US anxiety to travel to Europe + [FUN] US vs Europe + Getting your wallet back
Published 2 months agoΒ β’Β 10 min read
Hi Reader,
Where are you today?
I am in the Swedish Arctic, on our first Arctic Sweden tour, celebrating Sami and Arctic culture, chasing the Northern Lights, meeting the cutest reindeers and going on husky sled and snowmobile rides.
This is an AWESOME week!
We have one more group coming next week and our tours will then stop till next spring.
Stay tuned to find out when we announce 2026 dates and join the waitlist if you'd like to be notified when we do.
See what we are up to behind the scenes on our Instagram stories here. β
Should Americans be anxious about traveling overseas, especially to Europe? This question is being asked in the group and across online communities I am part of on a daily basis, so I wanted to discuss it this week
With the summer approaching, I am reminded of the few [fun] differences between Europe and the US. This is a lighthearted take on what I hear those from the US (and sometimes Canada) say when they visit Europe.
Where your wallet is most likely to be returned is lose, with or without money
Should Americans be anxious about traveling to Europe
The beautiful town of Girona, near Barcelona
The two most asked questions in the group in the last month have been:
For the rest of the world: Is it safe to travel to the US now? And this is not a question that eludes to how safe the country is, but how safe it is to enter the country without being detained.
US citizens: Should I be worried about traveling overseas given what is happening in our country and how antagonising the current administration is to several other countries? Will I have issues in Europe as an American?
They come up practically daily, so this week, I wanted to discuss the second one, and share tips for how not to agitate the already tense situation.
My thoughts are the aggregate of my and Meg's personal thoughts plus the result of conversations with friends of mine from all over the world and discussions held in our online community and other Facebook groups about the same topic.
I have also read several articles and news pieces from experts in international politics and travel discussing the same.
"In summary: If you are from the US, you should not be any more concerned or anxious about traveling to Europe or elsewhere than you were before. Show people kindness and respect, and you will be met with the same warmth back. Of course, things are constantly changing and as border detentions continue to make the news and more countries issue travel warnings against the US, the animosity may increase. Now, let me elaborate."
Government β Its people
As a European myself, I can testify that we very much differentiate between a Government and its people.
We understand that 1) Not everyone voted for Trump and 2) Not everyone who voted for him agrees with the many executive orders he has signed in his 2 months in office, even if they voted for him.
There are corrupt and questionable governments and government officials across Europe too.
In some countries where it is acceptable to do so, we may ask questions, we may bring up the topic because we are curious about how citizens view recent developments and what they think of Trump and his administration, mostly because we think so many of his orders are so wild they are hard to believe, but we are unlikely to pass judgement about an individual before or after hearing which side she is on.
If you didn't vote for him, you will likely be met with sympathy and commiseration; If you did, you will probably be asked questions as to the reasons why.
Kindness and respect are the best currency
Politics and politicians come and go, but the universal currency of kindness will continue to be key, no matter who you voted for and what your political views are.
If you treat people with respect and kindness, you will get the same back, this has been my experience in the 20 years of travel to 140 countries.
Below anyone's personal beliefs remains the underlying human condition.
Empathy, warmth, respect for the local culture and ways of life and curiosity will get you farther than any political discourse.
If you visit a country and insult or antagonise its people, you are bound to be met with cold shoulders and an equally rude response.
If you don't, and you show the same consideration and curiosity as before, you will receive the same heart-felt hospitality back.
People will judge you by how you treat them than by what you think.
It's ok not to talk about politics
In general, and this is a very big stroke I am going to paint, Europeans are fervent democrats and defenders of personal rights and the social good.
We believe that,
"My freedom ends when that of someone else's begins",
not that
"I am free to do what I please without consideration for what that means for others".
COVID illustrated that very well when Europeans largely got vaccinated because regardless of how they felt about it, they understood we had to do it for the greater good, we had to get the vaccine so that those who couldn't would be safe, so that grandma would be safe, so that we could achieve herd immunity.
This is a very European way to see the world.
Of course, there are also 50+ countries in Europe and each is distinct in its culture and in what's acceptable to talk about or not. And cultural norms vary dramatically.
So this grand statement I just made needs to be taken with a pinch of salt and is particularly representative of Western Europe.
Now, not all countries are the same and politics are not viewed in the same way across Europe.
Discussing politics with a strange is a big no in Scandinavia, so nobody will ever ask you.
In Southern Europe and probably the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, politics are fair game, and we do enjoy the intellectual discussion that may ensue.
Some countries recent history, like Germany or Poland among others, is directly related to some of what Trump and Musk have brought back to the table, so politics are a sensitive topic and should be threaded lightly. That may also mean it is an unlikely topic to be discussed.
No matter where you are, if you are tired of talking about politics, fed up with how things are going, or fatigued and overwhelmed and need a break (isn't that why you took a trip in the first place?), it is ok to simply say "I would rather not talk about Trump / US politics" and continue enjoying your trip.
It's always ok to say "No".
It's your holiday, and you should enjoy it however you like. You don't owe a stranger anything.
Travel warnings and border detentions don't help
Even though I, and everyone answering the post in the community, agrees that animosity towards Americans is not present today, things could change if news of questionable detentions at the border of European Green card holders or tourists persist.
