euro trip meaning

"EuroTrip" Revisited: The Real Arthur Frommer Reveals the Story Behind the Sex Comedy Classic

By Zac Thompson

Frommer’s guidebooks have been praised for being trustworthy plenty of times—after all, being trustworthy is kind of our thing. But only in the 2004 movie EuroTrip are we given credit for knowing where Europe’s best coed nude beaches are. 

“So. Many. Penises,” one character says in a tone of benumbed shell shock when he doesn’t read our (fictional) advice closely and winds up at a seaside spot full of naked men. 

“Frommer’s tried to tell you,” his friend replies, “but you just didn’t listen.”

We’ll probably leave that one off the highlight reel. 

As a matter of fact, our  2004 edition of Frommer’s Europe serves as an essential prop in EuroTrip , a teen sex comedy in the tradition of Animal House and American Pie that some now consider a cult classic.

Frommer's editorial director Pauline Frommer is not one of those admirers.

“I think I saw [the movie] years ago and thought it was amusing,” she commented after a recent rewatch, “but it hasn’t aged well.”

Despite “some moments of surprisingly good physical comedy,” she thinks the film “manages to be both homophobic and homoerotic,” referring to a glut of gags hinging on gay panic.

Pauline also objects to the movie’s “parade of clichés about Europe." Those include British soccer hooligans, Amsterdam sex workers, and Hitler-sympathizing Germans. One bit with a handsy Italian manages to contain gay panic and clichés about Europe at the same time.

The movie’s plot centers on four hormone-addled young Ohioans set loose on the continent during the summer after their high school graduation. Mostly, they’re in Europe so that Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) can track down his German pen pal (Jessica Boehrs), whom Scotty has only recently discovered is female and therefore his ideal mate.

While Scotty and his three friends travel through London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, and other cities—though nearly everything was shot in Prague—one member of the quartet, Jamie (Travis Wester), is determined to do some sightseeing.

That’s where Frommer’s comes in.

Often seen clutching our guidebook with its distinctive red cover, Jamie habitually cites Frommer’s as an authority on everything from drinking absinthe to thwarting pickpockets by wearing a money belt, which the screenwriters describe as a “currency colostomy bag.”

The trip ends with Jamie accepting a job offer from Arthur Frommer himself.

Only that’s not Arthur Frommer himself in the movie.

Now it can be told: The filmmakers did ask our company founder and namesake to appear in  EuroTrip. But as Pauline, Arthur's daughter, remembers it, when he read the script, he decided it was too raunchy and declined to participate.

"He thought it was soft porn," Pauline says.

But Arthur tells a different story. According to him, it wasn't the raunchiness he objected to—it was the time commitment.

“When they were filming,” the real Arthur Frommer says today, “[the producers] made a phone call to me to ask whether I would appear in the movie, playing myself. They wanted me to fly to Europe and stay there for at least three weeks.” 

During all that time, Arthur would need to remain “on call”—that is, ready to show up on set whenever necessary—for a scene that lasts less than a minute in the movie’s finished version. 

“I said, ‘I can’t do that,’” Arthur recalls. “I had a very busy schedule at that time. I am not able to go [to Prague] and wait for three weeks to elapse. So they went out and chose a British actor to impersonate me.”

That would be Patrick Malahide, who is probably best-known to American audiences for playing Theon Greyjoy’s ruthless father, Balon, in HBO’s Game of Thrones . 

As an English Arthur Frommer in EuroTrip , Malahide wears a bowtie, a supercilious expression, and, naturally, a money belt, none of which the actual travel-writing figure, who was born in Missouri, usually has on.

Of his silver-screen doppelganger, Arthur says: “I don’t think he made much of his appearance in the movie. It was never a major moment.”

Take that, Lord of the Iron Islands. 

Despite what may have been a forgettable cameo, Arthur says that many people still think he actually appeared in EuroTrip . 

“It continues to happen about once a year,” he says. “Someone will say they saw me in that movie”—an all the more remarkable occurrence when someone says this to him face-to-face, considering that the true Arthur Frommer and the movie version look nothing alike. 

Arthur's assessment of the film as a whole echoes his analysis of Malahide's performance. "I never made too much of EuroTrip ," Arthur says. "I saw it once and never went back to it. I thought it was a nothing film."

In other words, not worth even a single star on the Frommer's rating system. 

When asked why he thinks the EuroTrip filmmakers made Frommer’s their guidebook of choice, Arthur says simply, “The books always captured the public’s imagination.”

How else do you think we’ve stuck around for six decades and counting ?

As for the many claims attributed to Frommer’s throughout the movie, allow us to make a few belated corrections:

Constantine ruled Rome in the 4th century , not the 5th. The beaches of southern France often permit toplessness , but rarely full nudity. Money belts really do stymie thieves. And Bratislava is neither featured in our Europe guidebook nor recommended as a place to make out with your sister.

EuroTrip is rentable on several streaming services, including Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Google Play. 

For a list of travel movies we love: S ee our editors' roundup of recommendations .

For another case of pop-culture mistaken identity involving Arthur Frommer: S ee his 1963 appearance on the game show To Tell the Truth .  

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Since Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer were all teens in the 1980s, they grew up watching the same kinds of movies. Sex comedies like  Weird Science  and  Real Genius were wildly popular back then, and they were one of the things the trio bonded over when they first met at Harvard. 

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After writing for  The Harvard Lampoon , they began working in television, eventually landing in the  Seinfeld writers’ room, where they wrote  some of the most memorable episodes of the show’s final seasons . After  Seinfeld ended, they transitioned into film, often working as script doctors to punch up comedies. But they wanted to direct their own movies, too. When it came to what kind of movies those would be, they went back to the sex comedies they’d watched as teens. Out of that came  Ugly Americans , which would later be renamed  EuroTrip in a very deliberate attempt by DreamWorks to trick the audience into thinking they were buying tickets to a  Road Trip sequel. 

But the ruse didn’t work. When  EuroTrip debuted on February 20, 2004 it finished fifth at the box office,  just behind the  Ray Romano / Gene Hackman flop  Welcome to Mooseport .

It was a gut punch for Berg, Mandel and Schaffer, but they all landed on their feet, working on  Curb Your Enthusiasm afterwards. They’d go on to other hits too. For Berg, there was  Silicon Valley   and   Barry ; for Mandel, there was  Veep   and  White House Plumbers ; and for Schaffer, there was  The League and  Dave . But as they presided over the next phases of their careers, something was happening with their theatrical flop.  EuroTrip was being viewed in basements late at night by the kids who were too young to see it in theaters, much the same way that Berg, Mandel and Schaffer had consumed their beloved 1980s sex comedies.

EuroTrip ’s cult status also grew thanks to the very specific drumbeat of “Scotty Doesn’t Know,” the song from the film about the hero’s ex-girlfriend cheating on him. Performed by the Boston-based rock band Lustra — and lip-synced by  Matt Damon in the film — “Scotty Doesn’t Know” gradually became a hit, and in 2023,  Rolling Stone ranked it number two on its list  “Fake Bands, Real Songs: The 50 Best Tunes by Made-Up Musicians.”

While Berg, Mandel and Schaffer were always proud of the film, it’s been especially vindicating for them to see  EuroTrip become a hit after their own studio hated it, critics were divided on it and audiences barely showed up to see it. So, here to take it all off and reveal everything about the film on its 20th anniversary, are Berg, Mandel and Schaffer.

Before There Was ‘EuroTrip,’ There Was ‘Ugly Americans’

David Mandel, writer/producer/(uncredited)director of  EuroTrip : In 2002, Jeff, Alec and I were doing a lot of movie rewrites. We were also getting invited to look at rough cuts where they’d already made the movie, and they were asking us, “How do we fix this?” So, we came to this conclusion: “Boy, comedy directors aren’t great, and it doesn’t seem to take a lot to be a comedy director. The bar is low — why not us?” 

Then, we tried to,  scientifically almost, write a movie that we thought we could sell and that was cheap enough where they’d let us direct it. Those were the parameters we constructed for ourselves. 

Jeff Schaffer, writer/producer/director of  EuroTrip : Conceptually, we wanted to make a movie that was like the movies we grew up watching. 

Alec Berg, writer/producer/(uncredited)director of  EuroTrip :  You could have stopped after just “Conceptually, we wanted to make a movie.”

Schaffer: Yes, that’s true. But we wanted to make a movie where you’d steal your parents’ liquor — or your friends’ parents’ liquor — and go into the basement and watch a funny, R-rated sex comedy. 

Mandel:  There were also two other things that happened in the lead-up to us writing  EuroTrip . One, there was a brief moment where they talked to us about writing the sequel to  American Pie , and we pitched them going to Europe. No one listened, but that was in our brains somewhere. Second, we were doing a rewrite of a movie called  Out Cold , which is a snowboarding movie. We did a one-week rewrite of it, and there was this hot tub scene we came up with. It made us laugh so hard that, at some point we said, “This is too good to give to  Out Cold , we need to keep this and put it in our movie that doesn’t exist.”

Soon, we got to writing it while we were doing rewrites for  The Cat in the Hat at Imagine. We did what we always do and gathered all the funny stories we’d ever heard from friends. They weren’t  our stories because the three of us all graduated and became comedy writers, while our friends went to Europe and had a fun eurotrip of their own. What we had was  their stories because, again, we didn’t have any stories of our own. 

Berg: Every one of them had had a run-in with a creepy Italian guy on a train and got felt up. It was also about the iconic things someone might do while going to Europe, like a nude beach and going to Amsterdam and getting stoned, seeing the red light district. What are the European backpacking touchstones? We kind of reverse-engineered a movie out of that. You can tell by watching  EuroTrip that this movie didn’t come out of some deep need to shed light on the human condition.

Mandel:  I mean, I hate to say it, but it was very joke-sequence-driven. “What could we do in London?” “Let’s do soccer hooligans.” Jokes and cities were very interconnected. We weren’t going to do a city if we didn’t have a great joke, and we weren’t going to do some great joke if it didn’t fit in a city. 

When it was finished, it went out into the world as a spec script, and it went out with our lawyers and representatives saying, “They want to make this.” As the bidding war heated up, because it was a hot spec script, it went to who gave us a path to production, which meant, in under a year, we would be making this movie. That was the entire goal of  EuroTrip — for us to direct a movie. That was everything to us. 

Schaffer:  Also, as it was conceived and when it went out into the world, the movie was called  Ugly Americans . It was never called  EuroTrip .  EuroTrip isn’t anything we would have called it in a million years. It became  EuroTrip in post-production.

Mandel: A lot of studios went after it, including Ivan Reitman on behalf of DreamWorks.

Berg: This was  Ivan Reitman , so we were very much in awe of him. 

Mandel: Yes, but we went with DreamWorks and Ivan because we got our path to production. We got a really nice deal for us to write and direct, and more importantly, they had 12 months to put it into production or we got it back. That was huge. 

That was June of 2002, and we were shooting by the following February in Prague.

Beautiful Americans, Finding the ‘EuroTrip’ Cast

Mandel:  We cast Michelle Trachtenberg early on because she was the closest thing we had to a name. She’d already had a career.

Berg:  She was just a pro. 

Schaffer: Travis Wester as Jamie had a real cockeyed optimism to him. You could smash him down, and he kept getting back up. Jacob Pitts came in and read for Cooper, and he had such an off-kilter read. He made us laugh in ways that we didn’t expect.

We found Scott Mechlowicz a week before we were leaving for Prague. He got the part of Scott because he was handsome, he was fun and he was able to win some. You don’t want a soft center with a bunch of stuff just put upon him. You want him to be able to give as much shit to Cooper as Cooper is giving to him.

Mandel: As for Jessica Boehrs, who played Mieke, Scott’s love interest, we found her once we were overseas. 

Schaffer: She was in a soap and had a music career. Once we saw her, it was done.

Also, we were shooting this in 2003 in the Czech Republic. There was a war going on and there was SARS, so people weren’t dying to fly out. We flew in Steve Hytner as the green fairy because we all worked with him as Bania on  Seinfeld , but half the people that are in the movie are in it because they were shooting another movie in Prague. That’s how we got Lucy Lawless and, most notably, Matt Damon.

Czech Your Bags: Filming in Prague

Berg:  Every single thing in the entire movie, except for the nude beach, was shot in Prague, or within an hour of Prague. 

Schaffer: Every extra is a Czech extra, including for the scenes in America. Bert, Scott’s younger brother, is from Uzbekistan.

Berg:  When you hire an American actor, they work under SAG rules. So if you hire an American actor to work in Europe, you have to pay them for every day that they’re traveling. You also have to pay for first-class travel and their hotel. In other words, to get somebody to come from America to deliver  one line , it’s like $20,000. 

For a while, we had this running joke about the kid who played Bert. We paid him like $150 to be in the movie. So as a joke between us, a “Bert” was a unit of currency. “How many Berts will it take to put a sign on that wall?” “Oh, that’s six Berts. I don’t think we can afford that.”

Schaffer: Another thing that’s worth mentioning is that, even though I’m credited as the director, I’m  not the director. All three of us are the director. What happened was, the Directors Guild gets super uppity about multiple people directing, and they just wouldn’t let us have it. Instead, we had a semi-Buddhist Czech P.A. with a long rat tail named Jaroslav Jablonský pick our names out of a hat. We filmed it and put it on the DVD; it’s called “How to Pick a Director.” 

The Sweet Sounds of ‘Scotty Doesn’t Know’

Mandel:  Even for the scene set at a Ohio high school graduation party, we shot in Prague. We must have scouted a million houses before we found that house. It was the only house in Prague with a backyard. 

Schaffer: For that party, we had to fly in red Solo cups. They don’t exist in Europe. 

Berg:  We had a mostly Czech crew, and we sometimes struggled with language barriers. A great example happened at that party scene. We found the right American-looking house, and we made it look exactly like an American high school party. Then, on the day of shooting, we see the stage where the band plays, and there’s this giant banner that reads, “Congratulation.” 

Mandel: Of course, the party scene is notable for including “Scotty Doesn’t Know,” which I think works so well because it’s truly worked into the script. It’s not just a song in the movie, it’s  in there. 

Schaffer: It’s a narrative engine. Plus, the surprise reveal that it’s Matt Damon doing it is so good.  EuroTrip is such a surprising thing on his resume. It’s like if Einstein was also the pledge master of his fraternity. 

Mandel:  He’s done other comedy things now, but at the time, he was exclusively working with incredible directors.

Schaffer:  We got him because he was in Prague shooting  The Brothers Grimm ,   and we said, “Hey, do you want to do this?” And he said, “Yeah, I’ll do it.” 

When I saw Matt once later on, he said, “I was Ryan in  Saving Private Ryan . I was Ripley in  The Talented Mr. Ripley . But I walk down the street and people go, ‘Scotty doesn’t know!’” He also said, “It was one of the only movies that my 17-year-old daughter goes, ‘Yeah, that was pretty cool.’” 

It’s amazing how that scene and that song has endured. Shoutout to Lustra who wrote a great song. We all helped with the lyrics, but the song is catchy as hell. We’ve even got gold records for it. 

Vinnie Jones and the Double-Decker Bus

Berg:  Vinnie Jones was one of the few names we got into the movie. He cost as much as 20 other people.

Schaffer: He was over 40 Berts.

Berg:  He was  hundreds  of Berts. Well worth it though. He was super game. He’s a professional soccer player who is unbelievably associated with certain teams, but we were making him talk about how Manchester United was the best team ever. He was like, “This is hard for me, guys.” It’d be like hiring Derek Jeter to talk about how great the Red Sox are.

