Planning your first Euro trip could be overwhelming since there are so many places to visit in Europe. It becomes even more difficult when you are looking at traveling on a budget. Unlike other continents where you need a separate visa to visit different countries, Schengen visa lets travellers visit almost the whole of Europe with just one visa (United Kingdom has a separate visa). With over 40 countries, Europe has so much diversity to offer travellers. Be it history, culture, cuisines, art, architecture, theatre, or adventure there is an endless supply of things to do in Europe.
Looking for budget travel to Europe? Follow these 8 simple steps to plan your first Euro trip:
First Euro Trip Planning Step #1
Fix the duration of your Euro trip
It sounds basic but the duration of your European tour would have a high impact on your itinerary. Try getting as many leaves possible from work to cover more places to visit in Europe. A few extra days in Europe won’t burn a hole in your pocket compared to flight tickets in and out of Europe.
First Euro Trip Planning Step #2
Pick the right season to travel
Europe is beautiful all year around. Summer months are most popular to visit Europe, but it’s not the ideal time to visit Europe for every traveller. During peak summer months of June, July and August most of the European cities are teeming with tourists. As a result, accommodation and other costs are high which can increase your travel budget substantially. On your first Euro trip, you are most likely going to spend a reasonable amount of time outdoors exploring cities.
For our first Euro trip we made the mistake of visiting Italy in July. It was way too hot for our comfort. There were long queues to enter almost all the attractions. We felt exhausted after a few hours of sightseeing. As a result, we couldn’t cover many places. Over the years we have realised that the best time to enjoy a Europe trip are the months of April, May and September.
Pro Travel Tip : Unless you are visiting Europe for some beach time, avoid peak summer months for southern countries like Italy, Spain and Greece.
First Euro Trip Planning Step #3
Book flight tickets to Europe
The price of your flight tickets in and out of Europe is a big component of your travel budget. By making smart booking decisions, you can make your trip an affordable one. A lot of money can be saved by following these tips and tricks to book cheap flight tickets to Europe.
First Euro Trip Planning Step #4
Plan a rough itinerary
The most important thing to keep in mind while planning your itinerary is that you can’t see all of it in just one trip. Don’t forget that there are over 40 countries in Europe.
Depending on the number of days and your arrival and departure cities, design a rough Euro trip itinerary. It should include a few days in your arrival and departure cities and additional days in places easily connected with these cities. Note that the itinerary might need a few modifications once you start booking inter city travel in Step 5. Checkout 10 days Euro trip itineraries for more help.
To do justice to a place, keep 3-4 days for each big city you plan to visit. Also, keep 2 days for each for the smaller ones.
Is moving with your luggage to a new city every few days not your travel style? We have a solution for you! Make a big city like Paris, London, Barcelona or Rome your base and do day trips around these cities.
Pro Travel Tip : While planning your itinerary, don’t forget to take into account travel time. Both from your country to Europe and inter city travel within Europe.
First Euro Trip Planning Step #5
Book inter city travel
Once you have a rough Euro trip itinerary, look for inter city transport that suits your needs. You can choose between trains, flights, buses or rental cars. You’ll be surprised at how this can alter your itinerary especially when you are on a tight budget travel.
Say your plan was to visit Venice (Italy) from Amsterdam. What can you do if the price has increased for the inter city flight bookings between Amsterdam and Venice? Taking a train is an option but the travel duration is long. You can choose to travel on alternative dates or book a cheap flight to another city. In all the three scenarios you’ll end up modifying your Euro trip itinerary. So it makes sense to book your internal travel before booking accommodation.
Read our analysis of transport options in Europe , Your ultimate guide to travel across Europe on a Budget.
First Euro Trip Planning Step #6
Book accommodation
There is so much to see in each and every city in Europe that you are hardly going to be in your hotel. As a first time Europe traveller you just need :
- a comfortable bed to sleep in
- a clean washroom
- a location well connected via public transport
- a place safe to store your belongings
To understand how to choose the right accommodation in Europe read, Tips and tricks to book cheap accommodation in Europe.
First Euro Trip Planning Step #7
Apply for Schengen visa
If you need Schengen Visa to enter Europe then this is the time to apply for your visa. Along with your passport and financial documents, you will need to submit a copy of your travel ticket, itinerary and accommodation confirmations. If applying from India, keep around 3 weeks for visa processing.
If you are short on time, then you can book cancelable accommodations and submit the confirmation with your visa application. Later on you can spend time to book alternate accommodation as per your needs.
First Euro Trip Planning Step #8
Research about the cities
Do some research about the cities you are visiting and you are all set for your first Euro trip. Spending some time and making a list of places to visit in each European city would orient you before your arrival. Mark the top attractions you need to visit, download offline maps, food and drinking places. If you need to book tickets for attractions in advance, then do so now. This would help in utilising the few days you have to explore the city more efficiently.
Pro Travel Tip : You will find free walking tours (you tip the guide at the end of the tour) in most of the European cities. We find walking tours helpful to get an idea about the city and usually start our exploration with them. Interact with your tour guide and you’ll get to know about many hidden gems in the city.
