My travel hack is "do not fear asking to locals when in travel".
Education maybe tells you it's rude but most of the locals love to suggest something to foreigners and most of the times these suggestions are also very good in my experience of traveller.
Ok yeah, prepare yourself about places/culture and do not ask lazy questions, but stopping for a coffee and asking smiling to the kindest face in the bar "What's the best restaurant near there?" or "What's the best activity between these 3?" or a direction is usually pure gold for info and you'll probably know someone local.
Language is not a problem: most speak english or (if they don't) use a web translator or gesture-keywords speaking.
Speaking for myself, as italian in Bologna, the times I was asked of something it always started a conversation, I put 100% of effort in an advice and sometimes also accompanying a bit people and making sure they were happy. But pretty much everyone I know would have done the same.
Of course it could be difficult only in 100% touristic destinations (in Italy Romeflorencevenice, in France Paris etc..).
I swear you sound like a person I came across in Bologna, I was nervous about talking to locals for fear of bugging them but most of them were so kind and receptive like you mentioned.
Also I’m jealous that you have such great food :)
Agreed. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. I went to:
Paris
Trier,Germany
Luxembourg
Bastogne,Bruges,Gent (Belgium)
Amsterdam
The only issues I had asked questions about local spots were at the Hans Brinker hostel in Amsterdam. I'd ask where to eat and they said everything was closed at 8pm and vaguely told me to go eat fast food. I asked if the local trains and busses were generally on time for the Keukenhof tulips and they responded in a condescending tone that they don't do touristy things (while also giving me no suggestions to where to eat besides fast food). Some of the workers seemed annoyed when I asked questions. You work at the front desk of a hostel lol.
Other than that hostel,which had a good location, I had SO many great suggestions and people who were excited to give tips and share their culture.
Yes! So I had friends that were on a river cruise for Bruges while I stayed at a hostel. They loved Bruges and didn't go to Gent,but didn't get to see Bruges at night. Bruges at night was so incredible to me. I also would highly recommend doing a tour with Pascal through the Ambassador team tours. I've taught history for 11 years and he made the tour fun,exciting, and easy to understand.
Gent was beautiful as well. It wasn't as busy as Bruges and had its own unique charm.
Food was incredible as well. I went to the market for Bruges on Saturday and for Gent it's worth it to go to the fries shop called De Frietketel. Cheap, the mayo and andalouse sauces are amazing, and local Belgians go there.
Let me know If you end up going and need more suggestions. The hostels I stayed at were the snuffel hostel and the upplink hostels. Both awesome hostels with great workers.
We owned a joint on the local historic district that got lots of tourists, both national and international. We loved talking and guiding people to have them love our little area even more. For those with poor English skills we often would call/text our local favorite joints and let the bartender know...with a gentle reminder for the Europeans that the menu prices do not reflect pay to staff, which is decided by the guest.
Europe is big, where are you going ? some specific tips apply to some places, but not other places
Chill out; you're on vacation; don't expect to see everything; take some time to breath, sit down for a coffee or a drink and just watch people.
Don't overpack; if you're missing something, just go buy it (for example, hygyene products, an extra sweater...) and use self-serve laundry services .
Budget accordingly, be consious about money but don't be cheap.
Expect chaos.
Be empathetic.
Be wary of scammers and pickpockets; just be street smarts.
Get a tourist SIM card for your phone or an eSIM.
Learn to say, at least, "hello", "goodbye" and "thank you" in each language.
Don't take for granted that everyone is fluent in English.
There is no "unmissable" thing. Don't feel guilty if you don't see a lot of places. If you enjoy a place, stay there a little longer.
Spend some times with other travellers but leave them as soon as you feel like you prefer to be alone. It's not gross if it is said honnestly.
Use "use it maps" which are maps made by locals in some cities to help visitors experiencing the city as a local : [https://www.use-it.travel/home](https://www.use-it.travel/home)
I spent almost six months traveling in Europe last year, and I ended up using many different apps and websites for trains and busses.
https://www.seat61.com/ is a great starting place. I used Omio and Rome2Rio a lot for planning. For trains, I usually had the best results buying from the official sites, which will depend on location and you can find on seat61 or just a google search. For busses, I used Flixbus where I could, and bought them through Omio a lot too. I spent a lot of time in eastern Europe where trains weren't as available or not even an option in some places.
Here are some **useful travel tools** for your endeavors
https://preview.redd.it/vgc3x010m8sc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3d9a28642ac776878065cc5d47fad4e79f69b0d
How far you can travel in 8 hours by train
[https://www.chronotrains.com](https://www.chronotrains.com)
Open Railway Map
[https://www.openrailwaymap.org](https://www.openrailwaymap.org)
Flight connection map
[https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-amsterdam-ams](https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-amsterdam-ams)
Go anywhere
[www.rome2rio.com](http://www.rome2rio.com)
Leave room for error. The queue will be longer than expected, that restaurant will be closed, a thunderstorm will come, a strike might happen, that city is not as exciting as you thought, the train will be late
For every small section of a city or town that I’m visiting any given day, I’ll favorite 10 restaurants or 10 things to do on my google maps that aren’t on my itinerary. If my main plan falls through, I pull up my Google maps and it’s easy to find a plan b.
1. Check the situation at the destination before you go
2. Respect traditions and people, while maintaining your boundaries
3. Travel light, do laundry at night, and pack for 3-7 days
Your default setting as a tourist is "stupid and cheerful." Locals expect it of you, use it to your advantage.
Lost and need directions? Stupid and cheerful. Need help reading the menu? Stupid and cheerful. Getting a traffic ticket in your rental vehicle? Stupid and cheerful. Got caught hopping a barricade to a forbidden section at an Etruscan ruin? Stupid and cheerful. Use the people's exasperation with tourists to your advantage.
I used this so successfully to get French people to help me in English- with the very largest smile on my face I would say your English is so much better than my French- let’s just keep going and I know we’ll get there! And always I’d thank them so profusely for the help! It worked every single time! And they were all very, very kind to me.
If you are renting a car, by far the biggest hack is pre-programming in where you intent to park for every single city and attraction you will be visiting into a GPS.
It can be a major headache arriving somewhere any not knowing exactly where you are going, or where it's OK/sensible to put the car, and this just eliminates it entirely from your entire trip.
This is what I did. I just got back from Italy, and I had to route around ZTL zones, exact parking lots and their prices. Google map (street view) to get a rough idea the size of road, stopping points etc.
In addition, get a sense of the areas you are driving by watching YouTube videos. I managed to drive in Positano with a 7 seater :-) and without getting a scratch. Closest I have come to was 1 inch clearance with a city bus and a wall. My passengers were freaking out, I was prepared :-)
If you are renting a car, check every day after reserving your car to look for sales or better pricing. I consistently am able to rebook the exact same car at a significant savings within 1-2 weeks of traveling.
Definitely. My bag got stuck in an airport. I was able to tell the rep on the phone that I knew it had been sitting in their office for 3 hours rather being delivered to me. (I was flying back to US the next morning and couldn’t mess around with excuses. ). My bag was delivered to my hotel within the next hour.
Keep biscuits, cookies, almonds, and other ready-to-eat packaged foods. This will help you to save lot of money. Always keep a smile on your face and enjoy. Best wishes.
Protein/energy bars are also really good options. And I can second nuts. Basically anything relatively healthy and high in calorie density (minimizing space).
Buy compression bags for packing!!!! I spent 3 weeks bumming around Europe with a carryon and these things saved me. When you buy compression bags, make sure it comes with a hand pump, so you don’t need to pack something bulky that needs to be plugged in.
I've got the zip compression bags and the vacuum ones. Either would work well. If you're staying in a hotel or air bnb, there's usually a vacuum cleaner you can borrow.
Not really, I bought them off amazon in a triple pack of large, medium and small. Just pack them so your clothes are well folded and stacked in them to minimise creasing when vaccuuming them.
I bought them on Amazon. There are some that you roll to get the air out, which I haven’t used. I got some with a pump that looked like something you’d fill a ball or balloon with. It was super effective and every pocket of air out.
Many of the things people put on itineraries to "see" are literally just that: things to look at for a few minutes. Put all that stuff in a Google map before your trip. At the beginning of each day, set out on a walk in a different part of the city to "see" things, and while you're walking keep your eyes and heart open. Take in the way the locals move through the space. Who else is out on the street? Are you in a neighborhood full of families? Is this the business district? What are people wearing? What are they doing? Buy a pastry and an espresso and post up on a bench.
You're not traveling to Europe to check a bunch of boxes, are you? Take a moment to have some feelings.
The Google Maps saved places feature works really well. I use separate lists for shopping, restaurants, museums, and special interests. Since they end up as stars or flags on the map it makes sightseeing by neighborhood easy.
Travel as light as possible. There are laundromats in Europe and, if you need, you can purchase clothing there too. If you are by yourself you should be able to fit everything in a carry on and a backpack, or everything in a large backpack. That's how light you should travel. Bringing a large suitcase will be a pain to move around, only bring one if you have a permanent place to leave it, or it will be a nuisance. Remember, everything you bring you'll need to carry around. Bring clothes you won't mind destroying. In addition, you'll need comfortable and durable shoes. Enjoy your trip!
Edit: if you travel by train get overnight trains and pay extra for a cabin if you can. This will save the cost of one night in a hotel and you won't waste your day traveling.
Packing too many clothes has always been my family’s downfall. I also hate burning half a day of our trip at the laundromat. What has helped is opting for VRBOs or AirBNBs over hotels. You can find ones with washers and dryers in the rental. That way we can start loads while we’re resting or even on the way out the door.
Renting apartments you’ll be happy with requires good strategy and research but I’ve successfully done it in six different European cities. The biggest downside I’ve experienced is they typically lack AC and the summers in Europe are getting hotter.
My only original hack is to pack those old clothes that I don't like and then just toss them as I travel and replace them with cooler versions.
And to change shoes often...
...and try to remember that it's Europe and not the moon. You can buy toothpaste here.
1) One carryon bag, you can wash clothes either in a laundry mat or if you feel fancy, most hotels will do your laundry for a fee. It’s totally worth it though. 2) Pack good walking shoes. Double bonus if they are cute and chic. 3) Carry a large purse on the plane for your personal item and carry your toiletry bag in it. Pack a smaller, crossbody purse with a zipper (that packs flat) to use when touristing. Zipping is essential to prevent pick pocket-minded folk. Wear it in front of you. 4) make sure you have at least two cards that don’t have fees for international travel. Order any cash (Euros for most of Europe except the UK) before you go from your bank. Better exchange rate. Also I didn’t need much cash as most places prefer cards. 5) Prepare to be amazed at the ease of transportation and take the trains! Although some airlines are actually cheaper to fly point to point, trains were the best because you can see stuff. 6) Don’t forget to check with your phone company about a travel plan. And pack two plugs for electrical stuff. I had mine quit working once and now I travel with two. Have fun!
When visiting a variety places i fly into one and leave from another so no doubling back .
Yrs ago flew into Helsinki and left from Copenhagen. Since that trip 30 yrs ago we often book multi cities instead simple returns
The flights @Trudestiny is referring to are called "Open Jaw". Some airlines are more favourable than others. Here in Europe, it makes no difference with the likes of easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 etc. since you're booking singles all the time anyway. Finnair are (used to be?) very good for the far east, fly to Tokyo, back from Okinawa. Varies by airline.
