Europe

Two Great Travel Scam References
Two Great Travel Scam References 746 382 Greg Ellifritz

In doing research for my future book on travel scams, I recently came across these two excellent resources.  Together, they provide a solid education to keep you from falling from the most common travel swindles.

 

 

How To Spot Signs of Being Scammed While Traveling

 

 

The video below focuses on Barcelona, but you’ll see the same scams all over Europe and most of the rest of the world as well.

 

Barcelona SCAMS: Tips For Avoiding Crime and Pickpockets in Spain.

 

European Train Travel
European Train Travel 719 677 Greg Ellifritz

I’ve done overnight trains in South America and South East Asia.  I think it’s actually a pretty fun way to travel (if you bring your own food and alcohol).

I would certainly do some of these new European routes.  Check out the article below to see how sleeper train service is being improved in Europe.

 

New Sleeper Train Services Announced Across Europe

Living in Romania
Living in Romania 600 411 Greg Ellifritz

In continuing my series of articles for people who want to live full time in another country, I stumbled upon this article about ex-pat life in Romania.

 

The Cost of Living in Romania as an Expat

 

I haven’t ever visited Romania, but I will certainly try to get there in the next few years.  It looks like a very pleasant country.  With costs of living about 50% of those in the USA, it might be a cheap way to live on a fixed income in another country’s currency.

Gun Laws in Europe
Gun Laws in Europe 1024 994 Greg Ellifritz

Lots of my American friends are surprised that citizens in other countries can own guns as well.  The process for becoming a gun owner in most other countries is much more onerous than in the United States.

 

In European Gun Culture: What I’ve Learned & Unlearned, An American gun owner moves to a small Spanish island and is going through the process of becoming a gun owner in the EU.  This incredibly detailed narrative explains all the steps he is taking.  It’s quite a process.

“Needless to say, when it comes to guns, there are big differences between the US and Europe.

Navigating these differences has been a winding mountain road, but through this journey, I’ve learned that Americans have several misconceptions about European gun laws and culture, and vice versa.

But we’re all gun lovers here, so let’s learn from my mistakes and break down some barriers!

Today, we’re going to build a small intercultural bridge by examining Europe’s gun laws and the European Firearms Directive, the twisty process for getting a Spanish firearms license (help), and the common stereotypes that perpetuate cultural misunderstandings.”

 

This is a worthwhile read if you are interested in other countries’ gun laws.