“So, You Have Made the Decision to Go to Europe. So Where Do You Start?“

For those of you who have taken trips overseas and especially Europe, you already know the expectations for planning. It means about having or accessing, whatever you are going to need, be it proper documents, information, agenda, transportation, clothing and necessary supplies that will insure you have a safe, mistake free, enjoyable and memorable trip. If you missed or didn’t do something right the last trip, you will make sure to correct it this time. Planning gets better with each trip as you know what to have and what to expect.

If this is your first trip to Europe, you’ll mostly likely need some help with planning. Now these days they are many sources of help from travel agents, tour operators’, guidebooks, TV travelogs, podcasts, internet travel web sites and providers like, airlines, hotels, etc. Go to our ➾ Travel Advice & Resource page for more detailed information.

It means your trip can take some time and might even seem a little overwhelming at times but, using the right resources to get good information can be rewarding. Once your trip is done, you’ll want to do it again.

If you are a first timer, you’ll want to read these steps carefully as it will set you on the right planning path. Even if you an experienced traveler, a review may be a little helpful.

Who Are You? In other words, what type of traveler are you. Your age, physical ability, solo travel or in a group, luxury or budget spending and especially your likes and dislikes. Go to our➾ Determine Your Traveling Style page and fill in the questionnaire. Asking yourself these questions will help you to avoid your limitations and make the best decisions for an enjoyable trip.

How and Who is Going to Book the Trip?

There will be many booking choices and if you do not have the time someone will. The question is who will that be? Go to our ➾Start Your Plan for assisted or non-assisted planning.

Start Your Plan…

You need to ask yourself some questions in order to establish your travel parameters, regardless of who does the leg work.

1. WHEN CAN YOU GO AND FOR HOW LONG?

Choosing the best time can be a little complicated for many as there are jobs, careers, family matters and the time of year to take into consideration. Go to our ➾ Create Your Agenda pageto view our recommendations for the amount of time one should adequately spend in each region or city. 

2. DETERMINE YOUR TRAVELING STYLE Parameters.

 This is important. Who you are and what you are makes a big difference on where you can go and what you can do. Are you a youth or senior traveler? Traveling solo, with family and children, accessible travel or lifestyle travel. Do you have physical or medical limitations? What are your primary interests that inspires you? Culture, Food, Nature, History, are just a few areas that may fulfill you. Go to our ➾ Determine Your Traveling Style page.

3. CHOOSE ON YOUR DESTINATIONS.

Go to our ➾ Choose Your Destinations page and for some suggestions to Europe’s most sought-after destinations. Make sure to put those important things first. 

4. CREATE AN AGENDA

Once you have narrowed down what you want to do and see, it’s time to work an agenda into your time frame. To help determine how many days you need to spend in what locations, go to our ➾ Create Your Agenda page for some guidance. 

5. WHAT’S YOUR BUDGET LIMITATIONS?

Money is always an issue for just about every one of us so you’ll need to know what you can spend by setting a budget. Go to our ➾ Budget Your Money page and view typical costs for traveling throughout Europe. 

When to Travel to Europe…

Other than depending on your personal schedule the are variable factors like, the price of airlines, hotels, seasonal weather conditions, local events & holiday. Normally the best times are late April to early June or September to mid-October. This can also depend on what region you want to visit. The middle of summer is the best time for Nordic countries, like Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, or even Scotland. The winter months there can be quite cold while the summer months are warmer and have long days for more activity.

Southern countries in the Mediterranean region can be very hot in the summer and too hot for heat sensitive individuals. Europeans take vacations in July & August and leave the cities with some services and attractions being curtailed.

In recent years Christmas markets throughout central Europe have seen a rise in tourism travel in December. Ski resorts can also see flocks of snow enthusiasts, from late November to early April. Overall, your best months are usually in the Spring and Fall. The crowds will be smaller and most attractions and services will be open. 

Visit our Climate & Weather page for more information on average high and low temperatures. precipitation and current weather for major cities, as well as the climate by country.

Booking Your Trip, Who’s Going To Get it Done?

It was only a short time ago when someone went to Europe everything was done by a travel agent. Their knowledge of places abroad would allow them to book you in the good hotels, lowest cost airline tickets, the right tours, etc. They became your personal travel consultant and would literally book everything. Not anymore, with the internet you can not only book everything but, attain information about the places you plan to visit so you’ll know what and what not to do.

Be prepared well in advance, to have everything you’ll need for the trip. Have a checklist for clothing, accessories, passport, documents, tickets, electronics, money, etc. You will find help for these at our ➾ What You Need and Packing pages

USE A TRAVEL AGENT…

Travel agents can save you a lot of time searching online. A good travel agent will get to know your personal likes and dislikes, as well as your travel limitations. If they are an experience agent, they will know which tours to book you on, the places to stay and also eat. 
They can be especially helpful finding good rates for flights and other services, based on the best times to travel for value and weather. They have access to information that the average web surfer does not. A good agent will monitor sales and the fluctuation in prices knowing the right time to purchase and save you money. 