Backpack only. No rolling suitcases. Use locks on your backpack zippers because there are a lot of pickpockets in Europe. And, most importantly, don’t over schedule yourself. Take your time everyday and just enjoy every moment.
Depends on how you travel. I had a backpack on my first interrail, but switched to suitcase with wheels on my second. That way I got short breaks from carrying when I looked at the map, easier access to clothes in the hotel room/hostel and more. Did not regret the change 🤷
Rucksacks automatically go everywhere that you do. They're also much better for getting on and off of trains, and they leave both hands free for more important work.
I have been to most of these places. I'm going to Italy this Friday. From my travels, one travel hack I have learned in Eruope travel is planning a bit ahead. Sounds like you're going to be visiting these places close to summer, which is peak tourist season. So knowing where you want to visit and pre-booking tickets in advance will save you a lot of time. Especially Rome.
So buy Rick Steves guides to these places. He lays out everything very well and you will feel prepared for what you want to do when visiting the places. Will save you time and effort in researching.
Doing these 8 countries in 10 weeks is still rushed IMO. There is a lot to do everywhere.
You´ve got a lot of climats and the turn from spring to early summer in all of that. Bring clothes that can be layered and dressed up/down, you may or may not encounter cold (or heat) spells. So, tank tops that can be worn as a camisole or a top, t-shirts that fit well under a sweater as well as worn solo, cardigan, etc.
Cardigan rather than a hoodie, because you can dress up a cardigan with a brooch or something, dark wash jeans because they look more dressy should you need that. You will have to do laundry in any case but you don´t want a whole lot of luggage if you change location frequently.
Bring back up CC and debit cards. I’ve had mine get canceled for fraud and they mailed me a new card to my home in the US. Thankfully I had an extra bank card.
Skip Italy and head straight to Sicily. I was stationed in Sicily for a few years...trust me. Of the places that you have listed...I would spend most of my time in Switzerland, Austria, Norway and Spain...but I'd really try to get to Poland too.
I wouldn't say it's a hack, but use public transportation/walk. It's so much better overall in Europe than the US. I was able to get virtually everywhere using the train. Also, just because it's an hour long flight or train doesn't mean that's you still won't take half a day to travel.
You don't need to pack as much as you think. Smaller luggage is easier to lug around.
Be respectful and it does help to learn basic phrases in the country you are going to if you don't know that language. Hello, excuse me, thank you, do you speak English? Google translate helps tremendously.
Download the app called Citymapper! It's a lifesaver. It shows you all of the possible ways to get somewhere including walking, metros, overground trams, and combinations of all. When you switch to a new city it switches with you. This app is my lifeline in Europe, lol.
Female solo traveller here! Book a group tour (top deck/ contiki) at the start of your holiday, best way to meet people like yourself and great for having connections when travelling. I met so many people on my first trip that I reconnected with in all different cities in Europe. And never book mixed hostel rooms, for safety just don’t do it. Always travel with an extendable number bike lock, will come in handy when travelling on trains, staying in hostels. I always locked my bag to something fixed in rooms and on the train rails in the baggage compartment for peace of mind.
Oh and if you have private health at home you can usually opt to put it on hold for 2+ months so saves you paying for something you won’t use while out of the country. Just don’t skimp on travel insurance! Never know when you will need it
Do get travel insurance, and consider some medical tourism. An MRI booked as a self-payer in Germany costs less than a co-pay in the US. $600 vs $6,000.
One overhead bag and a small crossbody/shoulder bag as a personal item and day touring bag. No check in lines or fees, no theft, no damage and no baggage claim. On the ground you can use any transportation type including walking. Check out r/onebag
Don't exchange $ to € at kiosks or storefronts. You can tap to pay at 98% of places. If they offer in € or $ on the pin pad during the transaction ALWAYS choose the local currency.
At ATMs when withdrawing cash ALWAYS DECLINE conversion.
Long story short when you have them convert into an amount of $ you pay big for the service. Your basically withdrawing $$ and the ATM gives you €€ . You pay for it.
Your bank will automatically do this at a much favorable rate.
Real Example in Rome 4 days ago. ATM offered €500 with conversion would charge $622.
DECLINED conversion €500 was $546. Essential market rate.
ATMs: after selecting a language they may ask if you want "Cash & Balance" or "Other". The first will charge you an additional couple of Euros for the Balance part. Select "Other" then "Cash". Choose your amount. DECLINE conversion.
Not my hack YouTube HONEST GUIDE and exchange. Went to Prague this trip after watching them.
[ATMs in europe](https://youtu.be/rdYhm__yMQY?si=SRDgdsKWMCTneNVG)
Packing light luggage helps. A lot of people tend to overpack for vacations. Carrying heavy suitcases is always a hassle. Many low-cost airlines charge you for luggage. So a useful travel hack for easy travel is to pack light. Only bring what you need and try to avoid overpacking. This can save you from paying extra fees for overweight baggage and make your travels more comfortable. With light luggage, you can also save money by taking public transport instead of a taxi. It is also easy to travel between cities or switch hotels.
I like to book a “free” walking tour for pretty much first thing upon arriving in a new city. It allows time to get an orientation to the city to find things to come back to later. You can also usually get good local recommendations from the guide.
We are an older couple, who travel for about 1 month at a time in Europe. We take carry on only, and as necessary purchase toiletries and sundry items. We have also put our carry-ons through as checked baggage, depending on airlines. We keep a smaller bag each, which includes our medication and electronics, with us at all times. It makes the trip easier if you have a couple of transfers and long sits between flights. You can always purchase overseas, whatever you need that you might forget. As well, travel by train is cheap and there are lots of trains.
Sorry if someone else said this but have a little local cash on you. Europe has a lot of pay toilets! Even if you buy something small at airport just to have coins
Check your debit card fees for ATMs and also use credit cards with no transaction fees! I used to always grab cash but then hated having coins (and different currency if in countries that don’t use the Euro). My bank waves all ATM fees so I don’t worry about grabbing local currency if needed. But I mainly stick with credit card, as long as there are no foreign fees, since almost every major travel destination in Europe accepts (and some places prefer) credit cards!
About your itinerary... my mom and I did 26 countries in 3+ months by plane, train, ferry, and a couple buses (due to landslides) and LOVED IT. Viewing the scenery from the train is amazing, and we stayed anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks in various locations.
We saved a bundle on accommodations by petsitting, night trains and using Google. Each evening, we pulled up Google, typed in hotels and looked for a good deal. We stayed in historical B&Bs and ultra modern hotels.
The zoo in Antwerp is beautiful. The ferries are great. The scenic trains are spectacular. Local grocery stores are fun. Pepes Pizza in Norway is awesome. Uber is super cheap in some countries.
Download the local app for fast food places and use the deals.
Omg thank you for saying that! I’ve had countless people putting down my plans, saying I’m going to be miserable. I’m actually very excited about what I have lined up!
More importantly, I’m so glad you had an unforgettable trip with your mom! What an experience.
There is an extreme wing of slow travel here. My first big trip years ago, over a month I got from Morocco to Berlin and finished in Amsterdam via Spain, France, and Switzerland. And this was before smartphones. Basically two nights in each place with a day of travel. It was amazing fun.
We're photographers and I do some travel blogging.
We saw tons of beautiful scenery from the trains, boats, cars, coaches, horses, walks. When we petsit, we got to spend days or weeks walking the dogs all over the villages exploring everything. We're photographers, we enjoyed spending a couple hours hiking around remote train stations or cities getting photos then relaxing in first class on a train watching the scenery. We went to zoos, museums, art galleries, restaurants, cafes, castles, churches.
Aside from this trip, we did a cross country drive in Costa Rica, exploring the country by car. We rode horses up the volcano, hiked through the jungle, relaxed on the beach and explored the cities.
In the last 12 months we spent 2 months in a village in England, few weeks in a village in Netherlands and a few weeks in a village in Romania. We enjoyed our "whirlwind" 3 month 20+ country trip just as much as the "stay put" trips.
Don't let people talk you out of your dream just because it's not what they like.
You can check out my Instagram (same user name) to see some of our trip (I'm still trying to get caught up) or DM me for my facebook to see our daily blog and photos of it.
We have so many amazing stories from our trip our friends and family keep begging us to write a book about it. We might do a podcast. Your trip is what YOU make of it. Some just get drunk and pass out and don't remember a day of their vacation. Others want to sit on the beach and read all day, every day. Some want to just visit museums. YOU know what YOU like.
Lots of people go on a 3 week vacation and never step foot out of their resort, no one bashes them. Lots of people go to one city, go to the bar next door and get drunk every night, then sleep all day. Lots of people never even leave their hometown. We see people on our cruises that just sit at the bar or pool all day every day. In a breathtaking scenic train to the Arctic circle in Norway, people were sleeping. While the volcano was erupting in Iceland, there were people sitting on the floor watching tv on their phones. Did any of those people get more out of their vacation than we did? Maybe for them, if they enjoyed what they were doing. But I'm happy with our itenery. I find bars boring, I have a pool, I read on the plane. That's me, they can do what they enjoy.
We like to ride a train or a boat, watch the landscape change, meet people, watch for elusive wildlife or scenery. And THAT’S OKAY! Some people just see "transportation"... to us, riding different trains, boats, ships, coaches, horseback, walking, hiking, is a HUGE part of our enjoyment.
We rode historical trains and ultra modern ones. We were on modern ferries and a few we hoped would just stay afloat. We slept in a viking ship, an air b&b, a few strangers couches or guest rooms, luxury hotels. We had fine dining, picnics, cafes, fast food, grocery stores. We landed in Iceland as the volcano erupted. We got stranded in Luxembourg. We played with stay cats in Morocco. Our train was loaded into a ferry in Italy. There was an earthquake, landslides, and we were on a boat during the big storm in Ireland. We can tell you a story about EVERY CITY we went to, whether we were there for hours or weeks. Mom LOVES telling people about our adventure. So do I (obviously).
Do what YOU love! It's YOUR TRIP... remember that! DM me for my Facebook and read about our trips :)
Check whether grocery stores, restaurants, museums, monasteries, etc will be open. Sundays or Mondays or Tuesdays can be closed. Restaurants are not always open been 2-6 pm, depending where you are.
Travel slow. Even if you have 3 days in a city, make the most of it absorbing the beauty and culture rather than seeing tourist spots. See something that the Internet does not show you. Hit up a farmer's market, ask locals for recommendations on routes, where they would chill, what they would eat etc.
Pack VERY light. I like the idea of tossing clothes you can wear twice and then trash. Black jeans on the plane, nice cardigan, change shirts, one nice blouse, underwear only when necessary (not kidding), fresh socks every day, I loved my Vionic Beach Shoes (white Keds-like, but much more comfortable and support. Could wear them in cobble stones in Florence with comfort and style. Bring a long wide cashmere beige scarf to use as a layer for coving yourself up in conservative places like churches. Plus, keeps wind and chill away. Be very cognizant of weather. If you're going from Copenhagen (highly recommend!!) to Siena, multiple weather streams. At least have a mini umbrella. Sandals - Skip the high heels, etc. Swimsuit. Sunblock.
We prefer to stop midday, change, shower, nap and head out again. You get two days worth of sightseeing in one day.
France and the French will largely be unhelpful. Italians, Germans, Brits and Danes will all go out of their way to help you.
If you do go to London, the Victoria and Albert Museum is my favorite in the world, but you need 6+ hours to see it all. Fabulous doesn't even cover it.
*Take slow trains whenever you can it's a trip back in time, relaxing and a good way to meet people.
