Travel tips for Europe

    As I sit in front of my computer, the clouds are gray and heavy outside and it has been raining for 2 days now. But I am determined to start a new post today..after less than 48 hours of my returning from a 2 week or so trip in Europe. I have done some serious catching up with sleep the first 24 hours, we got back but I am still on the deficit. 

    I loved the idea of going to Europe with R. The preparations were a little daunting at first but doable. The countless hours of finalizing the itinerary. So many countries, so little time. There was the regular interruptions to the choices of hotels and what to see. 

    For the next few posts, I will delve into the packing tips, countries we loved and not so loved, etc.

If you are planning a Europe on a budget travel tips, please feel free to drop me a message here and I would love to help you out on tips here and there that can really help you lessen the stress of making that dream European trip happen. 

    This trip was a gift from R to me - to us, really. So I was well taken cared of, so to speak. But I was the one who did most of the research and bookings of hotels (except one - R made the one we stayed at in Hamburg, Germany). But everything else in between, let me help out with questions on tickets, transport and best places to see. 

   I am going over photos right now so posts for the future will have some photos. 

   When R and I decided to go for this trip, it was to be declared our Scandinavian trip. Our goal was to see the three countries we always wanted to see, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. But, since we love Amsterdam so much, we started off from there. We saw some parts of Germany along the way. 

   We decided on the dates we can do it. We got a travel agent to worry about getting us the best rates with the dates we had in mind. The fee is so nominal that it was worth it, in the long run. The time spent lurking on the internet looking at all the sites for best airline tickets and airline deals was not worth the hassle, if you have a good relationship with a reliable and trusted travel agent, now is the time to use her or his resources to make your dream vacation happen for an agreeable price.

   We also decided to get travel insurance through our local Triple A. Best decision you can make when you have invested on the cost of tickets and other expenses. You have the peace of mind that airline tickets and accommodations together with medical and dental expenses will be covered. Get the comprehensive coverage and have that peace of mind and you can enjoy your trip a whole lot more.

   The hotels bookings can be a hassle at times. Especially if you choose a date for a city you want to visit that has a convention going on, it can get pretty pricey. And they sell out fast. So when you get  the dates all finalized with your tickets on hand, go ahead and make reservations for hotels. Do your homework and search the actual location of the hotel. If commuting is not a problem with you, a hotel outside of the main city can offer a better deal in price and like we did, we loved the short commute everyday that we made it a chance to watch all the regular commuters go about their daily lives as we head to the museums and all that. People watching can be an art.

   When I post my per city review, I will make recommendations on what websites were most helpful during my research for this trip.

    Smart phone Apps are your best friends when travelling abroad. They are indispensible to modern day travellers. How did we ever travel before them, it seems hard to imagine now!

    Ask a friend or friends who live abroad for help. A friend helped us get a hotel smack in the middle of Copenhagen when the whole city was fully booked - solid - for the 2 weeks we were in Europe. It helps to know someone, who knows someone who can make things happen. What a gem he is, truly! Take him out to dinner when you get there and let him choose the place. !

   Packing. Packing has always been my weakest point. I pack fast, no doubt about that. But Europe required more thought, and on top of that  I am planning to travel light. No checked in baggage to get there, only checked in baggage to get back to the States! Imagine the limitations on the wardrobe choices and to stay within the limits of weight for each airline. I was able to do it with some drastic changes in my thinking and the way I packed the contents of my luggage. I will never have to lug around a heavy suitcase ever again!!

   Camera. I have some very varied selections that I can take with me. R is a photography enthusiast, so I have very good advisor on that department, but let me tell you, since I was going light, my phone fit the bill on this department. The photos I will post were taken with my phone. 

   I will end this long introduction to series of Travel Tips for Europe with this, if you have that travel in you wanting to see more of the world, do it. Just go ahead and do it. Europe is changing and changing fast. If you want to see a country there, any country, just do it. Next year I am sure it will look different that what I saw last week. The constructions are going on, people are aplenty, the traffic in the public transport is always packed and it is getting busier by the day. I loved the fact that going there in September this year, it was still warm. But maybe next time, R and I will go on a different season. There is always something to see in Europe. See it now. 

See you tomorrow. Let me work on the photos and tomorrow I will post a few of them for you.