BOOK EVERYTHING YOURSELF ONLINE…

If you have decided to take this on alone go to our ➾ Booking Online page and use the listed resources to book your trip. Also view our Booking Flights Online page
With the expansion of the internet more and more people have become accustomed to booking flights and other services online. While it can sometimes be a little time consuming, it can also be fun and rewarding. Aggregate web sites can search for hundreds of rooms, flights and more at the press of a keyboard. Searching for these services can be a little more difficult when traveling to another country. Some foreign web sites, for local information, are not in English or poorly translated to English, making them hard to navigate.

USE MULTIPLE SERVICES…

Many seasoned travelers still use agents for booking flights because they monitor for better rates and options. They can monitor more closely the fluctuation in prices allowing them to suggest better travel times. Some web sites allow you to enter your travel destination and they will notify you when rates go down for that travel. You can read reviews from actual travelers at web sites on rooms, attractions, dinning and more. These can be very helpful when you are determining where to eat, sleep and travel. Remember, if you are on a tour, you may not have the free time you want to explorer the things you want. Tours are on tight schedules to get you from one location to another so visits to sights can be very limited. That can be discouraging if you want to take extra time to really soak in the moment.

DAYS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AMERICANS MAKE THE DECISION TO TRAVEL

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce: International Trade Commission, Air Travelers (SIAT) Survey Data on U.S. Residents Visiting Overseas Countries.

Be Prepare in Advance…

Know ahead of time and have everything you’ll need for the trip. Have a checklist for clothing, accessories, passport, documents, tickets, electronics, money, etc. You will find help for these at our ➾ What You Need and Packing pages 

 Plan Well in Advance…Make a To Do List…

Planning a well thought out agenda will only make for a incredible experience. Give yourself ample time to prepare and put everything together. You’ll find it’s fun to plan and see it all fall into place.  

1 Year prior to departure…

• Once you’ve chosen where you are going you now need to decide what time of year to go is best.
• Once you have established a date start checking periodically for sales on airfares and know which routes give you the best benefits. If you plan to use airline miles for free tickets, you’ll need to book those much farther in advance than 60 days.
• Start making a check list of everything you’ll need to have for the trip. Tickets, passes, documents and what you plan to pack.
• Set your tentative agenda for what countries and cities you are going to visit and how much time you will spend at each.

6 Months before …

• Passport and Visas are completed, and you have them in your physical possession.
• Monitor Airline tickets for pricing. Booking is normally the best after 6 months to 2 months prior.
• Check the web sites for high volume attractions with limited access for availability and ticketing.
• Check tour services with special access to attractions as they sell out quicker than regular tours.
• Attain driving permits for use in countries that have a requirement.
• Make arrangements for adult supervision over any minor children not traveling on the trip.

3 Months before …

• Train tickets should be coming available for ticketing 6 weeks prior to the dates for travel.
• Start to purchase museum and transportation passes or tickets.
• Make sure you have all your pending medical and dental treatments completed.
• Keep monitoring airfares they will come down from their initial price and should hit their lowest price 120-60 days prior to departure.
• Shop and purchase necessary travel insurance.
• Make personal arrangements for pet boarding and have medical requirements like exams, immunizations, etc. completed.

1 Month before …

• Make sure you have all medical prescriptions are filled for the duration of your trip. You do not want to run out while on the trip without the ability to refill. 
• Double check all electronics and make sure they are in good working order.
• Notify trusted family, friends and neighbors that you will be going away. Make arrangements with any to monitor home activities for emergencies.  
• Do not post you are going on a trip on social media platforms, this is an invitation for home invasion.

1 Week before …

• Finalize your checklist for everything you plan to take.
• Test pack everything and confirm it fits into the baggage you’re taking and that you can easily transport everything.
• Provide house keys with family, friends or neighbors that you have ask to watch your home, make sure you have the proper keys that work in the door lock. Leave them an itinerary so they can contact you in an emergency.
• Reload fresh batteries in devices with replaceable batteries.
• Make parking reservations if you intend to leave your car at a parking facility.

1 Day before…

• Check in online if possible and print your boarding pass.
• Pre-pack as much possible in your baggage and stage unpacked items you will be taking with you on the plane.
• Make sure lights you have connected to timers work at night.
• Email copies you made of your documents to yourself so you ‘ll have them on your mobile device.

Day of departure…

• If you are leaving your home unattended, shut off water at the main valve and turn the dial on your hot water heater to vacation.
• Set your security system, if needed.
• Double check your final checklist and make sure you have everything.
• Airlines request that you check in at the airport 2 hours before and international flight departs.

Know All You’ll Need to Know and Have?

Traveling internationally out of the country can have its challenges. You need to be thoroughly prepared so pack correctly and leave nothing undone.