In the last four years we have traveled in Mexico, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and Lux mostly by bicycle, therefore primarily rural areas as well as urban areas. People have been delightful - Mr Bee and I are on a tandem recumbent bike which seems to tickle people everywhere - it is an unusual sight - and they joke and laugh and give the universal thumbs up when we go by no matter what the language. The French get a bad rap that is not at all accurate in my experience. They are not necessarily warm towards foreigners, but they are helpful and responsive. In urban areas everyone knows English - we are lazy and only learn a few words to get by in a foreign language. Even in rural areas, most people know enough English or we know enough of their language to deal with transportation, repairs, hotels, and food. Europe is very bicycle-friendly - we've had some of our most interesting experiences when we've needed help; it is a common human desire to want to help someone who is genuinely in need, perhaps also because two old people on a bike are very non-threatening!
To answer the question: I would say it depends on your reason for needing the language. There are at minimum two types of language skills: If it is for vacation/travel, then focus on transporation, food and hotel vocabulary. You don't need to learn conversational/comprehensive language skills - just enough to know what you are ordering in a restaurant! If you plan to live, work or go to school in a different country - then dig in seriously with college level courses.