Schaffer: That bar we filmed at was just a bar in Prague. We called it “The Feisty Goat.” Again, we had a lot of issues with language barriers. So, we showed up to the location, and “The Feisty Goat” is misspelled as “The Fiesty Goat.” We kept blaming the Czech art department for it. Finally, someone said, “It’s that way in the script.” Turns out, we’d misspelled feisty the whole time. 

The Robot Fight

Mandel: At one point, there was this idea that, in each city, we’d somehow cast real actors and comedy people from those cities. That plan was a disaster. Either everybody stunk, or in the case of the French, they were just offended and didn’t want to play the role.

Berg:  We, as Americans, have these conceits of what Italian people are like, what French people are like, what German people are like. But Italian people, French people and German people don’t necessarily feel that same way about themselves. 

Mandel:  Ultimately, the French robot guy was played by J.P. Manoux from the Groundlings, and the Italian guy is Fred Armisen from  SNL . We did end up with a few foreign stars, just not as many as we once thought.

As for the scene in Paris, the robot fight, that was one of the sequences of the movie that we’d actually bothered to storyboard because we had all these ideas about it. Then, of course, you get there and, to do what we storyboarded, it would be like, 11 setups. It was too much. Fortunately, it helped that J.P. Manoux already came with his own bag of tricks, and Scott had taken a mime class. I think Scott had been trained by the guy who played Barney. That saved us.

Crans sur Mer: The Nude Beach

Mandel: The Crans sur Mer train station was day one of  EuroTrip shooting. It’s not a particularly significant scene, but it was momentous because we were going to be judged on the quality of those dailies by DreamWorks, as there were a few DreamWorks executives who came for the first few days of shooting. We did that shot with Cooper popping up into frame when he hears “nude beach.” That got a laugh, and it was a huge sigh of relief for us.

Berg:  The nude beach itself was filmed in Rostock in former East Germany, very close to where Wernher von Braun’s rocket factory was. 

Mandel: We got to that set still trying to figure out what we were going to do with the nudity. I remember us making a conscious decision that we weren’t going to do the Mike Myers version. We weren’t going to hide everybody with umbrellas and frisbees. I feel like it was on the beach where we had a discussion saying, “We’ve seen that joke; it’s bullshit. Let’s go for it. Let’s just have a lot of naked guys with penises flapping at you.” We’d never seen that anywhere.

Schaffer:  I can’t believe all those genitals weren’t burnt to a crisp by the sun. You had a whole bunch of Nordic wangs and a long summer day. Those guys were troopers.

The Unused Anne Frank Scene

Schaffer: In the spec script, in Amsterdam, there was a different scene before the sex stuff with Lucy Lawless and the flűggåənk∂€čhiœβøl∫ên. Originally, Cooper is going out to look for a sex club, and he gets a flyer for a place called “The Secret Room.” He’s very excited to go to the secret room, and he’s looking around for it. He sees a line of people for this house, and he asks, “Is this the secret room?”

Mandel: People are also walking out of it, shaking and crying, and he asks them, “Were you in the secret room?” And they said, “Yes,” and he thinks this sounds incredible.

Schaffer: He goes in, and we tilt up and realize it’s the Anne Frank museum. He goes up, and there’s no one in the secret room except a mannequin of a girl. He figures the rest of the people will come soon, so he strips and waits. Then he realizes where he is, and some relatives of Anne Frank—

Mandel: Hold on. It was Tessa Frank, Anne Frank’s only living relative. It was a 100-year-old woman being pushed in a wheelchair.

Schaffer: He realizes “Oh shit,” and he doesn’t have any clothes on. He grabs the only thing he can to cover his genitals, which is that mannequin. So, when the door opens, it looks like he’s fucking Anne Frank from behind, and we just cut to police putting him back on the train.

Berg:  When DreamWorks bought the movie, that scene was this elephant in the room. We didn’t want to say anything or ask about it, and they hadn’t said anything about it. So we just kept proceeding as though it was okay. We actually got a couple of months down the road, and finally, because it’s DreamWorks, Spielberg read the script. He called us and said, “Guys, I think it’s really funny. I loved it. I have one note, and I’m sorry, but you have to cut the Anne Frank thing. I actually thought it was funny. I laughed. But, guys, my name is  literally on that museum.” He was actually one of its biggest donors.

Schaffer: We heard him out and hung up. Then we said, “Fuck no!” We fought tooth-and-nail for it. At one point, between us, we flirted with taking it to New Line just to save this joke. 

Berg: Ultimately, though, New Line said “no,” and we were like, “Fuck!” I remember Ivan Reitman telling us, “You’re out of your fucking minds. You have a greenlit movie here that they’re going to let you guys direct. You don’t know what the fuck you’re doing!” 

Mandel:  However, we fought to get our original script included on the DVD. Remember how they used to include scripts as a DVD extra you can read on the screen? We fought for that.

Schaffer:  No, we just gave them that script because we knew that no one was ever going to read it. 

The Little Girl Peeing in the Street

Berg:  For Bratislava, we found this old Soviet airbase an hour outside of Prague. When the wall fell, they told 25,000 people to pack their shit, and they airlifted them all back to the Soviet Union. They abandoned this massive tract of buildings. 

Schaffer: When we scouted it, it looked like shit — just like we wanted.

Berg: There was graffiti and broken windows. It was perfect.

Schaffer: Then, we got there on the day, and it was spotless. They told us, “We cleaned it up!” We were like, “What!?!? No!” 

Berg: We spent a lot of money putting those apartments back to the way they were before they cleaned it up.

Mandel:  There was a female production assistant from Bratislava who took great offense at the Bratislava depiction in the film. I have to say, I’m especially fond of the little girl that he waves to and she pees in the street. Was that in the final cut? I forget.

Berg:  It’s in the end credits. I remember that was a particular lightning rod where the DreamWorks people were like, “You’ve got to get that fucking thing out of the movie. We will not have it. So, us, being contrarian assholes, said, “We’ll cut it,” then we put it in the end credits.

The Hitler Kid

Schaffer:  I got to teach a four-year-old how to goose step. In the end credits, you can see me teaching him that, getting him a first-class ticket to hell. 

Mandel:  That’s Jeff  pretending  like he’s never goose-stepped before.

Schaffer:  Look, if you’re going to do it, you do it right.

Berg: Thank God we were in Prague, because if we were in Germany, no one would have been comfortable shooting that.

The Vatican

Schaffer: We should also talk about how there was a different ending at the Vatican than what ended up in the movie. In our original ending, when Scott comes down from the Vatican, he tells Mieke, “I’m here.” She says, “Who are you?” But when we did our screening, it was a big energy downer.

Berg:  The  math of the joke was very appealing to us. We thought it would be funny if he does all this, and she goes, “What?” Then when we screened it, the audience was like, “That sucks.” 

Mandel:  It literally killed the movie. She was still going to show up at the very end at his dorm, but that took like 20 minutes. 

Schaffer: So we shot a different ending with them having sex in the confessional during reshoots.

Mandel: A lesson from that scene is something I still talk about with writers. I call it “The Humor of Disappointment.” It’s comedy writers getting too smart for their own good and saying, “You know how, in every movie, the guy and the girl get together in the end? Wouldn’t it be great if you watch a two-hour movie, and nobody gets together?” It’s basically giving the finger to the audience. It never works. 

Berg: Sometimes the classics are classics for a reason. Boy gets girl affirming. Give them what they want. 

Coming Back to America

Mandel:  As we started editing the movie, it became apparent that the studio that made our movie fucking hated it. We’re not talking about them not liking this joke or that joke, we’re talking about this unfortunate sense that it was beneath them.

Berg: They thought this was a barnacle on the ass of their studio. Mike De Luca, who bought  EuroTrip , was brought on to expand the scope of DreamWorks, but once he did that, there was this sense that he let in a bunch of derelicts behind their walls. DreamWorks didn’t like it. 

Mandel: Things just got worse and worse throughout post-production. The definitive moment for me was when I said to Terry Press of DreamWorks, “Why did you make this movie?” and she said, “I don’t know.” 

Schaffer: Ivan even tried to take the movie away from us and cut a PG-13 version of it.

Mandel: We watched that version once with Ivan, and it was so terrible that, when it ended, even he said, “Nevermind.”

Berg:  I remember he said, “I mean, it was a valiant effort, right?” 

Schaffer: He was not in our corner.

Mandel:  He was in our corner at the beginning. He gave great comedy notes and directing notes in pre-production. But from the moment we started shooting, it felt like he wanted to kick us out of the directing chair and direct it himself. As for the PG-13 cut, that wasn’t a conversation   with us. We walked in one day, and he was just doing it. It really sucked.

Berg: He was in a precarious position. His company had a deal at DreamWorks, and for him to curry favor, he had to get along with them. If he had to throw us under the bus to do that, there were places where I think he did that. 

Schaffer:  In post, the title became a recurring issue too. The basic thing when we came back from shooting was, “Let’s try to trick people into thinking this is a  Road Trip sequel.” 

Mandel: At one point, they were even talking about having Tom Green do a trailer for  EuroTrip where he says, “Remember my friends from  Road Trip ? These are my new  friends who go to Europe!”

Berg: I remember this meeting with the DreamWorks marketing people telling us what  Road Trip ’s opening box office was, what their eventual box office was, how many units of home video they shipped. They just kept talking about how much  Road Trip was such a great piece of business for them. And we’re like, “Okay, what does that have to do with us?”

Basically, they thought, “If we can trick the audience into thinking this is a sequel to  Road Trip , and if we can get 70 percent of the audience that movie had, that’s a win.” We quickly realized, “Oh, we’re fucked.”

Mandel: At some point, they scheduled a final test screening, and they more or less told us that, if we didn’t get above an 85 audience score, it wasn’t going to get released. We knew when they were going to test it, so we got one of the flyers recruiting the audience. We Xeroxed it and gave it to anyone we knew who was younger than us and wasn’t in the business. We gave it to a shitload of young  Harvard Lampoon comedy writers who had recently moved out to L.A. and anybody else we knew who was young and wasn’t a comedy writer, an agent or a lawyer. We packed the audience with people that we knew and told some of the men to fill out that they were women. We told them “Don’t give it 100, but give it 90s and 95s.” After the screening, we went to some restaurant. They tallied it up, and we got over that 85. I remember the guy saying, “And we moved up in women, too!” 

There was just one thing left: the name. They said, “We will release this movie, but you must change the title.” We reluctantly went, “Fine, call it  EuroTrip ,” which was a title cooked up in a petri dish by DreamWorks marketing. The irony is, Todd Phillips got pissed at  us for the title. As if we thought it was the greatest idea in the world. We got it from both ends. 

There are probably a million things, in hindsight, that I wish we could fix about  EuroTrip , but number one above everything else is, I wish it was called  Ugly Americans .

The End of the Road

Mandel: But hey, the marketing worked. We came in third that weekend behind the 11th week of  50 First Dates and  Welcome to Mooseport . 

Berg: And there was that Lindsay Lohan movie. 

Mandel: We were fourth? I thought we beat them and that Meg Ryan boxing movie. 

Berg:  I feel like we beat  Mooseport. 

Mandel: No, we lost to  Mooseport . I will stake my reputation on that!

Berg:  I’m going to look it up…

Schaffer:  Needless to say, it was a race to the bottom. 

Berg:  Okay, I just pulled it up. Number one that weekend was  50 First Dates . Number two was  Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen . Number three was the third week of  Miracle . 

Mandel: Holy shit.

Berg:  Number four,  Welcome to Mooseport .

Mandel: Holy shit. This is worse than I remembered.

Berg:  Number five,  EuroTrip . To our credit, we did beat the living shit out of the Meg Ryan boxing movie,  Against the Ropes .

Mandel: I do remember that, on that Friday, by 10 a.m., we were dead in the water. It was deflating because it was over so quickly. When we were fighting with DreamWorks and losing, at least we were fighting. But then, on Friday morning, to be dead on arrival, it was deflating. 

Berg: It was a gut-punch. When someone calls you and says to you the last two years of your life were kind of wasted, that’s brutal. 

On the Road Again: ‘EuroTrip’ Finds Its Audience

Mandel: In the aftermath of  EuroTrip , we tried to get other directing gigs, and people were saying things to us like, “Maybe you’ll direct a sample scene,” as if we’d never even made the movie. In a great way, it’s how we ended up at  Curb Your Enthusiasm . Had  EuroTrip never bombed, we never would have gone to Larry, who was looking for people to bounce ideas off of for  Curb . 

So we went away very quickly, but it was really “Scotty Doesn’t Know” that kept the movie going. Obviously, there was the DVD, where all the people who were too young to see it in theaters could now watch it. But it was “Scotty Doesn’t Know” that I heard was being played at proms by live bands and DJs. And now, on social media, “Scotty Doesn’t Know” and a handful of shots from  EuroTrip are now memes. 

Schaffer:  That and “Mi Scuzi” from Fred Armisen. 

Berg:  And there’s “Mail Motherfucker.” That’s a drop used on Howard Stern. They still use it all the time, whenever he’s reading email from listeners.

Berg: People call  EuroTrip a “cult hit,” but you don’t set out to make a cult hit. You set out to make a blockbuster. Below that there’s “kind of a hit,” then there’s “sort of okay,” then there’s “cult hit,” followed by “total bomb.” A cult hit is just one step above a total bomb, but it has to be a total bomb   first   for that to happen. It takes a while for the soup to cure and become a cult hit.

Schaffer: The interesting thing is, because it took that journey, the generation that watched it, watched it in their basements, like the movies we watched. 

Mandel:  Sure, we would have liked the giant blockbuster, but at this point, I’ll take it. 

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10 things you may not know about EuroTrip

It has been ten years since EuroTrip , riding the raunchy teen comedy revival of the late '90s and early naughts, burst into theaters and exposed an entire generation of teens to a beach full of dangling male genitalia. And even a decade later, those involved with the cult classic are still proud of it—every sex organ included.

At least, that was the vibe taken away from the audience Wednesday night in Hollywood, where cast members Scott Mechlowicz ("Scotty"), Jacob Pitts ("Cooper"), Michelle Trachtenberg ("Jenny"), Travis Wester ("Jamie") joined producers Jeff Schaffer, Alec Berg, and David Mandel and several others for a Q&A session. (The robot man even showed up—sans robot outfit.)

Here are some of the things that we—like Scotty—didn't know:

Matt Damon's cameo—as the band leader/guy who steals Scotty's girlfriend, played by Kristin Kreuk—came together because the producers knew him from their days at Harvard…and he was in Prague. In fact, many parts, including Jeffrey Tambor's, were filled because the actors were already shooting in Prague, where EuroTrip was filmed. "No one wanted to fly over and we didn't have the money to have anyone fly over," recalled Schaffer. "So we basically looked around and said, 'Who's filming in Prague?'" Luckily, Damon was in town shooting The Brothers Grimm. Not so lucky, however, was that the only night he was available was the shortest night of the summer, so "we literally had from 10:45 at night…and the sun would come up at 3:45," remembered Schaffer. "So we shot it in, like, 4.5 hours."

They had a lot of trouble casting Scotty. "It had gotten to the point, literally, where we were going to restaurants, staring at our waiters," said Mandel of the search for Scotty. Luckily, Mechlowicz, a UCLA student at the time, "rode in on a white horse" to save them from further stress over casting the all-important part. Meanwhile, Trachtenberg credited her physical comedy in her audition—which was the airplane scene where Jenny climbs over Cooper on her way to the bathroom—to her getting the job offer from the producers. "And I blew them," deadpanned Trachtenberg, who got several laughs from the crowd for her natural EuroTrip -style humor. Above all, though, producers said it was important to them at the time to cast real teenagers in the roles. "We didn't want 35-year-olds playing high school kids," said Schaffer.

