So, you’ve decided it is time to take your first adventure to Europe. For many Americans it seems like a rite of passage. It does not matter if you’re young or old. It’s something special that first trip to Europe. You’ve finally arrived somehow.
You have saved the funds, you’ve applied for the passport… wow, you’re as good as ready to pack. But wait… just having made the choice to get a passport and go to Europe is only the initial step. There are more decisions to make. Let us plan through some of them.
How much time do you have? One week will have you concentrating on one area or a city… two or more weeks lets you tour around a bit more.
What part of Europe do you wish to go to? It is not like you can just go to Europe. That’s like saying you want to see the United States. There are large areas to be covered and you need to select an area to see even if you have several weeks.
Do you just want to see it…? Visit the highlights like maybe London, Paris, Rome and see the big sights? Or do you have an agenda? Do you want to find family roots and do a little genealogy research? Is there a festival you’ve always desired to see like the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona or The Gathering and Highland Games in Edinburgh?
Do you concentrate on one or two cities or try to do a grand circle of Europe?
Do you take a tour? Set up a Custom tour? Or do you wish to take your very first trip to Europe all on your own and go your own way?
So how will you answer these questions?
If you’re a student, you may be able to travel for the summer… good for you. You won’t find a more excellent way to add to your education! If you’re retired, you can stay as long as your money will allow AND you can travel during shoulder seasons when there are less crowds.
If you only have one or two or three weeks, try for those shoulder seasons to maximize your experiences and minimize the queues. Try to limit yourself to a country a week. Even at that you will simply be getting an overview of the area you choose to go to.
A tour can be a good idea and can take some of the worry out of your initial holiday to Europe. There are so many tours provided that you can easily pick one that goes to the area you wish to visit for the length of time you want to spend, and you can even get tours that categorically go to those festivals or visit gardens or let you explore just castles. Your hotels will be taken care of and many of your meals as well. It’s good way to build your confidence overseas.
If groups just are not your thing, being an independent visitor on your initial trip to Europe is not hard either. There is so much information on the internet that it is easy to arrange it for yourself and leave yourself more adaptability.
Just sit down with a pencil and paper and take the choices one at a time and that long awaited initial vacation to Europe will be a reality.
This travel tip is brought to you by Stuart from BookCentralCoast dot com dot au, the specialist in NSW Central Coast accommodation and The Entrance accommodation on the NSW Central Coast.