Modern Europe Travel Guide - Mistakes to Avoid & Changes to Know
Creator Information
Background: 10+ years traveling extensively throughout Europe
Recent Trip: One month exploring Europe's Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal)
Travel Style: Family travel with young daughter
Major Travel Changes & Updates
1. Baggage Enforcement (Biggest Change)
Current Reality:
- Airlines ruthlessly enforcing baggage rules
- Budget carriers (Ryanair, EasyJet) use sizers and scales every time - no exceptions
- US domestic carriers also tightening enforcement
- Gate bag check fees increasingly common
What To Do:
- Check airline's exact requirements before packing (not at airport)
- Use free tool at willmybagfit.com (data for 60+ airlines)
- Don't assume previous experience applies
Trend: Enforcement only getting stricter
2. European Dress Code Myths (Outdated Advice)
The Fallacy:
- Widespread belief that specific dress codes help travelers "blend in"
- Common advice: "Don't wear athleisure" or "Nobody wears baseball caps"
Reality Check:
- You won't blend in regardless - People know you're a tourist when you:
- Pull out phone to translate menus
- Ask for directions in English
- Talk loudly (as Americans tend to do)
- Europeans are generally more stylish, but sweeping generalizations are unhelpful
- Europe is huge and diverse - no single dress code
What Actually Matters:
- Be conscientious about modesty requirements (churches, religious sites)
- Research specific events (symphony in Vienna, etc.)
- Focus on manners, not clothes
Quote from Rick Steves: "To fit in and be culturally sensitive, I watch my manners, not the cut of my clothes."
3. Airbnb Regulatory Crackdown
Major Changes:
- Short-term rentals facing regulatory restrictions across Europe
- Moving fast with significant impact
Recent Actions:
- Spain: Ordered Airbnb to remove 65,000+ listings (last month)
- Athens: Capped short-term rentals in historic center (starting January 2025)
- Budapest: Rolling out district-wide bans (2026)
- EU-wide: New rule forcing platforms to share data with cities
Real Experience in Valencia:
- Booked "normal" Airbnb
- Owner required 11-night minimum
- Labeled "business travel only"
- Had to sign lease outside platform (despite paying through Airbnb)
Future Expectations:
- More properties requiring longer stays
- Business justifications needed
- Platform changes
- Various workarounds
- Supply shrinking overall
Advice: Don't get caught off guard; have backup accommodation options
4. Shoulder Season No Longer a Guaranteed Hack
Traditional Wisdom:
- April or September = smaller crowds, lower prices, good weather
- Used to be reliable
Current Reality:
- Late April in Portugal/Spain was packed
- Not peak summer crowds, but nowhere near as quiet as before
- Shoulder season getting wider as more travelers avoid peak summer
- Between months now feel crowded too
Status: Not dead, just not the unbeatable hack it used to be - requires smarter timing
Smart Travel Strategies
5. Explore Second & Third Cities
Concept: Skip the major tourist hotspots for mid-sized cities
Sweet Spot: Cities with ~1 million people or less
- Big enough for city amenities
- Small enough to avoid tourist chaos
- Great food, public transit, walkability, local culture
Successful Examples:
- Valencia: Loved it, low crowds, great experience
- Ghent: Everyone goes to Brussels or Bruges; Ghent had "super, super low crowds"
Contrast Example:
- Porto and Lisbon in late April: "completely slammed, just super, super packed" (not even May yet)
Balance: Visit famous sites (don't skip Eiffel Tower), but balance with relaxing, quality-of-life destinations
6. Learn Basic Local Language
Essential Survival Phrases:
- Please, thank you, excuse me
- Toilet, beer
Reality Check: Multiple moments in Spain/Portugal where basic phrases would have helped avoid Google Translate fumbling
Recommendation: Rosetta Stone (video sponsor)
- Real-world conversation focus
- Phrase books for travel situations
- Multiple learning styles (visual, audio, speaking/listening)
- True Accent tool for pronunciation feedback
- Short, flexible lessons (app and desktop)
- 60% off lifetime subscription (all 25 languages)
7. Cash & Multiple Payment Methods
Cash Necessity:
- World going cashless, but cash-only places still exist
- Critical during emergencies: Spain/Portugal power outages meant card-only places could only accept cash
- You'll never regret having cash
Credit Cards:
- Bring multiple card options
- Real example: Friend only brought AmEx; many restaurants/shops didn't accept it
- Wasn't huge deal but created hiccups
Group Travel Tip: Don't split checks at restaurants
- Have one person pay
- Settle up later via Venmo/Cash App/PayPal
- Faster, easier, makes server's life easier (splitting uncommon in Europe)
8. Train Station Platform Strategy
Mistake Made: Madrid's Chamartín Station
- Arrived 1 hour early
- Got breakfast and relaxed
- Didn't check platform until last minute
- Platform was quarter-mile walk through construction maze
- Ran frantically
- Doors closed when they arrived - couldn't board despite seeing train
- Cost them 1 hour rebooking
Lesson: Find your platform ASAP, especially at large stations, before getting comfortable
9. Proactive Flight Rebooking
Game-Changing Strategy: Rebook before boarding delayed flight
How It Works:
- See delay at origin airport
- Realize you'll miss connection
- Talk to gate agent before boarding
- Get entire itinerary reissued on the spot
Real Example:
- East Coast bad weather, delayed flight from home airport to Charlotte
- Would miss Charlotte to Madrid connection
- Gate agent rerouted: Home → Philadelphia → Madrid
- Stayed in same airport, didn't leave security
- Avoided Charlotte disaster, missing connection, losing hotel night
Key: Catch it early and ask - worst they can say is no Critical Window: Before wheels up - way more options available
Family Travel Insights
10. Europe is Family-Friendly (More Than Expected)
Common Misconception: People will be annoyed by traveling with kids
Reality: Most European places as or more family-friendly than USA
- Daughter taken to 8 European countries
- Kids are expected part of everyday life
- Restaurants and wine bars welcoming
- People go out of their way to make kids laugh
- Free desserts for children
Portugal Experience: "They love kids" - family consistently felt prioritized
Examples:
- Sintra bus: Driver parked, walked to back door, let family board first, closed door, said "Families are a priority here"
- Gate agent: Pulled family from crowd for pre-boarding
Honest Take:
- Traveling with kids is challenging
- Getting toddler to sleep on plane = 10/10 difficulty
- But "if you have to pick between changing diapers and wiping noses at home or in Italy, I'm picking Italy every day of the week"
- Investment in memories already paying off
Additional Resources
Free Tool: willmybagfit.com (baggage size checker for 60+ airlines) Related Video: Travel safety advice - what's worth attention vs. what to ignore (linked in video)
Key Takeaways
What's Changed:
- Baggage enforcement much stricter
- Dress code advice outdated/unhelpful
- Airbnbs facing major restrictions
- Shoulder season less reliable
- More proactive strategies needed
What Still Works:
- Exploring second-tier cities
- Learning basic phrases
- Carrying cash
- Being strategic about connections
- Traveling with family (more welcome than expected)
Philosophy: Stay informed about current realities rather than relying on outdated advice from 10+ years ago