Scotty is seen reading Jackie Collins' Sinners on the train—the same book his mother is reading back at home. The reason? "It was the only book we could clear [legally], so everyone was reading it," said Schaffer.

Despite all the political incorrectness in the film, there was one scene that was just too much for the studio, referred to by producers as "The Anne Frank sex scene." In the scene—never filmed but available in script form on the original DVD, they claim—Cooper finds a flyer for a sex club called "The Secret Room" and accidentally misidentifies the house of Anne Frank as the club. ("He asks somebody, 'Is this The Secret Room' and they go, 'Yes, it will change your life,'" Berg recalled.) Encountering a big line outside, Cooper assumes he has found the correct place, but instead of waiting, he goes through a backdoor. Once he discovers a small room with a small bed, he decides to get naked and wait for a sex worker—but soon after finds himself exposed in front of a tour group. (To make matters worse, Anne Frank's only living relative was a part of the tour group.) And as if that wasn't enough to horrify the studio, the scene also had Cooper reaching for a small mannequin—one guess as to whom it was modeled after—and covering his private parts with it, resulting in an unintended sexually explicit visual for the tour group. The producers wrote the Club Vandersexxx scene to replace this scene once it was nixed.

Fred Armisen's legendary cameo as the creepy foreigner came together very quickly. In fact, Mandel said the day after being cast, Armisen was on a plane to Prague and filmed the very next day. "We were lucky the suit fit," he said. Meanwhile, Wester praised Armisen for being "the only actor to ever make me fall out of a seat completely" while laughing. "It took four or five takes before I actually calmed down," he said.

The actor in the nickel scene (Miroslav Táborský) is "the Dustin Hoffman of the Czech Republic"—and resisted doing the scene. His hesitance partly came from not wanting to slap the man who was his boss in the movie, because he didn't want to slap someone with the back of his hand. "We had to go into a very long explanation of American prostitution and pimpdom and the origins of the pimp-slap and how it was the worst thing you could do to another human," said Mandel. "You did more directing to that guy than I've done in my entire career," joked Kevin Smith, who moderated the panel.

The original title was Ugly Americans . But the studio didn't want the movie with "ugly" in the title or a "sarcastic or ironic" title, said Schaffer. "We had a knock-down, drag-out fight with them," said Schaffer, "which is like having a fight with your parents when you're four because they can call it whenever they want." And they did.

A "Bert" is a unit of money. Unofficially, of course. But it became a running joke to the producers after they paid young actor Nial Iskhakov "about $175" to play the role of Bert, Scotty's brother in the film. "'Can we put a tree in that window?' 'Well, it will be six Berts,'" Schaffer recalled.

The nude beach scene originally had much less nudity in it. But once they started filming, they realized it took away from the comedy to have all the extras holding surfboards and other objects— Austin Powers -style—to cover their private parts. "We thought, 'Wouldn't it be funnier if it was just wall-to-wall penises?'" said Mandel. The extras likely didn't mind the change; according to Trachtenberg, there was a lack of shyness between takes, making for an awkward craft services environment.

You can, in part, thank Barney for the robot fight scene. The man inside the Barney suit was Mechlowicz's acting teacher when he was young. And "he had mad robot skills," said Mechlowicz, "so I picked it up early."

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41 Facts About The Movie EuroTrip

Written by Adria Roberto

Modified & Updated: 01 Jun 2024

Reviewed by Sherman Smith

If you’re a fan of comedy movies, chances are you’ve heard of the hilarious and underrated gem, EuroTrip. Released in 2004, this American-European comedy film follows the misadventures of a group of American teenagers as they embark on a wild journey across Europe. Filled with laughs, romance, and unexpected twists, EuroTrip has become a cult classic among movie enthusiasts.

In this article, we will dive into the world of EuroTrip and uncover 41 fascinating facts about the film. From behind-the-scenes trivia to interesting tidbits about the cast and crew, get ready to indulge in the ultimate EuroTrip trivia experience. Whether you’ve seen the movie a dozen times or are discovering it for the first time, these facts will enhance your appreciation for this comedic masterpiece.

Key Takeaways:

• EuroTrip is a hilarious comedy film that takes viewers on a wild adventure across Europe, filled with cultural misunderstandings, iconic landmarks, and a vibrant soundtrack.
• With its blend of silly humor, memorable quotes, and feel-good vibes, EuroTrip continues to entertain audiences and has even impacted tourism in the European destinations it features.

EuroTrip: A Comedy Classic

EuroTrip is a hilarious comedy film that was released in It follows the misadventures of a group of American teenagers who embark on a trip to Europe.

Directed by Jeff Schaffer

The movie was directed by Jeff Schaffer, who is known for his work on other successful comedies such as The Dictator and The Cat in the Hat .

The Casting Process

The casting process for EuroTrip was extensive. The filmmakers held auditions in various cities to find the perfect actors to portray the main characters.

Scott Mechlowicz as Scott Thomas

Scott Mechlowicz plays the role of Scott Thomas, the main character of EuroTrip. Mechlowicz’s performance in the film helped him gain recognition in the industry.

Michelle Trachtenberg as Jenny

Michelle Trachtenberg portrays Jenny, Scott’s best friend and love interest in EuroTrip. Her portrayal of the character was praised by critics and audiences alike.

A Quest for Love and Adventure

EuroTrip follows the story of Scott and his friends as they travel across Europe in search of adventure and Scott’s long-distance love interest, Mieke.

The Beautiful European Destinations

EuroTrip showcases various stunning European destinations, including Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, and London. The film captures the charm and beauty of these cities.

Cultural Misunderstandings Galore

Throughout their journey, the characters in EuroTrip encounter numerous cultural misunderstandings, leading to awkward and hilarious situations.

Matt Damon’s Memorable Cameo

One of the standout moments in EuroTrip is Matt Damon’s unexpected cameo as a punk rock singer. His performance of a catchy and provocative song adds to the comedic value of the film.

Lively and Energetic Soundtrack

EuroTrip features a vibrant soundtrack filled with popular songs from the early 2000s, contributing to the film’s energetic and lighthearted atmosphere.

Praised for Its Humor

EuroTrip received praise for its humor, with critics and audiences finding the film’s comedic moments to be irresistibly funny.

International Box Office Success

The film performed well at the international box office, attracting audiences with its comedic storyline and European setting.

Cult Following

Over the years, EuroTrip has gained a cult following, with fans appreciating its unique blend of comedy and adventure.

Fusion of Different Comedy Styles

The film combines various comedy styles, including slapstick, satire, and witty banter, creating a well-rounded comedic experience.

Outrageous and Memorable Characters

EuroTrip features a colorful cast of characters, each with their own quirks and eccentricities, making them memorable and entertaining to watch.

A Journey of Self-Discovery

Underneath its comedic facade, EuroTrip explores themes of self-discovery and personal growth as the characters navigate their way through Europe.

Unforgettable Party Scenes

The movie includes several unforgettable party scenes that showcase the vibrant nightlife of European cities, adding to the film’s energetic atmosphere.

International Collaboration

EuroTrip is an international collaboration, with filmmakers and actors from different countries coming together to create this comedy gem.

Teen Comedy with a Twist

EuroTrip stands out among other teen comedies due to its unique setting in Europe, offering a fresh twist on the genre.

Incorporation of European Stereotypes

The film playfully incorporates European stereotypes, using them as a source of humor throughout the story.

Cultural References and Parodies

EuroTrip is filled with clever cultural references and parodies, satirizing various aspects of European culture and society.

Iconic Quotes

The movie is known for its memorable quotes, which have become popular among fans of the film.

Surprising Plot Twists

EuroTrip keeps viewers on their toes with unexpected plot twists and turns, adding to the excitement and entertainment value of the film.

Positive Reception from Audience

While EuroTrip received mixed reviews from critics, it has garnered a loyal fan base who appreciate its comedic approach and entertaining storyline.

A Coming-of-Age Narrative

At its core, EuroTrip is a coming-of-age story that explores themes of friendship, love, and the challenges of navigating adulthood.

Recognizable European Landmarks

The film showcases various iconic European landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and the Vatican, providing a visual feast for viewers.

Embracing Cultural Differences

Through its comedic lens, EuroTrip promotes the idea of embracing cultural differences and celebrating diversity.

Endearing Chemistry Among the Cast

The chemistry among the cast members in EuroTrip is undeniable, adding to the authenticity of their relationships onscreen.

Critical Reflection on American Stereotypes

The film also provides a critical reflection on American stereotypes and perspectives, highlighting the cultural differences between the characters and the Europeans they encounter.

Universal Themes

Despite its European setting, EuroTrip explores universal themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery that resonate with audiences worldwide.

Hilarious Language Barriers

The language barriers faced by the characters in EuroTrip result in many humorous situations, showcasing the importance of effective communication .

A Mix of Adventure and Comedy

EuroTrip successfully combines elements of adventure and comedy, keeping viewers entertained from start to finish.

Sequences of Absurdity

The film includes sequences of absurdity and exaggeration, adding to its comedic charm and providing laughs throughout.

Memorable Sound Bites

EuroTrip has several memorable sound bites that have become iconic within the comedy genre.

Relationships Tested

During their European escapade, the characters’ relationships are tested, leading to both comedic and heartfelt moments.

A Road Trip Like No Other

EuroTrip takes the classic road trip narrative and adds a European twist, resulting in a unique and entertaining storyline.

Silly and Irreverent Humor

The humor in EuroTrip is silly and irreverent, appealing to those who enjoy lighthearted and outrageous comedies.

The Film’s Impact on Tourism

EuroTrip helped popularize certain European destinations, leading to increased tourism in cities featured in the film.

A Feel-Good Movie

At its core, EuroTrip is a feel-good movie that leaves viewers with a sense of joy and laughter.

A Must-Watch for Comedy Fans

If you’re a fan of comedy films, EuroTrip is a must-watch for its laugh-out-loud moments and entertaining story.

The Legacy of EuroTrip

Even after many years since its release, EuroTrip continues to entertain audiences and hold a special place among comedy film enthusiasts.

In conclusion, EuroTrip is a hilarious and entertaining movie that is packed with laughs, adventure, and a sprinkle of romance. With its memorable characters, outrageous comedy, and iconic European locations, it has become a beloved cult classic. The film’s unique blend of humor and heart, along with its catchy soundtrack, makes it a must-watch for any fan of comedy films.Whether you’re a fan of coming-of-age stories or just looking for a fun and entertaining movie to watch, EuroTrip is sure to leave you entertained. So gather your friends, grab some popcorn, and get ready to embark on a wild and unforgettable European adventure with Scotty , Cooper, Jenny, and the rest of the gang.

1. When was EuroTrip released?

EuroTrip was released on February 20 , 2004.

2. Where was EuroTrip filmed?

The movie was filmed in various locations across Europe, including Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, and Rome.

3. Who are the main characters in EuroTrip?

The main characters in EuroTrip are Scotty, Cooper, Jenny, and Jamie.

4. Is EuroTrip a comedy?

Yes, EuroTrip is a comedy film known for its humor and wit.

5. What is the rating of EuroTrip?

EuroTrip has an R rating for its strong sexual content, nudity, and language.

6. What is the running time of EuroTrip?

The running time of EuroTrip is approximately 1 hour and 32 minutes.

7. Who directed EuroTrip?

EuroTrip was directed by Jeff Schaffer.

8. Is EuroTrip available for streaming?

Yes, EuroTrip is available for streaming on various platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

9. Did EuroTrip receive any awards?

EuroTrip did not receive any major awards, but it has gained a dedicated fanbase over the years.

10. Can I watch EuroTrip with my family?

EuroTrip is more suitable for a mature audience due to its content, so it may not be appropriate for young children.

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Ultimate Eurotrip Packing Guide

Last Updated April 5, 2023 William Tang

You are here: Home » Travel Packing Lists » Ultimate Eurotrip Packing Guide

Preparing for your very first Eurotrip can be a bit daunting.  I remember when I first head out to Europe on exchange, I had no idea what I was in for.  I packed everything and the kitchen sink.   I was able to make it work with the gear that I had brought over but it was definitely not the most efficient.  For my second trip to Europe, I did more research, purchased better gear, and it turned out to be a much more pleasant experience.

The key to having a great backpacking trip to Europe is making sure you’ve done the right preparation beforehand.  The hope for this guide is to walk you through what you should be thinking about when packing for your trip.

This Eurotrip packing guide on preparing for your trip is based on my own personal experiences packing for  Competitours , a 14 day, all-around Western Europe trip.  It’s Amazing Race but for normal people.

Read more about Eurotrip

• Best SIM card to get for a trip to Europe
• How to travel Europe for cheap
• Travel hacks – Travelling Europe for cheap
• 8 cities you need to go to before you die
• What you need to know about river cruising in Europe

How to get the best deals in travel

• Hottest deals  – Bookmark the  travel deals page .
• Car rentals  – stop getting ripped off and  learn about car rental coupon codes .
• Hotels  – Use  corporate codes  or get  Genius 2 tier  with Booking.
• Flights  – Have you ever heard of the  “Everywhere” feature ?
• Insurance  – Make sure you’re covered and learn more about  where to buy the best travel insurance .

In This Article

Eurotrip Preparation Wisdom

Shirts & underwear, pants & jacket, miscellaneous electronics, additional things in the main pack, daypack items, tech gadgets, things you probably didn’t think about, everything else.

Some of this may seem obvious and intuitive and others you may have heard others say but don’t believe.  I’m going to lay out all the things you really should be thinking about and putting into action when you prepare for that epic trip to Europe.

• Pack light – This is probably the hardest one of them all.  It’s easy to bring everything you “think” you’ll need on the trip but the truth is you’ll use less than half of that and you’ll hate yourself for doing it because of all the extra weight you have to carry around.
• It’s not a fashion show – I know this is hard to accept for some, but there’s really no need to look that good on the road.  You’re going to wear those same khakis for a couple days straight and you’ll probably end up rotating through the same 5-6 shirts.  It’s okay.  Do yourself a favor and leave those jeans at home.  They’re not versatile, they’re heavy, and impossible to dry when wet.
• Good shoes are key – Europe is 100% walking.  If you don’t have good shoes, you’re going to be complaining most of the way through.
• Washing your clothes – The only way to bring less sets of clothes than the number of days you have on the road is to wash your clothes.  One option is to find a laundromat and the other is to hand wash them yourself.  The hardcore backpackers know they can survive on 2-3 pairs of underwear because hand washing them every night is very do-able.  Watch my hand-washing video to learn how.  This is why fast drying clothes are also key.
• Play it safe – The worst thing that can happen to you on your trip is to have your stuff stolen.  Never take those dumb risks.  Don’t put your backpack down on the ground unattended, always wear a money belt, and lock your gear up if you’re staying at a hostel.
• Don’t stress – Europe is very developed so whatever you might’ve forgotten, you’ll be able to buy along the way.

Eurotrip Packing Guide

A critical piece of gear that makes the whole Eurotrip packing guide work is the backpack.  The core piece is the main backpack which is going to carry everything you’ll be living off of.  From my experience a backpack around the 50-55L is just right for a multi-week trip around Europe.

Now you’re probably wondering about the second pack there.  It’s almost as big as my main pack.  I’ll say this.  It’s a bit overkill, yes, and I wish I had a smaller backpack in this case

These are the two things you want to consider with backpacks.  

• You always want to make sure you have a day pack when you’re travelling.  Those collapsable backpacks like the New Outlander  are great for this.  
• The tricky part is in that I have a lot of gear (camera, video, and laptop) and when you start looking at ones with padded compartments they’re no longer going to be collapsible.  