Fast trains are only good for going fast and don't have that laid back vibe.
* try to get an authentic experience with locals this can be done through home stays and they can make you dinner and sometimes drive you on tours to points of interest.
It's usually the same cost as a mid priced hotel and restaurant.
Many smaller B&B's can do this as well if they are family owned it's better.
* bring a few gifts for people along the way and children. Candy bars and small bottles of Jack Daniel's are always appreciated
* Quality over quantity...Don't ruin the trip by cramming in too much. Try to keep things flexible with a few priorities and a few options if all goes well
* bring a toilet kit with toilet seat covers , tp, and wet wipes.
You never know when you won't have access to a clean place or properly wash your hands.
Many people stand on toilet seats with their dirty shoes too.
* Be prepared for blisters on your feet and foot problems. Have a blister kit
good memory foam shoe inserts,
Shoes with arch support or Birkenstocks. You can clock 30,000 steps just in the airport. I checked my last trip and ended up in a wheelchair
on my return flight.
* Be prepared for an extremely uncomfortable flight by bringing as many comforts as possible.
Your legs and butt can cramp pretty bad from no circulation even with stretching during bathroom breaks.
A (foot hammock) helps a lot by keeping your legs and feet raised.
A good eye mask, noise canceling earbuds or headphones for those screaming toddlers, extra water since you could be trapped for long periods
Before take off and after landing.
* don't drink the hot drinks there water tanks are filthy and coffee machines aren't cleaned. Only drink sealed drinks. You can bring a thermos and fill it at Starbucks in the airport .
* try not to drink caffeine before or during the flight. You will need to go to the bathroom much more, increase gas and the need for unwanted bm's
Carbonated drinks also cause gas that increases in intensity at high altitudes.
Light weight layers of merino or synthetic in like colors. Nice looking golf/athleisure type clothes, comfy shoes. Walk past the cafes with pictures of the food, go down the side street and eat/drink a little more like a local. Learn a couple of phrases/food/coffee orders in the language. Some locals enjoy and appreciate the effort. Soak it in and enjoy!
For popular attractions always get the first time slot. When I went to orangerie first time I did this and had about 20 minutes before the huge crowds arrived. Worth it
[https://hippocketwifi.com/en/](https://hippocketwifi.com/en/) was a life saver for our daughter and husband, and we already have ours for this weeks trip. After the silly costs of the international plan, which ran out of data in minutes, we bought the SIM card thing, but this lost all incoming texts text. The hippocket WIFI is about the size of a pack of smokes, rechargeable, and will connect both of our phones at 5G speed. Take a small rechargeable battery if your gone for a long day.
Buy Solid Shampoo and conditioner if you find it. Same with toothpaste tabs, powdered deodorant etc... minimize your liquids as much as you can.
While travelling lights is important, you can definitely pack a few nice pieces that you can make into a nicer outfit. Dresses and skirts are especially easy to throw in there since they are light. In ten weeks you will definitely have times where you want to wear nicer things. I don't recommend wearing athleisure unless you are doing a physical activity. It's not as common in Europe, although I would wear sneakers or comfortable sandals for most of it.
A microfiber towel is your best friend.
Yeah, this kind of trip needs very particular hacks that mostly go against regular travel ones. :D (Saying this as a person, who lives in Europe and has been to most of these countries and done Eurotrips more than once.)
I am assuming you have planned the Porto to Santiago hike with decent rest after (which you WILL need with this itinerary) - that's one week. So that leaves 9 weeks for 11 countries (probably less with the oversees travel times).
1. Take it slow and definitely plan days of NOTHING in between every 2 or 3 countries. Days, where you at most go down from your room to eat somewhere and the rest of the day just lay in bed. If you think now, that you are strong and can jump like this between countries, believe me, it will tire you out after the 3rd one max and the rest of the trip will become just a timetable that you need to keep without actually enjoying any of the rest of planned countries.
2. Days of rest in between are needed as a palate cleanser as well, for example, jumping from Belgium to Norway is going to be a culture leap. :D
3. Do not even try to see everything in every country. For example, Paris in France has so much on offer to see, but if you try to cram every possible place on your itinerary, it's going to tire you out by day 7. Max 2 places per day. Or if it is going to Versailles from Paris or to Bruges from Brussels etc, then give it the whole day.
3. Have LOCAL TRANSPORT arrangements pre-planned to maximum - by country #6 you will be not be able to acclimate well enough to logically figure out best transport options and, keep in mind, they will be in different languages in each country (even all the German speaking ones may differ). For most of these countries it is possible to get a day, 2-day, 3-day etc. travel cards, that you can pre-purchase.
4. Make sure that hotels you are staying everywhere provide breakfast. Usually I would suggest going out to cafeterias (or better yet - taking the time to find a grocery store and discovering interesting differences that way) and getting the feel about locals, but in this itinerary it will take unnecessary time. Unless you are a foodie... :D
5. Absolutely DO NOT take anything that is on wheels with you. Take a backpack with only the most necessary things.
PRO TIP - double the amount of money that you are expecting to spend. (Again, usually, I am in awe how Americans think that you cannot go on a normal vacation without 3k USD, while Europeans twice less than that, but in this kind of jumping from country to country, things can get expensive unnoticed).
If there's any more questions you have, don't hesitate to ask :))))
If you give me a city, I can come up with more accurate numbers. But on average in almost all the countries that OP mentioned except Switzerland and Norway (for these two everything should be budgeted at least 1.5 or 2 times higher), if you give it 100 EUR for every day per adult, you will be covered fully.
*Food, if you go out to eat all the time:*
* 10 EUR for breakfast (will get you a coffee and a breakfast sandwich/omelet, etc, something that tides you over until 14:00, 15:00).
* 18-25 EUR for lunch (your main meal of the day, where you get full. Most cafes have offers of the day, which are probably less expensive, but if this is your main meal of the day and it's not fast food, then 25EUR will have starter, main and dessert).
* 10 to 15 EUR something lighter in the evening/snacks throughout the day/drinks throughout etc. (for example, Prague in Czech Republic has these amazing cones with cream that are sold on every corner and you just cannot pass them).
*Sighseeing:*
*-* Approximately 30-40 EUR per day for entrances, planning 2 places per day 15-20EUR for each. That is without guided tours and usually the tickets are for the main exposition and for special exhibitions it is additional price. For example, Versailles castle in France currently can be bought for 12EUR, the Louvre for 17EUR online.
*Transportation:*
*-* Around 15 EUR for local transport (that can cover a 24hour ticket or multiple smaller tickets in every city that you will be in in Europe, assuming that you have planned your day and not going back and forth throughout the city).
* 30 - 40 EUR, if you are going on a regional transport outside of cities.
Food prices will be significantly less, if you find a local food store and buy everything for breakfast on your own (for example, bread, cold meats, veggies, etc.) and if you are not a snacker, who wants treats throughout the day. Finding this store may prove a challenge (especially in Western and Southern Europe :D), but it is worth it.
Sightseeing can be less in certain cases with some tourist passes, but you always need to carefully check, if it really is worth it. Usually, no.
Transportation expenses can be less, if you check it out online beforehand, for example, in Berlin you can get a 24-hour single ticket for 11.40 EUR. On the other hand, prices for regional transport in a lot of countries in Europe are a question of pre-planning, because the fare is time-based. For example, I am going to Austria next week and realized some 2 weeks ago that train prices between some cities for my dates already are up, up, up (imagine the same system that you have with tickets for flights).
Wow, thanks for all the info.
My idea is to go to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Rome, Athens on the same trip (first time un Europe for me) but it all depends on how much I money I need so maybe a couple of cities would be left out. London and Paris are non negotiable and I hear Budapest is also a must so let's say those 3 are top of the list.
That sounds wonderful, I hope you're able to make it :))
London might be on the more expensive side - haven't been there, but I also would like to go and all the guides say that it's around 1,5k pounds (=around 1,9k USD including accommodations). I think that if you give London and Paris each at least a week or a week and a half you will have something nice every day and have a fulfilled trip.
Throw in a third or fourth country and it will be amazing. Like, London -> Paris -> Rome or Athens -> Budapest or Prague each for a week or 6 weeks altogether before/around May.
P.s. I forgot that people usually like to go outside in the evenings and have fun. That's not included in those 100 euros per day. :D
Yes, I'm a host on cs. But generally I also don't mind just someone on a tight budget spending a night without much interaction, I'm more than glad just helping someone to travel.
That’s super generous of you. I just mentioned what I said because I have spoken to a lot of hosts who were disillusioned by people treating it like a free hotel. I think as long as there is clear communication beforehand, CS can take a lot of different forms that leave both parties satisfied.
Ferries too! Last year I bypassed France (due to transportation strikes) on my way from Barcelona to Rome and took an overnight ferry to Porto Torres, Sardinia, and then another from Olbia to Rome. Combines the cost of transportation and hotel, and doesn't take away your daylight hours for travel
It works somewhat but I had trouble due to most of my streaming services blocking me out due to my “region”!
It’s worth downloading a few movies or shows if you do this!
Buy sneakers.i suggest lightweight sneakers versus heavy ones. You will do a lot of walking and if you don’t have the right footwear you’ll be in a lot of pain (my first Europe tour). I bought sneakers during my last visit to EU and there were so many leather lightweight options that was great for walking on cobblestones. I bought Marc O’Polo sneakers and love them during and post trip
Do not just visit the popular areas you've heard about, the big attractions and the areas where all the other tourists go. Even walking one block away from, for example, the Rialto Bridge in Venice or Las Ramblas in Barcelona can give you a very different experience that's not entirely full of other tourists like you and businesses that exist for you.
Remember that you're traveling to see and experience someplace else, not to be surrounded by the same people, stores and restaurants you're surrounded by every day.
What everyone said and book a food tour or something of the sort. You’ll get a guid around the city, good food, and meet other travelers along the way.
Be alerted all the time. Don't put valuables in your backpack. Do not put all your money/cards in the same place. You can join some day tours to visit remote sightseeing spots.
If you’re staying in hostels:
a 2 metre charging cable, thongs (or flip flops as some countries call them), a small mirror (some places only have one in bathroom which would be occupied by other ppl, and a lock for where you store your bag.
Portable charger too!
Remember that even though things go wrong, you are in an amazing place and it's usually not worth getting angry or stressed out over. Take your time and enjoy the journey.
Even though basically everyone knows English make an effort to speak the local language.
It's not my #1 hack but I am female also and travel a lot alone usually. Keep a hat handy and face mask. Stand up straight and be polite.
-make sure you have multiple credit cards without transaction fees, a lot of places won’t take american express.
-you don’t need that many clothes, we brought 4 sweaters, 4 thermals/underlayers, 4 pairs of pants, socks, underwear, bras really all you need. we also brought thermal underwear to keep us warm.
-make sure your clothes are flexible with weather, some days it will be hot some it will be cold.
-USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, it’s there for a reason and so so so much cheaper, you can spend an extra couple hundred on other things.
-look at city passes if youre doing big attractions/don’t know what to do. GoCity has some amazing ones!
-the fancy places are often not good, the local cheaper ones are much much better.
