TAKING A TRIP TO EUROPE? Here are some VERY helpful hits that will save you money and help you avoid trouble/conflicts/embarrassment/headaches, and even injuries. PART II

PART II

1. PUBLIC TRANSPORT
   I have lived in Switzerland almost 20 years, and owned a car only 2 years -- just don't need it, and using public transport is so much easier, faster, cheaper, and more comfortable -- not to mention the very high price of parking a car, even where I live. Apartment rental does NOT include a parking spot -- that costs an extra $120 to $200 per month. Also, where people work are not offered parking -- they need to find their own parking place and pay for it.

Europe has a much more extensive, timely, and efficient public transport system than the USA & Canada. Many European cities even have service 24 hours a day. Buses, Trams, commuter trains, and even boats (for cities located on a lake) are available to you, in most cases accessible with the same ticket. Check for discount tickets (multi trip, students, seniors, tourists, etc). Also, in may countries, there are Discount Cards which entitle you, a period of a month or more, to 50% discount on local transport and train tickets. You can buy your tickets at the bus/tram stops and train station; in most countries, you can not buy the ticket on buses and trams -- you must buy the tickets BEFORE you get on.

I some countries, you need to show your ticket upon getting on, but in more cases, the "honor system" is used (you just get on and off without showing your ticket) but in these situations, inspectors may get on at a station and do a surprise inspection, and if you are caught riding without a ticket, you will most likely face a penalty which can be as much as $100.

1. DINNING/EATING
   Generally, dinning is more expensive in Europe, especially in Western Europe. As I mentioned before, every city has a central/main train station, and those have many shops, restaurants, and kiosks where you can have a meal, a quick snack, a drink, etc. Many of these stations even have nice restaurants where you can dine and wine. Restaurants are everywhere -- can be found throughout the city, and in most restaurants, everything is "a la carte", so a salad is NOT included in the price of a meal, and substitutions are not really done in most cases -- you can try and see if they will do it for you. All-you-can-eat buffets are NOT at all common/available, and where they are, they are very expensive.

If you are on a budget, grocery stores and super markets have deli's offering sandwiches, pizza by the slice, salads, and even a full warm meal for a reasonable price. Having a sandwich or snack and a beer while walking down the street is OK.

Restaurant servers (Waiters/Waitresses) and bartenders, unlike in the USA, are employed as dignified and well paid normal employees with good salaries and benefits, so they don't have to suck up, grovel, and pray for tips. You need tip only 5%, not the 15% expected in the US. Don't expect a server to run to your table as soon as you sit down; people here take their time dining, and there is no rush to get you out as in the US where I worked as a waiter and I was instructed to get to every new table within 2 minutes, serve the people as quickly as possible, and get them out as fast as possible -- quick turnover! In Europe, you are expected to take your time, enjoy your visit, and have a nice dining experience, which usually takes at least 2 hours.

1. WALKING/CYCLING
   You can find bike rentals in many places, and some hostels and hotels offer such service. Some hostels/hotels (not many) even offer free bikes.

Most Europeans like/enjoy walking and do walk a lot more than people in North America (I try to walk at least 5 Km or 3.5 miles, 4 or 5 times a week). Public parks are very common and can be found throughout cities and even small towns.

Do want to spend time in a hospital while on vacation? Of-course not! So, be very careful having fun and taking picture/videos out on the streets. I have seen so many close-calls of tourists just taking picture/videos, or horsing around on the street, not realizing that they are doing it a cycling lane where a cyclist or a skateboard rider zipped by at high speed. A collision would have been quite serious. Cycling and pedestrian lanes are clearly marked.
On escalators and conveyor belts (found in airports), stand on the right side and walk on left, especially in airports and train stations. People may have just a few minutes to catch their train and are in a hurry, so they will be walking fast on the left side, and if you are standing there on the left side, they may yell at you.

1. MISCELLANEOUS
   Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially watching out for cycling lanes, but also for scammers and pick pockets.

For men: Be very careful when visiting Eastern Europe. Although it is wonderful, full of fun places, architecture, history, great dining, and are very affordable, there are many scammers and thieves. I was visiting a town in Hungary and at a point, I stood in the street checking my city guide/map, which made me a target; I may as well have had a neon sign on my head saying "tourist"! two minutes later, I was approached by two young attractive girls. They said "Hi" and asked me to help them find a bar on my map claiming they were also visitors. Somehow, they themselves lead me to a restaurant in an alley and asked me if I would like to join them for a drink. When we sat down and I found that their menu contained no prices, I asked about that, and the waitress said "normal market prices", so I asked what a vodka tonic costs, I was told 22 Euros!!! That drink costs 3 Euros in a normal bar! I immediately stood up and left. I found out that a lot girls walk around the city looking for men to take them to their contracted restaurant and run a multi-hundred tab and sneak out on the man/men.

Another example of scams: In 2002, my buddies and I took a taxi in a city in Eastern Europe. The driver immediately offered to take us a " very nice" strip bar with "beautiful dancers" and "no cover charge". We accepted his offer and ended up paying several hundred dollars worth of Euros for a couple of beers each. Sure, there was no charge to get in, but a huge charge to get out!!!! As soon as we sat down (4 of us) we were surrounded by half a dozen girls whom we did NOT invite to join us at our table, and a waitress ready with some blue drinks (colored water???) for the girls. We, the men had 2 or 3 beers each. When our tab arrived with a total of 600 Euros, we were shocked/flabbergasted, so we protested but were immediately surround by 6 huge bouncers with very mean look to collect our money. They explained that the "drinks" (blue water???) for the "ladies" were 25 Euros each, and we must pay 50 Euros each for the "entertainment" of the "dancers", and one of my buddies, who is from London, explained that in a similar situation he witnessed a while back, the group of guests refused to pay and ended up getting the crap beaten out of them, AND their money taken any way, and when they called the police, they ended up being threatened to be taken to prison by those policemen -- can you spell "bad cops"?