If you are a traveler heading to mainland Europe, the opportunity to explore multiple countries and cultures is too good to pass up. However, when you plan to tour several nations over the course of a few weeks, it is vital that you prepare in style. Otherwise, your dream vacation could turn into a holiday nightmare.
Here are six of the best tips that should enable you to enjoy a stress-free adventure.
Plan Your Journeys
Mainland Europe is relatively accessible. In fact, the whole mainland continent is roughly the same size as the U.S. on its own. And if you plan to focus solely on the western, central, or eastern regions, it becomes even more accessible. Both financially and in terms of time management.
Nonetheless, you will encounter a lot of journeys, not least in getting to your first European destination. As such, knowing how to pass the time on long voyages should be a priority. As well as long-haul flights, you may find that you subsequently take a lot of train trips using interrail cards.
In today’s world, there is the additional responsibility of checking Covid vaccine regulations before you travel. Do not forget it.
Get Your Money Under Control
If traveling to Europe for the first time, it would be easy to assume that all countries adopt the Euro. However, eight of the European Union nations use their own currency while the EU only covers 27 member states. Therefore checking the currency in each nation that you plan to visit will be crucial.
When you plan to use contactless payments, you must inform your bank in advance. You should also note that not all European towns have adopted digital payments on a widespread basis. It is probably worth carrying a little cash in the appropriate currency. If nothing else, you can save any unused notes as a souvenir.
In addition to financial organization, you should advise your cell provider about your plans. The ability to access 4G/5G and make calls will be key.
Plan Your Excursions
When you’re eager to visit multiple destinations in a short time, some locations may only allow for a quick visit. However, the fact that you will probably move on rather than return to a holiday base means you must tackle the excursion in a tactical way. Regardless of whether you’re alone or traveling with friends.
The biggest issue is that carrying around all of your belongings will stop you from enjoying the adventures. Checking out the luggage lockers Barcelona locations, for example, allows you to store your baggage safely. Your 24 or 48 hours in La Rambla or other attractions will become far more enjoyable.
It can be especially useful when staying at a hostel for the night. After all, unpacking when you will be leaving the next day seems more than a little redundant.
Know The Weather
Understanding the climate at the chosen time of your vacation is an important feature no matter what part of the world you visit. Nevertheless, the contrasts from one part of Europe to another can be huge. So, as well as considering the months of the year, you need to look at individual locations.
Aside from guiding you in terms of what clothes to pack, it also helps you decide the order of locations. Of course, you’re not going to travel from Lisbon to Warsaw and back to Paris. However, if you are planning to do a loop of a few locations, careful planning will help you determine whether going clockwise or anti-clockwise is best.
As well as climate issues, you can build your trip around special events – music events, sports events, and religious celebrations.
Book Activities In Advance
Once upon a time, this trip would have been ill-advised. In fact, only your travel and accommodation would have been on the ‘items to prebook’ list. In the post-pandemic era, though, many attractions are worth booking in advance. After all, many places still have capacity limits, and the lines can be very stressful.
Better still, ordering events in advance ensures that you have a set time and may secure a small discount. From visiting the Colosseum in Rome to the Anne Frank Tour in Amsterdam, there are many options. Having the itinerary in place also encourages you to make every day count on your tour.
You can still look to book events through your accommodation too. For European travel in the post-pandemic world, leaving it until you arrive at an attraction is ill-advised.
Manage Your Travel Party
Finally, you must know whether to travel with friends or take a solo trip. And, if choosing the former, it’s important to think carefully about who you invite. Travel is one of the quickest ways to lose friendships, and this type of vacation poses an even greater risk. When you get it right, though, your adventures will be everything you wanted and more.
In Conclusion
Organizing your first European trip can be stressful. However, as long as you follow the advice above, the journey should be much smoother. Remember, the key is to make wise decisions at every stage of the planning process. From booking early to packing efficiently, those steps will make a world of difference.
