European Travel Adventures: 11 Essential Tips for Planning a Trip to Europe

Whether travel to Italy, Spain, France, Portugal—epic European travel adventures—is on your bucket list, this planning guide for your first trip is essential to help you prepare. Embrace the adventure of exploring charming European villages, fairytale towns, and hidden gems in Europe. Discover essential tips and travel hacks for a weekend getaway in Italy, a 2-week trip through the South of France, or adventures in Malta.

Discover travel tips, recommendations, advice and packing hacks to help you plan a trip to Europe, especially if this is your FIRST trip to Europe and adventuring abroad. If you have visited Europe a time or two, these tips can still help you streamline your planning, packing and preparation.

Plan a Trip to Europe: Essential Advice to Begin Your Travel Adventures

The tips in this post skim the surface of the essential tips you should know for your first trip to Europe. If you want to go more in-depth, discover the eBook I wrote on how to plan European travel adventures.

There are lots of things to know, things to pack, and things to avoid. If you want to learn more detailed information on how to plan a trip, I highly recommend the eBook.

Here’s what one reader had to say about it:

“If I didn’t have the travel bug before, I definitely have it now!!! I recommend this travel guide. It is beautiful and thorough, written by my friends Jolayne and Chris K. They use their extensive knowledge from experience traveling to Europe to address every detail you can think of.

“There are great tips of when and where and what, from before you leave home to when you are there, local transportation, places to eat, what is worth spending money on and what is not, do’s and don’ts, safety precautions, traveling with kids, and so much more. It truly is worth taking a look at if you are going to travel.” ~ Kirsten S.

What’s Inside?

You’ll find in-depth information on how to plan a trip to Europe in:

• Deciding When and Where to Go
• Booking Flights, Lodging, Rental Cars, and Local Transportation
• Using Reward Programs and Points
• Using Common Sense
• Maximizing Finances
• Planning for Food and Water
• Traveling Solo or with Kids
• Luggage and Carry-ons
• Knowing what to pack
• Planning your Electronics
• Using Key Travel Apps and Websites
• And MORE!

11 Tips for European Travel Adventures

Years ago, my husband, Chris, scheduled a Europe work trip that spanned a two-week period. To my delight, he asked if I wanted to join him over the weekend.

The thought of going was thrilling but a little terrifying at the same time as I would be taking my first trip to Europe, boarding planes, flying, and taking the subway on my own. To ease my mind, Chris went in his “how to plan an adventure” mode and outlined very detailed instructions of where I should go at the airport, what to expect, which subway line to take, and when I should get off the subway.

For many of you FIRST TIME TRAVELERS, the thought of traveling overseas may give you that same feeling of trepidation. In the years since my first solo flight, I have learned from Chris’ example as a traveler extraordinaire, and both of us have collected tips, tricks and travel hacks along the way to make planning European travel adventures a breeze.

When I give advice to my parents, family members, or friends who have never traveled before, this post is full of the practical advice I share on how to plan your first trip to Europe.

My goal is to inspire YOU to live out your travel dreams, embrace the adventure, adopt the mantra of “Just Wander More”, instill confidence as you begin your European exploration, and encourage you to discover the world.

Let’s dig in!

1. Decide When and Where to Go

When to Travel

When Chris and I begin to plan an adventure, whether to Malta and Gozo or the South of France, we start with choosing our dates of travel.

Did you know that traveling on a Tuesday or a Wednesday is generally cheaper when you plan a trip? Thursday and Saturday are the next cheapest days.

Why? Well for one, most people want to maximize their vacation when they plan a trip and travel home on a Sunday. The upside to coming home one day earlier is that it gives you an extra day to begin acclimating to your home time zone.

If your schedule is open, consider traveling in the off-season or shoulder season. When you plan an adventure in spring, fall, even winter, flights may be a little easier to find and cheaper as well. That’s always good news for your first trip to Europe!

Our off-season travel has included trips to Amsterdam, Belgium and France as well as England, Italy and Spain.

The trade off when you plan a trip in the off-season? You might not find as many of the tourist areas bustling with activity when it comes to finding restaurants and excursions, you have less daylight hours for sightseeing, and many places have limited hours.

