“How to plan a Trip to Europe?” is the question I’m asked a lot by the readers, friends, and family members. After traveling extensively in Europe, I can vouch that when it comes to a continent as varied and diverse as Europe, detailed research is of utmost importance. Not everyone’s able to carry on the level of research and planning required for a Europe trip. So, I’ve penned down an ultimate guide to planning a trip to Europe to help you plan a perfect European vacation with your family.

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Step-Wise Guide to Planning a Trip to Europe

From budgeting to creating an itinerary to booking transportation – here’s how to plan a Euro trip in a few simple steps!

Plan your Budget

This has to be the first step in European trip planning. If you already know your budget, it’s easy to get to planning.

Establishing a budget in the early stages helps in saving time and money. At the beginning stage, plan a rough budget to get an idea. The detailed final budget would follow in later stages.

Based on your rough budget, you can find the accommodation within your budget and choose the region of Europe you can visit. For example, Eastern European countries are cheaper while Nordic countries are expensive.

Once you’re halfway through your planning when you’ll have an idea about the costs, you can add the average costs for flights, hotels, food, local transport, sightseeing costs, and other costs to come to the conclusion.

Make sure you write your budget on paper. You can make use of one of the travel budget apps to track your budget like Trip Expense Manager, TravelSpend, and Trail Wallet.

Figure out the Region, Countries, and Cities

Now that you are well aware of your spending capabilities, next step in our eurotrip planner is to pick a destination or the destinations.

Before you start, keep in mind that cramming your Europe itinerary with too many countries or cities can ruin your trip. A jam-packed itinerary drains energy, as well as money and you, lose on an authentic experience. Slow down. Remember, less is more.

If budget isn’t a constraint, you can choose the region, countries, and cities based on your interests. If you are a person who loves art, Italy is perfect for you. If you love history and culture, you’ll love Greece. Nature lovers will adore Norway. Add at least one of the best national parks in Europe to your itinerary. If there’s someplace in Europe you dream of visiting, you can plan around that.

Read More: Epic Places to Visit in Europe with Kids

Finalize the Length of your Trip

You can finalize the length of your trip based on the number of countries and cities or vice versa. You can shorten or lengthen your trip as per your budget.

Remember, your length of the trip will also include the layovers and a travel time between destinations.

Tip: Travel slow (include relaxing days) with kids. They need time to take in the new experiences.

Determine When to Go

Europe has four varied seasons. Spring (March-May), Summer (June-August), Autumn (September-October), and Winter (November-February).

Summer being the peak season brings sky-high prices and crowds. Weatherwise, it’s warm, mostly. The long days give more time for exploration though. In Nordic countries, you can witness the Midnight Sun.

The shoulder seasons of spring and autumn are undoubtedly the best times to visit Europe. It’s when the weather is just perfect, the days are long, and crowds are fewer making it easy to explore.

Related Read: 12 Best Places to Visit in Spring in Europe

Winter means chilly weather, short days, and closed attractions. It also means affordable prices on just about anything and everything. If Northern Lights or Christmas Markets is on your list, of course, winter is the best time to go.

Read More: Best Winter Destinations in Europe for Families

If you want to be a part of any festival like Oktoberfest, La Tomatina, Glastonbury, Tomorrowland, or any other, you can plan around the time of that particular festival.

Must-Read: 33 Exciting Celebrations and Festivals Around the World

Finalize the Cities you want to Fly in and out of

Choose the cities you want to fly in and out of wisely. Round trip flights are possible only if you are planning to start and end your trip at the same destination. You can’t really book a round-trip flight if you’re doing more than one country. It’s not (practically) feasible to drive back to the same destination you start at.

You can choose multicity or open-jaw flights. These are the tickets that allow you to fly into one destination and fly out of another. The cost remains (almost) the same as a round-trip flight but the flexibility is more.

Usually, the capital cities are the cheapest in terms of airfare. For example, a flight from New York City to Paris costs less than a flight from New York City to Nice. Red-eye flights come cheap too! If you’re a frequent flyer and are loyal to one specific airline company, you can save a lot using Airline Miles.

Also, flights with layover are cheaper than direct flights, mostly. A layover in a different country can be fun as it allows you to explore one more country for free. Yes! Turkish Airlines offers a free walking tour of Istanbul if you have a layover in Istanbul for more than 6 hours. And, Icelandair provides a free stopover in Reykjavik for up to 7 nights.

Decide How to Get Around Europe

Now, the next step is to figure out how to travel across countries and cities in Europe. How do you want to get from city to city or country to country – flights, trains, buses, ferries, cruise, and/or rental car.

I prefer to use a combination of the modes of transportation. Because obviously, you’d want to see Europe from different perspectives.

Booking a regional flight is a good option where the distance between the destinations is huge and you want to save on time.

