How to Travel in Europe for the First Time

Think about it: Where will you go and for how long? Rome, Paris, London, The Alps, Amsterdam, Tuscany, Nice and the south of France, Barcelona. It's a long list. Do you want an "if it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium," quickie tour? Or do you want to see more in fewer places, not spending lots of time moving in and out of hotels? Think carefully and make your first experience one that is positive.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
   Part of Canal System in France

   List the places you’d like to see. Then consider your age and situation. If you will probably go back to Europe in the future, that may affect how you do this trip. If you think this is your one and only, maybe you’ll want to see as much as possible. How’s your health? Do you like a high activity level?

2. Consider a tour, especially if you think this trip might be your only one. On a good tour, your hotels, transportation and some meals are taken care of, and you are guided through any unsure moments and delivered to major attractions. On the other hand, get used to getting up, eating, being packed and ready to head out the door at 9am.

3. 
   French Chataeu

   Decide how much time you want to spend on the trip. It’s possible to join a tour for part of your time and spend some time on your own. It depends on how much time you want to spend traveling, and how much money you want to spend.

4. Choose what time of the year you want to travel. Summer months are crowded, so if you can travel in May, September or early October, the weather probably will still be relatively good, prices may be somewhat less, and the frantic pace may be moderated.

5. Go to the "I" if you want to travel "on the fly." The "I" (information center) is a good place to start your visit to any city in Europe. Without advance reservations, check with the information center and tell them what part of the city you want to be in (if you know) and about how much you are willing to spend. Pay attention to hotel ratings from a traveler’s guide brought from home, as local rating systems are entirely different. Consider youth and senior hostels, which are inexpensive alternatives.

6. Familiarize yourself at least a bit with the language of the country. While you can quite easily navigate your way through Europe on just English, you’ll enjoy the trip more and have better exchanges with the natives if you can say "bonjour" or "guten Tag." It helps to know the word for police and exit (as in "how do I get off this freeway?").

Tips & Warnings

• The more you've learned ahead of time, the better.
• Be aware: Venice, Rome and Florence are crowded, steamy and expensive in the summer, and Paris can be a sweat box in July. Norway, Sweden and Finland are at their best at this time and probably less crowded.
• Note warnings of unsafe areas or practices.
• There are criminals in Europe, but they are less likely to carry a gun than those in America.