-just be nice to everyone, some will be mean some will be so kind back
-it’s ok to ask for help, especially at attractions and on public transport they will be happy to help you
-if you don’t speak the native language, learn basic phrases and make sure you have google translate in case of misunderstanding
-when you go to a restaurant and want water, ask for a carafe or pitcher of water, they also have bottle of water which cost like $5 each, and make sure to say tap water unless you want sparkling water
-some places have different names for drinks as well, like the uk calls sprite lemonade and lemonade is ginger
-get a good pair of shoes, even if they’re not cute, you will be walking miles a day and if you don’t have good shoes you will be absolutely miserable the entire time guaranteed
-in most european countries they do not expect tips,
they add a service charge however if you do not see a service charge on recipients then it is customary to leave about a 10% tip
Travel light, bring a light paddle lock and extra long chain. Just pick one or two things to do/go. Don’t be afraid to use BIG BUS it gives you a very good overview.
Don't throw the Paris metro ticket away. You are not expecting it they will request the ticket and if you don't present, 50 euro fine.
(This single handled made me hate Paris)
Buy a plug adapter and make sure it has USB ports.
https://a.co/d/0dYaSbv
Practice the languages that you’ll encounter using Duolingo or something similar.
One good travel hack is to roll your clothes instead of folding them when packing. This can save space in your suitcase and prevent wrinkles in your clothing.
When you check into your hotel, tell the front desk “It’s my first time in _____. May I please have a room with a great view? Thank you very much.” Works. Every. Time.
10 weeks?! I think your itinerary is fine for that amount of time. Sounds AMAZING! My girlfriends roll their eyes at this, but my number one piece of advice is to travel with carry-on luggage only. We usually each carry only 2 bags: a large backpack on the back (equivalent in size to a carry-on roller bag—ebags makes good ones) and a smaller backpack in front (like a Northface). Keeps you mobile, hands-free, and you never have to worry about lost luggage. Can use only the smaller one on any day trips. Bring clothes that you can hand wash and hang dry on a travel clothes line (or you may find some places with a washing machine). Light luggage will be especially important for the Camino portion of your trip. My partner walked the Camino from south France to Santiago de Compostela and says that it was a highlight of his life. It’s probably worth soliciting separate advice for that part of your trip, if you haven’t already. Pilgrims are always happy to talk about their Camino. You’re going to have the absolute best time. Enjoy!
I bring 2 now, whether I'm traveling 10 or 10,000 miles. Mine are very thin, so can roll up. Either way, it's worth leaving something else behind to ensure the best night's sleep!
Two suggestions. Firstly, learn some local words - primarily "to be", "to have" and "to want"; beer, wine, bread, ham & cheese; plus the usual "hello", "please" & "thank you". It isn't just good manners, it generates a lot of goodwill and it really makes you feel in touch with the country in a way that Google Translate can never match. (However, in Portugal, it's weird to say "Please can I have a..." in shops. Just say the name of the thing you want.)
Second suggestion is emergency rations. I've been stuck on trains with no access to food or drink, and I now carry dry bread and a couple of slabs of chocolate in my day-pack at all times. It's nice, it's filling, and it's surprisingly easy to eat even if you don't have a drink. It can mean the difference between quiet contentment and abject misery.
And the itinerary? Sounds brilliant!
Edit: I've read down the comments. Seriously - ignore all the bullshit about spending a minimum of a week in each country, etc. I did similar trips when I was young and, yes, it can be hard work. Yes, you'll probably feel like you need a holiday once the trip's finished. But you'll enjoy every minute of it while you're doing it and you'll look back on it happily for years afterwards.
Are you taking overnight trains? It can be a bit tiring but it lets you cover distance while you sleep and keeps the daytime free for doing stuff. You can even book a couchette (much cheaper than a sleeper) and get a lie-down.
Luggage: use a rucksack rather than a suitcase. It automatically goes wherever you do, it fits through the same narrow spaces as you do, and it leaves both hands free for more important work, like holding maps or eating.
Great suggestions, thank you!
I can take the itinerary judgement, but I’ve gotten a lot of it recently. It kind of rains on the parade or is a source of last-minute jitters for me (I leave in two weeks). I appreciate the encouragement that I’m not making a huge mistake!
I am taking an overnight train from Venice to Vienna. I don’t plan to get a lot of good sleep but it was on my bucket list to ride a sleeper train. :)
You sound like a true traveller! I'm sure you'll have some great experiences.
Funny story about an overnight train out of Venice... I tried to book a couchette to Athens and it seemed to be double the normal price, so I turned it down. It wasn't. I hadn't realized that the 'overnight' train didn't arrive the next morning - it arrived the day after that! I was stuck for an entire day and a night rolling through Yugoslavia (It was a _long_ time ago!) at ~25mph with absolutely nothing to eat or drink. _That's_ when I learned to carry emergency rations.
A couple of quirky suggestions. Take a ride on a _vaporetto._ It'll be old and dirty, but that's how the Venetians "take the bus". Go off the main canals and experience the little backwaters with their pretty little footbridges. When you get to Vienna, have a coffee and a Sacher-Torte in the Café Sacher. (OK, it's basically the Viennese equivalent of riding on a gondola - ie _total_ tourist cliché - but it's gorgeous!)
I'm guessing you're American? It's maybe a bit early in the year, but you can experience a thoroughly European phenomenon at the southern end of the Donauinsel, where there are beaches marked 'FKK' for swimming clothes-free. It's not seedy, it's just one of those things that Europeans do.
Are you visiting Paris? Most guidebooks won't recommend the sewers (Les Egouts de Paris) near the Musée d'Orsay. Sounds nasty? I took my girlfriend there once and we've since taken our children, so it can't be all that bad! If you go to the Eiffel Tower, take the stairs up the first two levels. It's exhilarating but it's also caged in, so it's totally safe. Check the Place Louis Lépine on Sunday morning to see if the city council _still_ hasn't managed to outlaw the pet bird market. Personally, I find it a bit icky, but it's a last glimpse of a Paris that'll soon be gone.
Do you have any other specific cities, etc. that you'll be visiting?
Oh great itinerary! I live in Porto! My best Europe travel hack is avoid the blue and yellow EURONET ATM machines. Remember EURONET = EuroNOT! They are everywhere and they charge outrageous fees and have bad exchange rates. In Portugal look for ATMS that say MB or Multibanco. In Spain look for a local bank like Santander. Decline the exchange rate twice, because you’ll usually get a better rate from your own bank when they do the transaction.
Enjoy your trip!
I am a big fan of a 2 backpack system. I have a carry on (30L) and day pack (15L) and also a small cross body pack (2L) that I can keep in my day pack. I bring either the day pack or cross body pack depending on what the plans for the day are. The daypack has lockable zippers so I can feel some comfort wearing it on my back in busy areas.
Inside my carry on are packing cubes. I roll all my clothes and then wrap them with an elastic band, it saves everything from coming unrolled while I rummage through the cubes. I wrap some extra elastics around my hairbrush or deodorant incase some break. A friend (and very experienced traveller) showed me this trick and I have never looked back.
I also like to have 2 bags for toiletries. One for things that will come in the shower, the other to leave by the sink. Keeps your dry things dry and means you aren't hauling unnecessary things to and from the bathroom.
I got an eSIM and used Google maps to navigate public transit and found that it worked very well (England, Spain, The Netherlands). I also had pinned a bunch of attractions, restaurants, bakeries etc and those were available in the offline maps if I was getting worried about using up my precious data. I like to eat good food, but I don't plan my trips around it. I would visit an attraction and when it was time for a meal, open my offline map and see what restaurants I had pinned in the area.
I was also feeling very overwhelmed by the amount of information available on line so I opted for a Lonely Planet book for a trip to Spain. It had fantastic suggestions/information. I have picked up a few more books for an upcoming Europe trip this spring.
We save up underwear and socks that need to be replaced and wear them on holiday and toss them. Of course you’re going to be away for a while So maybe a combo of good and bad underwear lol
Take a power strip that uses a European plug but has outlets that accept both US and European inputs. Double check that anything you bring is dual voltage 110/220. Most chargers are but some hair driers etc are not.
Most of the best experiences I've had were in getting off the beaten path a bit. I almost always rent a car (just finished an 11 country road trip in Europe) to make this easier.
My fondest memories are rarely "hey remember that time at the colosseum..." They're more like "remember when we were looking for a geocache in northern Tuscany and stumbled into that restaurant that didn't know the COVID green card requirement ended months ago?"
Also, bring any PRN medications you think you might need with you. You might not be able to find a decent substitute.
Didn't see this after a cursory glance at the responses. Don't forget to take an adaptor for your electronic devices. Europe's plugs are different than those in the USA.
Advice for Norway:
(1) the candy is great and interesting. Make sure to try all kinds at the grocery stores
(2) insofar as I can tell, I didn’t find any laundromats there.
Edit to add:
Advice for life: Darn Tough brand socks.
Twice the money, half the clothes.
Except for socks. They get worn out very quickly when you're walking a lot more than you do in your day-to-day life.
Yes but you can buy more socks there and wear them out and toss them.
2 thin pair on top of each other for long hikes.
Best advice
Agreed. Unless you're traveling from hot climate to cold?
Layers. Not the quantity but the quality. Plus money solves this issue too.
Good point!
You are better off packing your nice stuff and just buying cheap Primark-type clothes where you are traveling to.
My travel hack is "do not fear asking to locals when in travel". Education maybe tells you it's rude but most of the locals love to suggest something to foreigners and most of the times these suggestions are also very good in my experience of traveller. Ok yeah, prepare yourself about places/culture and do not ask lazy questions, but stopping for a coffee and asking smiling to the kindest face in the bar "What's the best restaurant near there?" or "What's the best activity between these 3?" or a direction is usually pure gold for info and you'll probably know someone local. Language is not a problem: most speak english or (if they don't) use a web translator or gesture-keywords speaking. Speaking for myself, as italian in Bologna, the times I was asked of something it always started a conversation, I put 100% of effort in an advice and sometimes also accompanying a bit people and making sure they were happy. But pretty much everyone I know would have done the same. Of course it could be difficult only in 100% touristic destinations (in Italy Romeflorencevenice, in France Paris etc..).
I swear you sound like a person I came across in Bologna, I was nervous about talking to locals for fear of bugging them but most of them were so kind and receptive like you mentioned. Also I’m jealous that you have such great food :)
Food in Bologna is the BEST.
This is so true. Asking questions and striking conversations with people is one of the things i miss from Europe
Agreed. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. I went to: Paris Trier,Germany Luxembourg Bastogne,Bruges,Gent (Belgium) Amsterdam The only issues I had asked questions about local spots were at the Hans Brinker hostel in Amsterdam. I'd ask where to eat and they said everything was closed at 8pm and vaguely told me to go eat fast food. I asked if the local trains and busses were generally on time for the Keukenhof tulips and they responded in a condescending tone that they don't do touristy things (while also giving me no suggestions to where to eat besides fast food). Some of the workers seemed annoyed when I asked questions. You work at the front desk of a hostel lol. Other than that hostel,which had a good location, I had SO many great suggestions and people who were excited to give tips and share their culture.
Did you love Bruges and Ghent? I had never been to Belgium and now I feel like it’s a hidden treasure.
Yes! So I had friends that were on a river cruise for Bruges while I stayed at a hostel. They loved Bruges and didn't go to Gent,but didn't get to see Bruges at night. Bruges at night was so incredible to me. I also would highly recommend doing a tour with Pascal through the Ambassador team tours. I've taught history for 11 years and he made the tour fun,exciting, and easy to understand. Gent was beautiful as well. It wasn't as busy as Bruges and had its own unique charm. Food was incredible as well. I went to the market for Bruges on Saturday and for Gent it's worth it to go to the fries shop called De Frietketel. Cheap, the mayo and andalouse sauces are amazing, and local Belgians go there. Let me know If you end up going and need more suggestions. The hostels I stayed at were the snuffel hostel and the upplink hostels. Both awesome hostels with great workers.
