Europe - Europa

Europe covers an area of ​​10,180,000 km², stretching from Asia to the Atlantic Ocean and from Africa to the Arctic Ocean. European countries welcome more than 480 million international visitors a year, more than half of the global traveler market. Europe is a continent that has an incredible amount to offer travelers: an ancient cultural heritage, beautiful natural areas, a diversity of world languages ​​and globally dispersed cultures that no other continent knows to this extent. The open borders and good infrastructure also make traveling through this area quick and easy. You will be moving from country to country in no time. Although Europe is one of the smallest continents in terms of area, there are fascinating differences between the cultures of the countries.

Regions

Europe can be divided into the following regions, each with its own identity, history and culture:

Towns

• Amsterdam — the canals, Anne Frank House, Rembrandt, coffee shops and the red light district
• Berlin — geopolitical interests divided the city between east and west for 45 years; now it is the capital of reunified Germany and an international cultural center
• Brussels — a truly international city with the European institutions, the Grand Place, Manneken Pis and the Atomium
• Istanbul — the only metropolis on two continents, a fascinating melting pot of east and west
• London — the vibrant, multicultural capital of the United Kingdom with its Tower Bridge and Big Ben
• Moscow — Europe's largest city is known for its nightlife and the iconic Kremlin
• Paris — the city of love on the Seine with its Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame
• Prague — a magical city with its beautiful bridges over the Vltava
• Rome — this city breathes history; every street corner has cultural heritage that is even more impressive

Other destinations

• Alps — the highest mountain range in Europe, the word mountaineering is derived from this
• Etna — the largest active volcano in Europe is located on the island of Sicily
• Camargue — nature reserve in the south of France
• Ibiza — fun island belonging to the Balearic Islands, known for the big clubs
• North Cape — the northernmost tip of mainland Europe
• Plitvice Lakes — the famous turquoise lakes with caves and waterfalls
• Santorini — remains of a volcano that exploded nearly 4000 years ago with Akrotiri, the Pompeii of the Aegean Sea
• Stonehenge — prehistoric stone circle located in England
• ingvellir — nature reserve around the fault plane of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates

Info

What makes Europe so attractive? Is it the fjords of Norway, the beaches of Spain, the architecture of Saint Petersburg or the real cosiness of the Low Countries? Wherever you are in Europe, you will always be fascinated by the wonderful cultural heritage that the continent has to offer. In a tour through Europe you will discover that the regions of Europe are linked by a tumultuous history, but also that there is a great diversity of languages ​​and cultures in a relatively small area.

Europe is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and has unique world cities, including London, Paris and Rome, which are known all over the world. But you're also in the right place in Europe for peace and unspoiltness — just think of the emptiness of Scandinavia, the vast mountain areas in Switzerland and the spas in Central Europe. Moreover, all these areas are relatively easy to visit, because tourist facilities on the continent are very extensive. Europe offers something for everyone!

History

Classical antiquity

Ancient Greece is often referred to as the starting point of modern European history — Greece is therefore referred to as the cradle of Europe. Although this is actually unjustified, this is not surprising, as the cultural heritage of the Ancient Greeks still captures the imagination to this day. Until 1000 BC. Greece was ruled by many different leaders of diverse origins. The area grew into a mixture of independent city-states, many of which established colonies in the Mediterranean. The classical Greek culture, which revolves around Athens centered, reached its peak in the fifth century BC, before being passed by Philip II of Macedon in 338 BC. to be conquered.

Under Philip, Macedonia had been placed in command of Greece diplomatically and militarily (finally after the Battle of Chaeronea). When the Greeks learned of Philip's death, they believed that Macedonian hegemony under his inexperienced son would soon end, but after an unexpected invasion by Alexander the Great (Pella, July 26, 356 B.C.—Babylon, 10 or 13 June 323 BC), they had to submit again. He committed a massacre in Thebes. Before that he went to war against the rebellious areas of Thrace and Illyria, in the north of Macedonia. Alexander the Great united the fighting Greek poleis and conquered, among other things, Persia and Egypt.

