Top Europe Travel Tips

Europe is a popular holiday destination for people from around the globe. The sheer amount of culture rich history, changing scenery and proximity of one country to the next makes it a prize holiday location for people from all walks of life. Here are a number of tips designed to ensure you have the best possible time.

Plan With Reason – It might seem small when you look at it on the map, but this continent is actually quite big at 3,931,000 sq miles. To visit its major countries and cities you might have to visit at least one more time as cramming many destinations into one trip might prove stressful. Before departing, make sure you have the necessary travel document should you or anyone of your party is absent of a EU passport. Only EU (European Union) residents can travel within other EU countries with only a valid passport, others might require more travel documents. 

Moving Around – Western Europe and now a growing number of Eastern Europe countries poses a super efficient public transport system, which makes an affordable mean to move around. Often in countries like France and Germany they even pride themselves on its timetable keeping record. If you are traveling over large distances consider booking a flight with one of the many budget airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet.  Prices can be low at $40 at off pick times making it as affordable as public transport. Europe also has a high speed train which slowly but surely continues to route its major cities.

Accommodation – Most holidaymakers are well familiar with traditional forms of accommodation such as hotels. In some parts of Europe alternative means offer a potential cost savings. These can take the form of Boutique Hotels, which are small often family run hotels that offer affordable accommodation compared to the larger chains (popular in the UK for example) and holiday homes, which are self-catering rental units that take the shape of a luxury villa or cottage. Holiday homes will traditionally be found in more rural areas, though small self-catering units such as flats can be found in the major cities.

Weather – Due to its large size, the weather in parts of Europe can be quite different on the same day. Often, western parts are warmer than eastern parts and the season tends to revolve between July and September. Planning a visit off-season is often a sensible step in reducing your holiday costs however do ensure that the weather permits your planned activity. A visit in the major cities to take in some of the history and architecture is fine almost all year around, however if you are planning a holiday in France to enjoy a walk within the vineyards on a warm day, the weather must play ball. 

Written by Ryan Neal, travel writer at holiday villas agents Affair Travel.