Ideally, you’d be able to keep everything in one main pack but with with this configuration I’m going to essentially have to carry the main pack on my back and my day pack in the front.

• Mountain Hardwear Ozonic 50 Outdry  – I intended to use this for Peru but I figure why the heck not use it for Europe as well.  This guy is a tough backpack being fully water proof and all but what’s been great about packing it so far is that it’s packed with a lot of features like the top flap zipper compartment, the flexible side pockets, and the hip pockets.  I purchased the M/L size which increases the capacity to 55L.  I was also left with tons of room to spare after fitting everything in.
• Thule Covert DSLR Rolltop Backpack – Some of you may seen this in my China video but what I have to say about this backpack is that it’s a fantastic travel pack because it handles the need of having super safe and secure compartments for the camera while also coming with a lots of compartments for gear you’d want to put in a daypack.  Quality is top notch and extremely rugged.  The only drawback of course is that it is a bit large.  I would’ve opted for a smaller bag for this trip but the life of a travel blogger (with video ambitions) means the need for way more stuff than a normal person.

For shirts, I’d say there’s really no need to bring more than 7 sets and even then it might be more than you need.  The key again is that you should never be afraid to wash your clothes.  The reason I’ve stopped waiting for laundromats is because you often have to allocate time to find them, drop-off and pick-up.  With hand-washing, you can pace yourself by doing one a night and that way you’ll never run out of clothes.

Underwear works the same as I’ve budgeted 7 sets of socks/underwear for 14 days.  I could probably do with less socks since I do plan on wearing flip flops or sandals for part of the trip. My go-to underwear is the ExOfficio Give-N-Go , the best travel boxers hands-down.

The last thing I’ll mention is the use of these stuff sacks.  For my t-shirts I love my Eagle Creek organizer that allows you to cram SO MUCH into one nice little neat package.  It’s all thanks to the technique of rolling your clothes ( see the video ).  I simply throw it into the backpack and with the handle at the top, all I have to do is pull it out.  

The stuff sack mesh bags are also critical to any backpacker.  I make sure everything is a different color and that way I can keep my pack organized.  This way you won’t have to dig through piles of clothes inside the bag.  Need PJ’s or that button up shirt?  I just need to pull out the blue bag.  Need underwear or socks?  Just pull out the orange bag.  It makes life so much easier.

• Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Cube (M) with 7 t-shirts- This packing cube was one of the best discoveries.  This helps keeps my shirts nice and tidy.
• Cactus Creek Mesh Bags  (M) with PJs – These used to be sold at MEC in Canada but they seemed to have disappeared.  Honestly any mesh bag will do but make sure they’re colour coded.  I have 3 sizes.  This particular one is the medium.
• Cactus Creek Mesh Bags  (M), 5x socks and underwear – If I could, all of my underwear would be the Exofficio Give-N-Go Boxer but I only have 4.  Sock wise, I probably don’t need that much since I’ll be alternating between hiking shoes, flip flops and sandals but I figure why not since I have the space.
• North Face Short Sleeve Button Shirt – Picked this up at the outlet not too long ago.  I packed this just to mix it up if I wanted to.  The great part about this shirt is that it’s still very light.

Where most people go wrong with the packing is in the pants.

Rule #1:  Jeans are a no-no – There’ll be that initial desire to bring one because that’s what you comfortably wear at home on a day-to-day basis but on the road it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  The main issues are that they’re not light nor can they be packed into a tight form factor.

Rule #2:  Versatile clothes may not be sexy but are useful – The khakis I have below are great because they’re lightweight and quick to dry and I have the option of zipping away the pant legs to turn them into shorts.  Probably not something you’d wear at home but on the road, I zip away freely.  Nobody’s judging!

Rule #3:  You just don’t need a whole lot of pants – The way I think about it is, as long as the underwear changes everyday, I should totally be happy with wearing the same pants everyday.  I have 3 pairs of main pants and that is more than enough.

• Eddie Bauer Khakis – Another great purchase from the outlet.  These pants have served me well for the past couple of trips.
• Assortment of capris – Hey guys can wear capris too right?  I’ve been a big fan of these for travel but honestly completely your personal preference.  For me, it’s all about making sure I have additional pockets.
• O’Neill Men’s Hybrid Freak Boardshort – Again versatility is key.  I love these swim trunks because they’re perfect for the water but they also look fantastic on land.
• Cactus Creek Mesh Bags (L) – Probably hard to see but this is the large version of the mesh bag.  I use this to carry all of my pants in one organizer.  Since this tends to be the largest stuff sack, I will usually make sure this goes near the bottom of the bag to balance the weight properly.
• Patagonia H2No Shell Jacket – It doesn’t make a lot of sense to bring an umbrella when you can bring a waterproof jacket like this that can also double as an additional layer.  Shells like this are perfect for travelling because they’re versatile, light and easily rollable.

This is my current line up of shoes.  It may seem like a lot but the flip flops don’t really count because those fit just about anywhere.  The hiking shoes are my daily walkers but I usually will end up interchanging them with my sandals for those super hot days or if I know I’ll be walking into water.

The tricky part though is if you plan on doing any clubbing.  Like clubs at home, most places will only let you in if you have the proper clothing and shoes which goes against everything that’s optimized for travel.  If you plan on doing that kind of partying, you’re just going to have to suck it up and bring a dress shirt, jeans and dress shoes/nice sneakers.

• Merrell Moab Ventilators Hiking Shoe – These shoes have been the bread and butter of all my trips for years now.  They’re incredibly comfortable and great in all situations.  These ones aren’t waterproof but for city walking, this fits the bill.
• Rainbow Sandals, Double Layer Leather Sandal – I have reviewed these extensively before but I can’t go on a summer trip without these.  They’re just so damn comfortable and great for extended periods of walking.  Plus you never know when you’ll be hitting up a beach right?
• KEEN H2 Newport Sandal – My review holds this as one of the best sandals on the market.  I love them because they’re just so versatile in summer conditions.  Amphibious is the word that comes to mind.
• MSR Packtowel Personal – Don’t make the mistake I made with quick dry towels and buy a small one.  It’s just not worth it to annoyingly dry yourself with something the size of a hand towel.  This one is great because it’s large (XL in fact), packs into a small form factor, and dries quickly.  While mostly used in hostels, this is the kind of thing that’s always nice to have with you because you never know.
• 20L Stuff Sack – This bag is mainly used to store dirty clothes.  A stuff sack like this is great because it’s water proof so if you for some reason have wet clothes, you can use it for that too.
• Another Stuff Sack – I have tons of stuff sacks at home and I pulled this one to just neatly store my sandals in my backpack so that again, I know what that dark green bag is when I’m reaching in to pull stuff out.

There’s quite a few things in my toiletries kit so let’s jump right in.

• Hair Gel – Yah forget what I said about not needing to look good.
• Cetaphil Face Cleanser – It’s all about the travel size bottles.  I got this as a sample somewhere and I’ve been using it for my trips ever since.
• Bandaids – I have an assortment of sizes with me.  Waterproof ones are good to have too.
• Reactine – When allergies strike.
• Immodium – This has you covered if you ever get traveler’s diarrhea.
• Electric Toothbrush – I know it’s a bit overkill but this cheap electric toothbrush keeps my teeth clean.  I also pop in new batteries before I leave the house.
• Toothpaste – I really should have a travel-sized one.
• Body Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner – Courtesy of the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello.
• Tylenol Day/Night Cold – This has come in handy on numerous occasions on the road.
• Peptid AC – This is more for the Asian Glow than anything.
• Systane Balance Eyedrops – I have dry eyes.
• Ear Plugs – I don’t normally use these but Sam might be a snorer.
• Advil – The new tablet form factor is pretty nice.
• Off Mosquito Repellent – Big cities usually aren’t a problem but again it’s one of those things where you never know.
• Alcohol Wipes – I have hand sanitizer below.  This is more for use as an antiseptic to clean wounds or what have you.
• Digital Thermometer – I’ve been sick on the road before so this has always been nice to have because to buy one on the road would be very expensive.
• Sunscreen – Got this nice package courtesy of the folks at St. Pete’s.
• Tide Single Packet – Purchased this as a package of 3.  I’m only bringing this because I’m trying to kill off this last one.  To be perfectly honest, using regular bar soap or liquid body soap or even shampoo are just as effective for the hand-washing of clothes.
• EmergenC – This is a great boost if you feel the onset of a cold or flu.
• Multi-vitamin – Who knows is this is actually effective or not but I usually try to take a multi-vitamin a day just to ward off anything bad.  It’s hard to keep a balanced intake of vitamins when travelling so the theory is that this helps with that.
• Muji Paraglider Cloth Hanging Travel Case – Last but not least is the case that carries it all.  I’ve been very happy with this Muji toiletries organizer because of it’s simplicity in design and comprehensiveness in terms of pockets, zippers and elastic holders.  The must-have feature for any toiletries organizer is the hook.  Hanging your bag is always a better option than letting it sit on the sink especially if you’re using communal hostel washrooms.

While I try to keep most of my electronics with my daypack, inevitably I’ll end up with a bunch of things that need to be stored away.

• Outdoor Research Stuff Sack – The Outdoor Research bag is a bit overkill but it’s a nice small stuff sack where I can throw in bunch of things and not have to worry about it tearing in transit.
• Aquapac Waterproof Case – This soft case is great because it’s extremely easy to roll away and still provides you touch control if you put your phone inside.  I bring this only if I think there’s a chance I’ll have to go out into the water (i.e. kayak or canoe).
• Mamut Headlamp – This model has since been discontinued but in general it’s a good idea to bring a headlamp because you might be doing a sunrise/sunset hike or if a power outage occurs or
• WD Portable Hard Drive – I have brought this along just because I’m worried I might run out of hard drive space on the laptop.  This is also a good way to backup photos and videos while travelling so you’ll have one copy on the laptop and the other on this hard drive.
• Plug Adapters for UK and EU – I have a random assortment of plug adapters I’ve collected over the years.  Always do your research beforehand but in Europe you’re mostly dealing with these two types of plugs.   Universal adapters are good but the problem is with all the devices you have you’ll need multiple.  I find that individual adapters like mine are more useful.
• Chargers and Cables – I pretty much throw all the random cables and chargers into the bag too.  I only need them once a night so no need to put them in my daypack.

Here are just a few things I packed but realized I forgot to photograph afterwards.

• Rick Steves’ Silk Money Belt – I have a love-hate relationship with the money belt.  On one hand, it did totally save me when I had my backpack stolen in Paris many years ago.  On the other hand, it’s annoying, uncomfortable and sweaty to wear all day.  I usually end up making a game-time decision about it but if we’re thinking 100% about safety, having the money belt is a no-brainer.
• Outdoor Research Radar Pocket Cap  – This is a great travel hat simply because you can fold the brim.  This makes it incredibly easy to pack and even while on the road, I can easily stick the cap in my back pocket if I want to take it off but not go through the trouble of putting it into my daypack.
• Student Card – I’m lucky enough to have a student card that doesn’t have an expiry date so I’ve been able to use this all over.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.  If you have one lying around, bring it because you’ll be able to save a good amount of money.
• Buff Headwear – I love my buff because it’s something I can wear on my wrist to wipe sweat away or around my neck if it’s cold or even on my head if I’m looking for more protection from the sun.  It’s a pretty sweet piece of travel gear that everyone should own.  Read my full review of the Buff .
• Flag Bag – I picked this up locally at the MEC here in Toronto and this is essentially a protector bag for backpacks.  This makes the checking-in process of your backpack a lot easier because there are no loose straps that could cause problems.  I also like to have this because it’s essentially another big bag that I could use if I end up buying way too much stuff.  Over the years, I’ve collected flag patches and I’ve been trying to grow my collection ever since as I hop around the world.

Here’s a look at some of the things that you’ll find in my daypack.

• Air Canada First Class Amenity Bag – This is currently being phased out but it’s a great bag because I can perfectly fit my portable power bank, cables and the MacBook charger all in there.
• Business Cards – Need to get the word out about Going Awesome Places!
• Chapstick – Dry lips are no fun.
• Cepacol/Strepsil – I have a tendency to get sore throats really easily so this is always handy to have nearby.
• Victorinox Travel Organizer – This helps keep me organized with my cards, travel documents, money, and pens all in one spot.  So when I’m at the airport, all I need to do is pull out this organizer and I’m good to go to check-in, go through customs, and get through the gate.
• Swiss Army Classic Knife – I love having this around but I always bring it with a bit of hesitation.  You have to think about this one a bit.  The big question is whether you will you be carrying-on ALL your bags when flying.  If so, you’re going to want to leave this at home.  The reason this might happen is if you fly with low cost carriers like Easy Jet or Ryanair which have add-on costs for almost every single thing including checked bags.   Always  remember to pack this into your checked bag when flying.
• Nail Clippers – Hang nails are the worst
• Anker Power Bank – For me, I know I’m going to be going through a lot of power throughout the day on my devices (especially my phone).  This is my safety net to know that I’ll always be able to charge USB devices during the day if I need to.
• Hand Sanitizer
• Mini Tissue Pack
• Oakley Holbrook Sunglasses  – Big fan of Oakley.
• iPhone 5S – This is a whole other topic unto itself but the plan for most going to Europe is to purchase a SIM card in the city they land in, fill it up with funds and use it all the way through.  Italy’s Vodaphone “Smart Passport” has an amazing prepaid package designed for travellers that need data.  It only costs 3 EUR per day and you get 500MB of data.    More details on this in the future.
• Sea To Summit Travel Wallet – I don’t like using my leather wallet from back home because I need something a bit more rugged and something I don’t care if it gets poorly treated.   This wallet is great because it has a zippered component for coins and has tons of slots and dividers.
• Uniqlo Light Hoodie – For the summer I elect to bring a lighter hoodie as opposed to a full out fleece.  The purpose of this is to just have something that I can layer on in case it does get cold.

• Lanparte Gimbal – This fancy thing is something I’ve wanted to try for awhile.  It’s essentially a 3-axis stabilizer for the phone or GoPro so that you can walk or run with this in hand and the video will come out perfectly smooth.
• Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark 3 with 12-40 f/2. 8 Lens – In the spirit of going more minimal, I’ve decided to only bring this combination for the trip.  Micro Four Thirds is perfect in every way for travel and Olympus especially has done a killer job.  The E-M1 gives me the pro features of a full-frame SLR but in the form factor of a point and shoot.
• GoPro Hero 8 – Having two GoPro’s has been a godsend because it allows me to shoot different angles simultaneously versus before I literally had to run around between different places to get all the shots I wanted.
• GoScope – This GoPro selfie stick is great for capturing different action angles.
• Carabiners – I just love having extra carabiners around.  They’re great for hooking things together.  For example if you have a small shopping bag, instead of holding it, you can hook the bag to the carabiner and the carabiner to your backpack.  Travel Hack 101.
• GoPole Grenade Grip – This is great for hand held action camming with the GoPro.  In fact, most of my videos so far have been done with the help of this grip.
• Rocket Air Blaster  – This is part of my camera kit to clean the lenses on an as-needed basis.  This is a very useful tool because you really don’t want to be blowing with your mouth to get dust off  which leads to spit flying all over.
• Lens Pen – The best lens cleaning tool on the market.  A must-have for any photographer.
• MacBook Pro 13″ Retina – I’m going with a more powerful machine for the Competitours trip simply because I need the processing power to churn out videos while I’m in Europe.  Trust me, I’d much rather go with my 11″ MacBook Air.
• Two separate photocopies of your passport, credit cards and other important cards – After making the photocopies, just make sure the are stored in two separate bags.  If you ever get one stolen, you’ll always have the other.  This is a worst case scenario kind of thing where if you lost your passport and need some sort of way to prove your identity to the embassy.
• Call your credit cards – Before you head out, it takes literally 5 minutes to call each credit card company and let them know about your travel plans.
• Adjust your camera clocks beforehand – A huge pet peeve of mine is having the wrong timestamp on my photos and videos.  The best way is to either adjust it beforehand or you can also set up a calendar reminder to pop up when you land.
• Format your memory cards – The worst is when you start taking photos/videos with your camera and you run out of memory really quickly because you forgot to clean out the old photos from a previous trip.  At this point, you’re stuck with switching to a new memory card or deleting old photos one at a time which is extremely painful.