Where to Go

You can find inspiration for your next destination on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and travel websites. Consider some of these bucket list destinations for your first trip to Europe:

• The Algarve in Portugal
• Rome
• Paris
• Normandy
• Cinque Terre
• Pompeii
• Vienna

The options are endless. I highly recommend creating your wishlist of favorite places. Once you take your first trip to Europe, the travel bug might just inspire you to go back again and again.

I would love for you to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram to discover all of my favorite destinations, travel tips and tricks, ideas on how to plan an adventure, and Instagrammable photo opportunities. Yes, Instagrammable is a word!

>> Related: 21 Best Travel Essentials for an Underseat Backpack “Personal Item”

2. Book Flights, Lodging, Rental Cars, and Local Transit

Keep track of all of the logistics that are involved when you plan an adventure to Europe: flight details, hotel reservations, car reservations, maps, and excursions.

You’ll find detailed instructions in Plan a Trip to Europe: Essential Advice to Begin Your Travel Adventures showing how Chris and I document our plans. Some electronic options for documenting your travel are:

• Evernote
• Notes
• Microsoft OneNote

For Chris and I, planning a family vacation or even just a romantic getaway for the two of us always takes time and research.

Once you decide on the where and when, you will then need to book your airline tickets, reserve hotels or vacation rentals, determine if you need a rental car, and check on local train and transit schedules for your day trips. Trainline.com is an awesome resource. Be sure to check the cancellation policies and all of the fine print.

If you plan to drive while overseas, you should consider applying for an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). An IDP is recommended though not required. Chris applied through our local AAA office and was able to obtain an IDL the same day with an in-person application. The AAA website suggests allowing 4-6 weeks if you are mailing documents. The fee is relatively low.

Tip: Share your itinerary with your family or a friend before you leave on vacation. This is easy to do when your plans are stored electronically.

>> Related: 13 Tips Americans Should Know When Driving in the United Kingdom

3. Use Reward Programs and Points for Your European Travel Adventures

Let me just jump in here and tout the benefits of signing up for reward programs associated with Airlines, Hotels, Credit Cards, and Rental Cars. I talk more about this in my post 10 Super Smart Travel Hacks to Plan the Perfect Trip as well as in my eBook.

Reward Programs are especially essential if you embrace the adventure of traveling for business:

• United Reward Program
• Marriott Reward Program
• Hilton Reward Program
• Hyatt Reward Program
• Discover Cars

If you are traveling for pleasure, you may be more interested in signing up for a credit card that gives you points toward airfare and hotel stays.

4. Use Common Sense

These are a few of the tips that I list in the eBook Plan a Trip to Europe: Essential Advice to Begin Your Travel Adventures concerning “situational awareness.

What is situational awareness? Being aware of your surroundings. Showing common sense. Using your noggin’. A few tips:

• Keep your hand on your valuables in crowded areas. Beware of pickpockets.
• Don’t keep valuables, cash, your wallet, or your phone handy for the convenience.
• Leave your valuables, flashy jewelry, and expensive clothing at home.
• If you are traveling in a group, learn to keep an eye on each other.
• Carry only enough money for the day; leave the rest in your hotel safe.
• Be aware of your surroundings. If it doesn’t feel right, use common sense and leave!

These tips are NOT a guarantee of safety! Bad things sometimes do happen. I recommend that you consider investing in Travel Insurance.

5. Consider Your Finances as You Plan a Trip

My #1 tip for you as you consider your first trip to Europe is to create a vacation fund. Because travel is important to us, Chris and I started a vacation fund many years ago. We transfer funds to that account every month and find that even a little investment each month adds up.

A trip to Europe for many is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Make it awesome by starting to save now. There is a Chinese Proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

The same goes for a vacation fund: The best time to start a vacation fund was twenty years ago. The next best time is now!

Not only should you create a vacation fund, but you should also create a budget each time you plan an adventure. Try to eat, use transportation, and plan your excursions within a certain budget each day. Set an amount that you are comfortable with for the size of your group. Splurge one night for a meal and do something simpler the next night.

Don’t go into debt for your vacations!

