Last year I wanted to plan out a journey for my wife and me to celebrate our marriage. It was a bucket list item of mine to take a rugged, rag-tied backpacking trip through Europe. I was so excited to tell her. The thought of exploring ancient castles and taking strolls down winding cobble stone, the allure of the adventure quickly melted away when I began to look up flights...
Where would we go first?
How will we find a place to stay that is in our budget yet in a good location?
How do money exchanges work?
Should we plan tours?
How will we find our way in a new city where we can't speak the language?
AHHHHH!
It is a little overwhelming at first when you think of all the different aspects of a trip, but if you prepare a plan and take things one step at a time, it is a very enjoyable experience. And because you did your research, every location will mean so much more to you.
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| The Johnsons in front of Westminster Abbey. |
I am keeping this list as simple as possible, and though this is "How to Plan a Trip to Europe," in truth, this list could be used to plan a trip virtually anywhere.
1. Pick the places you want to visit:
You may not even know where you really want to go; Google is very helpful in this. Look up the top destinations and see what you are most interested in. Take into consideration the weather and time of year, festivals and holidays, etc.
2. Map the top attractions of each city:
Using the above links, you can see what the top attractions are for each city.
IMPORTANT: Have a Google Maps window open, look up each attraction/site on the map, and save the location by clicking on the star icon.
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| Tutorial of Adding Stars to Maps |
After you have done this for each location, you can zoom out and see where everything that you want to go to is. Normally many of the top locations will be clustered together very conveniently.
Side Note: Rick Steves is a great resource. Look up his books; he has great tips and advice for first time travelers, and he rates each attraction in each city, letting you know what's worth visiting and what's not. You can also download his free app to your phone and listen to his commentary on cities and sites before and during your trip. Listening to this app before heading out helps you prepare for and get a feeling of the places you'll be seeing.
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| Rick is basically our best friend. |
3. Plot out each day:
Realistically assess how many of the locations you can hit in a day. Since you have them all on a Google map, hit one cluster one day and another the following day until you have done everything. This is also a good time to gauge whether the locations you picked out are worth the effort or not.
4. Find a place to stay:
Go to Airbnb, and that is pretty much it. Very easy. You can search using a map. Place the search area over where the majority of your destinations are then dial in your price range (mine is usually US$25-65 per day), and the results will flood your screen. The reviews are very helpful because they rate how convenient the location is and how the landlords are.
Side Note: I personally recommend Airbnb over any hotel or large BnB because you have the option to use a room in someone's house (or private apartment/house if you prefer). Too often people go to a country and don't speak to any locals. The best part of travel is embracing another culture! By staying in a local's home, you automatically have a friend in a country who can give you advice and, as well, be an emergency contact. Personally, every time I check in some place new, I ask about the political climate and what the current social issues are. It's amazing what you can learn from a simple conversation. I cannot stress this one enough.
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| One of our hosts in London, Charlie. |
5. Buy the tickets:
Getting to the country can easily be the biggest expense of the entire trip. One of the cheapest airlines flying out of the states is Norwegian Air. On a good day, LAX to London can be about US$450 a person one way.
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| Courtesy of norcalblogs.com |
But don't plan on flying to your destination from the US then flying back with the same airline (or even airport) you came into Europe with. An "open mouth" or "open jaw" itinerary is always better. For Example: We flew into Edinburgh, but we'll be leaving Europe through Paris. This kind of flight plan saves you from backtracking and gives you a chance to visit places between the two cities you fly in and out of.
IMPORTANT: The cheapest airlines are found on the Expedia of Europe: Skyscanner (link above). Never use Kayak, Travelocity, or any other flight search site from the U.S. for Europe. As a bonus, Skyscanner does not add on fees if you book through the site, and it is just brilliantly set up. The cheaper airlines (Ryanair and EasyJet) of Europe are great! But they might have you fly in and out of an airport that's not conveniently located. Be wary of that and plan accordingly.
IMPORTANT: The cheapest airlines are found on the Expedia of Europe: Skyscanner (link above). Never use Kayak, Travelocity, or any other flight search site from the U.S. for Europe. As a bonus, Skyscanner does not add on fees if you book through the site, and it is just brilliantly set up. The cheaper airlines (Ryanair and EasyJet) of Europe are great! But they might have you fly in and out of an airport that's not conveniently located. Be wary of that and plan accordingly.