The written history of the Roman Empire begins when the Greeks founded some cities in the south of the country. The Etruscans ruled to the north and the Greeks to the south, and exactly between those two areas lay the disputed province of Latium, where the Romans lived. Rome became the most important city in this area and took on more and more power. After the Romans first conquered the surrounding cities, they defeated the in the 4th century BC. the Etruscans and in the 3rd century BC. the Greeks in the south. Thus they eventually acquired the entire Italian peninsula and began their many wars of expansion.

The Roman Empire came to its peak under Emperor Trajan. In the third and second centuries BC. the Punic Wars were fought against the city of Carthage. The famous Carthaginian general Hannibal marched with his army via Spain over the Alps and fought all over Italy before he was chased away. After Carthage in 146 BC. finally defeated, the Romans were the greatest power in the Mediterranean. Many originally Carthaginian and Greek colonies in Africa, France and Spain now belonged to the Roman Empire. Around 200 BC. Greece itself also came under Roman rule, along with the Greek colonies in the east, such as those in Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.

Julius Caesar conquered between 60 and 50 BC. all of Gaul, after which Emperor Claudius added Britannia to the empire 100 years later. Trajan was the last great conqueror. He conquered Dacia and large parts of the Parthian Empire at the beginning of the second century, although that area was soon to be given up again. Under Trajan, the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent. The territory now ran from northern England to Egypt. His successors consolidated the borders. All attempts to defeat the Germans and occupy their territory failed. A long period of relative peace followed. The Romans spread Latin and Roman culture throughout the conquered territories. Germanic tribes were allowed at the borders and were allowed to live in Belgium, for example, if they adhered to the Roman rules.

After a few centuries there was a slow but steady decline. The Roman Empire was the first of its kind to have such a vast area. The advent of Christianity marked a major upheaval for the Empire. Initially, the Christians were severely persecuted, because they would not pay divine honor to the emperors and the Roman gods. In 313 Christianity was recognized by Constantine and in 392 it was even elevated to the state religion by Theodosius I. Then came hard times for non-Christians. Citizens' attitudes toward the military also changed—Christians did not consider it desirable to work in the military or for the state. The Empire therefore increasingly relied on foreigners (Germans) in important positions in the army. This led to major political complications, which led to the collapse of the western part in 476 with the fall of the last capital, Ravenna. The eastern part, which we now call the Byzantine Empire, also came close to its decline, but experienced several flourishes afterwards. In the Early Middle Ages it was always one of the most important players on the European political scene. After Constantinople was sacked by the Crusaders in 1204, this empire also fell into disrepair. The last remnants of the Byzantine Empire fell in 1453 (Constantinople) and 1461 (Greece).

The presence of the Romans in this large area is not only visible through a large number of monuments and ruins, such as the Porta Nigra in Trier and Hadrian's wall in the United Kingdom, but also by influencing the languages. Romance languages ​​such as French, Italian and Spanish, for example, originated from the language spoken by the Roman soldiers and settlers stationed there. The northern border of the Roman Empire can be traced to this day, as it is still the language boundary between the Romance languages, which are derived from Latin, and the Germanic languages ​​that were spoken outside the empire. Until recently, Latin and Greek were used as international languages ​​by the elite, so that many scientific terms are still borrowed from these languages. Classical antiquity can therefore all in all be seen as the foundation of modern Western civilization.

Middle Ages

The period after the collapse of the Roman Empire (c. 330 to 950) is referred to in current European historiography as the Early Middle Ages—sometimes the term Dark Ages is also used to refer to this period, because of great migrations with looting and a sharp decline in standard of living and population. Little written information has survived about the conditions of this chaotic period. Initially, literacy declined in the early Middle Ages. This tendency came to an end when the Carolingian Empire arose, in which Charlemagne founded schools. The use of money is also largely disappearing in favor of transactions in kind. Money is still used as a yardstick.

The legal system was watered down during this time, each tribe had its own customary law that was followed as much as possible. The Frankish princes traveled from Palatine to Palatine to check the implementation of their laws and administer justice. After Charlemagne, the system of Frankish counts changed into a feudal system. The Christianization of Europe began, reaching its peak towards the end of the Middle Ages. Several tribes converted to Christianity.

