Is there a more liberating way to travel around Europe than with nothing more than a single pack over your shoulder? Rick Steves, no stranger to Europe himself, has always advocated traveling light — in fact, not checking in a bag is one of the top travel tips we've learned from the expert. But say you're on a month-long trip across Europe and you've gotten all the mileage out of that shirt or pair of pants? Sure, you can either do your laundry in the hotel sink or tub, or have it sent to the hotel's
laundry service. But a trip to a launderette is the middle-ground solution that saves on effort and expense — and it all starts with asking your hotel's concierge to point you toward the nearest one, according to Steves.
Launderettes are a common feature in European cities. These businesses have grown in number over the past decades, mostly due to the lack of apartment space to accommodate washing machines, the student population in the cities, and the increasing number of travelers using such services. However, not all launderettes are created equal. Steves notes that you can identify the better ones by some of their features: coin-operated soap dispensers, a bill-to-coin change machine, and helpful attendants.
If they're located in more touristy areas, they might even have English instructions. But that's not to say that you should avoid unmanned launderettes. Although they might not have all the bells and whistles, "many of these have pictogram instructions that usually aren't too hard to parse," Steves writes on his blog.
What To Pay Attention To When Using A European Launderette
Navigating these machines at the launderette is not too different from your appliance back home. If the business doesn't have any soap dispensers, pick up a small box of dry detergent (or fabric softener if you prefer) from a grocery shop. You may not even have to bother purchasing soap if you're as lucky as this Redditor: "I was surprised in Prague because the laundromat had machines that dispensed detergent and softener automatically without me paying extra." Seasoned travelers swear by detergent sheets, which are packed with detergent and easy to bring along while traveling.
Most launderettes require inserting a coin at a central unit, which unlocks your machine. Although some accept debit/credit cards or even prepaid cards, come prepared with coins. From there, just follow the machine's instructions. Steves advises paying attention to where you drop your detergent in; you don't want your main soap in the prewash compartment, which will give your clothes nothing but a glorified spin in water. When selecting spin cycles and temperatures, be aware that European launderettes operate in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. Some machines may have built-in dryers; otherwise, you'll have to physically transfer your wet clothes into a dryer.
With your clothes getting the wash they deserve, Steves suggests catching up on your reading, writing, journaling, or striking up a conversation with a local. European launderettes may not be as hip as New York's destination-worthy Brooklyn laundromat that comes with a bar and pinball arcade or South Carolina's quirky laundromat that hosts concerts or comedy nights. But you'd be surprised at how some downtime in a European launderette can be a refreshing respite from the overwhelming buzz of traveling.
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Read the original article on Islands.