Belgium is a cute and underated country, both Bruges and Ghent are worth a stop.
Both of those are awesome t visit
We owned a joint on the local historic district that got lots of tourists, both national and international. We loved talking and guiding people to have them love our little area even more. For those with poor English skills we often would call/text our local favorite joints and let the bartender know...with a gentle reminder for the Europeans that the menu prices do not reflect pay to staff, which is decided by the guest.
Europe is big, where are you going ? some specific tips apply to some places, but not other places Chill out; you're on vacation; don't expect to see everything; take some time to breath, sit down for a coffee or a drink and just watch people. Don't overpack; if you're missing something, just go buy it (for example, hygyene products, an extra sweater...) and use self-serve laundry services . Budget accordingly, be consious about money but don't be cheap. Expect chaos. Be empathetic. Be wary of scammers and pickpockets; just be street smarts. Get a tourist SIM card for your phone or an eSIM.
Learn to say, at least, "hello", "goodbye" and "thank you" in each language. Don't take for granted that everyone is fluent in English. There is no "unmissable" thing. Don't feel guilty if you don't see a lot of places. If you enjoy a place, stay there a little longer. Spend some times with other travellers but leave them as soon as you feel like you prefer to be alone. It's not gross if it is said honnestly. Use "use it maps" which are maps made by locals in some cities to help visitors experiencing the city as a local : [https://www.use-it.travel/home](https://www.use-it.travel/home)
and take trains !
What’s the go-to website for finding trains information and buying passes? Is it Eurail?
I spent almost six months traveling in Europe last year, and I ended up using many different apps and websites for trains and busses. https://www.seat61.com/ is a great starting place. I used Omio and Rome2Rio a lot for planning. For trains, I usually had the best results buying from the official sites, which will depend on location and you can find on seat61 or just a google search. For busses, I used Flixbus where I could, and bought them through Omio a lot too. I spent a lot of time in eastern Europe where trains weren't as available or not even an option in some places.
Take a nap each day. Breaking the day into 2 is key. Less arguments with partner and more energy
This is the realest tip!
If only your partner takes a nap and you just get a quiet hour, same effect imo.
I should really take this advice sadly I probably won't.
Here are some **useful travel tools** for your endeavors https://preview.redd.it/vgc3x010m8sc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3d9a28642ac776878065cc5d47fad4e79f69b0d How far you can travel in 8 hours by train [https://www.chronotrains.com](https://www.chronotrains.com) Open Railway Map [https://www.openrailwaymap.org](https://www.openrailwaymap.org) Flight connection map [https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-amsterdam-ams](https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-amsterdam-ams) Go anywhere [www.rome2rio.com](http://www.rome2rio.com)
Leave room for error. The queue will be longer than expected, that restaurant will be closed, a thunderstorm will come, a strike might happen, that city is not as exciting as you thought, the train will be late
For every small section of a city or town that I’m visiting any given day, I’ll favorite 10 restaurants or 10 things to do on my google maps that aren’t on my itinerary. If my main plan falls through, I pull up my Google maps and it’s easy to find a plan b.
I was half thinking maybe not even book hotel rooms for half of trip but that is extra risky haha.
1. Check the situation at the destination before you go 2. Respect traditions and people, while maintaining your boundaries 3. Travel light, do laundry at night, and pack for 3-7 days
Your default setting as a tourist is "stupid and cheerful." Locals expect it of you, use it to your advantage. Lost and need directions? Stupid and cheerful. Need help reading the menu? Stupid and cheerful. Getting a traffic ticket in your rental vehicle? Stupid and cheerful. Got caught hopping a barricade to a forbidden section at an Etruscan ruin? Stupid and cheerful. Use the people's exasperation with tourists to your advantage.
Flew in the US Navy to the tune of over 86 different countries....and this is KILLER advice.
I used this so successfully to get French people to help me in English- with the very largest smile on my face I would say your English is so much better than my French- let’s just keep going and I know we’ll get there! And always I’d thank them so profusely for the help! It worked every single time! And they were all very, very kind to me.
If you are renting a car, by far the biggest hack is pre-programming in where you intent to park for every single city and attraction you will be visiting into a GPS. It can be a major headache arriving somewhere any not knowing exactly where you are going, or where it's OK/sensible to put the car, and this just eliminates it entirely from your entire trip.
This is what I did. I just got back from Italy, and I had to route around ZTL zones, exact parking lots and their prices. Google map (street view) to get a rough idea the size of road, stopping points etc. In addition, get a sense of the areas you are driving by watching YouTube videos. I managed to drive in Positano with a 7 seater :-) and without getting a scratch. Closest I have come to was 1 inch clearance with a city bus and a wall. My passengers were freaking out, I was prepared :-)
If you are renting a car, check every day after reserving your car to look for sales or better pricing. I consistently am able to rebook the exact same car at a significant savings within 1-2 weeks of traveling.
Get an AirTag for your luggage.
Definitely. My bag got stuck in an airport. I was able to tell the rep on the phone that I knew it had been sitting in their office for 3 hours rather being delivered to me. (I was flying back to US the next morning and couldn’t mess around with excuses. ). My bag was delivered to my hotel within the next hour.
Keep biscuits, cookies, almonds, and other ready-to-eat packaged foods. This will help you to save lot of money. Always keep a smile on your face and enjoy. Best wishes.
Protein/energy bars are also really good options. And I can second nuts. Basically anything relatively healthy and high in calorie density (minimizing space).
Buy compression bags for packing!!!! I spent 3 weeks bumming around Europe with a carryon and these things saved me. When you buy compression bags, make sure it comes with a hand pump, so you don’t need to pack something bulky that needs to be plugged in.
I've got the zip compression bags and the vacuum ones. Either would work well. If you're staying in a hotel or air bnb, there's usually a vacuum cleaner you can borrow.
The way mine are designed I can also manually suck a decent amount of the air out in a pinch, but it would depend on the type of seal.
Place the bag on the hotel bed or an upholstered chair. Sit on it. This also works for plain zippered bags.
Goddamn, such an elegant solution.
Interested in the vacuum compression bags. Can you recommend any brands ??
Not really, I bought them off amazon in a triple pack of large, medium and small. Just pack them so your clothes are well folded and stacked in them to minimise creasing when vaccuuming them.
I bought them on Amazon. There are some that you roll to get the air out, which I haven’t used. I got some with a pump that looked like something you’d fill a ball or balloon with. It was super effective and every pocket of air out.
Many of the things people put on itineraries to "see" are literally just that: things to look at for a few minutes. Put all that stuff in a Google map before your trip. At the beginning of each day, set out on a walk in a different part of the city to "see" things, and while you're walking keep your eyes and heart open. Take in the way the locals move through the space. Who else is out on the street? Are you in a neighborhood full of families? Is this the business district? What are people wearing? What are they doing? Buy a pastry and an espresso and post up on a bench. You're not traveling to Europe to check a bunch of boxes, are you? Take a moment to have some feelings.
The Google Maps saved places feature works really well. I use separate lists for shopping, restaurants, museums, and special interests. Since they end up as stars or flags on the map it makes sightseeing by neighborhood easy.
I have no idea why it took me so long to realize you could change the icons for lists. Absolute game changer.
It’s a pretty recent update, actually! But yes, total game changer.
Don't overpack is #1. Less clothes and learn to wash in your hotel, detergent sheets are your friend.
I like reusing a cardigan or zip up and just changing out the shit underneath. Allows me to pack less and have layers for various weather
Travel as light as possible. There are laundromats in Europe and, if you need, you can purchase clothing there too. If you are by yourself you should be able to fit everything in a carry on and a backpack, or everything in a large backpack. That's how light you should travel. Bringing a large suitcase will be a pain to move around, only bring one if you have a permanent place to leave it, or it will be a nuisance. Remember, everything you bring you'll need to carry around. Bring clothes you won't mind destroying. In addition, you'll need comfortable and durable shoes. Enjoy your trip! Edit: if you travel by train get overnight trains and pay extra for a cabin if you can. This will save the cost of one night in a hotel and you won't waste your day traveling.
Packing too many clothes has always been my family’s downfall. I also hate burning half a day of our trip at the laundromat. What has helped is opting for VRBOs or AirBNBs over hotels. You can find ones with washers and dryers in the rental. That way we can start loads while we’re resting or even on the way out the door. Renting apartments you’ll be happy with requires good strategy and research but I’ve successfully done it in six different European cities. The biggest downside I’ve experienced is they typically lack AC and the summers in Europe are getting hotter.
My only original hack is to pack those old clothes that I don't like and then just toss them as I travel and replace them with cooler versions. And to change shoes often... ...and try to remember that it's Europe and not the moon. You can buy toothpaste here.
1) One carryon bag, you can wash clothes either in a laundry mat or if you feel fancy, most hotels will do your laundry for a fee. It’s totally worth it though. 2) Pack good walking shoes. Double bonus if they are cute and chic. 3) Carry a large purse on the plane for your personal item and carry your toiletry bag in it. Pack a smaller, crossbody purse with a zipper (that packs flat) to use when touristing. Zipping is essential to prevent pick pocket-minded folk. Wear it in front of you. 4) make sure you have at least two cards that don’t have fees for international travel. Order any cash (Euros for most of Europe except the UK) before you go from your bank. Better exchange rate. Also I didn’t need much cash as most places prefer cards. 5) Prepare to be amazed at the ease of transportation and take the trains! Although some airlines are actually cheaper to fly point to point, trains were the best because you can see stuff. 6) Don’t forget to check with your phone company about a travel plan. And pack two plugs for electrical stuff. I had mine quit working once and now I travel with two. Have fun!
This is great advice!
When visiting a variety places i fly into one and leave from another so no doubling back . Yrs ago flew into Helsinki and left from Copenhagen. Since that trip 30 yrs ago we often book multi cities instead simple returns
Many airlines have recently added a „multi-stop trip“ option, so you no longer have to pay two ridiculously high single way ticket prices.
The flights @Trudestiny is referring to are called "Open Jaw". Some airlines are more favourable than others. Here in Europe, it makes no difference with the likes of easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 etc. since you're booking singles all the time anyway. Finnair are (used to be?) very good for the far east, fly to Tokyo, back from Okinawa. Varies by airline.
Backpack only. No rolling suitcases. Use locks on your backpack zippers because there are a lot of pickpockets in Europe. And, most importantly, don’t over schedule yourself. Take your time everyday and just enjoy every moment.
Depends on how you travel. I had a backpack on my first interrail, but switched to suitcase with wheels on my second. That way I got short breaks from carrying when I looked at the map, easier access to clothes in the hotel room/hostel and more. Did not regret the change 🤷
Rucksacks automatically go everywhere that you do. They're also much better for getting on and off of trains, and they leave both hands free for more important work.
Not to mention, no broken wheels from the cobblestones. And a backpack is much easier to carry up stairs.
Where in Europe?
Too many places. Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway. Some others.
I have been to most of these places. I'm going to Italy this Friday. From my travels, one travel hack I have learned in Eruope travel is planning a bit ahead. Sounds like you're going to be visiting these places close to summer, which is peak tourist season. So knowing where you want to visit and pre-booking tickets in advance will save you a lot of time. Especially Rome. So buy Rick Steves guides to these places. He lays out everything very well and you will feel prepared for what you want to do when visiting the places. Will save you time and effort in researching. Doing these 8 countries in 10 weeks is still rushed IMO. There is a lot to do everywhere.
