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[nenjin]

Decided it was finally time to take family up on the offer to hang out in Europe for a while. Specifically, I'll be starting off in Hamburg Germany, through the month of August.

I've been to Germany before for a couple weeks, and I'll have my cousin as a tour guide, but not for the first two weeks. I'll have a place to stay but otherwise will be on my own.

I wouldn't call myself an adventurous sort. I'm downright sedentary, if I'm honest. But I'm going to try to break that habit while I'm over there. Once in a life time, costs an assload, etc and so forth.

So anyways! Time for adventure! I've gotten a couple things nailed down like:

-Get a credit card so I don't have to fool with exchanging currency. (My dad says Discover is widely accepted over there.)
-Buy a disposable cell phone once I get over there, since my company phone I use now won't get service.
-Trains will get me where I feel like going for fairly cheap.
-Get the usual universal adapter thingy for devices.
-Get my passport sorted.

The general plan is, when my cousin starts her summer, to dip down into Italy for a little bit, then head over to the family vacation house in San Sebastian, Spain. I think her boyfriend might have some time to take me across the channel to England too, which would be rad. But there will doubtlessly be time for me to pick something to do myself. So, where should I go? What shouldn't be missed? What must be seen? What must be eaten and drank? What must be done? I've seen various suggestions over the years about being an American outside of America, but I'll take them all again.

[Thief^]

As a European, some tips:
First money:
Discover is distinctly American, we normally use Visa over here. I'm not saying discover isn't accepted anywhere, but I've never seen one so I wouldn't like to guarantee it.
Check the automatic foreign exchange rate on the card, and make sure it's not awful. Otherwise it's not worth using abroad.
Don't use the airport currency change service, the rate on that is awful.
Check you can use the card to withdraw cash from euro cash points without an insane fee. Some places only take cash, so you're going to want some, but some foreign cards charge a fortune for foreign currency withdrawal.
Make sure you roughly know the exchange rate so you don't get ripped off and pay €20 for something only worth $2. It happens.
On another topic:
Our mains voltage is much higher than the US, don't think a simple socket adapter is safe without checking your devices can accept 230 volts. Otherwise when plugged in with a socket adapter they'll explode! You can get transforming adapters or even full inverters that will also change the AC frequency, but they are progressively more expensive and a waste of money if your devices take 230V / 50 hz happily.
Bring a multi-socket with you! Much cheaper than multiple single-socket adapters, and very useful if your hotel room is stingy on sockets. Make sure it's a good quality one, given the higher voltage.
If you can get an actual European USB/phone adapter for charging devices, it's far safer than using a socket adapter. Consider getting a cheap European battery charger and some rechargeable batteries if you have any battery devices.

I don't know Germany, but certainly bring a half-decent camera with plenty of storage, I'm sure there will be lots of photo opportunities.
Don't be afraid to ask total strangers if they will take a photo of you, we're mostly friendly.
A lot of Europeans speak English as their second language, sometimes extremely fluently.
Most major places will have a "tourist information" building, which will have leaflets about local attractions (often with discount vouchers) and maps, and sometimes toilets (useful!)

Edit: make sure your healthcare covers you in Europe! That said, the UK especially tends to forget to bill foreigners, because we get free treatment ourselves.

[nenjin]

All very helpful, thanks!

[Meph]

If you have any specific questions, I've been to every country in Europe and come originally from Germany. But I can't answer things like "what should I eat, drink and see", because that's personal opinion and depends on what you like/dislike.

[Caz]

Germany is a great country. Try to get to some of the smaller towns - they generally have better atmosphere. If you're going for a whole month, you're basically a stone's throw from Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Swiss, Czechslovakia etc. If you don't travel normally, why not get the most variety while you're there?

Pretty much everyone will speak some English, so don't worry about that. Though it's nice to the locals if you can try to speak a couple phrases. I recommend "Zwei bier, bitte!"

[scriver]

Try not to mention the war! I might have mentioned it once or twice but I think I got away with it!

Anyway, that sounds like a great trip. I can't give you much good advice, but I wish you well journeys and hopes that you'll have an arsehole free stay on our side of the pond.

[nenjin]

Yeah, I know all about not mentioning the war

But I can't answer things like "what should I eat, drink and see", because that's personal opinion and depends on what you like/dislike.

Go ahead and suggest what you liked, if it pleases you. Hard to know what fits my personal likes and dislikes when I've basically only had a guided sight seeing tour. We did a lot of the medieval markets when I was down there last and I enjoyed those quite a bit. Saw some churches/cathedrals around Hamburg, went to Lubeck and walked around. I'm down for everything at this point, especially food. My family is composed of gourmands, so, food always gets our attention. Did a Spanish Tapas place in Hamburg and it was so mindblowingly good it is still like one of the highlights of my trip. Except for the Uzo.

