Did you know that Europe is the most visited country in the world? On average, 58% of travelers are heading to Europe! What exactly makes Europe such a popular travel destination?
Europe is known for its incredible history, beautiful architecture, delicious food, and fun culture! Europe is a destination that everyone must see at least once in their lifetime.
If you are thinking about heading to Europe, you should start preparing right away. How do you plan a European vacation? Keep reading for everything you need to know about how to plan a trip to Europe.
Create a Budget
The first thing that you need to do when planning a trip to Europe is creating a budget. Your budget will determine the following:
- How long you can stay in Europe
- Which countries you can visit
- The time of year you visit
- Where you choose to stay
- The activities you can do
Creating a budget is important to set clear expectations for your trip. While you may not be able to stay at a 5-star hotel every night, you can still have a great time.
You can travel around Europe for $40-$2000 per day. Whether you are a backpacker on a budget or traveling in luxury, you can create a budget that works best for you.
Some parts of Europe are more expensive than others. If you are on a tight budget, you should avoid expensive cities (such as Paris), travel on buses and trains, and stay at hostels.
Gather Your Documents
As soon as you decide that you want to visit Europe, you should begin gathering your travel documents. If you are not from the European Union, you will need your passport and insurance documentation.
Your passport will need to valid for at least three months after your plan to leave Europe, and it can’t be more than 10 years old.
If you don’t already have a passport, you should start the process right away. Obtaining a passport can take 10-12 weeks if you live in the United States.
Choose the Countries to Visit
Now it’s time for the fun part of planning a European vacation: choosing which countries to visit. There are 44 different countries in Europe. Because there are so many amazing countries in Europe, it can be difficult to choose which ones to visit first.
To choose where you want to go, think about your bucket list. Where have you always wanted to visit? What have you always wanted to do?
If you are really interested in history, you should visit The Colosseum in Rome, Italy, or The Acropolis in Greece. If you are someone who enjoys visiting the beach, you should take a trip to Ibiza in Spain.
Once you have an idea of your bucket list, compare your list to your budget to decide what is reasonable.
Create an Itinerary
After you have decided on a budget and the countries you want to visit, it is time to create an itinerary for your Europe trip. While you don’t have to plan every minute of your vacation, you should have a general idea of what you want to do each day.
When you plan your itinerary, include all of the things that you want to do and where you want to stay. Be sure to add in some time for resting because traveling can be exhausting. Also, you never know when you might find something interesting that you want to do.
Book Your Flight
The next step in planning your European vacation is to book your flight. Depending on where you live in the world, your flight may be the most expensive part of the trip.
You should book your flight before booking other parts of your trip to make sure that you get the best deal. Flight prices can vary depending on the day and airline, so be sure to shop around before paying for your flight.
If you want to save money on your flight to Europe, another idea is to book your vacation during the off-season. The off-season in Europe is November through March.
Book Your Hotels
Once you have booked your flight, you can book your accommodations! Where you choose to stay will depend on your budget and the countries that you plan to visit.
If you are on a tight budget, you should try to stay at hostels or Airbnb rentals. If you have more money to dedicate to your Europe trip, you may choose to stay at hotels.
Europe is known for having different types of unique accommodations. For example, if you are traveling to Ireland, you can try spending the night in a castle. If you are on a tight budget, you can spend one night in a castle and the rest of the trip at hostels.
Pack and Enjoy Your Vacation
At this point, planning your trip to Europe is almost complete! All you have to do now is pack and enjoy your vacation. When packing for your trip to Europe, you should choose clothes that are easy to layer so that you can adjust to the temperature outside.
You will want to bring your travel documents, a raincoat, some comfortable walking shoes, and a camera. Enjoy your vacation to Europe!
Do You Have More Questions on How To Plan a Trip to Europe?
Europe is the perfect place to visit for anyone that loves history, art, architecture, and spending time outdoors. When planning a trip to Europe, be sure to create a budget, get all of your documents in order, and come up with an amazing itinerary.
Did you enjoy reading this article on how to plan a trip to Europe? If so, check out our other posts in the Europe category for more advice on traveling to Europe!