Europe Travel Guide

Yes, it is safe to travel to Europe but always use your common sense; don’t provoke people, be aware of pickpockets (especially in bigger cities), protect your valuable belongings and pay attention when withdrawing money from an ATM. Also, don’t take anything from strangers (for free); no drinks, no drugs, no free taxi, nothing.

The most commonly used currency in Europe is the Euro (€). Since 2002, it is used by the majority of the European Union's member countries as a single currency. The countries of Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom still use their own local currency. The Euro is not generally accepted in these countries. However, some shops, hotels, and restaurants do accept payment in Euros.

The tipping etiquettes in Europe may vary per country, but you usually tip if you’re satisfied with the service. In some countries (f/e Italy), the service charge is most likely included in your bill. Of course, you're free to add a little extra. Whenever there’s no service charge on the bill, a good rule of thumb is 5 to 10 percent of the total amount.

As we all know, traveling is not very eco-friendly, but luckily there are plenty of ways to keep your environmental impact to a minimum while traveling. Consider public transport, stick to marked hiking paths, eat local, and book eco-friendly hotels. Europe offers a lot of green travel destinations because of the strict environment & climate policy of the European Union, which aims to be climate neutral in 2050. Germany is one of the most relevant nature and ecotourism countries in Europe, and the quality of air in Sweden is one of the best in the world. Other well-known environmental-friendly countries are the Netherlands, Iceland, and Norway. With the action plan ‘The European Green Deal’ they aim to make the EU’s economic sustainable. If you really want to make an impact, consider taking part in a beach clean-up or other conservation projects.

European countries are well developed. There is no risk of yellow fever and malaria is not present in Europe. Routine vaccinations like MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) are recommended in Europe. For country-specific information always plan a consult with a medical travel clinic in advance. 

Citizens from certain non-EU countries need a visa when traveling to one of the 26 countries in the European Schengen Area. These Schengen countries have a border-free visa agreement, which means there are only border controls when crossing external borders, between Schengen and non-Schengen countries. This Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows people to travel to the entire Schengen area (for tourism or business purposes), for 90 days within 180 days. It’s not always necessary to apply for a visa on the forehand and it depends on the country you come from. Some countries, for example, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan, have signed a visa waiver agreement with the European Union. These countries don't need to apply for a Schengen Visa, but make sure you have a valid passport to enter. Ensure your passport gets stamped at arrival and departure. If it’s not stamped, it may be hard to prove how long you’ve been in Europe. Visitors who need to apply for a Visa on forehand (like inhabitants of Africa, Russia, India, and China), need to take into account that the processing time for a Schengen Visa will be 10-15 working days.