Another question: clothes.

I tend to be a dress-down sort of person. I like my shoes old and worn in, my jeans with some holes and my t-shirts nice and faded.

In America I'd be like "Well just don't wear that if you're going to a concert or a nice dinner or something." But I've gotten the impression Europeans in general take appearances a little more seriously than we do in America. I don't really want to be getting dirty looks for the way I dress, which has happened before.

So like, sportswear isn't casual wear to Europeans? White socks are for athletics, not every day general use? I know I don't need to be running around in slacks and a suit coat all the time, but I figure I should have those with me. The German sense of propriety is sometimes mystifying to me, and I'll be several other places than Germany. Any thoughts?

And thanks for the well-wishing.

[miauw62]

I've done a short trip to Germany once, and I'd really recommend getting some cash euros like Thief said, since a lot (relatively to Belgium, where I live) of places dont accept Visa.

[monkey]

Our mains voltage is much higher than the US, don't think a simple socket adapter is safe without checking your devices can accept 230 volts. Otherwise when plugged in with a socket adapter they'll explode!

off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xZzO6thDkkY#t=33

[XXSockXX]

You're probably overthinking the clothes thing. I'm not sure how the German sense of propriety differs from the American one, but - as far as cliches go - we're not known to have a great fashion sense (as opposed to the French who do take appearances a lot more seriously IMHO).

Unless you look like a homeless person you should be fine, with the exceptions you mentioned (fancy restaurants and stuff like that).

White socks are often considered poor taste, but that shouldn't matter much in a casual context. Sportswear should be ok, depending what you mean. Like, if you wear sweat pants and a wifebeater, people might think of you as a prole.

If you get weird looks, distract people by mentioning the war. 

And yeah, definitely take some cash with you, many places might not accept credit cards.

[nenjin]

we're not known to have a great fashion sense (as opposed to the French who do take appearances a lot more seriously IMHO).

That was what my friend said as well, that of the European nations, Germans are the least likely to prejudge you more than most people normally would based on your clothes. But, like I said, Germany is the place I have been. Spain/Belgium/France/Itay/etc.. I have not.

I'm not sure how the German sense of propriety differs from the American one

Americans are definitely a lot more uptight about nudity. I remember sitting in a nice museum cafe somewhere and looking up and all the lamp shades had old, tasteful photos of nude women. I remember thinking that wouldn't have gone over very well in the States.

If you get weird looks, distract people by mentioning the war. 

I can't read this line without laughing.

[XXSockXX]

That was what my friend said as well, that of the European nations, Germans are the least likely to prejudge you more than most people normally would based on your clothes. But, like I said, Germany is the place I have been. Spain/Belgium/France/Itay/etc.. I have not.

Belgium doesn't seem that different from Germany to me in that regard, but in France (Italy and Spain too to some degree) people on average seem to dress...I don't know...better, or a bit more fashionable. And they seem to react a bit differently to stuff like piercings, tatoos, coloured hair, unusual appearances etc., which are also a bit more rare there. France is also a good place to buy clothes (though I figure you're not into that  ), their stores have much wider choices than ours. In places that usually have lots of tourists (like Paris or Rome), people will probably bear with you no matter how you look.

Americans are definitely a lot more uptight about nudity. I remember sitting in a nice museum cafe somewhere and looking up and all the lamp shades had old, tasteful photos of nude women. I remember thinking that wouldn't have gone over very well in the States.

Oh sure, that's true. There are still some rules about public indecency though, so keep your pants on if everybody else does. 

[scriver]

And definitely take your pants off if everybody else does too

[martinuzz]

If you're going to want to get some beach time, the Belgian, Dutch, Spanish and French coast are all very nice that time of year. However, you'll be crammed like fish in a barrel on most beaches there. What's worse, most fish will speak German. Here in the Netherlands it's a saying that no nation will ever conquer our shores in the summertime, because of the hordes of germans entrenched in our dunes  (jk my german firends, you know we love you)

For beautiful beaches with some more peace and queit (that have not completely succumbed yet to mass tourism), combined with awesome weather, you might want to try Portugal.

[nenjin]

Huh. You know, out of all the things I thought about doing over there, lazing about on the beach was not one of them.

Better add buy swim trunks to the list. Or not, I suppose, given the German proclivity for nude beaches.