European life has always given people a very leisurely and relaxed feeling, because they mostly focus on work life balance, so most stores close early.
Europe is divided into summer and winter time, winter they will be earlier, may be about 4 o'clock after work. On Sundays and holidays, they don't even open. Most of the stores in the mall were not open on Christmas Day.
This is very different from our 24-hour convenience stores and supermarkets that are open all year round. When going to some remote areas, it is best to stock up on food first, as supermarkets in Europe may be closed on Sundays.
Most museums in Europe have cloak rooms where visitors can put down their backpacks and heavy clothing. Some even make it mandatory for visitors to put their luggage and hats in the cloak room before they can enter, probably because they are afraid of bringing too much stuff to damage the exhibits.
Therefore, it is necessary to arrive 15 minutes earlier to watch a large exhibition or opera to reserve time to queue up for the cloakroom for personal belongings.
You never know when you'll have to pay to use the restroom. In some public places in Europe, or even some restaurants, you might have to pay to use the facilities.
There are usually staff or gates at the entrance of the restrooms, so you can pay cash or get in with a restaurant receipt. It's always a good idea to bring change with you, just in case.
