From crystal blue waters to ancient landmarks, stunning mountains and lively cities, Europe has it all for travel destinations. But with nearly 50 countries to choose from and so many sights, languages, cultures and foods, knowing where to start can be overwhelming. If you’re planning the ultimate Europe trip but unsure where to start, here’s your action plan. Follow this, and you’ll be on your way in no time.
Budget and Trip Length
We’re starting with the most complicated part – what you want to do and how much you can spend doing it. With so many places to see when you tour Europe, but a limited budget, it can be challenging to choose where to visit.
First, decide the length of your trip and your budget. You may have a couple of weeks off work, or maybe you’re taking a more extended stint of a month or more; this will be a significant factor for budget and itinerary.
When it comes to budgeting, be generous with your calculations – more often than not, you’ll spend more than you’d planned, plus it’s essential to have some reserve funds in case of emergency. You don’t want to run on bank account fumes by the end of your trip. The main cost factors include:
- Flights and transport
- Insurance
- Visa (if applicable)
- Accommodation
- Tours
- Attractions
- Food
- Emergency funds
Based on your budget, decide your accommodation price range, add up the costs of insurance and your major flights, allocate an amount per day or week for food, and factor in other expenses like transport, attractions or tours. Make sure you have some funds set aside in case of an emergency, whether it’s a missed flight, lost or stolen goods, or other unexpected costs.
If you plan your trip far enough in advance, you will be amazed by how much you can expand your Europe budget by cutting back on day-to-day spending or even starting up a temporary side hustle for extra cash.
Choose Where You Want to Go
Once you have the guardrails of time and money, you can start building a list of destinations. You may have a set of bucket-list countries locked in already; perfect! Or, if you’re like me, you want to see absolutely everything but need to reign it into an achievable number of places. Or maybe you have no idea, and that’s ok too.
Build your trip around the must-see places you’ve been dying to visit, then research other nearby locations. Googling, watching Tik Toks, looking through Instagram and joining Facebook groups were helpful when building my list. It sounds silly and simple, but using the world map is also helpful. It will be a reminder of places you may not have considered.
Route and Timeline
Once you’ve decided which destinations to hit, you must fit them into your allocated time and budget. Once again, the trusty world map will be your saviour when planning the most efficient and convenient route. You’ll be able to see where countries and cities are in relation to one another, and plan accordingly, rather than jumping from one end of the continent and back again. Helpful route-planning apps or sites include Pebblar or Wanderlog – these map-based apps will log your entire trip.
The most common mistake I hear is that people rush too quickly from one place to the next, needing more time to take it all in. So ensure you allocate enough days to each location you want to visit. This will allow you to settle in and take in the sights and surroundings before jumping to the next.
European tours for 20 somethings
Another great option that saves time and effort is booking a tour. Plenty of tour groups are on the market, offering a range of tours, long and short, all around Europe. They take the hassle out of planning the itinerary and booking transport and accommodation. All you have to do is schedule your trip to the starting city; the rest is planned for you. Plus, you can choose tours based on your age range and interest; that way, you can share your Europe adventure with a group of like-minded young travellers. Check out Contiki, TopDeck, G-Adventures, Sail Croatia, or Intrepid groups to find the trip for you.
Accommodation
Now that you know where you are going and the approximate dates, you can look for places to stay. Accommodation will depend on your budget, your taste, as well as the activities you have planned. If you are travelling solo, hostels are a great option. Not only are they the cheaper accommodation option most of the time, but they are also a fantastic way of meeting like-minded travellers, often of a similar age. Platforms like Hostelworld are excellent when booking hostels, as they provide overall ratings and detailed amenities and allow you to compare prices easily. An extra benefit is booking with a flexible cancellation policy to ensure you can change plans without losing money.
If you’re travelling with a few people or a larger group, Airbnb or other homestays may be the way to go. Sometimes these can work out cheaper than if you were all to stay in a hostel. Make sure you read reviews and ask the host any questions and their cancellation policy before booking.
If you want to stay in a hotel, use sites like booking.com or Expedia to compare prices and see reviews and ratings.
Tip: Before you book accommodation, pin attractions, restaurants, cafes, bars and any other places you want to visit in the town or city on google maps, then, when you’re deciding on accommodation, you can refer to this map to determine the most convenient location for you to stay.
Plan your Transport
Next is transport. It might be tempting to leave this until you arrive, but this is very risky – Europe, especially in peak season, is unbelievably busy, so transport options become limited. Prices go way up closer to departure. Make a list of your destination cities, and approximate dates, then search for flights, trains or buses, depending on the type of journey. Europe has so many rail lines; catching a train may be more efficient than flying when you consider the time it takes to get to and from the airport. Be mindful of inclusions when booking transport. Check if you need to pay for additional luggage, and ensure that you book a seat on your train, as sometimes this is not included in the fare.
Itinerary
So, you’ve decided where you want to go, how you’re getting there and where you might want to stay. Now for the fun part; take time researching each destination, reading reviews, listening to other people’s experiences, and finding out what to see or do. While you’ll probably want to see and experience as much as you can during your travels, it’s crucial to find a balance of downtime as well so you don’t exhaust yourself and take away from the enjoyment factor.
Tip: Book tickets to major attractions in advance, as these can book out, and there can be long wait times and greater costs to get a ticket on the day.
Tip: Book a walking tour on your first day in a new place; this will help you familiarise yourself with the new city, give you some great facts about where you are, and as a bonus, these are often just the low cost of a tip to the guide.
The Annoying Tasks
Aside from the fun part of figuring out where you will go and planning your activities, there are some more boring yet essential tasks you must do before going on your Europe trip. This includes:
- Travel Insurance
- Sorting out your phone plan/sim cards
- Updating your passport and applying for a visa (if required)
- Packing (make sure you plan for what you need)
- Getting a travel money card
Once you get these out of the way, you can sit back and count down the days until you head on your fantastic adventure. Take it all in and enjoy; you’ve just planned the trip of a lifetime.