The High Middle Ages (from about 950 to 1270) are an important period in the history of Western Europe. Scholasticism emerged in science at this time. During this period the papacy also reached the height of its power. There was a long battle over who should have the highest authority in Europe: the Church or the German Emperor. This is called the Investiture Controversy. In Germany the Saxon house ruled with, among others, Henry I, Otto I, and Otto III, later the Frankish house with, among others, Henry III and Henry IV. In France Hugo Capet was the ancestor of the Capetians and all other French kings after him. England was conquered in 1066 by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy.

After the year 1000, more stability came to medieval Europe. The Viking raids, which had ravaged Western Europe for a long time, came to an end. In Spain, the reconquista deployed, pushing back the Moors from Spain. As a result of improving agricultural practices, the population began to increase steadily. Numerous new villages and towns were founded. The existing cities, mostly founded by the Romans, also started to grow again. Long-distance trade also got going again. This is apparent, for example, from Marco Polo's trip to China. Northern Italy in particular, with the Repubbliche Marinare, and the county of Flanders, with Bruges as the hub of trade between Northern and Southern Europe, quickly grew into rich areas. From 1080 the first universities arose and progress was made in art and architecture. The great Romanesque and later Gothic cathedrals were built during this period. The increasing prosperity allowed prosperous and powerful cities to enforce city rights.

The late Middle Ages (from about 1270 to 1500) were a period of crisis in Europe. The plague (1347-1352) or black death caused tens of millions of victims at that time. Nobody knew what to do against this virus, the scientific knowledge was insufficient (if one could speak of scientific knowledge at that time). The spread of the virus was rapid, and the whole of Europe was under the spell of the black death. Rich and poor were affected. People were already being transported across Europe. Some happened to discover methods of diving into the virus: isolation and there are also similar vaccines. Entire families were affected. Many houses, land, amenities, farms, fields, craft workshops, legacies were left unattended and empty.

Modern time

In 1492, the discovery of America takes place by Columbus — although this continent was actually already discovered in the year 1000 by the Icelandic Viking Leif Eriksson. In addition, more and more areas in Asia were discovered. Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and England became very adept at colonizing the newly discovered areas. It is during this period that Europe sails the world's seas and oceans. The 'Renaissance' is regarded as a transition period from the Middle Ages to modern times.

In 1870-1871 the Franco-Prussian War takes place between France and a number of German states led by Prussia. The war would lead to a victory for Prussia and its allies and resulted in the establishment of the German Empire, in which the German states were united. This war laid the foundation for decades of tension between Germany and France. These poor relations between the European countries would develop until World War I, when Austrian Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand was shot dead by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The way of warfare was in many ways the same as during the Prussian Wars—World War I is best known for the endless trench warfare in northern France and western Flanders.

The Allies, which included France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia, won the war of Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany was transformed into the democratic Weimar Republic, had to give up territory and was obliged by the Treaty of Versailles to pay heavy reparations. The provisions of the treaty were experienced by the Germans as humiliating. The reparations led to hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic in 1923—yet the ensuing period would come to be known as the roaring twenties, in which women got rid of the corset, the hair was cut short and the skirts reached to the knees. This period came to an end in 1929 with the New York stock market crash, which had catastrophic consequences worldwide and ushered in the Great Depression. Germany was particularly hard hit — in the already unstable Weimar Republic in 1933 Adolf Hitler came to power of the National Socialist party. This led to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

European flag An often made mistake is to assume that the number of stars on the European flag represents the number of Member States of the European Union. However, the number of stars is completely independent of that. The European flag was chosen in 1955 by the Council of Europe as a symbol for the entire continent. Twelve stars have been chosen because this number traditionally symbolizes perfection, completeness and unity. For example, you can find the number in the number of months in a year and the number of hours on a clock. It was not until 1985 that the flag was designated by the European heads of government as the official emblem of the European Community, the predecessor of today's European Union.

Although World War II had a huge impact on Europe, the continent experienced rapid economic growth after the war, partly due to the Marshall Plan. With the United Nations, the IMF and the European Community, a political structure emerged that is active to this day. Only since the end of the Second World War has there been relative stability in Europe.