Your trip to Europe is incomplete if you haven’t experienced at least one of the most scenic train journeys in Europe. Train travel is considered one of the most popular and beautiful ways to get around Europe. If you are planning to explore Europe extensively by train, better get a Eurail Pass.

Also, there are some places in Europe that can be best experienced by a road journey. Renting a car is a bit expensive but absolutely worth it.

Renting a car turns out to be economical when traveling with family as compared to public transport. The amount adds up as you buy local train or bus tickets for all the members of the family. You must also check if there are any border crossing issues with a rental car. We had an issue where we couldn’t enter Bosnia and Herzegovina with a rental car hired from Austria. We had to leave our car at our Airbnb and use public transport instead. Read our article about renting a car in Europe that’ll answer all your doubts.

You Might Want to Read: 31 Bucket-List Worthy European Road Trips

Ferry is another exquisite mode of transportation in Europe.

So, it makes sense to mix and match the transportation modes for an all-inclusive experience.

Now consider the transportation within cities. Trams, metros, trains, buses, and cabs – European cities have great transportation options that make it easy to navigate the cities. Make sure you have a transit map of the city handy.

Hop-on-Hop-off is a great way to get around the city. European cities are best explored on foot so, you can consider joining a guided walking tour. Biking is another beautiful option.

You can choose to explore the city any which ways but never by a rental car. Parking is a big headache in European cities.

Craft an Itinerary

An itinerary should be easy-going. Don’t plan a rushy itinerary. It steals the essence of travel. You should have enough time to explore each destination.

Research the cities and attractions you want to explore, and make a day-wise plan as to which destination on which day and what all attractions to be covered in each destination. Also, mention time to be spent at each attraction. You must also write down the ticket prices to the attractions.

PS: If planning a trip and creating an itinerary bore or baffle you, you can book a group tour with a reputed company like Intrepid Travel or G Adventures, or Tour Radar.

Some of the best Europe Itineraries on our blog are:

• Epic 10-Day Central Europe Itinerary
• 14 Days in Croatia Itinerary
• 7-Day Slovenia Itinerary
• 10-Day Austria Itinerary
• 3-Week Scandinavia Itinerary

Determine your Route

Now that you’ve decided on the cities you’d fly in and out of and designed a rough itinerary, it’s time to chart a route.

Mapping out your trip is of utmost importance.

You’ve to keep in mind the feasibility and ease of traveling from one city or country to another. Open Google Maps and check the distances between different countries and cities you’re planning to explore. For example, if you are doing Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris with Amsterdam as an arrival city and Paris as a departure city, it makes sense to start with Amsterdam then move to Brussels and end your tour in Paris. You can’t travel to Paris from Amsterdam and come back to Brussels and then go back to Paris for your flight back home. That’s not feasible. MAP OUT YOUR TRIP WISELY!

Buy a Travel Insurance

You can’t (you should not) really travel anywhere without dependable travel insurance. Buying travel insurance is vital if you really want to safeguard your trip against unexpected events like medical emergencies abroad, missed flights, natural disasters, theft, lost baggage, trip cancellation, or terrorism activities.

It is mandatory to get travel insurance before applying for a Europe visa.

Make sure to read the insurance policy’s fine print and weigh up it with other travel insurance policies before you buy one. We always choose and recommend World Nomads.

Apply for Visa

Note: You can skip this part if you don’t need visa for Europe.

If you need a visa for Europe, you most probably need a Schengen Visa. There are quite a few European countries like the UK, Ireland, and Russia that are not part of the Schengen agreement and need you to apply for a different visa. Then there are some European countries that despite being non-Schengen countries allows you to enter their country provided you have a multiple-entry Schengen visa. Confused? We have dedicated an entire article on Schengen Visa. Hope that helps.

Book Flights

It’s time now to book flights in and out of Europe. Airfare, along with accommodation, is the most expensive part of the trip. You must book your airfare at least 2 to 3 months prior to your trip to save money.

Look for flights on Google Flights. Then compare the flights on flight search engines or meta-search sites. I love to use Kiwi.com and Skyscanner. They allow you to set up fare alerts so you’re notified as and when the airfare drops.

Book Transportation within Europe

Now that you’ve got the International flights sorted, book the transport within Europe – flights, trains, buses, ferries, and/or rental car.

We trust Rentalcars.com for all our rental car needs in Europe or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

If you’re renting a car in Europe, you must keep in mind that it’s cheaper to pick up and drop off the car in the same country or location. Dropping off in a different country or location adds a huge rental fee. It can, sometimes, double the cost of renting a car. If you’ve booked an open-jaw flight, you can rent a car in one country and travel by train or bus to another country and again rent a car in a different country.

You’d need an International Driver’s License to drive in Europe.

