Airport Arrival

Have you heard the phrase that the only constant in this world is change?

Well in the travel world, the only thing you can truly plan for is that your plans will change. 

After arriving for our first visit to Amsterdam in the late afternoon, it only took about 10 minutes before our plans needed revising. 

So we pivoted, something we actually do quite well when we travel, and decide to head straight to Vinkeveen for dinner and an early night.

Cue dramatic music. This is where things get a little crazy.

So we took to Trip Advisor and Google to look for dining options near our accommodation. We found a wonderful place right on the lake that the town sits on and the menu looked delightful.

We arrived just as the sun was setting and you couldn’t ask for a better scene for our first night there. We sat down, tried to muster our best Dutch to be polite and our waiter was very patient as his English was not the best.

Ok, maybe here is where you cue the dramatic music. This is where things get interesting.

With most big cities in Europe, credit cards have become just as commonplace as they are in the U.S.. 

But we weren’t in a big city, we were in a fairly small town about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam.

So when we tried to pay with our card (ya know, we’ve got to earn back some of those points we used to get there) their machine wouldn’t accept our card. Nor would it accept any of the other cards we brought with us. 

And guess what we didn’t do when we were at the airport?

You guessed it…we had no cash.

If you remember, our plan was to go into Amsterdam first and we would have been able to easily find an atm to pull out cash. Be we skipped this step.

So the restaurant basically held Mandi and the kids hostage while I went on the search for a bank with an atm…at 9:00 at night. 

I drove to the closest place I could find on Google Maps, anxious to get back to my family. And I struck out. No atm. I searched and searched, driving around a new country with spotty wifi in the dark and continued on with no luck. Days later we would discover that the only atm in the town was in the grocery store, which closed early that night. 

After about an hour or so of searching, we had to try and come up with another plan.

We proposed and  they agreed to let Mandi leave her drivers licence and we promised that we would be back the next day to pay. 

I figured things would work out somehow, someway, but for that hour, it really was unnerving as  I was scrambling to come up with the ransom money to free my captive family. (Ok, so maybe they weren’t really held hostage, but the restaurant owner really wasn’t interested in any of our other proposals and just kept demanding cash, without offering any solutions.)

So I decided to help you not make the same mistake we did.

Here are 5 quick tips to do when you land in Europe.

1. Take a breath and prepare for some extra time at the airport.

This tip really starts long before you land. When you are planning your arrival day, it is wise to double how long you think things will take in the airport. Plan for plenty of time to make it through customs, collect your bags, get money, and pick up your rental car or locate ground transportation. This is even more true if you have never been to Europe or that city before. We recommend planning for 2-3 hours between landing and actually leaving the airport. 

It might take less than that, but if you give yourself the extra time, you’ll be happy when it goes quicker rather than stressed that you are going to miss a train or reservation. So plan the extra time, you’ll be glad you did!

2. Get cash. 

But don’t get cash just anywhere. Find a bank branded ATM and not a currency exchange or an atm branded with Travellex. And when you make a withdrawal with your debit card, make a large withdrawal. We recommend roughly half the amount of cash you plan to spend on your trip. 

Secure the majority of your cash, and then split 50-100 euros between you and your travel partner and keep the money split between a couple of different pockets.

3. Familiarize yourself with the airport.

If you are flying home out of the same airport you flew into, it is helpful to get a little bit familiar with the place, especially if your return flight leaves before 10 in the morning. The last thing you want when you leaving is to be flustered because you’re lost. You’ve already budgeted some time at the airport so use some of it for research. And if you want to be extra  prepared, find a ticketing desk for your airline and just ask them where you will need to be and go when you return in a few days.

And while you are at it, you can soak up the atmosphere. You are in Europe! And many of the airports are much cooler than what we are used to in the U.S.

4. Talk to someone.

I can’t tell you how many times our bacon was saved because we simply talked to a local. From finding great food spots, to avoiding unnecessary delays, to avoiding potential danger. Finding someone to just say hello to and ask for advice is invaluable 

One place to find someone to talk to is the tourist office

Even if you have your itinerary planned to the tee, a visit to the tourism office is worth the time. You may find unique events that interest you but you can also pick up train and bus maps and ask any questions that only locals are going to know.

5. Plan your next few steps.

Generally speaking, airports are much safer places than the streets of a big city. So take a few minutes here, use your map to plan your journey to your hotel, and make sure everyone is on the same page for your next few steps. Also take some time to buy some food. No one wants to be hangry while also navigating a new transportation system and dealing with your luggage.

So there are a few easy steps you can take that I know will help you avoid a little stress on your next trip to Europe

Didn’t read to the end? That’s okay. Here’s the TLDR summary: 

1. Budget plenty of time at the airport
2. Find a bank ATM and withdraw some cash
3. Familiarize yourself with the airport to help when you return home
4. Make sure you talk to some people and don’t overlook the tourism office.
5. Take a few minutes to craft a plan and make sure everyone is on the same page.