6. Plan tours:
Many cities have companies that give tours and day trips you can make; these are great options. Some companies even have tours that are free! You tip the tour guide what you think the tour was worth. Keep things balanced though; while excursions are great to get a quick overview of an area, having the freedom to wander and explore on your own is divine.
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| Our Highlands tour guide. |
Side Note: One company I really like is Sandemans New Europe. They give walking tours led by young energetic students from the area. They usually have a free tour in each city they operate in, so you always get your money's worth.
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| Our Edinburgh tour guide with Sandemans. |
7. Navigate without wifi or data:
Navigating trips is so easy in this day and age with smartphones. The GPS capabilities with the Google Maps app are massive luxuries. But how can we use it abroad with no data or wifi? Easy, save the maps to your phone! If you are going to London, search London on the app (while connected to the internet) then tap on the name in the search bar and an option will be below it to save the map to use while offline.
This is a huge help because you can turn on your GPS while abroad without using data. So, you have the map on your phone and you can see yourself moving on it. The only thing missing is the ability to search locations and directions, but if you really need that, just stop at a local coffee shop with free internet. (Starbucks are everywhere!)
Hey, there. Emily here now. Here are my two extra cents...
8. Pack light:
For three months in Europe, I packed a large backpack for check-in and a small backpack and suitcase for carry-on, and those weren't completely filled due to weight limits. For a week or two in Europe, I probably would have only packed a purse and carry-on suitcase. It is possible to pack light.
For the airlines that don't have weight restrictions for carry-on bags, take advantage of it! A few years ago, I came across this New York Times article written about how an airline stewardess packs for 10 day trips with one bag, and it has helped so much:
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| 10 Days in a Carry-On |
9. Budget spending money:
There is no universal budget for European travelers as there is a wide range of us from retired billionaires to poor, starving college students. So consider what you can afford and go from there. Pretty basic. Rick Steves suggests $100 per person per day for cheapskates, but Eric and I were living on something more like $80 a day. Together.
There are three things to consider with this list item: food, souvenirs, and site admissions.
Food: This is an area you can be super cheap with, but don't be too cheap. It may be tempting to only eat bakery breads as they are usually very low-priced, but you'll be doing lots of walking and will need protein for energy. A few cheap options include going to a grocery store and buying picnic-type foods. Also, the U.K. has convenience stores (such as Boots and Tesco) that offer "meal deals" with which you can get a sandwich/entree item, a snack, and a drink for 3.00-3.75 pounds. We had these nearly daily while we were there. It's not a sin to splurge a little on good restaurants every once in a while, but with the picnic food and "meal deals" we were able to have unique views while we ate that you don't get in restaurants.
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| Gelato in the Soho district from an Italian store. |
Souvenirs: It is so, so tempting to buy a Gryffindor scarf from Kings Cross, a Parisian baguette statuette, or a family tartan kilt for your dog. So tempting. When looking at souvenirs, think of yourself and it in six months time. Basically perform a DTR (Determine The Relationship). Will you still be together, or will you find yourself chasing after a Coliseum paper weight while your baguette statuette sits in a corner, covered in dust, utterly neglected. Pitiful. This mental exercise has saved me from many failed souvenir relationships, and it may help you. If you think it will still be nice to have around in six months, consider finding it online where prices will almost always be better. Amazon and Ebay are great for this kind of thing.
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| Courtesy of Dapper Doggie |
Admissions: Many sites you will want to visit will have an entry fee. For many of them, you really don't need to actually enter the place to enjoy it (such as the Scott Monument in Edinburgh or Buckingham Palace). Take that into consideration. Some places are cheap or even free to enter but offer an audio guide for a fee. If you'd like a guide but don't want to pay the price, consider Rick Steves' app that was mentioned earlier. Lastly, some sites are free on certain days of the week or month. Look these dates up ahead of time and plan accordingly.
So how much did this trip cost you guys?
ReplyDeleteTickets were almost exactly $500 each way with a checked bag for each of us.
DeleteAdding up all the deductions from my bank account the total cost of everything is about $1,300 for the both of us together.
This money covered all our transportation, housing, food, tours, entry to attractions, flight from EDI to LON, and any other expense for about 8 days. Our total trip isnt over yet but we are currently paying about $526 a month for our current housing in Lisbon which is in a nice location near the U.S. embassy.
Take 1,300-300 for the flight/8days= $125 per day or $62.50 dollars per person per day. Not to mention that the UK is one of the most expensive parts of Europe.
-Eric