However, this only applied to the western half of the continent. Since the end of the war, Europe was divided into two military blocs. The Western European countries became democratic market economies under the banner of the United States and NATO, while the Eastern European countries became communist one-party states under the banner of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. This division of Europe between east and west is called the Iron Curtain, and the city Berlin came to symbolize this separation with the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. In 1962 this Cold War threatened to turn into a worldwide nuclear war with the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In 1968, the Brezhnev Doctrine was adopted, which implied that the Soviet Union would not allow countries to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact. As early as 1956, the Soviet Union had intervened during the Hungarian Uprising, and would intervene again in 1968 to quell the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia. The protests of the Polish trade union movement Solidarity followed in the 1980s. It wasn't until the Brezhnev Doctrine was abolished in 1988 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that numerous revolutions started, with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of the Warsaw Pact. East and West Germany would officially reunite in 1990. In 1991, the Soviet Union even broke up into separate republics.

New countries arose not only in the east of Europe, but also in Yugoslavia constituent republics declared themselves independent. Slovenia declared independence on June 25, 1991, and Croatia followed suit a day later. This is very much against the will of those in power in Belgrade. Eventually Bosnia and Herzegovina would also declare its independence, an area in which Muslims, ethnic Croats and ethnic Serbs live. This sparked the wars in Yugoslavia, which included the fall of Srebrenica, the worst act of genocide in Europe since World War II. The end of the war was enshrined in the Dayton Agreements, but tensions still persist in this region.

After the Second World War, a number of countries in Europe decided that more intensive cooperation was necessary to prevent future wars. At the initiative of Robert Schuman and Paul-Henri Spaak, the European Community was introduced in 1956 with "the six": Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands would henceforth transfer some economic powers to a supranational organization. The European Community was succeeded in 1992 by the European Union (EU). The EU is a supranational and intergovernmental union of countries, which currently consists of 27 member states. A number of important components of this European integration for travelers:

• Free movement of persons within the European Union is possible through the Schengen Agreements
• The euro is the legal tender of 17 of the 27 Member States of the European Union

Nature and climate

Europe is only a small continent, so there are not many notable differences in climates as in larger continents. However, Europe is very densely populated; there are even more people living in Africa that is three times the size. Because so many people live in Europe, there is relatively little space for nature and animals. Nevertheless, there are a number of very impressive (predatory) animals in Europe, such as wolves, bears and sea eagles.

Arrive

Passport and visa

Schengen zone The following countries belong to the Schengen zone: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland.

The rules for entry differ per country. A large number of European countries belong to the Schengen zone. Nationals of Member States of the European Union or of EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) only need to carry a valid passport or identity card to enter the Schengen zone — they never need a visa, no matter how long the visit takes. Nationals of other countries must carry a valid passport and, depending on nationality, need a visa.

Only nationals of the following non-EU/EFTA countries have no Visa required to enter the Schengen zone: Albania*, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chili, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Croatia, North Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia*/**, Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan*** (Republic of China), United States, Uruguay, Vatican CITY, Venezuela, South Korea, as well as persons with a British National (Overseas) passport, a Hong-Kong-SAR passport or a Macau-SAR passport.

Visitors to these visa-free countries are not allowed to stay longer than 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen zone as a whole, and in principle are not allowed to work during the stay (although there are some Schengen countries that allow nationals of certain nationalities to work — see below). The counter starts when you enter a member state of the Schengen zone and does not expire when you leave a certain Schengen country for another Schengen country or vice-versa. However, New Zealand nationals may stay longer than 90 days if they are only visiting certain Schengen countries - see [1] for an explanation from the New Zealand Government (in English).

If you are a non-EU/EFTA national (even from a visa-free country, with the exception of Andorra, Monaco or San Marino), make sure that your passport is stamped when entering and leaving the Schengen zone. Without a stamp upon entry, you can be treated as having exceeded the length of stay on departure; without a stamp on departure, you can be denied entry to the Schengen zone the next time because of exceeding the length of stay in a previous trip. If you can't get a stamp, keep documents such as boarding passes, transport tickets and receipts from ATMs, as they can help convince border police that you have stayed legally in the Schengen zone.

Be aware that:

(*) Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia require a biometric passport to benefit from visa-free travel;

(**) nationals of Serbia with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (residents of Kosovo with Serbian passports) must apply for a visa;

(***) Taiwanese nationals must have their ID number registered in their passport in order to enjoy visa-free travel.

