Seven tips for planning an independent trip in Europe
Written by Karen Bryan
Here are my seven tips for planning an independent trip to Europe.
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.
Barcelona waterfront, Spain
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 payable. Rail travel can be a good option as trains in many European countries, (not the UK), are reliable, efficient and reasonably priced. If you use a budget airline try to only book direct flights. If you book a two leg journey, the budget airlines will not assist you, as they only operate a point to point service. There are many budget airlines operating in Europe e.g. Ryanair, Jet2 and Easyjet.
Malaga airport, Spain
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.
by f650biker
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.
The view from The Square, Brussels, Belgium
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.
Kylesku Bridge, The Scottish Highlands
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, I’ve always found great prices using the HotelsCombined metasearch which quickly trawls through the inventory of more than 30 accommodation suppliers to find the best price for you.
Radisson Hotel Blu, Rejkavik, Iceland
I hope that my tips will assist you in planning a fantastic trip in Europe. Do you have any tips you can offer prospective travellers?
On the card front, make sure that you take at least one gold/platinum card as those are the only ones which include 24 hour replacement as standard.
It’s also worthwhile taking along a pure cash card ie one that doesn’t double as a debit card. For international use, you’ll need one with the Plus or Cirrus symbol on the back. These are much, much less attractive to thieves as they can only be used with the PIN.
Thanks for the financial tips Arnold. I don’t want to be pessimistic but it is wise to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Having my purse stolen in Milan marred my trip and I felt pretty vulnerable being left with no cash or cards . It also meant that I wasted a day hanging around at the police station, waiting for the credit card company to phone me with details of where to pick up my cash etc.
To worry you some more, we have had a number of people arrive with us who’ve had their cards stolen. None had ever succeeded in having them replaced whilst on holiday (these have all been non-gold cards).
In theory, an American Express card might be the best option if you work on the assumption that your cards are bound to be stolen sooner or later. These should be replaceable by any Amex office ie you’d know where to go, which gets around the usual problem. Downside is, of course, that it’s not nearly as widely accepted as Visa/Mastercard but if you had one you should be able to get it replaced when it’s stolen and might be able to manage on that one card ’til you got home.
I did have an American Express card stolen but I didn’t go for replacement as I was only away for a few days I asked for cash, I think 200 euros. I did have a problem picking up the cash, they gave me the address of some office in the suburbs of Milan and when I arrived the office was shut. I had to phone again and was then sent to an office in the centre of Milan where I finally picked up my cash.
I do find though that AMEX is not so widely accepted so I always carry a VISA card too but then that’s 2 cards to potentially be stolen!