Give consideration to currency and credit cards. Many credit card companies allow you to use credit cards overseas without any or very low transaction fees (ie., Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi). You will want to research which of the cards you might already have or want to apply for that will be the best to use overseas.

MANY credit cards charge excessive fees and add another 3%+ to every foreign currency purchase. Chris and I use our debit card to withdraw cash from bank ATMs while abroad. We never use a credit card to withdraw cash.

Sticking with big-name European banks will usually get you a reasonable rate, and you can often find a machine with no charge withdrawals. Be prepared for a charge at your home-bank as well. For our credit union, we pay $1.50 per ATM withdrawal, plus a 1% conversion fee. So, if we make a $30 ATM withdrawal overseas, three charges will appear on our bank statement: the $1.50 ATM withdrawal fee, a $3.00 1% conversion fee, and the $30 charge for the purchase. In our experience, credit unions tend to have better offers.

With a no-fee credit card, your best bet is to use that card as much as possible on an international trip while keeping cash transactions that require an ATM withdrawal to a minimum.

Plan a Trip to Europe: Essential Advice to Begin Your Travel Adventures

TIP * Be sure to let your bank or credit card company know the dates for your European travel adventures. We have had our cards frozen when charges from an unusual location begin to show up. To make it easier, mobile banking apps often have a section where you can easily place a travel notice on your account as you plan an adventure.

6. Planning for Food and Water

Food

There are some members of our family (me included) who need to eat regularly otherwise we crash with low blood sugar, no energy, and crabbiness.

If this is you, you might be affectionately called “hangry”—a combination of hungry and angry!

When we plan a trip we are sure to travel with snacks. Our girls like Goldfish Crackers and some types of gummy treats that come in single-serve or small packs. Chris also includes Peanut M&Ms, Built Power Bars, Microwave Popcorn, Trail Mix, Nuts, Applesauce Pouches (ingenious), and Zipfizz and Crystal Lite in single-serve packets.

TIP: When you travel with kids and want them to embrace the adventure as well, going with what is familiar every once in awhile is a good course of action. And honestly, you can find a McDonald’s or a pizza place pretty much anywhere in this world. If you travel with smaller children (or even picky eaters), a sense of familiarity in an unfamiliar country can do wonders for their attitude.

If you love trying new foods with a glass of wine for dinner, consider your budget and plan for those expenses.

On a typical day for our family, we will have a simple breakfast of local breads and pastries, cereal, yogurt, and fruit. For lunch, we often find a small grocery store and buy bread, sandwich meats, cheese, and fruit and enjoy a picnic lunch in a nearby park.

Dinner typically finds us looking for a restaurant away from the tourist-focused establishments. Many experienced travelers follow a “five blocks away” rule of thumb for finding restaurants where locals might typically eat, tucked away from crowded tourist spots.

Water

As for staying hydrated, I’ll give you a little hint. We always travel with a Camelbak Hydration Pack Reservoir.

If you want to know about how this works for us I talk about it more in-depth in the eBook.

Chris’ The North Face Recon Backpack with a padded laptop section is perfect for transporting his electronics on the plane to our destination, but transforms to a day trip pack which we fill with snacks, the Camelbak Reservoir, and extra water bottles.

7. Travel Solo, As a Couple, or With Kids

As you plan your european travel adventures, are you planning to do some solo adventure seeking or travel with the whole family?

With respect to traveling with kids, on our most recent family vacation, we opted for some slower mornings. We were all recovering from jet lag, and it was the beginning of summer holidays.

Our girls had been getting up early for school for months. We saw everything we needed to see even on the days when we just took the morning at a leisurely pace. Plan a trip with some days just for downtime.

Chris and I really have to remember that when we plan a trip with our girls. Sometimes we want to go go go and see so many cool things. We might not see all the tourist sites, and that’s okay.

When it is just the two of us traveling together, we don’t need quite so much downtime.

Flying Solo Pros and Cons

When it comes to planning a trip when you are flying solo, safety is priority #1. What are some of the Pros to traveling solo?

• You can be independent
• You are in control of your schedule
• You can travel at your own pace
• You can do and see what interests you

On the flip side, some of the Cons are:

• Eating alone isn’t always fun
• There is no one to bounce ideas off
• You have to figure out bus, train, and airplane schedules on your own. (I would get so lost!)
• It can be more expensive when you pay for taxis, hotels, storage, and groceries for one

I go into more detail on travel with safety in mind for you solo adventurists.

