need. Essentials, however, include a waterproof, as the weather in parts of Europe can be unpredictable, and good walking shoes – most European cities are best seen on foot. The space you save by leaving behind any non-essentials can then be used for souvenirs. Airports, and major train stations, usually have facilities where you can leave luggage securely if needed.

Europe has around twice the population density as the USA, and consequently you’ll often find that hotel rooms are smaller than you may be used to at home – typically around 65ft²-90 ft². They tend to have fewer amenities, too, though a kettle and an iron are fairly standard. Not all hotels have elevators and if your hotel does have one, it may be small. Our European vacations will typically use small, locally owned hotels wherever possible, and these can be wonderfully characterful. Often they will be run by families, and offer hearty breakfasts: think fresh fruit and pastries, cereals and cooked meats.

Southern Europe, especially countries like Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, gets very hot in summer. Larger hotels will have air conditioning, but at smaller properties this may not be possible, and when there is air conditioning it may not be as powerful or reliable as you would find in the United States.

Single use plastic water bottles are a curse the world over, but in most European countries you can avoid them entirely as tap water is perfectly safe to drink. In Iceland, the water is so pure that it doesn’t require any chemical treatment before it comes out of the taps. Many cities will also have free drinking water fountains where you can fill up a reusable bottle. If in any doubt, pack a reusable bottle with its own filtration unit, so that you can have complete confidence in what you’re drinking.

Europeans rely far more on public transport to cover long distances than Americans, and many city dwellers choose not to own a car as it’s simply unnecessary. Public transport in most European cities is usually extensive, low cost and high quality, so other than walking it’s unquestionably the best way to get around. For buses, it varies by country, sometimes by city, but generally you can pay by tapping your card or phone every time you get on. Alternatively, you can buy a pre-paid travel card for a day or a week, which usually works out less expensive than paying for each individual journey.

Using public transport in European countries can seem intimidating but signage is usually in English too, and most people are happy to pause and give advice. If you’re not sure – just ask at your hotel.

Only ever take the basics you need when travelling on public transport and leave anything else of value in the hotel safe. Pickpocketing is a problem in all major cities.

Most European cities are very walkable though some, such as Lisbon, are hilly. You can easily hail a taxi, or an Uber, whenever you need it. And remember that many Europeans get around their cities by bike, so try to avoid walking in designated cycle lanes.

The UK left the European Union in 2020 after the ‘Brexit’ vote, which means it takes a little longer to pass border control. It’s best not to bring Brexit up in conversation, because the subject can spark anger, or utter boredom.

European cities like Barcelona, Rome, Dubrovnik and Paris are justly renowned, but they get very busy. In summer, they get very, very busy. Iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or the Palace of Versailles attract millions of visitors every year and can be quite stressful. Don’t spend all of your European vacation ticking off the big sights. You don’t need to join the throng for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa far off in the distance when there is lots more amazing art in Paris.

To avoid the crowds in Europe, come out of season, between November and April it tends to be significantly quieter. Our European tours are led by expert local guides who know the right times of day to visit popular locations and avoid the worst of the crowds. They also weave places and experiences into the itineraries that most tourists miss, from street food tours of Prague to day trips to the quiet island of Lopud, off Dubrovnik.

Europe is fantastic for American families – the culture, the history, the food, the fashions. Every city has a wealth of attractions for families whether you have younger children in tow, or teens. You can also look at a more active break perhaps bookended with a city or two. These tend to be small group trips, where you will be partnered up with several other families, which allows for plenty of sociable mingling. You can also opt for a tailor made tour in Europe which means you can create an itinerary that suits your family’s own specific interests and requirements.

Learn more in our guide to family vacations in Europe

Dining out is one of the big highlights of travelling in Europe. Every country, every region, indeed every city has its own scene, its own specialities. It’s also fascinating when visiting several neighbouring countries, to see how a recipe may have been spread around the continent over centuries, developing myriad tiny variations as it goes.

Café culture is a big thing throughout Europe; indeed, whiling away an hour or two at a pavement café, people-watching, is one of the great pleasures of travelling here. In restaurants, cafés and bars, the servers aren’t working for tips, so while they’ll certainly be friendly, they may not be as attentive as you would expect in the US. And portion sizes tend to be smaller, too, outside of chain restaurants.

Mealtimes vary from country to country, but evening meals tends to get later the further south you go. In Spain and Portugal, for instance, it’s quite common to have dinner at 9pm or later.