Europe Lessons Learned – Amsterdam/Hamburg/Copenhagen vacation August 2018
Europe Lessons Learned – Amsterdam/Hamburg/Copenhagen vacation August 2018
I learned a LOT during our first trip to Europe. I did hours and hours and hours of research beforehand, but it is impossible to prepare for everything. We had a few mishaps, but I was so happy with our experience. Here is some of our Europe Lessons Learned. Our travels included Amsterdam Netherlands, Hamburg Germany, and Copenhagen Denmark. We planned a few days of our trip in Denmark to join our son’s team for games and events, but the rest was just us.
Traveling by trains:
- If you are have many destinations on your trip, it may be wise to get a rail pass. We did not purchase passes ahead of time. We only traveled to three destinations and decided it would not be worth the cost. It takes some time to research and do the cost comparison, but you can find the information online. I’d recommend doing this at least a month prior to your trip.
- All of our train tickets were purchased at Amsterdam Central the day we arrived, just for the peace of mind that it was taken care of.
- Be prepared for delays and cancellations. Pay attention to signs and announcements and be ready to make adjustments.
- We found that google maps was a great resource to help us navigate the train stops. Some of the countries we visited made announcements in the native language and English, but other times we had to rely on our own maps to know when to exit the train.
Packing:
- My husband and I traveled to several places and decided we didn’t want to carry around several pieces of luggage. We opted for one large backpack for each of us, and I carried a small cross body purse.
- Footwear was so important considering how much walking we did each day. We wore comfortable supportive tennis shoes most of the time, but each had sandals as well (it was August and warm most of the time).
- Both of us brought two pairs of shorts, a pair of jeans, four shirts, one sweater, and five days’ worth of undies and socks. We found a laundromat half way through to freshen up.
- In an effort to save space, we took our chances and decided to use shampoo, conditioner, and soap provided by the hotels. I can’t live without my R+F skincare, deodorant, and toothbrush, so I made space J
Hotels:
- I used Hotels.com to do price comparisons and earn points towards free nights in the future. We stay at hotels several times each year, so they rack up! For each 10 nights, you get 1 free.
- Hotel prices in Amsterdam and Hamburg were comparable to large cities in the US. However, they seemed to run higher in Copenhagen.
Restaurants:
- We found that most restaurants and bars are more expensive than on average in the US.
- Tipping is minimal or not expected at all. I have to admit that I felt nervous not tipping the typical 20% that expected in the US. We did research ahead of time to make sure we were leaving an appropriate amount.
Driving:
- We needed a car to travel to a few of the towns in rural Denmark, on a timely schedule. We were able to rent a car relatively easily in Copenhagen.
- Most cars are manual transmission – they charge extra for an automatic.
- We could understand most of the traffic signs and signals, but a bit of homework before hand will take the stress out of driving in a foreign country.
- It seemed like there were bikes everywhere in the cities – this definitely adds stress!
- Gas prices are crazy high compared to the US! Just a warning if you intend to rent a car!
Miscellaneous
- Small coffees! Perhaps it is just me and my massive caffeine addiction, but I’m used to drinking 20+ ounces of coffee each morning. It felt like most places served teeny tiny cups of coffee. It might be a sign that I need to scale it back a little 🙂
I could go on and on about this all day! If you have a question or comment, please feel free to message me below!