There are a bunch of items that didn’t make the photos but for the sake of thoroughness I added them below.

• Shaver – I’m not a razor kind of guy so this is pretty much a must.  What I usually do is charge it full before I leave so I don’t have to bring the charger with me.  There’s plenty of juice for 2 weeks.
• Water Bottle – Grabbed my small Nalgene bottle I picked up at Sundance Film Festival a few years back.
• Gnomad – Best mascot EVER right?  We bought an 8″ version for home but for travel the roaming gnome stress roaming gnome.
• Snacks – I always pack a few Cliff Bars  as back up.  For Competitours specifically, who knows when we’ll be skipping meals or needing an energy boost.
• GoPro Mounts – There’s a whole collection of GoPro mounts that I will be bringing for this particular trip since video is a key component of it.
• Headphones – This is mainly for the plane and train rides.
• Mini gorilla pod  – While this won’t be able to support my Olympus, this is great for the GoPro because I can set it up in all sorts of ways if I need a make-shift tripod.

How do you pack for a Eurotrip?  I could definitely be a lot more minimalistic but the hope is that this gives you an idea of things to think about when you start throwing things in the corner as the lead up to procrastination of packing.

What you should read next

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• How to Hand Wash Your Clothes When Travelling
• Egypt Packing List – What To Wear, Camera Gear, and more!
• Video – How To Hand Wash Your Clothes On The Road
• Cheapest Way To Travel Europe – Getting Around On A Budget

About William Tang

William Tang is the Chief of Awesome behind the award-winning Going Awesome Places which is focused on outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring photography and videos, and writing detailed itineraries and travel guides. He is a member of Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), and Travel Massive. He has also been featured in publications such as Reader's Digest, Entrepreneur, Men's Journal, and Haute Living. Make sure to learn more about William Tang to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

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Francisco Ortiz says

January 25, 2016 at 7:36 AM

Great article Will! I just came from a 2 month trip to Europe, traveled with a 45L backpack and a daypack. My packing list was very similiar to yours, different products, but the same concepts. I’m going back for 7 months this year, and thinking about getting a Gopro, what do you think about the new small one they have?

Will Tang says

January 25, 2016 at 11:32 AM

Hey Francisco! Thanks for stopping by :) Glad to hear we’re on the same page in regards to packing.

You’re referring to GoPro Sessions right? I personally am not a big fan of it because one of the things I really appreciated having was the touch back screen where I could see what I was recording and was able quickly switch different settings if I wanted to.

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• Plan Your Trip

Tips For Planning The Perfect Eurotrip

Published: August 9, 2019

Modified: December 27, 2023

by Darya L.

• Budget Travel
• Travel Destinations
• Travel Tips

A Eurotrip has been something like a badge of honour for experienced tourists. It lives on numerous bucket lists like an unattainable dream. With some wise planning, you can have the perfect Eurotrip within your budget. Here we’ll talk about planning in a nutshell – papers for travelling, the best ways to move between European countries, and the best options for a comfortable stay in the cities of the Old World.

Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi on Pexels

Travel Documents Needed Within Europe

Imagine coming off the plane and being on your way to see the border patrol officer you dream of strolling along the Seine. However, if you fail to produce the documents required for entering a European country, instead of a sweet taste of French croissant you’ll get the bitter taste of a failed trip.

Photo by Vinta Supply Co. | NYC on Pexels

To leave your country, you’ll need to have a passport and/or other valid ID for foreign travel. Your passport has to be valid for at least 3 months after the date of your departure from the EU. Be advised to always carry your passport so you can present it to local law enforcement officers upon request. As in most foreign countries, your ID or driver’s license won’t be sufficient.

Okay, you are going for a Eurotrip! First things first: find out whether you need a visa to the EU or not. The majority of European countries belong to the Schengen Area.

It’s a zone of open borders between countries and you’ll need just one set of documents to enter the whole area. So once you have permission to enter the Schengen area, you can move between its member-countries freely. 

Photo taken from moroccoworldnews.com

The best way to find out whether your homeland has a visa-free regimen with the Schengen area is to visit this website . Take into account that not all of the EU countries are in the Schengen zone. For instance, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania are not yet part of this agreement, not to mention the Brits with their EU-ambiguity. On the other hand, such states like the Vatican and Monaco have open borders despite not being the members of the Schengen agreement. Sounds like a headache, huh? 

When making a plan for your Eurotrip, just remember to check with the Embassy websites of the countries you want to visit. All the requirements regarding your trip, including paperwork and visa applications, should be available there. Here is an example of such a website: the German embassy in Singapore .

Additional Documents

Whether you are required to have a visa or not, you will still need some extra papers to enter European countries. First of all, don’t be surprised if a border control officer asks for your return tickets .

To let you in into the country, they must make sure that you have the means to depart home once you have enjoyed your pleasant stay. They also might ask you to show proof of your insurance coverage to make sure that your medical expenses will be covered should you incur any during your stay.

Even though this requirement is optional for most travellers, do not neglect it. In any worst-case scenario, this safety measure will save you quite a buck abroad. 

An officer may also ask you for proof of lodging to be sure that you won’t join local hobos on a bench under the stars. A hotel booking, an Airbnb reservation, an email print-out with the address of your hostel — any of these should be enough.

In case you have an adventurous spirit and prefer to find lodging as your trip unfolds, presenting proof of sufficient funds will also work. Every country has its own per diem minimum though. 

Transportation For A Eurotrip

The next step in planning the trip of your dreams is figuring out how to move between those Instagram-worthy sites in different countries. Here’s the breakdown of ways on how to navigate Europe.

Photo by slon_dot_pics on Pexels

Eurotrip By Plane

Even though it seems easy enough to just point at a city on the map of Europe and find the nearest airport to fly into, you might choose to put some careful thought into choosing a point of entry. 

Choosing an airport with a bigger flight flow or one that functions as a hub for low-cost airlines can save you a fortune. One money-saving entryway into the EU is coming to Paris, France through Orly or Charle de Gaulle airport. The price for a roundtrip ticket for these airports starts from $260 from the US and $650 from Singapore per one person. 

Northern Europe

If you aim for northern Europe, consider flying into Stockholm, Sweden. Arlanda Airport serves regular flights starting from $320 from the US and $680 from Singapore. 

Western Europe

The route from western Europe is best started in Spain, Barcelona. The airport lengthily titled  Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat hosts flights from $250 for a roundtrip from the US and $600 from Singapore. On the other hand, flights through Madrid are $50-$100 more expensive.

Photo by Anugrah Lohiya on Pexels

Eastern Europe

In case you want to start your trip from Eastern Europe check out Warsaw, Poland or Budapest, Hungary. It will cost you $370 for a roundtrip from the US and $690 in case you are coming from Singapore.

Plane hopping is a good travel option within Europe. Domestic flights are affordable and will save you tons of time for sightseeing. For short flights, aim for airports within the city borders that can be reached by public transport as opposed to Parisian airports.

Even though flights coming to and from Aéroport Paris Beauvais might be $10-$20 cheaper, you will arrive at a small village of Beauvais which is about 80 km away from Paris. You will therefore end up spending an additional $18 to get to the city centre in contrast to $6 for a journey from Orly or $2 from Charle de Gaulle airport. 

Eurotrip By Train

Travelling by train in Europe sounds romantic: sipping good coffee and peering through the window to see the authentic view accompanied by the jangle of wheels on rails. Generally, train travel is a good way to see more of the quotidian life inside a country.

Most European countries have a well-developed, fast railway system which will both save you time and offer more comfort. If your budget is more or less flexible, have a try at French TGV trains. These high-speed trains can help you traverse the whole country for a little more than 3 hours!

Photo by Keith Wilkinson on Flickr

However, travelling by train internationally is a bit more tricky and requires thorough research. You can either get a ticket for $23 on Czech websites or $100 on an easy-to-find international website of the EU inter-operator system called TCV. 

With trains, buying tickets well in advance is equally important — prices rise weekly and some popular destinations and convenient schedules may be fully booked several months early.

Eurotrip By Bus

This should be your preferred option if you want to fit more stops in your trip on a budget. 

Modern buses in Europe are comfortable and convenient. Most companies provide on-board entertainment, refreshments, bathroom access, Wi-Fi, and outlets. And there’s a whole lot of them, too!

Our recommendation is to look for such companies as Megabus , Busabout , and FlixBus , and keep an eye on their annual sales — you can get a ticket from Berlin to Paris for as low as $5 if you’re in luck! With some wise planning, you can visit 6 major European cities for under $60.

European roads and highways are famously well-maintained, so your journey is going to be smooth albeit not as fast as with other transport options. If you have a bit more time and want to visit places off the beaten path — choose bus travel for your Eurotrip.

Eurotrip By Car

Rent a car and hit the road for maximum flexibility on your trip. Once you are behind the wheel, you can easily explore two different countries in two days. Prices for fuel in Europe currently range from $1.30 to $1.70/L.

Since the distances between the Old World countries are relatively short it’s well worth your buck to choose travelling by car if you prefer driving. 

Photo by Tomáš Malčo Malík on Pexels

We advise you to read up on driving etiquette and regulations in the countries you plan to visit to avoid unpleasant surprises on the road.  

To rent a car, you will need to present an international driver’s license. Some countries may require an international driver’s permit as well. Most companies will ask for a deposit depending on the car type and model.

All around Europe, you can easily find popular rental companies such as Sixt, Hertz, and Enterprise in bigger cities. You can also opt-out for smaller local companies. They will charge you less and have less strict leasing rules. 

Important notice: if you are younger than 25, most big-name companies will not rent you a car as per their official regulations. Pay attention to the terms and service agreements in order to avoid inconveniences and additional fees. Getting insurance coverage is also strongly recommended. 

Accommodation Options For A Eurotrip

Living arrangements are a cornerstone for planning big trips. In bigger European cities the options are only limited by your budget and imagination. You can choose from hotels, hostels, apartments, campgrounds, and so on. However, we have some experience-based advice for you to consider.

Photo by H. Emre on Pexels

Hotels in Europe

Hotels will be a perfect option for those who don’t want to fuss with finding a place to stay and prefer to travel on a flexible budget. Other perks of hotels are that most of them are located in the city centre.

They are therefore easy to find and are close to town. Most of the time, there are also meals included, transfers from and to the airport, and helpful staff.

The unique feature of most hotels in Europe is that they have been around long enough to acquire rich histories. Some hotels are listed as architectural heritage, like Belmond Villa San Michele in Italy which was once a medieval monastery.

Other places have witnessed historical events such as the Hotel Ritz in Paris which used to serve as Luftwaffe headquarters during WWII. Some hotels are also bizarre and creative like Jumbo Stay in Sweden — a plane which was renovated into a hotel. 

Hostels in Europe

If you are young, adventurous, and full of energy, but your budget is super tight, this is a perfect option for you. Hostels are a truly European phenomenon. High demand and competition have made hostels pump up their level of services, so now almost every one of them has clean bathrooms, comfy beds with fresh linen, and designer interiors. It is relatively hassle-free to find a place to stay for as low as $14 per night . 

Photo by Sophie Williams on Flickr

Above all, hostels will provide you not only with a roof above your head but most certainly with a unique atmosphere of cultural exchange. It is usual to share a room with like-minded travellers from 4 different countries, all of whom have a lifetime of stories to share.

If you don’t mind sharing a room with a stranger, staying at a hostel will reward you with a bunch of foreign friends. Nevertheless, be advised that hostel prices vary a lot from country to country.

For instance, in Stockholm, Sweden, or Oslo, Norway, a bed in a dorm room might cost you $44-$50 while renting a separate room in a private apartment through airbnb.com will cost you the same. 

Private Apartments in Europe

Photo by Aleksejs Bergmanis on Pexels

The major benefit of choosing a private apartment is availability. Most of the cities have more apartments listed for nightly rent than hotels or hostels. For staying in smaller cities, this option is more cost-efficient than a hotel room. There are roughly two categories of spaces you might rent:

A Separate Room . This option is more private than a hostel stay but is often cheaper than finding an entire place for yourself. You’ll have your room but will share a bathroom and public spaces with other people. Quite often, you will be the only tourist in the apartment and you’ll end up living “like a local” for a day alongside the owners of the place.

Entire Place. With this option, you will have a whole place at your disposal including a kitchen to cook at, recreational facilities (if any), and total privacy. This a great option for travelling with your partner, or with a group of friends. In general, renting a bigger place if you travel in a group of 4 people or is much cheaper than paying for a hotel. 

An important thing to bear in mind is that in western Europe many listings will be located in authentic, old buildings. Some of them might even be pre-WWII! A typical old Parisian flat is very small — less than 20 square meters .

While it has its charm, a small space can be an inconvenience so ask your potential host about the peculiarities of the space before booking one.

Other Options For Accommodation In Europe

Photo by Cliford Mervil on Pexels

Camping. If you are a seasoned camper, we have some good news for you. In Scandinavian countries, there is a law called “Allemansrätten” which means the freedom to roam.

According to this law, you have the right to pass, cycle, and camp anywhere in nature regardless of private land ownership. Well it doesn’t mean that you could crawl into somebody’s fenced backyard but you can set camp on any stretch of someone’s uncultivated land for a night or two.

Couchsurfing. If you are very short on budget, you can try to count on someone’s hospitality. Couchsurfing is a social network that allows people to find a place to stay or a host in a foreign land. It is mandatory free of charge and is powered entirely by trusting other people. 

Budget For A Eurotrip

Photo by manuMenendez on Flickr

Budget for a 7-10 day Eurotrip, excluding roundtrip tickets could roughly be divided into two options:

To get maximum experiences on a tight budget you will have to plan your trip far in advance. 

Best “early bird” tickets pop up within half a year before the date of travel. Aim for low seasons since transport and accommodation will be cheaper. For instance, if you are going to visit Greece, plan for July, and opt for a winter trip to Scandinavia since this at this time of the year, those regions are less popular with tourists. 

You will have to travel around mostly by bus. If you are lucky, you can travel between 3-5 countries for about $50. However, if you keep an eye on sales at low-cost European airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizzair or Wow Air you can fly between popular destinations for the same amount of money! For instance, a trip from Warsaw to Paris can cost you $9 with Ryanair’s winter holidays’ ticket sales.

Look for museum and transport passes. It is a common practice in Europe to issue passes that will provide you with a package deal on public transport and the most popular attractions. If you are a student, bring your student ID! Many museums in the European Union are free for students or persons younger than 26.

Hostels should be your preferred accommodation option at $10-15 per night. However, if you are travelling on holidays, consider looking for apartments instead. Look for places around Universities. You are very likely to find a cheap place leased by a student who’s going home or away on holidays as well, and is trying to cover their rent.

Meals in local cafes will cost you around $10, fast-food around $6. Buying food in local grocery stores is cheaper, and the best offers are usually at discount stores such as Lidl or Biedronka.

Photo by William Murphy on Flickr

Don’t postpone your planning until the last minute. Two months’ advance is a doable window for finding good accommodation options at hotels and convenient train and plane tickets.

