Yeah yeah Europe whatevs. You’ve seen the too-good-to-be-true gelato pics blow up your Instagram feed. You’ve been Pinning photos of the Cinque Terre for years. But what about all those tasty morsels of info the World Wide Web doesn’t dish up?
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned EU-pro, the below #lifelessons are sure to make your next escape to The Greatest Continent Ever all that more amazing (and by ‘amazing’ we mean ‘want-to-book-again-please-please-pretty-please?’).
1. Gelato in Europe really is the cat’s pyjamas.
2. Fact: Sunsets are infinitely better in Santorini.
3. The world is small. Like, ridiculously small.
4. Shaking your head means “yes” in Bulgaria. Confusing? Yes. Hilarious? Also yes.
5. You can find an incredible bakery in almost every city. Truth.
6. Walking 30,000 steps in one day is the new Pilates.
7. You can never have bad food in Rome. Only good. Or better.
8. Exploring on two wheels is totally the norm. Just make sure you’ve got a loud bike bell.
9. Heading ‘off the beaten track’ can sometimes be rewarding, sometimes disastrous. But always do it anyway.
10. Gyros for breakfast, lunch and dinner is totally acceptable.
11. If someone on the street tries to sell you something too good to be true, it probably is.
12. Don’t panic, there’s a Zara or Topshop around every corner.
13. Expect to return home three shades darker than your original complexion. Ain’t nothing like a Eurotan.
14. After the first 357 gothic castles, they all look the same (it’s okay, we won’t judge).
15. There’s no such thing as too many #selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower.
16. Stockpiling magnets, shot glasses, snow globes and key chains from every city you visit is encouraged. Just remember when packing: roll, don’t fold, people.
17. Best thing about Europe beaches? Europe beaches. Worst thing about Europe beaches? Endless shores of black pebbles. Pack yo’ sandals.
18. Always go for the Nutella flavour. For everything. Unless you hate Nutella. In which case, you’re off the hook.
19. Europe dress code: novelty pub-crawl T-shirt + denim shorts + jandals/thongs/flip flops/Birkenstocks. All day, errry day.
20. A dip in the Mediterranean cures every hangover.
21. Don’t sweat the small stuff. A stolen backpack? A bad case of food poisoning? A cancelled flight? Pfft. You’re in EUROPE. And that trumps everything.
Ready for adventure? Go here for our amazing Europe trips.