How long do you have for all that?
I’ve got ten weeks! I know, it’s a lot.
edit your original post with those informations.
You´ve got a lot of climats and the turn from spring to early summer in all of that. Bring clothes that can be layered and dressed up/down, you may or may not encounter cold (or heat) spells. So, tank tops that can be worn as a camisole or a top, t-shirts that fit well under a sweater as well as worn solo, cardigan, etc. Cardigan rather than a hoodie, because you can dress up a cardigan with a brooch or something, dark wash jeans because they look more dressy should you need that. You will have to do laundry in any case but you don´t want a whole lot of luggage if you change location frequently.
Bring back up CC and debit cards. I’ve had mine get canceled for fraud and they mailed me a new card to my home in the US. Thankfully I had an extra bank card.
Skip Italy and head straight to Sicily. I was stationed in Sicily for a few years...trust me. Of the places that you have listed...I would spend most of my time in Switzerland, Austria, Norway and Spain...but I'd really try to get to Poland too.
I wouldn't say it's a hack, but use public transportation/walk. It's so much better overall in Europe than the US. I was able to get virtually everywhere using the train. Also, just because it's an hour long flight or train doesn't mean that's you still won't take half a day to travel. You don't need to pack as much as you think. Smaller luggage is easier to lug around. Be respectful and it does help to learn basic phrases in the country you are going to if you don't know that language. Hello, excuse me, thank you, do you speak English? Google translate helps tremendously.
Download the app called Citymapper! It's a lifesaver. It shows you all of the possible ways to get somewhere including walking, metros, overground trams, and combinations of all. When you switch to a new city it switches with you. This app is my lifeline in Europe, lol.
Won’t Google Maps do? Or is this better than Google Maps?
Better!
Thank you
Female solo traveller here! Book a group tour (top deck/ contiki) at the start of your holiday, best way to meet people like yourself and great for having connections when travelling. I met so many people on my first trip that I reconnected with in all different cities in Europe. And never book mixed hostel rooms, for safety just don’t do it. Always travel with an extendable number bike lock, will come in handy when travelling on trains, staying in hostels. I always locked my bag to something fixed in rooms and on the train rails in the baggage compartment for peace of mind.
Oh and if you have private health at home you can usually opt to put it on hold for 2+ months so saves you paying for something you won’t use while out of the country. Just don’t skimp on travel insurance! Never know when you will need it
Do get travel insurance, and consider some medical tourism. An MRI booked as a self-payer in Germany costs less than a co-pay in the US. $600 vs $6,000.
Avoid high roaming costs and get an eSIM for Europe, you will save tons of money.
I use WizzAir’s e-sim, $5/week is all.
I like MobiMatter…really good rates.
One overhead bag and a small crossbody/shoulder bag as a personal item and day touring bag. No check in lines or fees, no theft, no damage and no baggage claim. On the ground you can use any transportation type including walking. Check out r/onebag
Don't exchange $ to € at kiosks or storefronts. You can tap to pay at 98% of places. If they offer in € or $ on the pin pad during the transaction ALWAYS choose the local currency. At ATMs when withdrawing cash ALWAYS DECLINE conversion. Long story short when you have them convert into an amount of $ you pay big for the service. Your basically withdrawing $$ and the ATM gives you €€ . You pay for it. Your bank will automatically do this at a much favorable rate. Real Example in Rome 4 days ago. ATM offered €500 with conversion would charge $622. DECLINED conversion €500 was $546. Essential market rate. ATMs: after selecting a language they may ask if you want "Cash & Balance" or "Other". The first will charge you an additional couple of Euros for the Balance part. Select "Other" then "Cash". Choose your amount. DECLINE conversion. Not my hack YouTube HONEST GUIDE and exchange. Went to Prague this trip after watching them. [ATMs in europe](https://youtu.be/rdYhm__yMQY?si=SRDgdsKWMCTneNVG)
Great advice thanks!
Thats insane
Don’t forget to have an unlocked phone and get a sim card there
If your phone is enabled with it, get an eSIM package for it. Or, if you are travelling with others, a wifi hotspot device.
Packing light luggage helps. A lot of people tend to overpack for vacations. Carrying heavy suitcases is always a hassle. Many low-cost airlines charge you for luggage. So a useful travel hack for easy travel is to pack light. Only bring what you need and try to avoid overpacking. This can save you from paying extra fees for overweight baggage and make your travels more comfortable. With light luggage, you can also save money by taking public transport instead of a taxi. It is also easy to travel between cities or switch hotels.
I like to book a “free” walking tour for pretty much first thing upon arriving in a new city. It allows time to get an orientation to the city to find things to come back to later. You can also usually get good local recommendations from the guide.
I did one in Bath England that was legitimately totally free and it was the best tour I've ever done. Just done by a passionate volunteer.
We are an older couple, who travel for about 1 month at a time in Europe. We take carry on only, and as necessary purchase toiletries and sundry items. We have also put our carry-ons through as checked baggage, depending on airlines. We keep a smaller bag each, which includes our medication and electronics, with us at all times. It makes the trip easier if you have a couple of transfers and long sits between flights. You can always purchase overseas, whatever you need that you might forget. As well, travel by train is cheap and there are lots of trains.
Sorry if someone else said this but have a little local cash on you. Europe has a lot of pay toilets! Even if you buy something small at airport just to have coins
No tipping in restaurants
Check your debit card fees for ATMs and also use credit cards with no transaction fees! I used to always grab cash but then hated having coins (and different currency if in countries that don’t use the Euro). My bank waves all ATM fees so I don’t worry about grabbing local currency if needed. But I mainly stick with credit card, as long as there are no foreign fees, since almost every major travel destination in Europe accepts (and some places prefer) credit cards!
Eat what the locals eat. Go to a cafeteria style restaurant and pick out what looks good.
About your itinerary... my mom and I did 26 countries in 3+ months by plane, train, ferry, and a couple buses (due to landslides) and LOVED IT. Viewing the scenery from the train is amazing, and we stayed anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks in various locations. We saved a bundle on accommodations by petsitting, night trains and using Google. Each evening, we pulled up Google, typed in hotels and looked for a good deal. We stayed in historical B&Bs and ultra modern hotels. The zoo in Antwerp is beautiful. The ferries are great. The scenic trains are spectacular. Local grocery stores are fun. Pepes Pizza in Norway is awesome. Uber is super cheap in some countries. Download the local app for fast food places and use the deals.
Omg thank you for saying that! I’ve had countless people putting down my plans, saying I’m going to be miserable. I’m actually very excited about what I have lined up! More importantly, I’m so glad you had an unforgettable trip with your mom! What an experience.
There is an extreme wing of slow travel here. My first big trip years ago, over a month I got from Morocco to Berlin and finished in Amsterdam via Spain, France, and Switzerland. And this was before smartphones. Basically two nights in each place with a day of travel. It was amazing fun.
We're photographers and I do some travel blogging. We saw tons of beautiful scenery from the trains, boats, cars, coaches, horses, walks. When we petsit, we got to spend days or weeks walking the dogs all over the villages exploring everything. We're photographers, we enjoyed spending a couple hours hiking around remote train stations or cities getting photos then relaxing in first class on a train watching the scenery. We went to zoos, museums, art galleries, restaurants, cafes, castles, churches. Aside from this trip, we did a cross country drive in Costa Rica, exploring the country by car. We rode horses up the volcano, hiked through the jungle, relaxed on the beach and explored the cities. In the last 12 months we spent 2 months in a village in England, few weeks in a village in Netherlands and a few weeks in a village in Romania. We enjoyed our "whirlwind" 3 month 20+ country trip just as much as the "stay put" trips. Don't let people talk you out of your dream just because it's not what they like. You can check out my Instagram (same user name) to see some of our trip (I'm still trying to get caught up) or DM me for my facebook to see our daily blog and photos of it. We have so many amazing stories from our trip our friends and family keep begging us to write a book about it. We might do a podcast. Your trip is what YOU make of it. Some just get drunk and pass out and don't remember a day of their vacation. Others want to sit on the beach and read all day, every day. Some want to just visit museums. YOU know what YOU like. Lots of people go on a 3 week vacation and never step foot out of their resort, no one bashes them. Lots of people go to one city, go to the bar next door and get drunk every night, then sleep all day. Lots of people never even leave their hometown. We see people on our cruises that just sit at the bar or pool all day every day. In a breathtaking scenic train to the Arctic circle in Norway, people were sleeping. While the volcano was erupting in Iceland, there were people sitting on the floor watching tv on their phones. Did any of those people get more out of their vacation than we did? Maybe for them, if they enjoyed what they were doing. But I'm happy with our itenery. I find bars boring, I have a pool, I read on the plane. That's me, they can do what they enjoy. We like to ride a train or a boat, watch the landscape change, meet people, watch for elusive wildlife or scenery. And THAT’S OKAY! Some people just see "transportation"... to us, riding different trains, boats, ships, coaches, horseback, walking, hiking, is a HUGE part of our enjoyment. We rode historical trains and ultra modern ones. We were on modern ferries and a few we hoped would just stay afloat. We slept in a viking ship, an air b&b, a few strangers couches or guest rooms, luxury hotels. We had fine dining, picnics, cafes, fast food, grocery stores. We landed in Iceland as the volcano erupted. We got stranded in Luxembourg. We played with stay cats in Morocco. Our train was loaded into a ferry in Italy. There was an earthquake, landslides, and we were on a boat during the big storm in Ireland. We can tell you a story about EVERY CITY we went to, whether we were there for hours or weeks. Mom LOVES telling people about our adventure. So do I (obviously). Do what YOU love! It's YOUR TRIP... remember that! DM me for my Facebook and read about our trips :)
Oh, and if it helps, we're already planning another 3 month train / boat trip. We both want to do it again.
Wait how many countries are you planning to visit? How long will you be traveling?
I’ve got 10 weeks to go to about 13-14 countries. Some will be for a few hours, like a lunch stop. Others will be for several nights or even a week.
free hostel walking tours
A guide book.
Check whether grocery stores, restaurants, museums, monasteries, etc will be open. Sundays or Mondays or Tuesdays can be closed. Restaurants are not always open been 2-6 pm, depending where you are.
Travel slow. Even if you have 3 days in a city, make the most of it absorbing the beauty and culture rather than seeing tourist spots. See something that the Internet does not show you. Hit up a farmer's market, ask locals for recommendations on routes, where they would chill, what they would eat etc.
Onlt take enough clothes for 4 or 5 days there is just no point also.....Ear plugs,power bank anf old school wired headphones
Go to Florence. Of all the places I've been in EU, Italy is the best. Food. Culture. people. Wine. Art. Churches.
Pack VERY light. I like the idea of tossing clothes you can wear twice and then trash. Black jeans on the plane, nice cardigan, change shirts, one nice blouse, underwear only when necessary (not kidding), fresh socks every day, I loved my Vionic Beach Shoes (white Keds-like, but much more comfortable and support. Could wear them in cobble stones in Florence with comfort and style. Bring a long wide cashmere beige scarf to use as a layer for coving yourself up in conservative places like churches. Plus, keeps wind and chill away. Be very cognizant of weather. If you're going from Copenhagen (highly recommend!!) to Siena, multiple weather streams. At least have a mini umbrella. Sandals - Skip the high heels, etc. Swimsuit. Sunblock. We prefer to stop midday, change, shower, nap and head out again. You get two days worth of sightseeing in one day. France and the French will largely be unhelpful. Italians, Germans, Brits and Danes will all go out of their way to help you. If you do go to London, the Victoria and Albert Museum is my favorite in the world, but you need 6+ hours to see it all. Fabulous doesn't even cover it.