Once you have a roadmap of your future journey, it is time to buy tickets. Railroad tickets become available 3 months in advance while flights will be half-booked by that time. Always pay attention to a flight type. Direct flights are the best choice because they are faster and minimise your chances to miss your connection flight. Consider Lufthansa , Air France , and Turkish Airlines as they have been voted best in comfort and timeliness of arrival. 

If you have already decided on the places you want to dine at, consider making an early reservation. For instance, restaurants on the top of the Eiffel Tower get fully booked in several weeks’ advance and get especially busy around the holidays. And a show at the Moulin Rouge is impossible to book on the spot!

Photo by Fabio Guiggiani on Flickr

Everybody’s perfect Eurotrip will look different. However, if you stick to the general idea of seeing as much as possible and being ready for an adventure, you are all set to have an unforgettable experience. You can take a sip of many different cultures but you will always want to come back for more!

If you enjoyed reading this article about your ideal Eurotrip, be sure to check out our tips on how to make your trip to Bristol, England memorable.

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Dennis Kioko

Kenya, Africa: General life and a dash of ICT usually with a satirical and critical sprinkling.

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Is ‘fluggaenkoecchicebolsen’ a real word?

From The New York Times :

When it happens I feel as if I have stepped into a Far Side cartoon. I am a magazine editor, and the galley of an article will come back from a proofreader with a low-frequency word circled and this comment in the margin: “Does this word even exist?” or “Is this a real word?” Usually the word’s meaning is perfectly self-evident, and the word itself is relatively simple like “unbuyable,” if not deliberately goofy like “semi-idiotic-like.” And I think to myself, of course it exists. Look, there it is, right in front of us. Sometimes the reader puts his or her suspicion differently and asks, “Is this word in the dictionary?” Having recently spent a large amount of time researching how a particularly well-known American dictionary was made, I have a very different notion of what a word’s presence, or even its absence, in a dictionary implies. Don’t get me wrong: I like dictionaries, including several that I consult online and most of the 11 that are sitting within arm’s reach as I write this. But my recent affair with lexicography has left me certain of a couple of things. One is that no dictionary contains every word in the language. … Another is that dictionary users and dictionary makers sometimes have very different notions of what a dictionary is for. From Eurotrip , DreamWorks Pictures, 2004

“The Role of a Dictionary”, David Skinner, The New York Times

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EuroTrip: Looking Back at the Raunchy Comedy 20 Years Later

By Stephen Wilds

There is the thought that films resonate more with us based on where we are in our lives at the time we first encounter them. Back in 2004, I thought EuroTrip was incredibly clever and funny, but figured it would age poorly and show its faults more on consecutive re-watches. That was absolutely true, yet I still find myself laughing at this movie, and it may have even been part of the inspiration I needed to import a British wife. For all of the ways this juvenile comedy can be torn apart, EuroTrip still has plenty of frequent flier miles to offer.

Twenty years or so ago, audiences were really into raunchy teen sex comedies, and EuroTrip was prepared to take the idea abroad. For most, the day we graduate high school is a glorious one, but for Scott Thomas (Scott Mechlowicz), it’s also the day his beautiful girlfriend Fiona (Kristin Kreuk) drops the pretense of their committed relationship and dumps him. If that weren’t bad enough, the life band at the party that night performs a song about all of the ways she’s been cheating on him, and he bungles his chance with the only other love interest in his life due to a simple mistranslation. Now, Scotty and his friend Cooper (Jacob Pitts) are going to Europe, where they’ll meet up with the twins Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Jamie (Travis Wester) in an attempt to find Mieke (Jessica Boehrs) and make things right. Obviously, it’s a tour de Force of awkward comedy.

Okay, no, it’s like the rest of this sub-genre, more interesting to those who prefer crude humor, vulgar situational gags, and some seriously unabashed nudity. The acting is serviceable, with it slipping in a few parts, and the best overall performances probably go to the twins, who aren’t the main characters and have incest as one of their biggest story points. There are, however, a lot of fun cameos.

Apparently, it IS about who you know. Jeff Schaffer is listed as the director of the film, but Alec Berg and David Mandel reportedly shared in those duties as well. All three men also wrote the film and reached back to their college chums and acquaintances they had made in the industry to secure some interesting surprises for guest roles in the film. Names like Lucy Lawless, Patrick Malahide, Diedrich Bader, and Fred Armisen all show up in the credits, while Jeffrey Tambor appears uncredited. But the two that viewers seem to remember the most are Vinnie Jones as the soccer hooligan and Matt Damon pretending to belt out the lyrics to Lustra’s “Scotty Doesn’t Know.” Damon still has people shouting that phrase at him randomly on the street, and why not? The song is iconic, being heard multiple times and in different versions during the movie. The actor also claims that the musical triumph was written by the brother of his college roommate, making the circle of weirdness around EuroTrip complete.

The unrated version of the film comes in at 92 minutes and there is a lot crammed into there, but not all of the pacing works. Scott’s trip also requires the group to make their way through several destinations around Europe, but the majority of the actual film was shot in Prague. This meant that several stand-in locations that were obviously not the real places had to be used, and a large amount of green screen was necessary to help complete the illusion. One of the advantages of filming in Europe seemed to be that the party scenes had real beer, resulting in several people on set being at least slightly intoxicated.

The original script went through several alterations. The initial title was Ugly Americans, and the producers all objected to the change, but at the end of the day, they had no leverage. EuroTrip stuck, supposedly in an attempt to remind people of Road Trip in hopes that some of its success might rub off on the company’s new project. On paper, many of the scenes were raunchier, extra offensive, had harsher language, and featured even more male and female nudity. There were also supposed to be more cameos, but you can’t convince everyone to spend their free time flying to Prague, which is why most of the actors were already there for other projects. 

The only scene that was actually more toned down originally was the nude beach sequence, where they decided to simply go with “ wall-to-wall penises ” for greater laughs. This may have backfired, however, as many of the men opted not to get dressed in between takes, and according to Trachtenberg, the “lack of shyness” made things quite awkward. The two biggest changes were removing the scene intended to be at the Anne Frank House – which is in script form on the DVD – and replacing it with Cooper’s adventures at Club Vandersexxx, featuring Mrs. Lawless and her two assistants, Hans and Gruber, as well as the first ending, which they filmed, but was much more depressing.

EuroTrip is an unbalanced film that did not do well at the box office , finding some success after the theatrical release and becoming something more of a shining light for people who like this type of humor. The Frommers people didn’t even really like it , and that movie pimps out their guides the whole time. Now, it may be harder for the movie to pick up new fans, as some of its humor and lewd gags just haven’t aged well over the last two decades. Much of what they were trying to poke fun at (evidenced by the original title) feels awkward but sometimes borderlines on decent satire , but it’s hard to say if that was on accident or not. All three producers have worked on shows like Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, so it’s easy to see where their comedy roots come from. There are some genuinely hilarious moments in EuroTrip, though, and I can’t help but want to catch up with these characters again, but I certainly hope this isn’t how I act when traveling back overseas. 

Playing video games and watching old cartoons in the basement of Raccoon City's Police Department, where misplaced commas and lack of pizza are the biggest problems.

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Don’t Tell Scotty But Here’s An Oral History Of ‘Scotty Doesn’t Know’

Back in 2000, Road Trip , a movie starring Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott and Tom Green, became a bit of a sensation, making a whole lot of money off of a pretty small budget. Four years later, even though it was a completely different creative team, the raunchy EuroTrip was released in theaters billed as “from the producers of Road Trip .” EuroTrip would wind up having a higher budget and would make considerably less money than Road Trip . (It is actually very difficult to find someone who actually saw EuroTrip in theaters.)

Then a strange thing happened…

Today, EuroTrip – directed by Jeff Schaffer (currently a director and producer of Curb Your Enthusiasm ), Alec Berg (executive producer on Silicon Valley ), and David Mandel (showrunner of Veep ); only Schaffer was allowed a full directing credit – is considered a cult classic, while Road Trip has largely been forgotten. And a huge reason for this is that EuroTrip had a secret weapon that even the filmmaker didn’t quite know they had at the time – a catchy song of betrayal that is played throughout the film called “Scotty Doesn’t Know.”

Early in the film, Scott Thomas (played by Scott Mechlowicz) is dumped by his girlfriend, Fiona (Kristin Kreuk). Later that night at a high school graduation party, Scotty watches his whole life collapse when a garage band singer (still, shockingly, played by Matt Damon) starts performing a song called “Scotty Doesn’t Know” that chronicles, in great detail, the illicit affair between Damon’s singer and Fiona as the two dance, gyrate, and sing the song right there in front of a humiliated Scotty. Matt Damon ends the song by literally screaming and wagging his tongue toward Scotty.

It’s all this that convinces Scotty to head to Europe at the last second with his friends in a quest to find his German pen pal (Jessica Boehrs). While Scotty is in Europe, the song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” becomes an international sensation.

Fourteen years after the film’s release, “Scotty Doesn’t Know” is still an anthem, still played at proms and parties. And, maybe even more absurd, considering the tone of the song, it makes people happy. It’s almost impossible to hear “Scotty Doesn’t Know” and not smile.

Ahead (because why not?) we will take you through the complete history of “Scotty Doesn’t Know” from the perspective of the filmmakers, actors, the band who performed the song, and even a musician who wrote the other version of Scotty Doesn’t Know that wasn’t used in the film and hasn’t been heard until now.

(When I spoke to the filmmakers, they were, let’s say, a little surprised this was going to be the topic of conversation.)

Jeff Schaffer, Director: This is a fantastic use of everyone’s time.

David Mandel, Writer: We thought we were making the movie to come out and be very popular then! It turns out, what we really did, is you wait 20 years and then it’s very popular. So we’re taking it very well.

Schaffer: We did make the movie to be like the movies we used to watch when we were growing up as teenagers – when you’d go to a friend’s house whose parents had an unlocked liquor cabinet.

‘EuroTrip,’ even the parts that were set in the United States, were filmed in Prague. During filming there was a SARS outbreak and the Gulf War was happening and it was difficult to find actors who were willing to fly to Prague for a cameo as the lead singer of the band. But there was a famous actor already there shooting a movie that the three filmmakers had gone to Harvard with.

Schaffer: Here’s what happened. We were shooting this movie in Prague. And it was during the Gulf War and SARS and we had a very limited budget. So we didn’t have the money to fly people from Los Angeles to Prague, nor did people want to get on a plane from Los Angeles to Prague.

Mandel: Even if we had the money, no one wanted to come. It seemed dangerous in some weird way.

Schaffer: So our pool of talented actors was reduced to, “Who’s shooting a movie in Prague right now?” And Matt Damon was shooting The Brothers Grimm in Prague. We were talking with him and his head was shaved because he had to wear a wig for that movie. And he had just stopped smoking so, in his words, he had “swelled up like a tick.” So he was buff. And we were talking to him so we said, hey, we’ve got this thing , would you like to do it? And he’s like, “That sounds fun, I’d love to.” And he was like, “I can do it on so and so day,” which I think was literally June 21, which is the longest day of the year. And, of course, we are shooting a night scene, in Prague, with five hours of darkness.

Mandel: And it hasn’t hurt that Matt has luckily had a career as well. People who don’t know about the movie hear the song or see the scene and can’t believe that’s Matt Damon, which can be very helpful.

As Damon performs, the camera often pans to Scotty, who has what has to be the pure definition of “defeated” written across his face. Scott Mechlowicz, who plays Scotty, adds a critical component to this scene by not overdoing it. The look on his face sums up how we’ve all felt at some point in our lives. That feeling of, “My life is about to go to shit.”

Schaffer: We had a version where Fiona and the lead singer were having sex in the pool house and Scotty was stuck there watching it.

Mandel: There was definitely a version where Scotty got stuck watching them and that kind of just went away in the draft.

Schaffer: But with what we filmed, it was a tricky thing in the edit room, how many times can you go back to him?

Scott Mechlowicz, “Scotty”: Yeah, no need to paint gold. The song spoke for itself. When a certain absurdity level is reached, all you should really do is sit back and witness it.

Schaffer: And, luckily, he gave us a variety of shamed faces. Because you want to hear the whole song, but you have to go back to him for a while. He did a great job.

Mechlowicz: Matt Damon was great. “Scotty Doesn’t Know” follows him around, too. I think in the third Bourne film, if you listen closely, it’s playing in his little covert earpiece as he’s sniping someone. It helps channel his rage. He was there shooting Brothers Grimm with Heath Ledger. They used to go to the same bar on weekends during shooting. When I was first driving out to California for college to be with my girlfriend, I wrote in shoe polish on my rear window “I’m going to see about a girl,” so it was a real treat working together.

In a Reddit AMA , Damon was asked about why he shows up in EuroTrip . Damon responded, “I was in Prague shooting The Brothers Grimm , we were in rehearsals, and I had a wig in that movie, and so Alec and Dave and Jeff were making EuroTrip and they said ‘Will you come play this, you know, [Henry] Rollins kind of insane, bad version of a suburban, you know, punk band guy?’ And I said ‘Yea, I’m in Prague.’ So I showed up and I’m sitting there, and I’m like ‘I’m wearing a wig, just shave my head, let’s just go for it.’ And we did it, and put a bunch of piercings all over. And ‘Scotty Doesn’t Know,’ the song, was actually written by one of my college roommates brothers, and in the band, one of my college roommates is actually in that back up band, Jason, is playing guitar in that group. So it was kind of a family affair.”

So let’s back up a little bit. Where did the song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” actually come from? Who wrote it? Before Matt Damon was up there on stage lip-syncing it, who is actually performing “Scotty Doesn’t Know”? Also, as it turns out, there are two completely different versions of “Scotty Doesn’t Know.”

Schaffer: I remember sitting in the office in Prague and we were trying to write some lyrics. We sort of went back and forth. We knew what the song was supposed to be, which is exactly what it is: it’s a guy singing about sleeping with Scotty’s girlfriend with Scotty’s girlfriend up there in front of Scotty.

Mandel: The guys who wrote the song, the band Lustra, is his backup band. Those are guys, some of which, we went to college with. One is also a brother of a guy we went to college with. And Matt was also at Harvard around the same time and knew some of those guys as well. It was a great day to be a Harvard graduate, so that helps.

Nick Cloutman, Lustra: Our guitar player had gone to school with David and our former guitar player was in the Lampoon with him. They knew about our band and we are looking for this song that has to basically play to the main character through the entire film. So they were like, “Would you guys be interested in taking a stab at it?

Mandel: We were punching up the song lyrics the way we punch up jokes in the script. As far as we were concerned that was dialogue and we wanted it to be as funny as possible, except it had to rhyme a little bit.

Cloutman: I thought they were looking for more subtle innuendos. And they weren’t.

Mandel: Lustra had some good lyrics in there, but because we knew them we could talk to them a little easier and say, “Why don’t we try something like this?”

Schaffer: We weren’t trying to make a catchy song, necessarily. We were trying to make a song that was telling this joke. We were trying to make what’s the most embarrassing thing you could do that could happen to you after graduation?

Cloutman: I already had the annoying riff to the song lying around. I was like, I should do something with this, but I don’t know what. If you can imagine it slowed way, way down, in my head it always sounded like New Order. They were looking for pop-punk in the vein of a lot of music of the day, like Blink-182 or Sum 41. So we wrote for the genre.

Schaffer: In the end, it’s a damn catchy song.

Mechlowicz: I remember the first time I heard it thinking, let me hear it again. It’s like an earwig that burrows into your brain. I think the Soviets used it to Manchurian Candidate people.

Cloutman: We were in competition with another writer.

Mandel: It was a different thing with different lyrics. And it was good! But this was just catchier, to us. I remember, very distinctly, Ivan Reitman and the other producers wanted the other version. And we had to fight a little but because we thought the Lustra version was just musically cooler and we just really liked it.

