European Travel Skills: Communicating

[@jamesharrison2374]

Just returned from a April/May 2016 trip. Our provider Verizon has a plan for $10.00 per day that your phone is taken out of Airplane mode. Worked great using our iPhone with the German Rail and Swiss rail app to get our connections and Google map working our way to find hidden attractions, and shopping options for lunch time food and snacks. Also our hotel chain that we booked with had an app for checking in on the run.

[@pacoramirez7363]

This topic is due for an update. 1. Forget Skype. Forget regular texts and calling. Get Whatsapp on your phone. Have anyone you might you might need to communicate with back home get it too. As long as you have data or wifi, you can call or text anywhere in the world for free. 2. Google Fi is a great option if you travel internationally fairly often, but spend most of your time in the US. The plan that includes unlimited international data is a little cashy, but not outrageous (especially if you have multiple lines), and you can lower it to a cheaper tier without international when you're back home. The best part is that it's completely without hassle. You don't have to change any settings or let them know to start international service when you go abroad. You just turn off airplane mode after landing and it seamlessly connects to that country's network with zero fuss. Your Whatsapp, airline app and and Google Maps work like a charm right off the plane without having to mess with sketchy, poor quality airport wifi.

[@l.a.rivasesq.8841]

Excellent!

[@_LostAndFound_]

"if it rhymes go for it!"

[@mats7492]

these videos are helpful, even for europeans..

[@kelohonka4674]

Not everywhere in europe even teenagers speak english. Last summer I was travelling on a train in Italy and didn't encounter a single individual that could speak good enough english for us to understand eachother as english wasnt a native language for either of us. Luckily a had been studying Italian for two years and just barely I was able to find out which bus to take. As a Finnish person soldiers armed with assault rifles in popular tourist destinations were a bit shocking making me think about the security aspect. Didn't use a moneybelt or any countermeasures against pickpocketing which thinking about it later was a bit dumb. No need for moneybelts in northern europe though if you have a little bit of common sense. For example I see children here leaving their tablets in shopping carts and going to an another aisle leaving the tablet just sitting there. That is just dumb no matter where you are but if you zip up your pockets and look after your backpack/purse you'll be fine. Thank you for reading this, please leave questions for me to answer

[@renedperez]

I recently traveled to Europe and I bought a sim card from a company called Orange. It worked in Barcelona and Paris. My phone is unlocked and worked perfectly.

[@jellyacc]

is it really a good company? i cant decide between movistar and orange (the 2 most popular) but ive read a few bad reviews about orange

[@wl03bu]

I went to East Germany. The lady working in the ticket booth (the one that takes your money) speaks good English. The other staff not so much, but good enough :-P.

[@Westcountrynordic]

Hope you don't need it but there is just one number for calling the emergency services all across Europe 112 will get you the help you need and the operator will speak English

[@illiminatieoverlordgurglek140]

I'd just like to point out that speaking in that 'robotic' way is probably going to achieve the opposite effect in North-western Europe. People in countries like Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia are generally quite fluent in English and proud of it. I feel they might feel condescended to when you talk like that. Or they might think you have a few loose screws up there, haha! A car-mechanic in a back-water town might struggle a little with English, but in the service industry English language skills are a hard job-requirement. You'd be hard pressed to find a person that doesn't speak at least a basic level of English here.

[@Hurricane2k8]

True, I might feel a little offended if somebody talked to me like that. You don't have to speak in a robotic manner, just slow enough to not swallow too many syllables. Travellers with thick accents (southern US or many british accents for example) should probably also try to speak a more standard variant of english, but that's about it.

[@jasonmims5057]

Just make sure you get an international travel plan before you go to Europe. I worked for verizon and my coworker got a call from a customer who went to Europe for six months without a global plan and came home to a $5,000 bill that he had to pay because he did not set up the global plans offered.

[@connorlorenzo2162]

i guess Im asking randomly but does anyone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly forgot the account password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me.

[@vladutcornel]

When you meet someone you don't know (e.g. cashier at a store), *always* start with *Hello* and maybe a "Do you speak English?". Otherwise, they may think you speak their language and start talking to you before you have the chance to say "Sorry, I don't speak...". Later, you can show off your "polite words", by saying "Thank you" and "Bye" in their language.

[@Bluesbabesrv]

Planning a Paris trip for Nov. 2017, so we are taking French lessons now. My daughter and granddaughter are doing so much better than I am. But if I can get around solo without saying Je suis perdu, to much then I'm good.

[@In1998able]

Buy a cheap sim only in France

[@amandacousins928]

How do I communicate when I’m on my 5 week tour of Western Europe

[@lohphat]

I travel internationally enough and swear by my T-mobile Android phone as it allows the GSM cell number to tunnel over wifi and work -- for free. The phone "thinks" it's in the US and all calls are free (to/from the US). It's a lifesaver. I don't have to fiddle with SIM cards or buy disposable phones. T-Mobile also has an international data plan that's dirt cheap when wifi isn't available.

[@georgeklimes7604]

I use it all the time. And it's generally 20 cents per minute when not in Wi-Fi Calling mode.

[@FaithandActiondotnet]

Thank you.

[@FAngus-ly8lk]

These days, the average European speaks better English then the average American traveller.

[@FAngus-ly8lk]

jkirk1626 Europeans are "oppressed"? How?

[@marjan6008]

accept for France

[@richardwinkleman4431]

And probably better than #45....

[@AlexanderTheEvenGreater]

Where are all those signs at 14:15? 😆

[@marjan6008]

I keep ending up here and it's true most Europeaans speak English. The language is a part of our education in Holland.

[@Ginkoman2]

its everywhere in the world. i know of no country that doesnt have english as the standard second language.

[@Ginkoman2]

although france is an exception. i am sure they have english in school but they refuse to speak it :) hahaha

[@APFC95]

goes to portugal, car breaks down, speaks broken german - and as a portuguese i can tell you that would 100% work haha

[@dunnkenny]

I wish I had the $ to go to Europe

[@HolographicSweater]

why i need to bring a phone they don’t have phones in europe??!

[@mast6209]

most people under 40 will speak sufficent english.. its mandatory in school for several years...