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.Europe Ice cream

2. Fact: Sunsets are infinitely better in Santorini.
Greece

3. The world is small. Like, ridiculously small.
Cafe chats

4. Shaking your head means “yes” in Bulgaria. Confusing? Yes. Hilarious? Also yes.Bulgaria

5. You can find an incredible bakery in almost every city. Truth.Bread bakery

6. Walking 30,000 steps in one day is the new Pilates.Spanish Steps Italy

7. You can never have bad food in Rome. Only good. Or better.
pizza


8. Exploring on two wheels is totally the norm. Just make sure you’ve got a loud bike bell.
Bike in the park in europe


9. Heading ‘off the beaten track’ can sometimes be rewarding, sometimes disastrous. But always do it anyway.
Croatia

10. Gyros for breakfast, lunch and dinner is totally acceptable.
Gyros everyday

11. If someone on the street tries to sell you something too good to be true, it probably is.Prague beer and sausage


12. Don’t panic, there’s a Zara or Topshop around every corner.
Shopping

13. Expect to return home three shades darker than your original complexion. Ain’t nothing like a Eurotan.Group of Friends Swimming in the Sea

14. After the first 357 gothic castles, they all look the same (it’s okay, we won’t judge).Bran Castle

15. There’s no such thing as too many #selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower.Paris selfie

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.markets

17. Best thing about Europe beaches? Europe beaches. Worst thing about Europe beaches? Endless shores of black pebbles. Pack yo’ sandals.Nice, France

18. Always go for the Nutella flavour. For everything. Unless you hate Nutella. In which case, you’re off the hook.crepe

19. Europe dress code: novelty pub-crawl T-shirt + denim shorts + jandals/thongs/flip flops/Birkenstocks. All day, errry day.Birkenstock

20. A dip in the Mediterranean cures every hangover.ibiza

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.

Alexandra Oke
Ally is a self-confessed travel fiend. When she’s not producing content from her trusty Mac, she is lusting over travel-inspired Pinterest boards and keeping one eye firmly fixed on the latest airfare deals.