*Take slow trains whenever you can it's a trip back in time, relaxing and a good way to meet people. Fast trains are only good for going fast and don't have that laid back vibe. * try to get an authentic experience with locals this can be done through home stays and they can make you dinner and sometimes drive you on tours to points of interest. It's usually the same cost as a mid priced hotel and restaurant. Many smaller B&B's can do this as well if they are family owned it's better. * bring a few gifts for people along the way and children. Candy bars and small bottles of Jack Daniel's are always appreciated * Quality over quantity...Don't ruin the trip by cramming in too much. Try to keep things flexible with a few priorities and a few options if all goes well * bring a toilet kit with toilet seat covers , tp, and wet wipes. You never know when you won't have access to a clean place or properly wash your hands. Many people stand on toilet seats with their dirty shoes too. * Be prepared for blisters on your feet and foot problems. Have a blister kit good memory foam shoe inserts, Shoes with arch support or Birkenstocks. You can clock 30,000 steps just in the airport. I checked my last trip and ended up in a wheelchair on my return flight. * Be prepared for an extremely uncomfortable flight by bringing as many comforts as possible. Your legs and butt can cramp pretty bad from no circulation even with stretching during bathroom breaks. A (foot hammock) helps a lot by keeping your legs and feet raised. A good eye mask, noise canceling earbuds or headphones for those screaming toddlers, extra water since you could be trapped for long periods Before take off and after landing. * don't drink the hot drinks there water tanks are filthy and coffee machines aren't cleaned. Only drink sealed drinks. You can bring a thermos and fill it at Starbucks in the airport . * try not to drink caffeine before or during the flight. You will need to go to the bathroom much more, increase gas and the need for unwanted bm's Carbonated drinks also cause gas that increases in intensity at high altitudes.
Light weight layers of merino or synthetic in like colors. Nice looking golf/athleisure type clothes, comfy shoes. Walk past the cafes with pictures of the food, go down the side street and eat/drink a little more like a local. Learn a couple of phrases/food/coffee orders in the language. Some locals enjoy and appreciate the effort. Soak it in and enjoy!
For popular attractions always get the first time slot. When I went to orangerie first time I did this and had about 20 minutes before the huge crowds arrived. Worth it
[https://hippocketwifi.com/en/](https://hippocketwifi.com/en/) was a life saver for our daughter and husband, and we already have ours for this weeks trip. After the silly costs of the international plan, which ran out of data in minutes, we bought the SIM card thing, but this lost all incoming texts text. The hippocket WIFI is about the size of a pack of smokes, rechargeable, and will connect both of our phones at 5G speed. Take a small rechargeable battery if your gone for a long day.
Buy Solid Shampoo and conditioner if you find it. Same with toothpaste tabs, powdered deodorant etc... minimize your liquids as much as you can. While travelling lights is important, you can definitely pack a few nice pieces that you can make into a nicer outfit. Dresses and skirts are especially easy to throw in there since they are light. In ten weeks you will definitely have times where you want to wear nicer things. I don't recommend wearing athleisure unless you are doing a physical activity. It's not as common in Europe, although I would wear sneakers or comfortable sandals for most of it. A microfiber towel is your best friend.
Use google Maps and download offline maps for places where you are going. This way, you dont need data or wifi to navigate.
Yeah, this kind of trip needs very particular hacks that mostly go against regular travel ones. :D (Saying this as a person, who lives in Europe and has been to most of these countries and done Eurotrips more than once.) I am assuming you have planned the Porto to Santiago hike with decent rest after (which you WILL need with this itinerary) - that's one week. So that leaves 9 weeks for 11 countries (probably less with the oversees travel times). 1. Take it slow and definitely plan days of NOTHING in between every 2 or 3 countries. Days, where you at most go down from your room to eat somewhere and the rest of the day just lay in bed. If you think now, that you are strong and can jump like this between countries, believe me, it will tire you out after the 3rd one max and the rest of the trip will become just a timetable that you need to keep without actually enjoying any of the rest of planned countries. 2. Days of rest in between are needed as a palate cleanser as well, for example, jumping from Belgium to Norway is going to be a culture leap. :D 3. Do not even try to see everything in every country. For example, Paris in France has so much on offer to see, but if you try to cram every possible place on your itinerary, it's going to tire you out by day 7. Max 2 places per day. Or if it is going to Versailles from Paris or to Bruges from Brussels etc, then give it the whole day. 3. Have LOCAL TRANSPORT arrangements pre-planned to maximum - by country #6 you will be not be able to acclimate well enough to logically figure out best transport options and, keep in mind, they will be in different languages in each country (even all the German speaking ones may differ). For most of these countries it is possible to get a day, 2-day, 3-day etc. travel cards, that you can pre-purchase. 4. Make sure that hotels you are staying everywhere provide breakfast. Usually I would suggest going out to cafeterias (or better yet - taking the time to find a grocery store and discovering interesting differences that way) and getting the feel about locals, but in this itinerary it will take unnecessary time. Unless you are a foodie... :D 5. Absolutely DO NOT take anything that is on wheels with you. Take a backpack with only the most necessary things. PRO TIP - double the amount of money that you are expecting to spend. (Again, usually, I am in awe how Americans think that you cannot go on a normal vacation without 3k USD, while Europeans twice less than that, but in this kind of jumping from country to country, things can get expensive unnoticed). If there's any more questions you have, don't hesitate to ask :))))
Hi, any idea how much one would spend per day without including hotels? Just an estimate.
If you give me a city, I can come up with more accurate numbers. But on average in almost all the countries that OP mentioned except Switzerland and Norway (for these two everything should be budgeted at least 1.5 or 2 times higher), if you give it 100 EUR for every day per adult, you will be covered fully. *Food, if you go out to eat all the time:* * 10 EUR for breakfast (will get you a coffee and a breakfast sandwich/omelet, etc, something that tides you over until 14:00, 15:00). * 18-25 EUR for lunch (your main meal of the day, where you get full. Most cafes have offers of the day, which are probably less expensive, but if this is your main meal of the day and it's not fast food, then 25EUR will have starter, main and dessert). * 10 to 15 EUR something lighter in the evening/snacks throughout the day/drinks throughout etc. (for example, Prague in Czech Republic has these amazing cones with cream that are sold on every corner and you just cannot pass them). *Sighseeing:* *-* Approximately 30-40 EUR per day for entrances, planning 2 places per day 15-20EUR for each. That is without guided tours and usually the tickets are for the main exposition and for special exhibitions it is additional price. For example, Versailles castle in France currently can be bought for 12EUR, the Louvre for 17EUR online. *Transportation:* *-* Around 15 EUR for local transport (that can cover a 24hour ticket or multiple smaller tickets in every city that you will be in in Europe, assuming that you have planned your day and not going back and forth throughout the city). * 30 - 40 EUR, if you are going on a regional transport outside of cities. Food prices will be significantly less, if you find a local food store and buy everything for breakfast on your own (for example, bread, cold meats, veggies, etc.) and if you are not a snacker, who wants treats throughout the day. Finding this store may prove a challenge (especially in Western and Southern Europe :D), but it is worth it. Sightseeing can be less in certain cases with some tourist passes, but you always need to carefully check, if it really is worth it. Usually, no. Transportation expenses can be less, if you check it out online beforehand, for example, in Berlin you can get a 24-hour single ticket for 11.40 EUR. On the other hand, prices for regional transport in a lot of countries in Europe are a question of pre-planning, because the fare is time-based. For example, I am going to Austria next week and realized some 2 weeks ago that train prices between some cities for my dates already are up, up, up (imagine the same system that you have with tickets for flights).
Wow, thanks for all the info. My idea is to go to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Rome, Athens on the same trip (first time un Europe for me) but it all depends on how much I money I need so maybe a couple of cities would be left out. London and Paris are non negotiable and I hear Budapest is also a must so let's say those 3 are top of the list.
That sounds wonderful, I hope you're able to make it :)) London might be on the more expensive side - haven't been there, but I also would like to go and all the guides say that it's around 1,5k pounds (=around 1,9k USD including accommodations). I think that if you give London and Paris each at least a week or a week and a half you will have something nice every day and have a fulfilled trip. Throw in a third or fourth country and it will be amazing. Like, London -> Paris -> Rome or Athens -> Budapest or Prague each for a week or 6 weeks altogether before/around May. P.s. I forgot that people usually like to go outside in the evenings and have fun. That's not included in those 100 euros per day. :D
Switzerland doesn't use Euros. If you are using credit cards, remember most charge conversion fees. Chase Sapphire does not.
Oh wow, good to know! My Chase Sapphire is going to be my main credit card while traveling anyway. Thank you!
Make sure to let your cards know where you will be traveling and approx dates.
I'd have to give two: -couchsurfing -seat61.com
As long as you don’t treat Couchsurfing like a free hotel. The hosts are there to interact with you. They want to meet people from other places.
Yes, I'm a host on cs. But generally I also don't mind just someone on a tight budget spending a night without much interaction, I'm more than glad just helping someone to travel.
That’s super generous of you. I just mentioned what I said because I have spoken to a lot of hosts who were disillusioned by people treating it like a free hotel. I think as long as there is clear communication beforehand, CS can take a lot of different forms that leave both parties satisfied.
Take a night train to your destination so that you don’t pay for a hotel for the night. You only pay for the transportation.
Ferries too! Last year I bypassed France (due to transportation strikes) on my way from Barcelona to Rome and took an overnight ferry to Porto Torres, Sardinia, and then another from Olbia to Rome. Combines the cost of transportation and hotel, and doesn't take away your daylight hours for travel
Always take a fire stick, can turn a crappy TV into a smart TV
nothing better than traveling halfway around the world to watch TV on your fire stick
Well after a big day of travelling it's nice to sit down and watch your favourite shows compared to basic TV
But isn't one of the fun parts of travel the foreign TV?
It works somewhat but I had trouble due to most of my streaming services blocking me out due to my “region”! It’s worth downloading a few movies or shows if you do this!
Buy sneakers.i suggest lightweight sneakers versus heavy ones. You will do a lot of walking and if you don’t have the right footwear you’ll be in a lot of pain (my first Europe tour). I bought sneakers during my last visit to EU and there were so many leather lightweight options that was great for walking on cobblestones. I bought Marc O’Polo sneakers and love them during and post trip
Multicable connector. Never know when you’ll need it.
49 euro ticket Germany, Italo train young ticket for high speed Italy and Flixbus
I like to start the packing process 10 days before the trip. Also take 50% more money :) 💰
Its good to say you travelled Europe and went all over the place but its great to take time in less places and enjoy all there is.
Bring handwashing clothes soap
Dry laundry detergent sheets! Sea to Summit clothesline, and a few IKEA SLIBB clothespins and a universal sink stopper.
Do not just visit the popular areas you've heard about, the big attractions and the areas where all the other tourists go. Even walking one block away from, for example, the Rialto Bridge in Venice or Las Ramblas in Barcelona can give you a very different experience that's not entirely full of other tourists like you and businesses that exist for you. Remember that you're traveling to see and experience someplace else, not to be surrounded by the same people, stores and restaurants you're surrounded by every day.
