Travel
Travel expert Drew Binsky shares tips on Red Bull Can You Make It? cities
The video creator and social media personality with over 14 million followers has suggestions for enjoying all five of the event’s starting points, as well as a big tip for travellers everywhere.
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Drew Binsky has become an ultimate expert on travel in the process of visiting all 197 countries. With a passion for helping others become better travellers, he shares his experience on video (over seven billion views online so far) and through courses, talks and even a book. And when Red Bull Can You Make It? teams cross the finish line in Berlin on May 28, 2024, he’ll be there to greet them.
By then, those nearly 300 teams will have spent seven days travelling across Europe from one of five starting points – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Copenhagen or Milan – trading cans of Red Bull for everything they need. Binsky has tips and insights regarding all of those cities and Berlin as well.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
“I find Dutch people to be among the friendliest in Europe and the most open-minded. Very easy to approach,” Binsky says. “Also, if you can speak some English, you can get by with 99 percent of the people in Amsterdam.”
He goes on, “If you walk outside the main station, you’re in the middle of Amsterdam, so that’s a great area to talk with people. Various parks are really popular, like Vondelpark, which is my favorite park in all of Europe. It’s the most chill spot.”
Barcelona, Spain
“Barcelona is cool. It’s on the water, great nightlife, a lot of friendly people,” Binsky begins. “If you’re going to visit one place in the city, I would say the Sagrada Família church or Park Güell, a cool park with abstract art. Both were created by the artist Antoni Gaudí. The beaches are nice, and the Gothic Quarter is beautiful. That’s where a lot of the best cafes and restaurants are and where Park Güell is.”
In terms of using English as a relatively universal language, Binsky says, “If you hang out in some of the main areas, you’ll be able to find people who speak English. Try to learn 10 words in Spanish beforehand, though. Spanish is among the top five most important languages to learn worldwide, and for that reason alone, you might want to at least pick up some vocabulary.”
Binsky gained his travel expertise by visiting every country in the world
© Drew Binsky
Budapest, Hungary
“I’ve been to Budapest many times – a great city with a very warm, welcoming environment,” Binsky says. “It’s absolutely beautiful. The Parliament building is the most beautiful building in Europe, I think, and it’s a walking city. Getting lost on the side streets is my favorite thing there.”
“There’s a lot to do, and most of the action happens in the Jewish Quarter. It’s just buzzing,” he continues. “You’ll find way more English there then in a place like Barcelona, because that area of Budapest is a little more international – a lot of travelers and expats, and even the locals themselves, in my experience, speak pretty good English.”
Copenhagen, Denmark
“Copenhagen is similar to Amsterdam, with bike culture in both cities. Getting on a bike in Copenhagen is awesome if you get the chance. It seems like, because the weather is usually so bad in Scandinavia, when it’s nice – and I’m assuming it’ll be nice when Red Bull Can You Make It? happens in late May – people really appreciate the outdoors, and it’s so busy outside!” he says, pointing out that some of the sights to see are the Little Mermaid statue, the 17th-century Round Tower and the picturesque Nyhavn area.
“I really like Scandinavian culture; I think it’s easy to adapt to and easy to get along with people. English is everywhere. It almost feels like people have English as a first language – that’s how good they are,” he says.
Milan, Italy
“Milan feels a bit different than other Italian cities. I’m not sure why, maybe because it’s a world fashion capital,” Binsky muses. “The Duomo di Milano [cathedral] is a really cool building. That’s also where the main theatre [La Scala] is, and there are plazas and shopping districts nearby, so that’s the best walking district and the highlight of Milan for me.”
Many Red Bull Can You Make It? participants don some kind of costume from time to time, and Binsky says, “People pay close attention to fashion in Milan. You really see a lot of crazy outfits you’ve never seen before, interesting shoes and things like that. So if you can stand out physically, however you do it, I think people will appreciate and respect that and give you attention.”
Binsky recommends the area around the Duomo as a Milan highlight
© Drew Binsky
Berlin, Germany
Because Berlin is the finish point for Red Bull Can You Make It?, team members may find themselves with time to relax, and they’ll get their cash, credit cards and phones returned to them as well.
“First of all, they should come say hi to me at the finish line. They can ask me any questions they want – I’m happy to talk about any country, and I would love to connect,” Binsky says. “I’m so happy that Berlin is the ending point. It’s like a hipster, artsy place, so one of the coolest things to do is visit the section of the Berlin Wall that’s all graffitied by local artists. Just walk down the wall, and you can see all the different murals and paintings.”
He adds, “Berlin has a younger population. It’s easier to connect with people, and English is very widely spoken. Locals in Berlin would love to sit down with you and hear about the experience that you went through for the last seven days. It’s a really cool place for that.”
How to approach people no matter where you go
Because Red Bull Can You Make It? participants barter for everything they need, they must frequently approach strangers. Binsky has a tip that’s worked for him all over the world:
“Don’t just run up to someone and tap on their back. Really try to feel them out by doing the smile trick,” he urges. “Make eye contact and smile. If they smile back and maybe nod, then it’s much easier to approach them. That’s the best tip!”
You can find out more about Red Bull Can You Make It? and follow the adventure of a lifetime across Europe right here.
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