Reminiscing Europe: Helpful Tips and Eats ~ Cheftonio's Blog

It's been a year since we went to Europe and I must say memories still remained fresh like yesterday. I remember husband and I had our adventures and misadventures since it was both our first time to be on that part of the world. Nonetheless, there are new things that we've learned from this trip and I'd like to share them with you, especially for those couples who will be going there for their honeymoon.

If you will be staying in London for a couple of days... Consider having the London Pass.

Since our tour's starting point was in London (and London was not included in our itinerary), we decided to arrive 2 days before our scheduled tour so we could explore the city on our own. With the London Pass, you wouldn't need to pay in most tourist attractions - just make sure you have your card with you as they will be scanned by a machine upon your entrance in every tourist attraction that accepts London Pass. Just a reminder that you may only be allowed to go to some attractions once so even though you have a pass that is valid for 3 days, once you have rode (in our case) the ferry boat that crosses the river from Big Ben to London Eye, you will have to pay when you decide to ride the ferry again the second time (Coming back or going to other locations via ferry). You also get to skip queues as there are special lanes assigned for London Pass holders. Each purchase of London Pass includes a guidebook that you can use when exploring the streets in London. In addition, you may purchase transport tickets (a separate card will be issued for this) in advance to be able to enjoy unlimited transport within zones 1-6 in London. For more information and complete details, visit http://www.londonpass.com/

If you are in London and you love to watch musicals, make sure to check Apollo Victoria Theater to know the current musical that is being performed (in our case, it was Wicked). Just make sure to watch it when you have already adjusted to their time zone (day 2-3 maybe) because you might fall asleep during performance due to jet lag. In case of flight delays, do not schedule anything on the first day of your arrival to give enough space for unexpected delays.

If you plan to purchase branded luxury goods, you can do all of them in Paris. Not only is it cheaper there, but all stores are right next to each other/walking distance so it is easier to compare styles among brands in case you haven't decided which bag to get. Prices across Paris are the same so you don't need to compare among the stores of the same brand. You would actually notice that a lot of people are queuing in the stores in Paris compared to the other European countries. You can check shops at Galleries Lafayette, Avenue the Champs Elysee and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore.

When you are joining a tour and you have the budget, make sure you join their optional tours. This is the only way you would maximize your stay to a certain town/country especially when you are only staying for the night. Not only do you gain knowledge on the history where you are but, you'll also exposed to their culture as you get to see what the locals do and get to experience for a moment how they spend their typical evening.

If you love Swarovski Crystals and you are in Austria particularly in Innsbruck, there they have one of their biggest Swarovski store. This is your chance to purchase one at a cheaper price! We didn't plan to purchase a big piece of figurine until my husband saw the sale section - not because items were broken but usually there is 1 piece left. we were glad to have bought this figurine because this sells more than double or triple the price here in Manila! Of course you need to carefully inspect the item to ensure that it is in good condition.

Read a little bit of history on the places that you will visit and do a little research on cities that you will travel on your own. This would make it easier for you to understand what you tour guide says about the history of such place and when exploring on your own, you would know how to get around that specific place.

Things to eat

When you are in Belgium - Belgian fries, Belgian waffles and lager (beer)! Us not being beer drinkers, we just tried what the fuzz about this beer is all about. I can say that it is much sweeter than the usual beer we have tried locally in Manila. Also, don't forget to bring home some of their famous chocolate goodies like Godiva or Leonidas, it's cheaper there and it's really good! It costs around 1 euro for a regular bar of chocolate.

When you are in Italy - look for authentic Italian dishes - pasta/pizza/risotto/gelato as there is no other place in the world as authentic as Italy can be. You'll be amazed at the hundreds of flavors available and unique flavors that may seem weird at first. Try one so you'll have a goo story to tell.

When you are in Switzerland - Roesti would be perfect for those who loves potatoes and don't forget to try their Veal to match your roesti. For cheese lovers, try their swiss cheese fondue. If you are into candies, try their famous gummy candy Haribo (made in Germany), it's really good! And if you're looking for bread spreads that's unique, you might want to try Ovamaltine too!

When you are in Paris, France - if you are into macarons, try Laduree or Pierre Herme. No matter how expensive they are, I'm pretty sure it's much cheaper compared to the ones in Singapore or Hong Kong. Try it else you'll regret it. Even just a piece.