How to Plan a Route in Europe

With so many places to go and things to see, planning a vacation route through Europe can seem like a daunting task. Luckily, Europe is a popular place to travel in part because of how easy it is to travel there. You'll be immersed in European history and culture before you know it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Make a list of all the cities, regions, attractions and outdoor activities that you want to experience while in Europe. Use the list of attractions and activities to determine how many days and nights you plan to spend in each place. Generously budget the days and nights spent at each stop, remembering to take into account the possibility of jet lag or inclement weather.

Step 2

Decide whether you are planning a round-trip or open-jaw route. You can plan your route to be round-trip, so that you ultimately fly out of the same city you flew into, or you can plan an open-jaw route, which means that at the end of your route you'll be flying out of a different city than the one you flew into at the beginning of your trip. There are benefits to both types of routes; your personal preferences will dictate which works best for you.

Step 3

Determine the order of the stops in your route. Plan your route by region, interest or language. There are many different ways to order the stops in your European route. You can choose to concentrate on a specific European region and tour all the towns and communities in the area. You can also tailor your European route around a particular interest, like castles, gourmet chocolate, golfing, skiing, hiking and so on. If you're hesitant about traveling to countries where English is not the primary language, you can plan your route through the cities and regions with a higher percentage of English-speaking people.

Step 4

Make transportation arrangements for your European route. When traveling in Europe, you have plenty of options as far as transportation is concerned. Traveling by air can be fast, though you don't see the European countryside as well as you would if you were traveling by train. The European rail travel system is one of the best in the world. Value-packed rail passes offer convenient rail travel for travelers on a budget. Renting a car and exploring Europe on your own is another option. If you're comfortable driving in a foreign country, a car is a very rewarding choice.

Step 5

Make lodging arrangements along your European route. Whether you're staying in a fancy hotel, local inn, best and breakfast or hostel, you'll find no shortage of lodging choices while in Europe. Before deciding where to stay, consider whether or not having a private bathroom is important to you. Having a private bathroom in your hotel room isn't standard in Europe as it is in the United States.

Step 6

Arrange for admission to attractions. Many popular European attractions have official websites where you can purchase admission tickets in advance. Having an advance ticket will help ensure that you see your desired attraction on the particular day that you want, and many advance tickets have the added benefit of allowing the holder to jump to the front of the line at the attraction.

Tips & Warnings

When booking accommodations in Europe, be sure to ask the property manager if there is any benefit to staying multiple nights. Sometimes smaller properties will offer a discount to customers staying more than one night.

Be sure to make more than one copy of your confirmation receipt when making transportation, lodging and attraction arrangements. You will want to keep one copy at home for your records and you will need to present another copy at the appropriate businesses while traveling.

Resources

Rail Europe

Article Written By Megan Mattingly-Arthur

Megan Mattingly-Arthur has been writing professionally since 1998. She has contributed to various publications, including "Teen Voices" and "Positive Teens" magazines, as well as a book, "The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published." Mattingly-Arthur is studying travel and tourism through Penn Foster Career School.

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