8. Luggage and Carry-Ons

Will you be buying new Luggage or do you need to update? If you don’t have wheeled luggage, that should be your first travel investment. Consider the weight of your suitcase. If you are traveling by train or are simply having to lift your luggage to store it, be sure it is light enough that you can easily lift it overhead.

Be sure to use readily identifiable Bag Tags.

Note the baggage fees as you plan a trip. Many carriers charge baggage fees. Do your research and pack lightly. If you fly between countries in Europe, you will most certainly encounter baggage fees.

9. What to Pack for Your First Trip to Europe

Personal Handbag and Toiletries

Do you wonder what you should pack in your Personal Handbag or Toiletry Bag? There are so many great ideas in these articles:

• 21 Best Travel Essentials for an Underseat Backpack “Personal Item”
• 35 Best Essential Toiletries for Travel for Women
• Best Travel Backpack for Europe, Adventures and Hiking
• 13 Features of The Best Crossbody Bag for Travel in 2024

Shoes

Invest in good walking shoes. I love my Asics. If you plan to purchase new shoes for your vacation, be sure to spend some time breaking them in before you leave home.

Even with the most comfortable shoes that you own, you might also want to bring along Band-aids or Moleskin.

Our family walked over 140 miles during our two-week trip to Italy and Austria. That’s a lot of wear and tear on shoes and feet. Take care of your feet.

Clothing

Chris and I have both found it helpful to invest in some travel-specific clothing with zippered and secure pockets.

You can find many more of my clothing and shoe recommendations in on my Amazon Storefront

A word or two on packing lightly. For those of you who typically plan an outfit where the pants and top match but don’t really go with anything else that you have packed, you need to adjust your thinking when traveling. Choose neutral pants, shorts, or capris that will match with more than one shirt and can be worn multiple days before being washed.

Realize that wearing the same shirt a couple of times over the course of a vacation is perfectly acceptable. I’d say pack an extra pair of underwear and socks and go light on matchy matchy shorts, shirts, and pants. Oh, and rolling your clothes instead of folding them really does keep them less wrinkled.

10. Plan Your Electronics

There is so much that can be said about electronics, and you will find that I go into much more detail in my eBook. Here are a few important considerations:

Smart Phones and Portable Chargers – Be sure that they are fully charged for each day.

Tablets – They can be great for downtime, occupying small children, taking notes, and accessing travel notes.

Batteries, Cords, and Chargers – Pack charging cables for all of your devices and Cameras.

International Plugs – Invest in International Plugs for a number of different countries worldwide. This cube-shaped plug adapts to a variety of plugs across Europe—not all countries’ outlets are the same. European voltage is 220V.

>> Related: 14 Genius Gadgets for Travel

11. Travel Apps and Websites

There are a number of apps that Chris and I use regularly as we plan a trip and while we are traveling. We especially love the Rick Steves Audio Europe Tours. Don’t forget your Airpods!

You will benefit from having Google Maps and Google Translate on your Smart Phone. Here are a few other Apps that I recommend in my eBook: TripAdvisor, SeatGuru, and WAZE. WAZE is essential if you will be driving in Europe!

As for websites that you can use in your planning, there are many. Chris and I like these ones:

• ThePointsGuy
• Trainline
• Pinterest

Do you have any great travel Apps or websites that you love? Be sure to comment below and I will try them out.

Invest in Yourself

Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Thoughts on European Travel Adventures: 11 Essential Tips for Planning a Trip to Europe

Plan a Trip to Europe: Essential Advice to Begin Your Travel Adventures is full of practical advice, tried and tested information, lists, and suggested websites and apps to use for reference. You will the find the detailed information to be helpful and spark ideas that you may have never even thought about. I include tips, research, and lessons Chris and I have learned through trial and error.

And don’t forget to document your travel with the Ultimate Travel Planner (hardcover book on Amazon); it is the perfect complement to the eBook! Here’s to a trip that is smooth, problem-free, and as uncomplicated as possible.

YOU CAN DO IT!

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