Travel around

There are no border controls between countries that have the Schengen Treaties signed and implemented. These are the member states of the European Union (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. In addition, a visa issued for a member state of the Schengen zone is valid for all member states that have signed and implemented the treaties. But beware: not all EU Member States have signed the Schengen Agreements, and there are also Member States of the Schengen Area that are not members of the European Union. This means that there may be customs checks but no immigration checks (if you are traveling within Schengen but from/to a non-EU country) or there may be immigration checks but no customs checks (if you are traveling within the EU but from/to a non-EU country). -Schengen country).

Airports in Europe are divided between "Schengen" and "no Schengen" sections, which correspond to the "domestic" and "foreign" sections in other countries. If you fly from outside Europe to a Schengen country and then travel on to another Schengen country, you can complete the customs and immigration checks in the first country and then proceed directly to the second country without any further checks. Traveling between a Schengen country and a non-Schengen country will result in the usual border controls. Keep in mind that whether or not you travel within the Schengen zone, many airlines require you to always be able to show a passport or identity card.

An example of the implications Schengen can have for the traveler:

• Traveling from Germany to France (both EU, both Schengen): no checks
• Traveling from Germany to Switzerland (both Schengen, Switzerland not in the EU): customs controls, but no immigration controls
• Traveling from France to the United Kingdom (both EU, the United Kingdom not in Schengen): immigration controls, but no customs controls
• Traveling from Switzerland to the United Kingdom: Immigration and Customs Controls

By plane

The following list is an incomplete list of low-cost airlines that operate scheduled services within Europe. In addition, almost every European country has one or more national airlines that operate domestic flights and direct flights to other European countries. The distinction between these two categories is becoming increasingly blurred now that various national companies have restarted as a cheap alternative after bankruptcy.

• Corendon
• easyjet
• Eurowings
• Ryanair
• transavia
• Tuifly

By train

The train network in Europe is very extensive. There are several high-speed trains connecting the major cities of Europe at a speed of 250–300 km/h, this is the Belgian Thalys (connecting Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam, the Eurostar (between Brussels-South and London via the channel tunnel), the TGV in France which also has connections to Zurich in Switzerland and Milan in Italy and the German ICE connects the major cities in Germany and also has connections to major cities that lie in the border area of ​​Germany's neighboring countries. There are of course also the regular trains with which you can reach all of Europe. Europe's train network is the responsibility of the countries themselves and is usually in the hands of the government. There are also private railway companies such as in Great Britain and Switzerland. You can travel across national borders thanks to the partnerships between the various railway companies, but you cannot speak of a uniform European rail network. Many European countries have different technologies (4 different current voltages, mutually different in Belgium, France, Germany,... and different track widths in Russia, Spain and Portugal), for which special trainsets are developed that can run in several countries.

• CityNightLine (Germany,Netherlands,Austria,Switzerland,Denmark,Czech Republic).
• EuroCity EC.
• EuroNight (Italy,Spain,Germany,Austria,France,Hungary,Switzerland,Czech Republic).
• Eurostar Italy.
• TGV Luria
• TGV Mediterranee
• Cisalpino CIS
• Pau Casals Hotel Train
• talgo Spain

A good travel planner can be found on the site of the Deutsche Bahn (http://www.bahn.com/i/view/NLD/nl/index.shtml) and the Austrian Railways (http://www.oebb.at/)

InterRail Pass

With an InterRail pass you can travel freely for 16 or 22 days or a whole month in a selection of 28 European countries, plus Turkey. These countries are divided into 8 zones, which you can combine with each other. The price of your InterRail pass depends on the number of zones you choose, but also on your age (younger or older than 26).

