So you can be a traveler, not a tourist in Europe.
1. Start with opening yourself up to your surroundings in a way you never have before.
While in Europe, if you always walk with your ear buds in, unplug and listen to the people chatting around you. Notice how different the language or accent sounds, and watch the way each person gestures as they speak. If you usually wear sunglasses, take them off and make eye contact with people passing you by. Smile at a child in a stroller, pet someone else’s dog, and interact with strangers (see #2). Truly taking in a new city or locale takes work, and the first step is setting your intention. You have to pull yourself a bit out of yourself in order to start the process of getting to know a new place, and put yourself out there so it can get to know you.
2. Do a free walking tour.
It may seem cheesy, touristy, and the groups might appear huge, but you will be glad you did it. They usually last 2-4 hours and in that time the guides usually cover quite a bit of ground and give you the condensed historical information you need to contextualize what you are seeing. Europe has thousands of years of history in every church, park, wall, and square. Walking the streets intending to take in a city without some basic history would be like walking through a museum wearing a blindfold. Once you do the walking tour, you’ll be able to go back to the museums that sparked your interest, return to the places that spoke to you, and you’ll have a jist of the layout.
3. Take the local transportation, be it trains, boats, buses, or hot air balloons.
There is no better time for people watching, looking out the window, and being a sponge. Bonus points if you go by yourself and don’t listen to music (#5, #1). Figuring out train and bus connections and navigating your way through a city is enormously rewarding on a personal level, and also teaches you quickly the layout of the area. A few wrong turns when you are in dire need of a beer and you will never forget to take a left, not a right, on Potsdamer Platz. You’ll also have the maps you use for the rest of your life, reminding you of your bravery and mastership of a new location. You can put them up on your wall and tell your friends and family some totally original metaphors for how they symbolize the complexities of navigating your life.
4. When you inevitably get lost, talk to strangers.
Yes, this goes against everything you learned as a child, but it is a satisfying and easy way to get a feel for your new location. When you order a coffee, as the barista where he or she is from. If you pass a street artist in Europe, ask him or her their name and ask questions about their craft. Don’t be afraid to hang around for a little while, there is never a wrong time or place for one human being to meet another. If you get lost, and this one is important, ask a stranger for help! Be the lost traveler that you are, own it, and ask them to point you in the right direction. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the kindness of others, and get to your destination much faster than if you continue to walk with your face in your Fodor’s.
5. Take at least one day to walk around by yourself.
Both the walking and being alone are vital. Walking forces you to take your time, absorb at your surroundings, and consult your map. Being alone gives you an entirely different experience of a place than what you see with family or friends. Though traveling with others is comforting and never boring, there is something to be said for the quiet moments of a trip that you feel when you are alone. Let yourself be under-stimulated, let your mind wander, spend 15 minutes staring at one wall of graffiti or at a puppy chasing a piece of garbage. At the end of the day, you’ll be amazed at how calm and whole you feel, and at how much more connected you feel to the city. It also gives you a better opportunity to talk to strangers.
Mix and match numbers 1-5 and be astonished at the way each new place you visit touches your life. Take lots of pictures in Europe, and most importantly, be safe and have fun.
