Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

ESTABLISHMENT NAME ($-$$$)

      Address; phone number; website; hours

      Review goes here.

      Miscellaneous information such as prices, cash/card, dietary restrictions, whether or not an establishment is certified BGLTQ+ friendly, wheelchair accessibility, etc.

      Every piece of content in Let’s Go Europe 2019—the introductions, the orientations, the essentials, the listings, and the features—was researched and updated during the summers of 2017 and 2018.

      The end of each country chapter contains a country essentials page in which we detail information that is applicable to the entire country. This includes the country code, regulations and laws surrounding drug and alcohol use, and country-wide safety and health information. This also contains information about attitudes toward BGLTQ+ travelers and minorities.

       The Let’s Go Thumbpick™

       is an icon you will see a lot in this book. Whenever a listing has a Thumbpick™ next to the establishment name, it indicates that it was a favorite of the Researcher-Writer who visited that city. These are, in other words, our top-choice accommodations, sights, and food and nightlife establishments.

       Price Diversity

      Another set of icons in the book corresponds to what we call our “price diversity” scale, which approximates how much money you can expect to spend at a given establishment. We have noted price diversity in our Accommodations and Food listings only. For accommodations, we base our range on the cheapest price for which a single traveler can stay for one night. For food, we estimate the average amount one traveler will spend in one sitting. Keep in mind that no scale can allow for the quirks of all individual establishments.

       BEFORE YOU GO

      Planning a good trip takes a lot more effort than you think it will. The worst thing you can do is get off the plane in Warsaw, for example, and not know what you want to do or what resources are available to you. Each chapter of this book includes a list of country-specific resources that will help you out in a pinch, but this chapter contains overarching information for all of Europe. We’ve condensed the knowledge we’ve acquired over 59 years of travel to ensure you have a safe, enjoyable experience in Europe. Planning your trip? Check. How to get around? Check. Safety and health resources? Check. There is also a phrasebook at the back of the book for your convenience.

       PLANNING YOUR TRIP

      DOCUMENTS AND FORMALITIES

      There’s a lot of country-specific information when it comes to visas and work permits, but don’t forget the most important piece of documentation: your passport.

       Passport

      You cannot board a plane to another country without a passport. If you do not have a passport, you should apply for one several months in advance, as the process can take a long time. US citizens can apply for a passport online at www.travel.state.gov or at a local United States Post Office. Adult passports are valid for 10 years while children’s passports are valid for five. If you already have a passport, check the expiration date of your document before booking any flights or accommodations. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you return from your trip in order to travel to Europe. Your passport should also have at least two blank pages, depending on your destination.

       Visas

      Those lucky enough to be EU citizens will not need a visa to travel throughout the continent. Being an EU citizen has other perks too, such as shorter security lines. Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States, and various other non-EU countries, however, do not need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. This three-month period begins upon entry to any of the EU’s freedom-of-movement zones. Those staying longer than 90 days may apply for a longer-term visa; consult an embassy or consulate for more information.

      Double check entry requirements at the nearest embassy or consulate for up-to-date information, as political situations can make it easier or more difficult to move between countries. US citizens can also consult www.travel.state.gov. Keep in mind that admittance to a country as a traveler does not include the right to work, which is authorized only by a work permit. You should check online for the process of obtaining a work permit for the country in which you are planning to work.

       THE EUROPEAN UNION: HOW IT WORKS

      The European Union is a union of 28 countries within the continent of Europe based in Brussels, Belgium. This number still includes the United Kingdom. The countries covered in this book that are not part of the European Union are Iceland, Norway, Montenegro, and Monaco.

      The European Union’s policy of freedom of movement means that most border controls have been abolished and visa policies harmonized. This treaty, formerly known as the Schengen Agreement, means you still have to carry a passport (or government-issued ID card for EU citizens) when crossing an internal border, but, once you’ve been admitted to one country, you’re free to travel to other participating states. Iceland and Norway are members of the Schengen Agreement, meaning that the rule extends to those countries as well.

      It is important, however, to note that recent fears over immigration have led to calls for suspension of this freedom-of-movement and strengthening of borders. One of the most covered situations is Brexit, the vote by the citizens of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Lawmakers from the United Kingdom and the European Union, as of August 2018, are still in conversation about the new border restrictions and rules between the United Kingdom and European Union, so it is important to inform yourself about the situation before planning travel to the UK.

       TIME DIFFERENCES

      Most of Europe is on Central European Time, which is 1hr ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and observes Daylight Savings Time in the summer. This means that, in summer, it is 6hr ahead of New York City, 9hr ahead of Los Angeles, 1hr. ahead of the British Isles, 8hr behind Sydney, and 10hr behind New Zealand. In winter, it is 10hr behind Sydney and 12hr behind New Zealand. However, the UK, Ireland, and Portugal are on GMT, also known as Western European Time, which means they are 1hr behind the Central European Time countries. In addition, Greece and some parts of Eastern Europe are on Eastern European Time, which means they are 1hr ahead of Central European Time countries.

       MONEY MATTERS

      BEFORE YOU GO

      Call your bank. The first thing you should do is alert your bank that you will be abroad for a period of time. You should be prepared to give the bank representative the exact dates of your travel and where you will be if you plan to use your debit card in that country. Keep in mind that there may be a foreign transaction charge from your bank whenever you use your card. If your bank is a local US bank that does not have branches outside of a given city, you may want to consider changing your bank or opening a new account to one that is more widespread so that you can access customer service lines with larger networks in case of emergency.

      Before you go, you should decide which credit cards to use before packing. It is advisable to pack credit cards that are widely accepted in Europe to avoid being caught in a pinch where you do not have any form of payment. Call your credit card company before going to alert them you will be abroad. As with banks, be prepared to give the representative the exact dates of your travel. Some credit card companies have online systems in which you can input the dates of your travel to skip the step of calling ahead.

      CURRENCY BREAKDOWN

      Nineteen countries in Europe use the euro, which is the currency of the European Union, meaning you will not have to worry about changing currencies when you hop from country