Contrary to what social media may lead you to believe if you live on a different continent, traveling around Europe is not always glamorous. While your Instagram might be flooded with cute videos of croissants, cozy city streets and gorgeous views of the Mediterranean sea, European countries are not immune to the difficulties you can encounter anywhere else in the world.

One traveler who knows that all too well is Australian TikToker Rowena Young, or Row.yo. She recently shared a video detailing all of the unfortunate struggles she experienced while traveling throughout Europe, so keep reading to hear all about her trip, as well as find conversations with Rowena and travel expert Alex Miles of offMetro.

More info: TikTok | Instagram

After traveling through various countries in Europe, this woman decided to document all of the nightmares she encountered along the way

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

Image credits: row.yo

“Overall, it was the best trip of my life”

We reached out to Rowena to learn even more about her travels through Europe, and she was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda explaining what inspired her to share her experiences. “I wanted to show the other side of traveling which people don’t tend to post about on social media,” she revealed. “Everyone (including me) loves to share perfectly edited pictures and videos that make traveling look like an absolute dream. And it really can be at times, but there are also mishaps, mistakes and unexpected fines!”

Rowena shared that all of these negative experiences happened during one long trip, as she was studying abroad in Copenhagen at the time. And thankfully, the bumps along the way didn’t ruin the whole journey. “Overall, it was the best trip of my life,” Rowena says. “That might be hard to believe after seeing my post, but the good definitely outweighed the bad. I probably wouldn’t go back to Munich because I’m still a little scarred (mentally and physically!) from Oktoberfest. But I did end up having a really fun time overall.”

We also asked Rowena if she could share her top tips for people from other continents who want to travel around Europe. She recommends packing light and avoiding large suitcases; doing free walking tours whenever you arrive in a new city; exploring grocery stores to discover local foods; visiting during autumn instead of summer to avoid crowds but still enjoy nice weather; getting recommendations from locals; always having some cash with you; and saying yes to adventures and stepping outside of your comfort zone. “But not to the point of trying to ski down a slope far beyond your level,” Rowena added.

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

“Don’t be scared by uncertainty or the thought of things going wrong”

As far as her favorite place she’s visited in Europe, Rowena told Bored Panda that it might have been Iceland. “I was there over Christmas, staying with an Icelandic girl who I’d met and quickly become best friends with while studying in Copenhagen. It’s unlike anywhere I’ve been – the landscapes are incredible, the people are kind, and the licorice chocolate is divine,” she shared.

Finally, Rowena wanted to encourage others to get out and travel, even though it doesn’t always go according to plan. “Don’t be scared by uncertainty or the thought of things going wrong because you’re stronger than you think and you’ll get through it!” If you’d like to keep up with Rowena’s travels, be sure to follow her on TikTok and Instagram!

We also got in touch with travel expert Alex Miles, a writer for offMetro, to hear his thoughts on what we should prepare ourselves for when traveling. “Oh, the beautiful melody that is traveling to other countries! It’s like setting out on an adventure to find the missing sock in your laundry pile; you know it must be around someplace, but there’s always a chance that you’ll wind up with a few pairs that don’t go together,” Alex shared. “It is quite typical for things to go a little goofy when jet-setting between borders. It is about as common as a pigeon in Venice. It’s almost like a right of passage, if you think about it.”

We also asked Alex for his advice on how we can minimize our difficulties when traveling internationally. “Imagine this: you’re taking a leisurely stroll around the gorgeous streets of Paris when all of a sudden, your phone dies, your GPS decides to take a break for some coffee, and you’re forced to rely on your rusty French abilities in order to ask for directions,” the travel expert says. “How can we avoid this happening? Don’t forget to bring a portable charger! Learn some of the common terms spoken locally, and for heaven’s sake, always carry a paper map with you. It’s possible that you look like a time traveler from the past, but hey, it’s better than not being able to communicate at all.”

Image credits: Leah Kelley (not the actual photo)

“It’s not all rainbows and unicorns, but are those strange occurrences unfortunate turns of events?”

We were also curious if Alex believes Europe is too often romanticized by travelers from other continents. “If you’ve ever watched a romantic comedy, you already know that the streets of Europe are like the set of a beautiful love story,” he shared. “The path to truth, however, does not always present itself with a bed of rose petals.”

“Here’s the deal: Share the less-than-magical experiences you’ve had in Europe, because let’s face it, sometimes the bathrooms in European countries are as cramped as a sardine can, and the Eiffel Tower could be obscured by a layer of fog,” Alex says. “It’s not all rainbows and unicorns, but are those strange occurrences unfortunate turns of events? They are the spices that give flavor to your international travel narrative and make it come alive.” If you’d like to hear more travel tips and stories from Alex and his colleagues, be sure to visit offMetro!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on Rowena’s experiences in the comments below, pandas. Do you have any similar stories from traveling internationally? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article, we recommend reading all about these unfortunate vacation fails! 

Image credits: Brett Sayles (not the actual photo)

Sympathetic viewers shared their concern in the comments, as well as some of their own similar experiences

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