Congratulations! You are finally going on your dream holiday in Europe. You sort of know where you want to go, your major cities are picked out… but what about the lesser known places in between? How will you be spending your time there? Properly planning a trip to Europe is essential for maximizing your time and not wasting a single moment of your trip.
Know your options
There are countless reasons for properly planning a trip to Europe! Start at the very beginning: know your options. You can’t make the best choices of where to go and how to spend your time if you haven’t done your due diligence. Planning allows you to figure out what your options are, where the best places are that suit your preferences, and also allows you to do some price comparison. Knowing your choices will ensure that you have the best holiday in all the European destinations you have dreamt of. A tool like Routeperfect will help you discover new places that you have never heard of, allowing you to explore all possible options and combinations for your perfect trip abroad.
FOMO! (Fear of Missing Out)
You arrive at your hotel and you start to chat with other travelers. You hear about where they have been and what they’ve been doing, and your jaw drops – you didn’t know about these places! The FOMO (fear of missing out) sets in… What else might you be missing? None of this would have happened with proper planning! Planning ahead helps you to relax on your holiday, and be confident that you can enjoy your trip without any of that nagging FOMO in the back of your head.
Maximizing time
You don’t want to reach a destination and have no idea where to stay or what to do there. I once spent an entire night walking around Cusco being told that every hostel and hotel was fully booked – what a waste of time! There is no reason to take a risk like that. You also don’t want to reach a destination only to discover that there is nothing there that interests you. You know what you like to do, and with proper planning, you can choose the perfect places to visit that fit your needs – and your budget.
Budgeting in advance will save money
This brings us to the next benefit of planning: budget! Planning a trip to Europe in advance can get you the best prices for your accommodations! Booking 3-4 months in advance gets you the lowest prices for flights, transportation, and hotels. If you wait too close to your trip to actually book, you will miss out on some great deals, and the prices will just go up and up and up….
Country Requirements
Some countries require visas from their visitors. On a multi-destination trip, you don’t want to reach a border and find out that you don’t have the appropriate paperwork. Do your research when planning a trip to Europe and make sure you have your paperwork in order, as well as some local money for any fees that you may need to pay.
Keep your options open!
If you wait to plan, you may miss out on a lot. Depending on the season, the best hotels can fill up before you even have the chance to book. That’s why you should be an organized and use a European itinerary planner. You might also have certain activities you are looking forward to. But just remember to book them early! Concerts, festivals, theater productions and and sports events are super popular- booking in advance will alleviate the risk of not being able to do exactly what you want to.
Planning a trip to Europe
Did we miss anything? What did you gain when you worked out all of your details when planning your holiday in Europe? Tell us below!
