My husband and I just returned from a wonderful trip to The Netherlands and Belgium, where we traveled the waterways of both countries on a river cruise. I loved every minute of it, but my eighth trip to the continent convinced me that European travel is not for the faint of heart.
First, there’s the hassle at the airport that includes hauling your own luggage, getting undressed and redressed to get through security, digging for your passport, and running a couple of miles to the gate that is ways the last one on the concourse. A stiff fitness program is good preparation for an overseas flight.
The flight will be seven to ten hours long, depending on where in Europe you’re going. You’ll pay an extra $14,000 or more for a first class seat that actually has room for your legs, so we always suck it up and go economy. Either way, that’s a long time to stay fastened into a seat, though walking to the coffin-sized restrooms gives you a chance to move.
Even with an economy flight, a trip to Europe is not cheap. Though it’s worth every penny you pay, river boat travel is expensive, and there are lots of tips to pay at the end for all the services you received.
Then there’s the exchange rate of dollars to euros to consider, which on this trip was about 1.25 dollars for each euro. That means when I found those cute pants for 40 euros, I had to remember that I was actually going to pay $50 for them when I got my credit card bill. A small amount of Belgian chocolate that seemed almost reasonable at 12 euros was really costing me $15, pretty expensive for something that was going to make my new Belgian pants harder to zip.
Once you arrive at your European destination, you’ll find that things aren’t quite like home.
The first thing we learned to watch out for in Amsterdam was the floods of bicycle riders that flow down every street. Because the Dutch government discourages car ownership with heavy taxes and parking fees, most people ride bikes. Our guide said they call them “killer bikes,” and after jumping out of the way of several riders hurtling toward me without regard for my advanced age, I understood the name. Bike riders have the right-of-way and they use it.
Because cars are discouraged all over Europe— global warming is a very big deal there—and because most of the things you’ll want to see are in old sections of towns where streets are narrow, you can expect to walk a lot. And I mean A LOT. Your bus or even your taxi often cannot get you close to the attraction you want to see in a city center, so you will be let out to hoof it to the Van Gogh Museum or the famous cathedral. “It’s just a short, enjoyable walk of about two miles,” your driver will say, pulling away.
Another way the government discourages cars is to set high gas prices. You’ll see a gas station with an advertised price of 1.98 euros. That sounds cheaper than at home, except that their gas is sold in single liters, not gallons (picture half of a 2-liter Coke), and it’s euros, not dollars. So, gas is actually about $8 a gallon, a fact you need to consider if you’re dreaming of renting a car and driving around Europe.
If you have trouble walking, remember that Europe has no Americans with Disabilities Act. They are therefore not obligated to provide an elevator for you, though some tourist sites do. They do not have to provide handrails, and I saw no wheelchair ramps. Many of the streets were paved with cobblestones 400 years ago or more and haven’t been repaved, or, if they have been, they remain sloped and bumpy. Leave your cute shoes at home and bring your brogans.
Free public restrooms are scarce in Europe. So keep several half-euro pieces in your pocket for those times when nature calls while you’re sight-seeing. The money you stuff in the turnstile goes to keep the facilities clean and operational.
Don’t expect sheets in hotels. You usually only get a heavy duvet, so you either freeze without it or burn up with it. There’s no in-between.
I also found it interesting that in The Netherlands privacy is not especially valued. It seems that after the Reformation, when Protestantism came to the country, people decided that windows didn’t need curtains because good Christians didn’t need to do anything at home that others couldn’t see. A good Dutchman should have nothing to hide. If you do have something to hide, check your hotel to see if it has curtains.
But with all its peculiarities, Europe is a beautiful place. I wouldn’t have missed the canal ride in Amsterdam, the boat ride through the green countryside, the beautiful city of Bruges, the tour of a windmill home at Kinderdijk or the fields of tulips at the Keukenhof Gardens for anything.
And now that I think of it, maybe I will gear up my faint heart for one more trip to Europe, despite its quirks. After all, I haven’t seen Scandinavia yet.
