Hotels

European hotels are somewhat smaller and less glamorous than US hotels. They usually have smaller elevators. It may be faster to use the stairs.

Continental breakfast is served each morning by the hotel. Expect cereal, breads, juice, coffee and tea; sometimes there has been more…according to the hotel. Dinners, other than the cruise, will usually be outside the hotel. Group dinners are pre-set menus.

They do not supply wash cloths, so bring them if you use them. All hotels do not have hair dryers. If you need one then pack a travel size. Share one with your roommate. Bring a battery-powered travel alarm. Hotels have wake up calls but sometimes rooms get missed.

European hotels often use large room keys that must be turned in to the front desk when leaving the hotel. Occasionally they use plastic swipe cards as room keys and those cards may be necessary to activate lights and power in the room. Place the card in a slot on the wall near the door of the room to turn on lights in the room.

Also it is rare if they have an English speaking staff. Shower pressure may be weaker if the hotel is an older building with older sewers. Rarely is there an ice machine or ice or TV or air conditioning. But all hotels will be clean, safe, and comfortable.

Oh, and by the way...do not expect ice in any beverage served in a restaurant. And tea is usually hot. When we ask for iced tea, they stare at us like we have two heads. Whoever heard of such nonsense, they think! So if we are lucky enough to get iced tea...shout yoo-hoo!
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