Seven Tips For Planning a Trip to Europe

If you're planning an independent trip to Europe, then read my tips to ensure that you have a great trip.

One: Do not try to see and do too much.

You may end up actually seeing very little. I think it is better to see more of fewer countries/regions and see them properly. You may not want to stay in one location for your whole trip. However if you choose carefully it may be possible to do several day trips from one central location. If you do decide to tour, consider spending at least two nights in some of your destinations. It can be quite tiring being on the move every day, packing and unpacking.

Two: Decide on mode of transport.

Driving will give you more flexibility but can be daunting at times and is not recommended if you mainly wish to visit cities. You may decide to take your own car if you live in Europe. If you fly you can hire a car. Beware of extra charges for additional drivers, insurance excesses, airport charges, out of hours charges etc. I always book a hire car through a UK company, with no excess. If you use a budget airline try to only book direct flights. If you book a two let journey, the budget airlines will not assist you, as they only operate a point to point service. Public transport is pretty good in most of Europe. There are also several budget airlines you can use between countries e.g. Ryanair and Easyjet.

Three: Be aware of security of possessions.

Use a money belt, hotel safe etc. Do not have all your money/cards in one purse or wallet. If you lose it you are in trouble. This happened to me when I was in Milan: I was travelling alone and was left penniless. My credit card company did transfer funds to me but it took 24 hours! I had to borrow 10 euros from the hotel receptionist. Make sure you have travel insurance and if there is an incident get a written report from the local police station, to enable you to make a claim.

Four: Try to learn at least a few words of the language.

This will be greatly appreciated. My French is what you might describe as school girl (that was 25 years ago) but I do try when in France. Often I receive the reply in English but at least I tried. I always apologise if I cannot speak the language. I don't assume that the person I am talking to should speak English, I ask in their language if they speak English. As I do have a Scottish accent, I try to speak more slowly and clearly than usual, certainly not raising my voice.

Five: Don't be too structured.

You should allow some time just to wander around, enjoy a leisurely lunch. You do have to plan an itinerary, or you can just waste a lot of time, but it doesn't have to be written in stone! Allow yourself the opportunity to be spontaneous.

Six: Don't just stick to tourist traps.

Try to visit some authentic local restaurants, markets, villages, etc. where you will meet local people, rather than just other tourists. Surely part of the reason for going abroad it to experience at least a little of the local flavour, not just spend all your time with other tourists.

Seven: Book your accommodation in advance.

This may mean that you miss out on a charming establishment you come across in your travels, (you could always stay there on your another trip). However it will mean that you don't waste precious time going from hotel to hotel trying to find a room, having to arrive early enough at your next destination to look for accommodation. I am not even convinced that you save money by last minute searches.

Karen Bryan is a travel consultant and writer specialising in tailor made travel in Europe. Her site is http://www.europealacarte.co.uk

Travelling Europe by Rail - Things to Know Before You Go

Most people have in their long term travel view,a plan to explore Europe. One of the best ways I have found to cover the European continent is by rail. Depending on when you wish to travel, how much time you have for your vacation and how quickly you want to get from place to place will determine which type of train travel is best.

Most European high-speed trains now require you to reserve a seat and if you hold a rail pass usually the seat reservation cost is reduced. However getting the actual train that you want at your preferred time of departure can be the challenge.

Sometimes buying a point to point ticket can work out to be cheaper or a pretty similar price. For example in Italy you can travel from Rome to Florence to Venice picking up cheaper point to point tickets depending on the time of day you travel. If however you want lots of flexibility, and like to get off the beaten track then an Europe rail pass maybe just what you need.

A rail pass is certainly a great way to explore Europe as all passes allow unlimited travel within specified validity boundaries, on the national rail networks of a particular country. Because European countries' passes can vary you just need to be vigilant and check how long the pass is valid for (usually ranges from 15 days to 2 months) and the number of days that are allowed for actual travel (usually between 3 and 10 days).

Deciding how you want to get from place to place in Europe is the next thing. Do you want to go high speed like the ICE train in Germany which can reach speeds of 300 kilometers per hour or, take the slower option on regional trains like Trenitalia in Italy?

European high speed trains have a big advantage in that they are more direct, linking greater distances and reducing travel times by about one third that of regional trains. They also offer more flexibility, more frequent services, more comfort, but are also more expensive and a reservation is a must. Regional train services in Europe are of course cheaper and tend to include more stops and are less direct (maybe a need for train changes). They usually have the older style carriages with compartments that hold 6-8 people but on the plus side you generally do not need to make a reservation.

I have traveled on both high speed and regional trains in Europe and loved both. It really comes down to the amount of time you have to explore, but combining your train travel with a bargain airfare or, depending on your needs even first class airfares, traveling Europe can be a real trip experience.