The general perception of most Europeans today is that the changes happening in the US are not a direct attack on European rights or civil liberties.
While some of Trump's measures will affect Europeans (like tariffs or threats to annex Greenland), they aren't targetted at us.
This could change if border agents behavior seen in some isolated cases in the last few weeks, continues and amplifies
The effects of Trump's order could then become more personal, and animosity could mount.
Fun differences between the US and Europe
Florence from a view point
Every summer, when our European tours kick off, I am reminded of all the fun facts and laughter I share with our North American guests when they come to Europe and get shocked at some of our more quirky, but widespread, ways of doing certain things.
This is a list of fun and funny, a lighthearted take on the things I have seen "shock" North American guests the most.
I hope they will also provide some useful tips if you are visiting Europe for the first time this summer π and a much needed smile, we all need a bit more joy these days...
Ice is reserved for cocktails. I was watching Sweet Magnolias, the Netflix show, and noticed how much ice there always was on every drink...drinks in Europe may be served cold, from the fridge, but not on ice. Ice is reserved for cocktails. Of course, bars and restaurants may serve it to you if you ask, and there may be a couple of ice cubes in your Coke, but by default, a cold drink is straight from the fridge and ice-free.
Air conditioning is a relatively new addition...and it is never freezing. In fact, there is a European Union-wide law that recommends AC in public spaces be set lower than 25 C, or 77 F, to minimise carbon footprint and electricity consumption. This is the case in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece, though other countries could follow suit. Having AC at home is rare, especially in Northern Europe. You can always bring your own neck air conditioning device. Many of our guests use this one in Europe.
Wine may be cheaper than water...especially in countries that are large producers like Italy, Greece, Spain or France, water is bottled and we don't drink tap water (its safe to drink, it just tastes bad) so it is often more expensive than table wine a glass of which can cost 2-4 EUR.
We walk everywhere. If something is less than 1h walk away, I walk. When we say something is "around the corner" or "walking distance", I would read it as it is 15-20min away. We don't drive everywhere, and when something is far, we take public transportation.
Siestas and lunch breaks are something hard to wrap your head around if you aren't from here. In towns, people go home for lunch so they need extra time. Shops close at lunch time and reopen in the afternoon.
Sundays are days of rest, and shops are closed in many countries. As in, fully closed. Larger cities will remain open, but in many countries Sunday is a day to be with friends and family and not to work.
August are also months of rest. Getting something done in August in many European countries, especially in Southern Europe, is a feat. We do get a fair amount of holidays and many companies encourage you to take them in August. So everything closes and everyone takes a month off.
Meals are social events, not just transactional. Many Americans in the group complain that service in Europe is slow and that getting the bill to pay takes time and servers ignore you. This is because meals are not just meant to feed you, they are social events, and the time spent after a meal chatting and socialising with loved ones is sacred. Rushing someone and bringing them the bill before they asked is extremely rude, that's why a server will never give it to you unless you request it. Also, staff don't earn their living off tips so don't need to get you off to have someone else sit. Take your time, savor every bite, and enjoy your meal, European style.
Old things, are REALLY old. When something is less than 200 years old, we don't even consider it old, to us, it is new. When something is old in Europe, it is at least 1,000 years old. Most country's history dates back to more than 2,000 years so anything that is from the last 2 centuries is new. As our guide in Barcelona always says, when something is being built in any European city, you are bound to find the ruins of a previous civilisation underneath.
Everything is smaller. From the coffee (espresso anyone?) to the meal sizes that you CAN actually finish, to the streets, the cars and the people, everything in Europe is just smaller and not supersized. So don't rent an SUV, it won't fit in most city's narrow lanes! β
What other culture shock or fun difference have you encountered in your travels in Europe?
Where your wallet is likely to be returned
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When summer approaches, pickpockets return to most European cities to feast on the season of distracted tourists and theft.
The above graph shows where you wallet is likely to be returned, and wether your money will be in it or not.
I have little experience with having my wallet stolen, touch wood, it has never happened. But I have forgotten my phone in taxis in Singapore only to get it back intact from the driver.
It's nice to see there are so many places where your wallet has a more than average chance of making it back to you!
Tours with only a few spots left
A friendly koala in Australia
Many of our tours for the year are full but here are the last spots left on some departures - don't wait up if any interests you: β
1 SPOT opened up on our Greek islands sailing trip from May 23 to 30th (Photographer onboard) and 2 Spots opened up on the sailing from 30 May to 6 June => Book GREECEβ
1 spot left on Tanzania Value 13 June, 1 Spot left on our Tanzania Value 12 September and 2 spots on our Tanzania Value 29 August => BOOK Tanzaniaβ
1 SPOT left on our Scotland trip 11 to 19 October => BOOK Scotlandβ
2 SOTS left on our Bali trip 11 to 19 October => BOOK Baliβ
2 SPOTS left on our Australia trip 12 to 23 October => BOOK Australiaβ β
Happiest countries in the world ranks Finland at the top again. Read here. In case you haven't heard of it yet, happiness is not derived from wealth, the longest and largest study on happiness (still running) found that happiness comes from having quality relationships. Watch the TedTalk about the study here.
Explore dark sky zones from the comfort of your Airbnb. Read here.
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