You have the choice between:

InterRail Pass fares
Number of zones	Validity period	Interrail -26	InterRail 26	InterRail -12
1 zone	16 days	195,00 €	286,00 €	143,00 €
2 zones	22 days	275,00 €	396,00 €	198,00 €
all zones	1 month	385,00 €	546,00 €	273,00 €

InterRail Pass Zones
Zones	Nations
Zone A	Britain, Ireland
Zone B	Finland, Norway, Sweden
Zone C	Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Zone D	Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
If not	Belgium, France, Luxembourg,Netherlands
Zone F	Morocco,Portugal,Spain
Zone G	Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Turkey and the shipping lines Italy-Greece: Ancona/Bari - Igoumenitsa/Patras
Zone H	Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia

More information on nmbs; NB: if you want to travel with high-speed trains or with night trains, you have to pay a surcharge. For more information from the Netherlands, see the home page of NS Hispeed.

Balkan Flexi Pass

For travelers interested in Southeastern Europe, the Balkan Flexpipass may be a godsend: Unlimited train travel for 5, 10 or 15 days in a month through Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania and Turkey. You can buy the Flexipass at stations in those countries; or much more expensive, on the web.

The pitfall is that many trains in the region are already cheap and that the Balkan Flexpiass is only profitable if you make longer train journeys.

By bus

See also the page Bus Tours in Europe For more information.

With the bus company Eurolines you can reach almost all countries in Europe and travel through a part of Morocco. Eurolines is a Belgium-based umbrella company that cooperates with many other bus companies.

If you want to travel through Europe for a longer period of time, you can Eurolines pass buy, the price depends on whether you choose 15 days or 1 month and on the season and your age. This allows you unlimited travel between 40 different major cities that Eurolines serves.

Eurolines is waarschijnlijk de goedkoopste manier om doorheen Europa te reizen, je hebt op sommige bestemmingen echt bodemprijzen zoals bijvoorbeeld Brussel-Bratislava voor 28 euro heen en terug indien je lang genoeg op voorhand reserveert. Het feit dat je een lange busreis moet maken kan het reizen wel vermoeiend maken. Sommige mensen die vliegangst hebben brengen tientallen uren door in de bus om bijvoorbeeld te reizen van London nasty Prague.

Eurolines Pas Tarieven
duur	seizoen	jongeren	volwassenen
15 dagen	laag	€ 169	€ 199
15 dagen	mid	€ 199	€ 229
15 dagen	hoog	€ 279	€ 329
30 dagen	laag	€ 229	€ 299
30 dagen	mid	€ 259	€ 319
30 dagen	hoog	€ 359	€ 439

voor meer info : Eurolines Pass

Transport by coach is relatively safe, so safe that CBS does not keep separate statistics for the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, there were 720 fatalities in traffic in 2009, 7 of which were in the other category, which includes coaches.

By car

Europa heeft een uitstekend wegennet. Van de Noordkaap tot Gibraltar of van Turkije tot Groot-Brittannië: alles kan je bereiken. In Duitsland mag je zelfs op veel autosnelwegen zo snel rijden als je wilt (op eigen verantwoordelijkheid). De Europese regelgeving voor het verkeer wordt meer een meer geharmoniseerd maar let op voor verschillen van land tot land! In Groot-Brittannië en op Cyprus en Malta rijdt men links!De maximumsnelheid op de autosnelweg bedraagt in de meeste landen 120 km/u of 130 km/u.De toltarieven van Europa kan je raadplegen op de uitstekende website van de anwb

By boat

Er zijn verschillende rivieren die goed begaanbaar zijn per boot. De Donau, Maas, Rhône en Rijn zijn een paar voorbeelden hiervan.

Verder is Europa in het noorden, westen en zuiden door zee begrensd en is het daardoor mogelijk om vanaf Helsinki aan de Oostzee, via de Noordzee, het Kanaal, de Atlantische Oceaan, de Straat van Gibraltar, en de Middellandse Zee naar de Bosporus bij Istanbul te varen. Verschillende delen van deze tocht, en ook andere trajecten, worden ook door reguliere ferry's bevaren.

In een aantal landen zijn ook heel veel kanalen. Met name Frankrijk heeft duizenden kilometers kanalen welke zijn aangelegd tussen de grote rivieren. Met name tussen de gebieden waar van oudsher delfstoffen werden gewonnen naar gebieden met veel industrie. Voordat de delfstoffen werden ontdekt vond er al veel vervoer van hout( boomstammen) en landbouwproducten plaats van diverse gebieden , zoals bijvoorbeeld de Bourgogne naar Parijs en omstreken.

