Who would not want to travel to Europe? With the beauty of people and places, a vibrant culinary experience, and many historical connections, everything seems perfect when traveling to Europe. But a European trip might be an overwhelming experience if you have not done your proper homework.
From where to stay to where to eat, everything needs to be decided beforehand to avoid any inconvenience. But don’t you worry, we have your back. Here are the 10 most useful tips to keep in mind when preparing for your first trip to Europe. Here you go!
1. Religiously Follow The Budget
Something that goes upside down when traveling is your budget. Always remember that a plan, an un-written plan, will end up failing badly. Make lists of everything along with their prices. Decide the daily budget, including food and travel expenses.
Once everything is decided, follow the plan religiously. Use online guides on how to save money in a certain city or country. Check out thrift stores, especially if you want to buy new clothes or other items.
2. Crosscheck Your Passport and Visa Requirements
Check on your passport if it’s valid or expired, months before traveling. After that, get some updates on the visa requirements. As visa requirements can be a little complicated when traveling to Europe for the first time.
Make sure to visit the visa office or the travel agency you are consulting to avoid any bad experiences. Keep your documents always close when you know that you will need them but also make sure to keep track of where you leave or place them since losing or damaging your documents might cause some extra hassle.
3. Book Quality Accommodation
After you have booked the tickets, you need to do thorough research on where to stay while on a Euro-trip. Skim several guidebooks and travel websites to find the best deal. A quality hotel can wait for months, so it is better to make the bookings at least a month in advance.
Always choose accommodation close to the city. Hostels are also an option, especially if you want to go for a cheaper solution.
4. Search Out All The Famous Places To Eat
You cannot be running on the streets to look for some restaurants on an empty stomach. Always do your homework for that.
Make a list of the famous food places wherever you are traveling, and make sure you book a hotel close to the food street. Make sure you have a well-planned food budget to avoid over-spending on snacks and street food.
5. Explore the Unexplored
Only visiting the historical places and monuments would make your trip extremely boring. Similarly, visiting famous destinations is important, but exploring the unexplored is more important.
Nothing can be better than wandering around the streets and getting to know the locals. Make sure to make new friends and try some delicious street food while you explore the city. You never know how many secret passages or streetways you could find just by taking a walk in the city.
Once you get to know more people and create new friendships, they can show you their favorite spots and unseen locations.
6. Pack Wisely
We all know how much packing for a trip stresses everyone out. But don’t worry, your stress is going to change with ease with this simple tip. Pack light when traveling to a new country or city.
As you will come across several opportunities to shop for some new stuff, it would be a total waste of space to stuff your bags with old clothes and belongings. Think about the essentials, what you will need in your daily life and what you can’t substitute or buy immediately.
7. Do Not Forget The Souvenirs
Every trip remains incomplete unless you have something to take back home. Whenever traveling to a new city or country, never forget to buy some local stuff, whether it’s a beautiful painting or even a tiny fridge magnet.
Take home some souvenirs to keep yourself reminded of your trip even several years later. Think about choosing gifts that are not mainstream and over-popular. Many people decide to buy chocolates when they’re visiting Switzerland, but they forget that they can get a swiss made watch for a more memorable gift.
8. Choose Train Over a Car
European countries are famous for their local train network covering the whole city sometimes. Take this opportunity and make some extra memories while traveling on the train rather than the boring drive in a car.
Make sure to get some information about the local trains and timings. You may even need to consult the map for this purpose. You can even choose to take trains over airplanes whenever you want to visit faraway cities or countries. It will definitely be cheaper, but also much more eco-friendly.
9. Wise Communication
Keeping your family updated about your location may become a task when traveling to a new country. The best way to cope with this shortcoming is to avail of some local sim-only-deals.
These come with relaxed calling minutes, messages, and internet MBs, all at an affordable price. It would be nice to hold video calls with your loved ones and show them your favorite places and tell them about your experience.
10. Keep Some Cash
It’s always advisable to keep some spare cash to avoid situations where your debit cards run out of order. After all, spare cash does nothing bad. Don’t forget that you might need to exchange money for adequate currency in specific countries.
Always check for reliable and trustworthy exchange money agencies since there can be many scammers around waiting to cheat foreigners.
Traveling to Europe can be great fun if you strictly follow these tips: follow the budget, check your passport, decide on where to stay and eat, explore the city, pack wisely, get some souvenirs, travel local, get a sim-only-deal, and keep some spare cash.
At the end of the day, no trip is similar to another, all you have to do is try to get the most out of your trip in your own way.
In Brief…
When planning your first trip to Europe:
- Religiously follow the budget
- Crosscheck your passport and visa requirements
- Book quality accommodation
- Search out all the famous places to eat
- Explore the unexplored
- Pack wisely
- Do not forget the souvenirs
- Choose train over a car
- Wise communication
- Keep some cash