Book Accommodation

The earlier you book accommodation, the better – especially if you’re traveling during the peak season.

When it comes to accommodation, we mix and match. Yes! We book a mix of vacation rentals, hotels, bed & breakfast, lodges, hostels, and others.

A vacation rental gives more flexibility and space and a golden chance to live like a local. It saves you money too especially if you’re traveling as a family. A traditional bed & breakfast combines the features of Airbnb and a hotel.

PS: When booking a hotel, we prefer the ones that have breakfast inclusive so that we can start our day well.

While you book accommodation based on your budget and taste, always give preference to the ones with a more central location that’ll save you time, money, and hassle. Sometimes, it’s nice to book accommodation amid nature like by the fjord in Norway.

You must hunt around on more than one hotel site to grab the best deal. We use Booking.com, Agoda.com, and TripAdvisor to compare and book accommodations.

Book Tours and Buy Attractions Tickets

We mostly book tours and buy tickets ahead of time. Always, always buy skip-the-line tickets to the famous attractions. It saves the nuisance.

Don’t pre-book everything. In some cases like if we’re not sure if we get time to visit that attraction or take that day trip, we don’t prebook. We keep it open. You can anyways buy tickets or passes at the destination itself. It’s wise to keep in mind the contingencies and unplanned realities.

Get Your Guide, Viator, Klook are our go to for booking tours.

Tip: You should carry your child’s school ID card to avail students discount at attractions.

Packing

As exciting as it may be, packing is the most complicated part of trip planning. What to pack? You’ll pack, of course, according to the season (check weather) plus, some travel essentials. How much to pack? Pack light. Invest in packing cubes. They help save space and time.

You must check the baggage allowance details while packing. See if domestic flights (most European carriers do) charge extra for cabin/check-in baggage, pack accordingly to save.

Your packing list for Europe should always include a light jacket, comfortable sneakers, an anti-theft day pack, a medicine kit, and poncho or umbrella, and scarves, whatever the season.

Tip: Take pics of your valuables like electronics and note their serial no. This comes in handy in case of theft or damage.

Document Check

Now that all the arrangements have been made, you should go ahead with arranging the documents. Here’s a document checklist for your ease:

• A Valid Passport
• Visa Papers
• International Driver’s Licence
• Flight Tickets
• Booked Accommodation Documents
• Booked Tours Documents
• Car Rental Papers | Train Tickets | Bus Tickets | Ferry Tickets

Note: You must keep a copy of all the documents.

Manage Basic Logistics

Manage the key arrangements a week or two before your departure.

1.Take care of household needs like paying bills, canceling newspapers, instructing your housemaid, etc.

2. Take an International phone plan on your number or carry phone cards depending on whichever is cheaper or plan to buy a local sim.

3. Check if your credit/debit cards will work in Europe and if there is any transaction fee by calling the bank. Choose the card that will not incur transaction fees. Figure out how much cash do you need to carry or if you can use ATMs to withdraw cash.

4. Download the required apps on your phone. Google Maps, Google Translate, Airbnb, Booking.com, Tripit, Currency Converter, and Rome2rio are some of the essential travel apps.

Eurail, Rail Europe, Flixbus, Omio, Citymapper, Rick StevesAudio Europe, The Fork, FREE NOW (mytaxi‪), Uber, and Lyft are some of the Europe-specific travel apps.

5. You must search for the apps specific to your destination (like Hreyfill Taxi App for Iceland and Taksini for Finland) and download accordingly. Some attractions have audio tours on their apps.

Tip: You must share your itinerary and contact numbers with a family member back home.

Read More: Coolest London Quotes to Inspire Your Next Visit

Europe Tips for Families Traveling with Young Kids

• The streets of Europe (Old Towns) are cobblestoned and not very stroller-friendly unless it’s a jogger. You can carry a lightweight baby carrier.
• If you’re planning to carry a stroller, check with your airlines if they allow to carry stroller/baby carrier free of charge. Most of the domestic airlines do allow any one item for a kid to be taken till the flight door. Some might let you check in the stroller free of charge. But it is always advisable to call or check the airlines website for the details to avoid the hassle.
• If you plan to rent a car, see if carrying a car seat is allowed by the airlines. Else renting the car seat tends to be expensive.
• Download videos and arrange games and journals to keep kids occupied while traveling. You’d need them during long-haul flights and road trips.
• Carry a light blanket for kids as domestic airlines don’t provide that.
• Do carry some dry snacks for those untimely hunger pangs.
• Other essential items like sipper, wet wipes are great to carry along.

Phew! Quite an article. We sincerely hope our Europe trip planner helps you plan a perfect family Europe trip. If it does, please let us know. A little appreciation goes a long way

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The post How to Plan a Trip to Europe: Tips to Help You Plan a European Vacation appeared first on Travel Melodies.