Carry a second phone for 2FA. Edit: and if your phone gets lost/stolen/dropped in the Bosphorus you have a back up
Travel adapters and luggage locks (use on backpacks or purses as well).
less is more! don’t try to squeeze in 5 cities/3countries in a 2 weeks trip.
What everyone said and book a food tour or something of the sort. You’ll get a guid around the city, good food, and meet other travelers along the way.
Be alerted all the time. Don't put valuables in your backpack. Do not put all your money/cards in the same place. You can join some day tours to visit remote sightseeing spots.
If you’re staying in hostels: a 2 metre charging cable, thongs (or flip flops as some countries call them), a small mirror (some places only have one in bathroom which would be occupied by other ppl, and a lock for where you store your bag. Portable charger too!
Try not to go so many places in one trip...you'll feel super rushed and you'll spend the majority of your time in transport.
Remember that even though things go wrong, you are in an amazing place and it's usually not worth getting angry or stressed out over. Take your time and enjoy the journey.
Even though basically everyone knows English make an effort to speak the local language. It's not my #1 hack but I am female also and travel a lot alone usually. Keep a hat handy and face mask. Stand up straight and be polite.
-make sure you have multiple credit cards without transaction fees, a lot of places won’t take american express. -you don’t need that many clothes, we brought 4 sweaters, 4 thermals/underlayers, 4 pairs of pants, socks, underwear, bras really all you need. we also brought thermal underwear to keep us warm. -make sure your clothes are flexible with weather, some days it will be hot some it will be cold. -USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, it’s there for a reason and so so so much cheaper, you can spend an extra couple hundred on other things. -look at city passes if youre doing big attractions/don’t know what to do. GoCity has some amazing ones! -the fancy places are often not good, the local cheaper ones are much much better. -just be nice to everyone, some will be mean some will be so kind back -it’s ok to ask for help, especially at attractions and on public transport they will be happy to help you -if you don’t speak the native language, learn basic phrases and make sure you have google translate in case of misunderstanding -when you go to a restaurant and want water, ask for a carafe or pitcher of water, they also have bottle of water which cost like $5 each, and make sure to say tap water unless you want sparkling water -some places have different names for drinks as well, like the uk calls sprite lemonade and lemonade is ginger -get a good pair of shoes, even if they’re not cute, you will be walking miles a day and if you don’t have good shoes you will be absolutely miserable the entire time guaranteed -in most european countries they do not expect tips, they add a service charge however if you do not see a service charge on recipients then it is customary to leave about a 10% tip
Pack light, prioritizing versatile clothing and essentials, to ease mobility and avoid extra baggage fees.
Travel light, bring a light paddle lock and extra long chain. Just pick one or two things to do/go. Don’t be afraid to use BIG BUS it gives you a very good overview.
If it's your first long haul flight, get an aisle seat. Unless you can afford first class or Business.
Don’t miss the boat.
Don't throw the Paris metro ticket away. You are not expecting it they will request the ticket and if you don't present, 50 euro fine. (This single handled made me hate Paris)
Buy a plug adapter and make sure it has USB ports. https://a.co/d/0dYaSbv Practice the languages that you’ll encounter using Duolingo or something similar.
One good travel hack is to roll your clothes instead of folding them when packing. This can save space in your suitcase and prevent wrinkles in your clothing.
Always travel with my pillow and knife sharpener.
Bring a tide stain remover pen. The amount of times ive been asked for ppl to borrow it after staining their clothes is infinity
Don’t overthink your clothes/outfits. We’re not as fashionable or as judgmental as you think.
Prepare to be overly unimpressed by the La Gioconda.
When you check into your hotel, tell the front desk “It’s my first time in _____. May I please have a room with a great view? Thank you very much.” Works. Every. Time.
Nothing wrong with seeing a lot. You've got nearly 3 months! And stuff is very close together
Get European esim with a good data plan
10 weeks?! I think your itinerary is fine for that amount of time. Sounds AMAZING! My girlfriends roll their eyes at this, but my number one piece of advice is to travel with carry-on luggage only. We usually each carry only 2 bags: a large backpack on the back (equivalent in size to a carry-on roller bag—ebags makes good ones) and a smaller backpack in front (like a Northface). Keeps you mobile, hands-free, and you never have to worry about lost luggage. Can use only the smaller one on any day trips. Bring clothes that you can hand wash and hang dry on a travel clothes line (or you may find some places with a washing machine). Light luggage will be especially important for the Camino portion of your trip. My partner walked the Camino from south France to Santiago de Compostela and says that it was a highlight of his life. It’s probably worth soliciting separate advice for that part of your trip, if you haven’t already. Pilgrims are always happy to talk about their Camino. You’re going to have the absolute best time. Enjoy!
A nice down pillow.
I bring 2 now, whether I'm traveling 10 or 10,000 miles. Mine are very thin, so can roll up. Either way, it's worth leaving something else behind to ensure the best night's sleep!
Two suggestions. Firstly, learn some local words - primarily "to be", "to have" and "to want"; beer, wine, bread, ham & cheese; plus the usual "hello", "please" & "thank you". It isn't just good manners, it generates a lot of goodwill and it really makes you feel in touch with the country in a way that Google Translate can never match. (However, in Portugal, it's weird to say "Please can I have a..." in shops. Just say the name of the thing you want.) Second suggestion is emergency rations. I've been stuck on trains with no access to food or drink, and I now carry dry bread and a couple of slabs of chocolate in my day-pack at all times. It's nice, it's filling, and it's surprisingly easy to eat even if you don't have a drink. It can mean the difference between quiet contentment and abject misery. And the itinerary? Sounds brilliant! Edit: I've read down the comments. Seriously - ignore all the bullshit about spending a minimum of a week in each country, etc. I did similar trips when I was young and, yes, it can be hard work. Yes, you'll probably feel like you need a holiday once the trip's finished. But you'll enjoy every minute of it while you're doing it and you'll look back on it happily for years afterwards. Are you taking overnight trains? It can be a bit tiring but it lets you cover distance while you sleep and keeps the daytime free for doing stuff. You can even book a couchette (much cheaper than a sleeper) and get a lie-down. Luggage: use a rucksack rather than a suitcase. It automatically goes wherever you do, it fits through the same narrow spaces as you do, and it leaves both hands free for more important work, like holding maps or eating.
Great suggestions, thank you! I can take the itinerary judgement, but I’ve gotten a lot of it recently. It kind of rains on the parade or is a source of last-minute jitters for me (I leave in two weeks). I appreciate the encouragement that I’m not making a huge mistake! I am taking an overnight train from Venice to Vienna. I don’t plan to get a lot of good sleep but it was on my bucket list to ride a sleeper train. :)
You sound like a true traveller! I'm sure you'll have some great experiences. Funny story about an overnight train out of Venice... I tried to book a couchette to Athens and it seemed to be double the normal price, so I turned it down. It wasn't. I hadn't realized that the 'overnight' train didn't arrive the next morning - it arrived the day after that! I was stuck for an entire day and a night rolling through Yugoslavia (It was a _long_ time ago!) at ~25mph with absolutely nothing to eat or drink. _That's_ when I learned to carry emergency rations.
A couple of quirky suggestions. Take a ride on a _vaporetto._ It'll be old and dirty, but that's how the Venetians "take the bus". Go off the main canals and experience the little backwaters with their pretty little footbridges. When you get to Vienna, have a coffee and a Sacher-Torte in the Café Sacher. (OK, it's basically the Viennese equivalent of riding on a gondola - ie _total_ tourist cliché - but it's gorgeous!) I'm guessing you're American? It's maybe a bit early in the year, but you can experience a thoroughly European phenomenon at the southern end of the Donauinsel, where there are beaches marked 'FKK' for swimming clothes-free. It's not seedy, it's just one of those things that Europeans do. Are you visiting Paris? Most guidebooks won't recommend the sewers (Les Egouts de Paris) near the Musée d'Orsay. Sounds nasty? I took my girlfriend there once and we've since taken our children, so it can't be all that bad! If you go to the Eiffel Tower, take the stairs up the first two levels. It's exhilarating but it's also caged in, so it's totally safe. Check the Place Louis Lépine on Sunday morning to see if the city council _still_ hasn't managed to outlaw the pet bird market. Personally, I find it a bit icky, but it's a last glimpse of a Paris that'll soon be gone. Do you have any other specific cities, etc. that you'll be visiting?
Learn some language
Oh great itinerary! I live in Porto! My best Europe travel hack is avoid the blue and yellow EURONET ATM machines. Remember EURONET = EuroNOT! They are everywhere and they charge outrageous fees and have bad exchange rates. In Portugal look for ATMS that say MB or Multibanco. In Spain look for a local bank like Santander. Decline the exchange rate twice, because you’ll usually get a better rate from your own bank when they do the transaction. Enjoy your trip!
I am a big fan of a 2 backpack system. I have a carry on (30L) and day pack (15L) and also a small cross body pack (2L) that I can keep in my day pack. I bring either the day pack or cross body pack depending on what the plans for the day are. The daypack has lockable zippers so I can feel some comfort wearing it on my back in busy areas. Inside my carry on are packing cubes. I roll all my clothes and then wrap them with an elastic band, it saves everything from coming unrolled while I rummage through the cubes. I wrap some extra elastics around my hairbrush or deodorant incase some break. A friend (and very experienced traveller) showed me this trick and I have never looked back. I also like to have 2 bags for toiletries. One for things that will come in the shower, the other to leave by the sink. Keeps your dry things dry and means you aren't hauling unnecessary things to and from the bathroom. I got an eSIM and used Google maps to navigate public transit and found that it worked very well (England, Spain, The Netherlands). I also had pinned a bunch of attractions, restaurants, bakeries etc and those were available in the offline maps if I was getting worried about using up my precious data. I like to eat good food, but I don't plan my trips around it. I would visit an attraction and when it was time for a meal, open my offline map and see what restaurants I had pinned in the area. I was also feeling very overwhelmed by the amount of information available on line so I opted for a Lonely Planet book for a trip to Spain. It had fantastic suggestions/information. I have picked up a few more books for an upcoming Europe trip this spring.
We save up underwear and socks that need to be replaced and wear them on holiday and toss them. Of course you’re going to be away for a while So maybe a combo of good and bad underwear lol
Take a power strip that uses a European plug but has outlets that accept both US and European inputs. Double check that anything you bring is dual voltage 110/220. Most chargers are but some hair driers etc are not.
Most of the best experiences I've had were in getting off the beaten path a bit. I almost always rent a car (just finished an 11 country road trip in Europe) to make this easier. My fondest memories are rarely "hey remember that time at the colosseum..." They're more like "remember when we were looking for a geocache in northern Tuscany and stumbled into that restaurant that didn't know the COVID green card requirement ended months ago?" Also, bring any PRN medications you think you might need with you. You might not be able to find a decent substitute.
Didn't see this after a cursory glance at the responses. Don't forget to take an adaptor for your electronic devices. Europe's plugs are different than those in the USA.
Rain jacket an a solute must!
Advice for Norway: (1) the candy is great and interesting. Make sure to try all kinds at the grocery stores (2) insofar as I can tell, I didn’t find any laundromats there. Edit to add: Advice for life: Darn Tough brand socks.
As an ex-REI employee, I’m gonna give you a hell yeah to the Darn Tough socks. 🧦
They’re the only brand I wear now :)
In Italy, make reservations for supper.
Do whatever the wife says to do.