These days we live in a world where communication is constant and easy. We have become spoiled by the ubiquity of the internet and texting and expect to be able to talk to the people we love for free wherever we are in the world. That’s why so many people are searching for ways to talk to Europe for free or to phone Europe free from the US – when our friends and family head to Europe for their holidays and business trips we expect to be able to talk to them still and don’t want to pay the high charges that our mobile service providers expect from us. But is it possible to talk to Europe for free? Have we come to the point where technology genuinely allows us to talk to anyone from anywhere in the world? Or is that one step too far? The good news is that yes, you can call Europe for free from the US and they can call you; the only problem is choosing which of the myriad methods is best for you. Read on to see some of the ways you can make free calls to Europe and choose the one that [...]

Thinking about a trip to Europe this summer? No doubt you’re attracted by the idea of the varied culture, the amazing history, the delicious food and the Western friendly attitude. While all these are great selling points though, there are also some downsides to Europe which make it a less than perfect tourist destination depending on what you hope to gain from your next holiday. There are a lot of articles out there selling the plus points of Europe, so let’s take a look at some of the reasons you shouldn’t visit Europe this year that may make you reconsider… The Weather and Lifestyle The weather and lifestyle throughout much of Europe is not what you might expect from a summer holiday and you should know this going in. The climate throughout Europe of course is very varied seeing as this is a continent rather than a single country, but you’ll still be hard pushed to find the best weather here for relaxing around the pool. Visit England, Germany, Northern France or most of Eastern Europe for instance and you will be greeted by varied weather and a high chance of rain. Alternatively you could visit somewhere like Rome, Athens [...]

When it comes to European history, World War 2 has to be the biggest and most infamous chapter and the one that we are all most familiar with. This was industrial war on a global scale that left almost no country untouched, and that ravaged much of the geographical and political climate. At the end of it all, when all the dust had settled, the world would never be the same again and we can even thank this catastrophic event for many of the inventions we now take for granted. But things could have been more different still. Had the Nazis won WW2 instead of the allies, then we would have seen a completely new regime in place and there would have been nothing to stop the persecution of the Jews and other ethnic minorities. But how different would it really have been? Let’s take a look… The Age of Hitler Had the allies surrendered and Hitler not have committed suicide, then it can be presumed that he would have continued the expansion of Germany and enforced many of his ideals on the rest of the world. It’s unlikely that Germany would ever have been likely to ‘take over’ the [...]

‘Ello there mucker! ‘Ow are you? Just been on the old dog and phone? What’s that? You haven’t a clue what I’m talking about…? Ah right, sorry… Problem is, I was writing in English, but perhaps not the English you’re familiar with. As you are no doubt aware, there are multiple different dialects of English meaning that just because someone says they speak English… well that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily know what they’re talking about… In Europe there are a particularly large number of English speakers seeing as England is a European country. Of course this can be rather confusing if you’re a traveller and you don’t happen to understand every regional dialect of English, so here we will look at a few of the different kinds of English you may encounter in Europe and how to decipher them… BBC English and Other Forms in England BBC English is a colloquial term often used to describe the ‘official’ language of England itself. This is the Southern English that most people know and that you’d hear on TV. If you’re in the US then let’s put it this way: it’s what Doctor Who speaks. This is the language that you will [...]

If you’re currently thinking of permanently relocating to from the US to Europe, then there are many things that may be motivating you. Perhaps it’s the slower pace of life offered in some European countries, maybe it’s the views and the scenery offered by a particular spot, or maybe it’s the idea of free healthcare. Whatever your motivations though, the unfortunate reality is that you can’t so easily just up and leave for the Europe with a polka-dot bag thrown over one shoulder – you will need to make sure that you handle the move legally and this will involve a number of stumbling blocks and processes. It is possible to move to Europe, but it’s not going to be easy.  Here we will look at what you will need and how you can get it. If you’re lucky then you may just qualify and find that you can make your dream of living on the continent a reality. The Trouble With Immigrating to Europe Staying in Europe for up to 90 days (3 months) is something that anyone can do easily and that doesn’t really require any paper work. Unfortunately though, staying longer is much more difficult. To move [...]

Terrorism is a constant fear for many Americans and one that we have been trained to be constantly aware of. The war on terror is not something that only exists in the US though, but instead a global problem that every country in the world is currently facing. So what is the situation when it comes to terrorism in Europe? How does it compare to terrorism in the US? And is it on the rise or on the decline? Here we will look at some figures and come to some conclusion. ‘All Terrorists in Europe Are Muslims’ Ask the average Joe what a terrorist looks like and they’ll no doubt draw you a picture of a guy in a turban – even in Europe. The fact of the matter is that terrorism in the Western world – not just the US – is largely considered to be caused by extreme Islamists. The reality though is actually quite different and if you look at the statistics in Europe as illustrated in the ‘EU Terrorism, Situation and Trend Report’, you’ll find that only a miniscule 0.4% of terrorism in the continent is caused by Muslims. In fact in 2008 the EU only [...]