Ook vind je aansluitende kanalen tussen de Middellandse Zee en de Golf van Biscaye, zoals Canal du Midi en verder.

Language

In Europa worden meer dan 70 talen gesproken. Met één taal kom je in Europa niet ver. De meest gangbare taal is Engels. Op de Britse Eilanden is dit de standaardtaal, maar in vooral Scandinavië zijn veel mensen hier ook vaardig in, terwijl in het zuiden en oosten van Europa deze taal juist niet gangbaar is. Het Frans en Duits worden ook in veel Europese landen verstaan. In het oosten beheersen veel mensen, vooral ouderen, Russisch.

To look at

• 

  Stonehenge

• 

  Windmolens in Kinderdijk

• 

  Eiffeltoren in Paris

• 

  Colosseum in Rome

• 

  Parthenon in Athens

• 

  Atomium in Brussels

To do

To buy

Binnen de Europese Unie is de euro de primaire valuta. De euro is opgezet in 1999 en is in 2002 geïntroduceerd om het omzetten van geld overbodig te maken.

De euro is niet overal in Europa te gebruiken. Landen die hun nationale valuta vervangen hebben voor de euro, worden de Eurozone genoemd. Alle landen binnen de EU (behalve het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Denemarken) moeten volgens de wet eventueel de euro als munteenheid aannemen.

Food

Er zijn verschillende soorten keukens in Europa. Met name de Franse, Italiaanse en Griekse keuken zijn populair bij de Europese Bevolking.

Going out

Uitgaan in Europa is mogelijk in meerdere landen. Enkele trekpleisters voor Nederlanders zijn Lloret de Mar, Salou, Chersonissos en Blanes bijvoorbeeld. Voor families met kinderen is kamperen in Duitsland of Frankrijk erg populair. Engelse toeristen gaan graag naar Rhodos en Ibiza. Ook zijn bij de Engelse cruise-tours erg in trek.

stay overnight

Safety

In bijna heel Europa kan er gebeld worden naar het alarmnummer 112 in geval van nood.

In Noord-Macedonië bel je 5555 bij calamiteiten, terwijl in Moldavië verschillende nummers voor de verschillende diensten gelden. De brandweer roep je daar op door 789 te draaien, de politie heeft als nummer 0101, de ambulance 4321.

Health

Het sanitaire niveau kan binnen Europa enorm verschillen. Waar je in het noordwesten uit de kraan kan drinken, worden hygiënische regels in het zuidoosten vaak niet nageleefd of zijn de regels vaker gebrekkig. Toch is ook in het zuidoosten de hygiëne vaak beter dan op vele andere plaatsen in de wereld. Malaria komt niet op grote schaal in Europa voor. Wel worden er voor Turkije vaccinaties geadviseerd, zoals tegen Hepatitis A. Ook kan er reizigersdiarree optreden in Zuid- en Oost-Europa, hoewel dat alleen geldt voor reizigers uit ontwikkelde landen.

Contact

This is a usable article. It contains information on how to get there, as well as the main attractions, nightlife and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but dive in and expand it!

Countries in Europe

Balkans: Albania · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Kosovo · Croatia · Montenegro · North Macedonia · Romania · Slovenia · Serbia Baltic states: Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania Benelux: Belgium · Luxembourg · Netherlands British Isles: Ireland · United Kingdom Central Europe: Germany · Hungary · Liechtenstein · Austria · Poland · Slovenia · Slovakia · Czech Republic · Switzerland France and Monaco: France · Monaco Iberian Peninsula: Andorra · Gibraltar · Portugal · Spain Italian Peninsula: Italy · Malta · San Marino · Vatican CITY Caucasus: Armenia · Azerbaijan · Georgia East Mediterranean: Cyprus · Greece · Turkey Eastern Europe: Kazakhstan · Moldavia · Ukraine · Russia · Belarus Scandinavia: Denmark · Finland · Norway · Iceland · Sweden

Destinations
Continents: Africa · Asia · Europe · North America · Oceania · South America Oceans: Atlantic Ocean · Pacific · Indian Ocean · Arctic Ocean · Southern Ocean Polar regions: Antarctica · Arctic Also see: Room