The other version of “Scotty Doesn’t Know” was performed by Matt Mahaffey of the band sElf. It’s a very different version, with the only similarity being that the phrase “Scotty doesn’t know” is repeated in the chorus. It sounds like a song that could have easily been on the radio back in 2004.

Matt Mahaffey, sElf: I was approached by the filmmakers. An extremely cool, laid back team from my recollection. Someone was apparently a fan of my band, sElf, and thought my sense of humor might work for the song.

Schaffer: I really liked sElf and was very psyched to meet him.

Mahaffey: I was told that it was a punky “cheatin’ song” that was needed, from the point of view of an unabashed cheater. I was briefed about the basic subject matter, names of key characters, and that was it. No real scene context. It was a thirty-minute meeting in the valley, I wrote it in 15 minutes when I got to my studio and was as punky-crude as I could muster.

(You can listen to some of Mahaffey’s “Scotty Doesn’t Know” below.)

Mechlowicz: Oh wow, I never heard this version. There could only be one “Scotty Doesn’t Know.”

Schaffer: And then we didn’t use it. And I realized I would not be getting backstage passes to any sElf concerts. A sacrifice I was willing to make for the movie.

Mahaffey: I was thinking that it had a really good shot, as the filmmakers liked it a lot and were cracking up with each new version we tweaked. Sometimes it’s not that you did a bad job, per se, but simply that you were hired too early on in the process and your work serves as an example of what not to do. The final version, I thought it was a bit more “sing-songy” and worked a lot better in the context of the story after seeing the film.

Schaffer: So we had a recording of the song and Matt Damon in wardrobe. And it wasn’t, “this is going to be a catchy song,” it was, “this is going to be a great scene!”

Mandel: We didn’t have all these pieces together until those five hours on June 21st. There were no rehearsals, no nothing, it was just “let’s go.”

Cloutman: We show up and the stylist was like, “What did you guys bring for clothes?” At some point they were like, “Well, we need something for Matt, too.” So they selected a shirt that I brought. My dad was an art director and ironically made the design for the shirt Matt is wearing that says, “Get off my case.” So I was like, “Yeah, you can totally dress him in my stuff if you want, just make sure I get it back.” So at the end of the scene I watch Matt Damon walk off the set in my shirt and I’m like, “shit.” I mean, I’m not going to be like, “Hey, Matt Damon, can I have my shirt back?” So the running joke is Matt Damon stole my shirt.

Mandel: Matt had learned it. We didn’t record him. His mic wasn’t plugged it. It’s not like there’s a rare Matt Damon track of it. But we sent it to him and he learned it. And obviously the band was the band – they weren’t plugged in either – but they were legitimately playing it. And I think that all helps everything. Just visually, it’s not all actors pretending to play the guitar.

Cloutman: He really went for it at the end when he sticks his tongue out and is like, “Ahhhhhhh!”

Schaffer: A little bit of trivia: the scream at the end, Matt did that big tongue-wagging roar, he didn’t scream when he was doing that. He was just making the face. That scream is actually our music supervisor for the movie, Patrick Houlihan, which we added in post.

Mahaffey: I honestly didn’t know the movie ever came out until I heard “Scotty Doesn’t Know” in a film I happened to be watching one night. I was like, ”Oh! I guess that was EuroTrip !”

‘EuroTrip’ was not a hit movie upon release. But it found a new life on DVD and cable and, kind of crazily, in 2006 Lustra’s “Scotty Doesn’t Know” hit the Billboard Hot 100, two full years after the film’s theatrical release. “Scotty Doesn’t Know” became a song with a life of its own that helped bring ‘ EuroTrip’ to the status of “cult favorite.”

Cloutman: One morning I got a call from this writer at Billboard and I was like who is this pranking me? He said we charted on the Hot 100 and we were one of the first unsigned bands, other than Lisa Loeb, to chart independently.

Schaffer: Really? It did?

Mandel: I’m not sure we knew that. No one alerted us to that one.

Cloutman: What happened was we got this overwhelming response from people on MySpace. The fans were ultimately responsible for us charting on Billboard.

Schaffer: You learn something new every day. I’m posthumously happy.

Cloutman: The untold number of Scott’s lives we’ve affected.

Mechlowicz: People quoted the movie from the outset, but it definitely exploded a little later. There was absolutely no social media back then, so it seemed to have caught fire once people were able to share. It’s strange to have a hit movie a little after its release.

Schaffer: Matt even said, “I don’t get it. I was Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley , I was Private Ryan in Saving Private Ryan , Jason Bourne in the Bourne Identity, and people walk up to me all the time and just go, ‘Scotty doesn’t know!’”

Mandel: With any hope, when Matt Damon dies – and hopefully not for a long time – but when he dies, this is what they lead with. That’s my hope for the legacy. They don’t even mention Good Will Hunting .

Schaffer: At the funeral, Ben Affleck plays this acoustic.

Mandel: Anecdotally I hear from people all the time, “They played it at my kid’s senior prom,” or, “My kid’s band learned to play it.” And that’s just the best thing in the world. In a weird way, that’s what we were setting out to do with the whole movie. Somewhere, some young drunk person is enjoying some form of EuroTrip .

Cloutman: One of the more memorable stories we were approached with, there was this girl, I want to say in the Midwest or Indiana. It was her friend contacting us. She said her friend was in a car with some other people to get pizza and the car got t-boned. This girl was dragged out the car by paramedics and was put on a stretcher and ultimately went into a coma. But as she was slipping into this coma, her phone started ringing and she had the “Scotty Doesn’t Know” ringtone. In her dazed state she started singing along to it. It’s one of those things where you don’t consider you’re going to be attached to something that has this positive meaning for people.

Schaffer: We set out to make a really funny movie that had a cool song in it and it seems like, now, there’s this really cool song that reminds people there’s this really funny movie.

Mechlowicz: We’re all always asked about a sequel. I think everyone is up for it. If people want it, we’ll do it. If there is ever a sequel, you can be assured the first sound you hear in the trailer will be “dananananana dananana dananananananananananana.”

Mandel: Let’s just say Dreamworks has not exactly been demanding one.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

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• It's Got Electrolytes
• Blessed Are the Cheesemakers
• Karate in the Garage?
• Wetness Is the Essence of Beauty
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The Best Eurotrip Quotes

The best Eurotrip quotes make you realize how great the movie really is, even if you haven't seen it in a while. Let's rank the greatest quotes from Eurotrip , with the help of your votes. Starring  Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg, Travis Wester, and Jessica Boehrs,  Eurotrip was directed by Jeff Schaffer and released in 2004.

What is your favorite Eurotrip quote? One memorable line was when Cooper said, "Wow... you guys are like on a completely different level of swearing here." Another great line from Eurotrip is, "So you just go around Europe sleeping with every woman you meet?" spoken by Jenny.

Vote up your top Eurotrip quotes, regardless of which character they come from.

• user uploaded image

Scott : Hi, What do you wanna....Soccer Hooligans Cooper : Hey... This isn't where i parked my car. English Guy : Oye, Who the bloody hell are you? This is private members bar exclusively for the supporters of the greatest football team in the world...... Manchester United. Now please enlighten me... Who the f*ck are you? Cooper : That is a good question and... Scotty? Scott : We're the Manchester United Fan Club... from Ohio English Guy : If you are the Manchester United Supporters then sing the Manchester United song. Scott : Excuse me, I'm sorry I'm not much of a singer English Guy : OI... SING Scott : "My baby takes the morning train, he works from 9 to 5 and then, he takes another home again, to find me watching The Manchester United Football team! the best freakin' team in all the land woohoo!" English Guy : Pretty good… pretty damn good lads, right!

Then You're The Girl

Scott : I'm in love with Mieke. Cooper : Okay, okay, you know what? I was actually expecting this, and frankly, no, listen, I'm flattered that you picked me to come out to first. And don't worry about telling your folks, 'cause I think they already know. Scott : No, you idiot. Mieke's a girl. Cooper : No, no, no, I get it, yeah. He's the girl, then you're the girl. Sometimes you're both the girl. Right? Right? That's hot.

Lick Me Marbles

Cecil : So I told the swamp donkey to sack it before I give her a tonk in the tradesman's entrance and have her lick me yarbles! Cooper : Wow... you guys are like on a completely different level of swearing here.

Mieke's Hideous

Cooper : Dude, Mieke's hideous! Run! Scott : Stop.

It's Not Like That

Jenny : So you just go around Europe sleeping with every woman you meet? Rich Frenchman : No, please. It is not like that. I also sleep with men.

I'm The Pope

Cooper : Hey, check this out! I'm the pope! Scott : Cooper... take off the pope hat. Cooper : Oh, no. It's OK. I'm catholic. Scott : Take it off, Goddammit! Cooper : Oh, you took the Lord's name in vain! Only I can forgive you now, my son.

I'm A Girl

Scott : So, have you guys decided where you wanna go first? Jenny : Paris! I heard two years ago, Nicky Jager's sister, Debbie, met this wealthy French guy, and spent a month sailing the Mediterranean on his yacht. Isn't that just the most romantic thing you've ever heard? Cooper : Stuck on a boat with a weird French guy? That sounds a little gay. Jenny : It's not gay. I'm a girl. Scott : Kinda gay. Cooper : A little gay.

The Hat Is On Fire

Scott : Cooper, the hat! The hat! The hat is on fire! Cooper : "We don't need no water let the motha... " Scott : I'm not kidding! Look! Cooper : Oh, holy sh*t!

• Movie Quotes

The greatest, funniest, and most iconic movie and TV quotes from your all-time favorite comedies (and a few you probably haven’t seen).

• Cast & crew
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Dumped by his girlfriend, a high school grad decides to embark on an overseas adventure in Europe with his friends. Dumped by his girlfriend, a high school grad decides to embark on an overseas adventure in Europe with his friends. Dumped by his girlfriend, a high school grad decides to embark on an overseas adventure in Europe with his friends.

• Jeff Schaffer
• David Mandel
• Scott Mechlowicz
• Jacob Pitts
• Michelle Trachtenberg
• 394 User reviews
• 75 Critic reviews
• 45 Metascore
• 2 nominations

• Scott Thomas

• Cooper Harris

• Mrs. Thomas

• Donny's Band
• Guitars - Lustra
• Vocals - Lustra
• Bass - Lustra
• Drums - Lustra

• Courier Clerk
• Alec Berg (uncredited)
• David Mandel (uncredited)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia 95% was filmed in Prague, and entire streets would be green-screened just to add in Big Ben and other monuments from around Europe
• Goofs Bert says, "It's Mieke, a common German girl's name," but Mieke is a Dutch name that isn't very common at all in Germany.

[repeated line]

Cooper : This isn't where I parked my car.

• Crazy credits After the credits, there is a brief reprise of the scene where Cooper tricks Candy into rubbing her naked breast.
• Alternate versions In the German Version the whole segment inside the flat of Mieke's father is missing (boy goose-stepping). About 78 seconds have been removed. The DVD-Cover says "uncensored".
• Connections Edited into EuroTrip: Deleted Scenes (2004)
• Soundtracks Scotty Doesn't Know Written by J. Adams , Christopher Baird , Nicholas J.M. Cloutman & Bruce Fulford Performed by Lustra Courtesy of XOFF Records

User reviews 394

• Feb 21, 2004
• How long is EuroTrip? Powered by Alexa
• Is it actually Matt Damon singing "Scotty Doesn't Know" at the graduation party?
• What are the differences between the R-rated version and the Unrated version?
• What is the regulation regarding travelling in Europe without a passport?
• February 20, 2004 (United States)
• United States
• Fistful of Euros
• Milovice, Nymburk District, Czech Republic (Bratislava scene)
• Dreamworks Pictures
• The Montecito Picture Company
• Blue Sea Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $25,000,000 (estimated)
• $17,771,387
• Feb 22, 2004
• $22,605,153

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 32 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Eurotrip is a 2004 film about a group of four young Americans and their (mis)adventures traveling around Europe in search of Scott's pen pal soul mate; Mieke in Berlin , Germany .

• 3 Mad Maynard
• 7 External links
• I saw a gay porno once. I didn't know until halfway in. The girls never came. The girls never came!
• We're from the Manchester United fan club from [gulp] Ohio

Repeated line:

• I'm never drinking again.
• This isn't where I parked my car.
• Haha look at Jamie's penis!
• So, what's the etiquette on boners? Do I roll over and dig out a hole for it, or is it cool to just let my flag fly?
• Oh, here it is. Bratislava. Hmm. Capital of Slovakia. Oh, here's a fun fact. [ Jamie looks up, interested ] You made out with your sister, man!
• Hot European Sex!
• Later Bert, stay black bro!
• (to Jenny) You're just a really cool dude with long hair.

Mad Maynard

• [ In bus being deliberately driven on left-side of motorway with all traffic swerving to side ] Come on, you're on the wrong side of the road you snail eating poofs, fuck off! Get out of it, you wankers! Go on, you Gallic fucking garlic breath tossers! Piss off! Get in here and say that ya bloody Ita-i Shite-ies! C'mon! Fucking come and have it! You fucking beep!?! We'll beep you bastards all over your fucking nose! Fuck off! Go on, you French bastards! Get on the other side of the road, you pricks! Go on out of it! Fuck off!
• If you're not a Manc, you're a wank!
• Hey lads, That Wanker's got a Frog football shirt on, Let's give this Nancy a fucking good kickin', Come on lads, it's goin' off
• Weird Italian Guy : Mi Scusi!
• Donny : Scotty doesn't know that Fiona and me do it in my van every Sunday.
• PC Mail Notification : beep-beep. Mail Motherfucker!
• Madame Vandersexxx : He's American. How sad for you to grow up in a country founded by prudes. A country overrun with crime and illiteracy. A country where a man is forced to make sex to only one woman at a time, and one must learn the woman's name beforehand.
• Scott Mechlowicz as Scott Thomas
• Jacob Pitts as Cooper Harris
• Michelle Trachtenberg as Jenny
• Travis Wester as Jamie
• Kristin Kreuk as Fiona
• Jessica Boehrs as Mieke
• Nial Iskhakov as Bert
• Jeffrey Tambor as Mr. Thomas (uncredited)
• Cathy Meils as Mrs. Thomas
• Matt Damon as Donny (frontman for Lustra
• Vinnie Jones as Mad Maynard
• Fred Armisen as Creepy Italian Guy
• Lucy Lawless as Madame Vandersexxx
• Jana Pallaske as Anna, The Camera Store Girl
• Walter Sittler as Mieke's Father
• Steve Hytner as Green Fairy
• Rade Serbedzija as Tibor (as Rade Sherbedgia)
• Dominic Raacke as German-speaking trucker
• Patrick Rapold as Christoph
• Go Go Jean Michel Francis as the Groovy Cakes Amsterdam bakery server
• Molly Schade as Candy
• J.P. Manoux as Robot Man

External links

• Eurotrip quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• EuroTrip at Rotten Tomatoes

• American films
• Teen comedy films
• Sex comedy films
• Screenplays by Alec Berg
• Screenplays by David Mandel
• Screenplays by Jeff Schaffer
• Films about vacationing
• Films set in Amsterdam
• Road comedy films

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How matt damon's "scotty doesn't know" eurotrip cameo happened.

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• Matt Damon's cameo in EuroTrip was unexpected but hilarious, and he delivered a memorable performance as Donny, the obnoxious lead singer of a band.
• Damon took the role because the screenwriters were his college friends and asked him to appear in their film while he was in Prague shooting another movie.
• Since his EuroTrip cameo, Damon has become known for his comedic cameos in various films and TV shows, allowing him to showcase his comedic talent while still working in his primary genres of drama and action.

Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon is one of the most successful people in Hollywood, and he had a hilarious surprise cameo in EuroTrip . Released in 2004, EuroTrip is a teen sex comedy that follows Scotty Thomas (Scott Mechlowicz), a recently dumped high school graduate who travels to Europe to meet his pen pal. Scotty's friends join him, and the group gets into one raunchy misadventure after another along the way. Like many films in this comedy subgenre, the movie received negative reviews from critics, and EuroTrip flopped at the box office . However, it found greater success when released on home video, and developed a cult following.

At the time of EuroTrip 's release, Damon's career was at an all-time high. Damon is known for his movie roles in serious awards-winning dramas like Good Will Hunting (for which Damon won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar alongside Ben Affleck), The Talented Mr. Ripley , and Saving Private Ryan , and he was making a name for himself as an action hero, having starred in The Bourne Identity in 2002. The sequel, The Bourne Supremacy , came out in the summer of 2004, the same year as EuroTrip . While the former film was much more successful than the latter, Damon was a big reason for EuroTrip 's eventual popularity.

Between puppet-oriented dramedies, anthropomorphic fast food, and profanity-filled musicals, R-rated animated movies are the most creative.

Matt Damon Cameoed In Eurotrip Because His College Friends Wrote The Script

Widely considered one of the best celebrity movie cameos of all time, Matt Damon plays Donny in EuroTrip . Donny is an obnoxious, tattooed lead singer in a band that plays at a party Scotty attends, and he kicks off the film's events. While onstage, Donny performs "Scotty Doesn't Know", a song in which he graphically details his affair with Scott's girlfriend , Fiona (Kristin Kreuk), humiliating Scott. The song is undoubtedly cruel, but its catchiness is a running joke throughout the movie.

At the time, Damon had rarely appeared in comedy films, which is what made his cameo so delightfully unexpected, leading many to wonder why the serious actor took the job. When asked in a Reddit AMA , Damon revealed that the EuroTrip screenwriters, Jeff Schaffer (also the director), Alec Berg, and David Mandel were college buddies of his and asked him to appear in their film. Damon said:

"...Alec and Dave and Jeff were making EuroTrip and they said 'Will you come play this, you know, Howard Rollins kind of insane, bad version of a suburban, you know, punk band guy?' And I said 'Yea, I'm in Prague'."

Damon was in Prague shooting The Brothers Grimm at the time, and also revealed in the Reddit AMA that because that role required him to wear a wig, he was game to shave his head for EuroTrip . He also shared that "Scotty Doesn't Know" was written by his college roommate's brother, making his EuroTrip experience a "family affair".

Matt Damon Is Now Famous For His Comedic Cameos

After appearing in EuroTrip , Matt Damon was clearly bit by the cameo bug. He's shown up in numerous movies and TV shows ever since, delivering a brief bit of on-screen magic. Some of Matt Damon's best cameos include controversial Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh , a redneck trucker in Deadpool 2 , and an Asgardian actor portraying Loki in a play in Thor: Ragnarok . While Damon has cameoed in a variety of film genres, including Steven Soderbergh's horror movie Unsane as Detective Ferguson, these bit parts tend to be comedic. This may be because Damon rarely stars in comedy films, so these cameos offer him the opportunity to flex his comic muscles.

No matter how many times he's cameoed, Damon's most famous one will always be EuroTrip . The actor continues to work frequently to this day, having starred in Air and Oppenheimer , two critically lauded drama movies in 2023, but he's still widely recognized for his EuroTrip cameo. EuroTrip co-writer and director Jeff Schaffer even revealed that Damon often has people walking up to him, yelling "Scotty doesn't know!" (via Uproxx ). It's clear that Damon had a great time acting in EuroTrip and all his cameos, and he elevates every movie he pops up in.

Watch EuroTrip

Sources: Reddit , Uproxx

Behold, an oral history of "Scotty Doesn't Know" and Matt Damon's weird-ass Eurotrip cameo

Eurotrip , the 2004 teen sex comedy from Jeff Schaffer, is just a miserable film. It’s undercooked, unimaginative, and roughly 75% gay panic jokes. It’s redeemed, however, by two things: A very catchy song, and a genuinely surprising, all-in cameo from a Hollywood A-lister. At a high school graduation party in the film’s first act, Matt Damon appears—bald, tattooed, and bullish—as the lead singer of a pop-punk band, singing a song that’s a not-so-veiled breakdown of how he’s been sleeping with the main character’s girlfriend.

It’s a sequence that ha s, bizarrely, stood the test of time, due in no small part to the song—written specifically for the film by the band Lustra, who can be seen onstage in the film—hitting the Billboard Hot 100 charts two years after the film’s theatrical release. Now, Uproxx has chatted with Eurotrip ’s filmmakers, writers, musicians, and actors for an oral history of both the song and the scene.

It turns out Damon’s involvement would never have happened if it wasn’t for the SARS breakout that hit the Czech Republic as the movie was filming in Prague.

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Here’s how director Jeff Schaffer and writer David Mandel explain it:

Schaffer: Here’s what happened. We were shooting this movie in Prague. And it was during the Gulf War and SARS and we had a very limited budget. So we didn’t have the money to fly people from Los Angeles to Prague, nor did people want to get on a plane from Los Angeles to Prague. Mandel: Even if we had the money, no one wanted to come. It seemed dangerous in some weird way. Schaffer: So our pool of talented actors was reduced to, “Who’s shooting a movie in Prague right now?” And Matt Damon was shooting The Brothers Grimm in Prague. We were talking with him and his head was shaved because he had to wear a wig for that movie. And he had just stopped smoking so, in his words, he had “swelled up like a tick.” So he was buff. And we were talking to him so we said, hey, we’ve got this thing, would you like to do it? And he’s like, “That sounds fun, I’d love to.” And he was like, “I can do it on so and so day,” which I think was literally June 21, which is the longest day of the year. And, of course, we are shooting a night scene, in Prague, with five hours of darkness. Mandel: And it hasn’t hurt that Matt has luckily had a career as well. People who don’t know about the movie hear the song or see the scene and can’t believe that’s Matt Damon, which can be very helpful.

And, hey, it ended up being a weirdly perfect fit. Damon’s bugnuts performance is profane, snotty, and terrifyingly prescient in terms of the era’s particular brand of pop-punk douchebag. It’s also stuck with him, as actor Scott Mechlowicz shares how, if you listen closely, you can hear “Scotty Doesn’t Know” playing through the earpiece of Damon’s Jason Bourne in The Bourne Ultimatum.

Read the full oral history here , which digs deeper into the origins of the song, reveals the Harvard connections between the band, Damon, and filmmakers, and even offers an alternate version of “Scotty Doesn’t Know” from an entirely different band.

Eurotrip Script - Dialogue Transcript

Eurotrip script.

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There’s no better way to fall in love with Europe than our showstopper: The European Adventure. This extended 7-day trip visits 4 of the most famous cities within Europe, meaning its perfect for travellers who simply can’t get enough. Through the snaking canals in Amsterdam, to the beautiful cobbled streets of Bruges, the incredible city of Brussels and last but not least, the romantic French capital of Paris. We’ve got an itinerary that will cover all the major sights and give you a true flavour of Europe, or we can be flexible to visit the cities and sites that interest you. This adventure is sure to leave you with some life long memories and an urge to see the rest of the continent!

• We’ll start the trip by picking you up in our comfy coach and catching the overnight ferry toward our first destination – the Netherlands!
• Seventeenth-century buildings, Joint-smoking alien sculptures; No city melds history with modern urban flair like Amsterdam. we’ll get you checked into your accommodation as quickly as possible so you can make the most of your first evening in this vibrant city.
• We’ll arrange a private tour of the city so you know it like a local.
• Spend the day visiting the Heineken museum, the red light district or in one of the many creperies dotted around the city.
• Once you’ve had your fill, join us on our Bar Crawl through one of Europe’s party capitals.
• It’s an early start, as we head towards Belgium, arriving shortly after in Bruges .
• Bruges is sometimes called the Venice of the North and millions of visitors every year stumble around the city with open mouths. We have another guided tour arranged to give you insight into the history of the fairytale-like town before you’ll have your own chance to explore.
• After breakfast, it is time to head to Brussels; not only the capital of Belgium, but also the capital of Europe and seat of the EU. 
• Theres plenty to see and learn in the city, which you’ll find out on our professional tour. We recommend indulging yourself afterwards in some traditional Belgian waffles or Frites.
• At night, you’ll get a flavour of the Belgian nightlife as we take you round some traditional pubs and popular bars.
• In the morning, we will head to one of the most popular castles of France, Château de Pierrefonds. The castle is known as the “château reborn” and was rebuilt by Napoleon III. This is our favourite spot for photos, and you might recognise the castle from a number of TV shows. 
• Then its onward to our final stop – Paris. We’ll let you drop your bags so you can use the free time at your leisure before we show you the Parisian lifestyle so you can party like a local.
• Its our final guided tour, where you’ll see what millions of people from all over the world visit Paris for. The city has a timeless familiarity for first-time and frequent visitors, with instantly recognisable architectural icons, along with exquisite cuisine, chic boutiques and priceless artistic treasures.
• You will get free time after the guided tour in order to explore this fantastic city further on your own for the rest of the day.
• In the evening, we will get the chance to go out together for dinner or a drink in order to celebrate the last evening of the tour.
• Although it will feel like its flown by, its time to end our trip as we hop on the coach and ferry back across the channel

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• What Is Cinema?

The Summer of the Throuple Is Upon Us

By Chris Murphy

Hot girl summer is over. This year, it’s all about the ménage à trois. Yes, trios have been having a moment across the entertainment landscape this year—from film to scripted TV to reality TV—adding an extra touch of frisson to steamy stories while moving the Overton window for audiences. What is most thrilling is that these new throuples are also marked by power dynamics that may be even more subversive than the sight of three people sharing a kiss at the same time.

Historically in popular culture, threesomes have been a mostly male-dominated enterprise. Frat bro films from the early aughts like EuroTrip , Road Trip , Old School, and American Pie positioned threesomes as the pinnacle of male sexual conquest, where the man was in control and the women (it was always one man with two women, often twins) were objects to be pursued and won. Threesomes were sexy punchlines meant to stroke the male ego.

But not anymore. The most explicit threesome in this new era turns that very notion on its head. Netflix’s Bridgerton steams things up in the latter half of its third season (coincidence?!) with an outrageous and unexpected threesome subplot surrounding the second-oldest Bridgerton brother, Benedict, played by Luke Thompson . Benedict romances the adventurous widow Lady Tilley Arnold ( Hannah New ), only to wind up fooling around with Tilley and her male friend Paul Suarez ( Lucas Aurelio ), at Tilley’s request.

Before the excitement picked up on Bridgerton, the threesome trend was already in motion thanks to Luca Guadagnino ’s Challengers and its central triad, tennis phenoms Art Donaldson ( Mike Faist ), Patrick Zweig ( Josh O’Connor ), and Tashi Duncan ( Zendaya ). The overwhelming sexual tension and ever-changing power dynamics between Art, Patrick, and Tashi set the internet ablaze with Challengers -centric throuple memes and helped Challengers, the rare R-rated film not based on any existing IP, crack into the zeitgeist.

While its protagonists never consummate their three-way relationship as explicitly as the Bridgerton crew, the film has plenty of three-way-coded moments, from hotel room hangouts to churros to sauna sessions. And while the film’s ending may have been intentionally ambiguous , Guadagnino seems pretty clear as to what happened immediately after the credits rolled. “They go back to the hotel room,” Guadagnino said to Times reporter Kyle Buchanan . We all know what happens in hotel rooms.

Naturally, Luke Thompson can see the parallels between his show and Guadagnino’s film. “ Challengers I’ve seen recently, and I think that was really interesting,” the Bridgerton star says in a recent interview with VF. “It’s such an interesting relationship, and the dynamics within it are so interesting.” But he also noted that similar dynamics have been depicted in older stories, like Noel Coward’s 1932 play, Design For Living. “You’re saying [threesomes] are having a moment, but I guess what I’m saying, in terms of Coward, as well, is that they’ve always been there,” says Thompson.

That’s true—but both throuples and polyamory in general have become much more visible in mainstream culture in recent years. In April, The New York Times went long on a 20-person polycule , unpacking the trials and tribulations of maintaining a massive multiple-person relationship in a post Sam Bankman-Fried society. New York Magazine published its own polyamory-focused issue back in January, around the same time that Molly Roden Winter ’s More: A Memoir of Open Marriage became a bestseller. Network comedies traditionally known for more wholesome fare have been pushing the envelope this year as well, with CBS sleeper hit sitcom Ghosts showcasing a spooky threesome of its own.

The experiment of dating multiple people at the same time has been a hallmark of reality television since the genre’s invention (see The Bachelor, for starters). But an explicit focus on trios and polyamory is relatively new. In February, Peacock debuted a reality show called Couple to Throuple that took four couples new to non-monogamy, introduced them to a host of more experienced singles, and left them with the choice to pursue a relationship as a threesome or return to monogamy. While we’ve seen almost every possible ending for two romantics looking for love on, say, The Bachelorette, we’ve never seen a Bachelorette end the show in a relationship with two of her paramours.

Searching for happiness outside the boundaries of traditional monogamy makes sense to Thompson: “There’s something about that I find really moving, actually, because it feels like there’s a real human thing of saying, ‘Let’s try and break free of this thing,’” he says. But, of course, it’s not always as simple as that: “Then you realize that, actually, although you do break free of something, other complications arise.”

Those complications take center stage on the Paramount+ show Couples Therapy . For the first time in the show’s four-season history, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik opened her doors to a throuple this year, Josh, Lorena, and Aryn, who were trying to figure out how to make ethical non-monogamy work for them.

Josh and Aryn, a circus performer, have been together for eight years. Lorena was brought into the fold as another romantic partner for Josh within the past two years, in part due to the demanding nature of Aryn’s job. (Lorena and Aryn are not in a relationship together). Sitting side by side by side on Orna’s couch, the trio struggles to divest from the hierarchical power structures that tend to emerge even in polyamorous relationships, calling Aryn the “anchor partner” rather than the “primary partner” and trying to hold space for each other’s feelings.

“Doing anything that’s non-normative and against the culture is really hard,” Lorena said in one of her final sessions with Dr. Orna. “I feel like it just stays messy.”

Thompson expresses the messiness of three-way relationships in another way. “What I find moving is that, strangely, pure freedom does not exist,” he says. “It just doesn’t exist. There are other limitations and other complications that will come up, because we’re humans, and we’re complicated, and we’re scared, and we’re all of those kinds of things.” Diving into a complex and nuanced three-way relationship dynamic on Bridgerton, the actor adds, is “a really nice way of tapping into those human emotions.”

Highlighting the messy and nuanced dynamics of three-way relationships has made the overly simple, chauvinistic, male-driven threesome of the early aughts seem like a relic of a foregone era. Now, it’s Tashi Duncan who is pulling the strings and playing with Art and Patrick like Ken dolls. It’s Lady Tilley who has agency—who broaches the potential of a secret three-way rendezvous with Benedict and Paul in the first place. Even in Couples Therapy —a female, female, male relationship—true clarity and resolution only comes when the women in the relationship, Lorena and Aryn, communicate and get on the same page, as Josh learns to take a step back and simply listen.

Of course, throuples and three-way relationships are still taboo, but society seems more interested in exploring that taboo than ever before. And, at least as of late, it’s the women who seem to be taking the reins. Maybe it is still hot girl summer after all.

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Chris Murphy

Staff writer.