6 mistakes I made on my last trip to Europe

There was a time when I was going back and forth from Canada to Europe every few months. In that time I have learned many things along the way, and usually one learns by doing. Nevertheless, everybody always wants things to go smoothly, so if there is something I think I can do better, I like to note it down to remember for the future- and now I get to share these things here!

These are 6 “detail” mistakes, moments where I went, “Oh, I should have done that differently.” By documenting them and sharing hopefully I remember and tweak accordingly for the future!

1. Check In for my International Flight
   

   Side note: This time I flew with WestJet. The route was Winnipeg-Toronto Pearson- London Gatwick. This is the second time that I have flown with WestJet to Gatwick this year, and I will be happy to use them again. You do not get a meal onboard, but there is food to buy. With or without a meal, they are by far the most cost-effective option. Add in the fact that I have to get out of Winnipeg to get to a larger airport, and they become even more cost-effective by combining the two legs. I am also happy to support a Canadian airline trying to expand their network to give us more travel options.

   Sometimes I like to check-in from home, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I wish I had chosen the other option.

   I like to check in at the airport just in case I couldn’t pack my bag as planned, then I can show up with a suitcase and check-in after the fact. I also much prefer having a real boarding pass (even if they are on cheap paper now), compared to a piece of paper I printed at home. [Yes, sometimes I don’t do home check-in just so I can have a real boarding pass]. While you are checking-in at the airport they can also verify your passport details if they need to. It has happened to me before that I checked-in at home for a flight from Toronto-Edinburgh and I was called to the desk in the boarding area to verify my passport. When I asked if I should have gone to the check-in desk beforehand, she said “no”, but if I would have checked in at the airport, I wouldn’t have had the run-and-panic of thinking that my flight was leaving without me.

   There are also many advantages for checking-in at home. I have arrived at the airport to learn that the machines were down and everyone must be checked-in manually. I ended up cutting it so close that they called ahead anyone in my flight to cut the line so we wouldn’t miss the flight. That day I wished I had checked-in at home. So what did I choose on my latest trip? I chose to check- in at the airport.

   On one hand I am glad that I did this, as they did verify my passport details in Winnipeg, knowing that I was going on an international flight. I got both boarding passes for the two legs of my trip, so that saved some time. But the major disadvantage was that by the time I checked-in there were only middle seats left. I will normally always choose a window seat, but on short flights it doesn’t bother me. I do try to snab a window seat for an international flight as it is much easier to sleep. I am not that person who goes to powder my nose every hour, so I don’t worry about needing to disturb anyone to leave my seat. To me, in this situation, it would have been worth having a window seat, even if it did mean that I didn’t have a real boarding pass for a momento. From now on, I will check-in earlier for my international flights in an attempt to get a window seat.

   

   Above: Public stairs beside parking lot and apartment rental in Arras, France.

2. Double-check your Terminals
   

   This didn’t cause me any big problems on this trip, but I was aware that it could have and that I should have prevented it. When I left London and had to get to Clermont-Ferrand, France I flew to Paris and then down to Clermont-Ferrand. My flight from London to Paris was with British Airways and Paris-Clermont-Ferrand was with Air France, so I knew I would have to do some moving once I arrived in CDG. What I didn’t realize, is that the small HOP! Services operated by Air France fly out of Terminal G in CDG, which you have to take a bus to get to. I waited about 10 minutes for the bus to come, then we waited another 25 minutes on the bus before it left. I had enough time so it was alright, but a simple Google search would have informed me that my terminal was far removed from the rest- and I could have taken that into account in my travel plans. Will know next time!

   Looking down a main street in Clermont-Ferrand from the Cathedral.

3. Bring Sandals for the Hostel
   

   Over the years I have slowly gotten better a packing lighter and lighter, and did this 3 week trip with only carry-on luggage. There are things that have to be sacrificed in the packing process, and I decided this time to sacrifice my sandals. I knew it was a good idea to bring sandals for the hostel, but thought I could do without. I stayed in a hostel in Barcelona for 3 nights and sorely missed having my sandals- next time they will be coming!

4. Take Pictures of Your Rental Car
   

   On this trip we visited the war memorials north of Paris. We rented a car to do this and even though I had driven in Spain before, this was my first time driving in France and my first time renting a car. Renting the car was easy. Almost every company/airline advertises car rentals, so I would book it though somewhere where you will get points for. I booked our AVIS rental car through British Airways, so I got Avios for something I would have been doing anyway. Overall, we had a good experience but thinking back I wish we would have taken pictures of the car inside and outside (just like when moving into an apartment) before driving it, so that if there had been any discrepancies we would have had some proof. Something to remember for the future.

   Below: Opel car that we rented from Avis- pictured in countryside around Pozieres, France.

   

5. Bring Snacks
   

   I was very happy with my WestJet flight between Toronto and London. This service does not provide meals included in the price, but they do sell items onboard. If you pre-order off the menu 48 hours before your flight then your selection is guaranteed. Otherwise it is first-come-first-serve. The meals are fine and a nice option to have onboard. I wish I would have brought more snacks with me so that I could have something even if it is not time for them to sell food yet and could perhaps tide you over until you landed. The tricky thing with snacks is that there are prohibited food items that are not allowed over boarders. These items include: fruit/vegetables, meat, dairy and nuts. The reasoning is that these foreign items could pose a risk to the local food industry. For this reason you have to choose your snacks carefully. You could bring things like granola bars and crackers. Another tip is to save and wash yogurt containers and pack your snacks in these. After you are done you can just throw it away without having to carry around a Tupperware container.

6. Bring Plastic Bags
   

   These were put in the same packing category as the sandals. I had them on the list and they didn’t make it- but now will next time. I should have brought both plastic garbage bags and sandwich bags. These can help with transporting items, preventing items from spilling, keeping shoes separate from clothes and many more things. Next time I will remember!