Ultimate EuroTrip Travel Tips

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Hello! Bonjour! Hola! Ciao! 
After 3 months of travelling Europe, I've gathered a lot of knowledge on the best ways to travel, either by learning from mistakes or following good advice. 

 When I made the decision to do a Eurotrip, I researched hard and far, scouring the internet for every possible travel tip I could jot down. However, I still feel like I wasn't overly prepared with useful tips, and you can never really have TOO many tips. Obviously every Eurotrip will be different. Different people enjoy different things, they'll have different experiences, different weather, different locations, different routes, different modes of transport, different budgets. 

So what follows is just one interpretation of some travel tips for aspiring European explorers that I wish someone had told me before I'd gone on my adventure.

Note: My trip was from April-July, over 20 different countries, all sorts of weather and temperatures, and all on about a $10,000-$15,000 (AUS) budget

1. PACK LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is honestly the best advice I could give you! I read it everywhere, but I still didn't pack as lightly as I could have. Obviously if you're planning on going to cold place, you will need warm, bulky clothes, but honestly, you'd be surprised at Europe's weather, and you'd be surprised how many travel shops sell warm clothes that are also easy to store and don't take up much room. 
A tip I was given, was to gather everything I wanted to take, lay it all out, and then only take half. This was a bit unrealistic for a girl I feel, but I still think I did pretty well.
The key is to have lots of outfits that you can mix and match. A pair of black jeans that you can dress up with a nice blouse, and also wear casually with a band singlet. A summery dress that with a nice belt and maybe a necklace could be clubbing material, but also can be worn casually by the pool. A pair of shoes that are comfty to walk around the city in all day, that can also be worn to dance the night away. Make sure you colour co-ordinate so that you can literally pull out an outfit that will match at any given time. Don't overpack on the jumpers and warm clothing- they're bulky and usually one really warm coat and one light jumper/cardigan does the job (THE KEY IS LAYERS!)
DON'T BRING ANYTHING YOU CAN ONLY WEAR ONCE!
Ladies, leave the heels at home, if you feel you want at least one pair of high shoes, then opt for thick wedges, not shoes that you will struggle to walk in on uneven ground, because there is a lot of that in Europe (cobblestones are ankle breakers).
You also really don't need all kinds straighteners, hair dryers, curlers, etc. If you use one or all of these regularly, then bring one, but make sure it's small and compact. If you're travelling in a group or with friends, just bring ONE to share. A hair dryer can usually dry, straighten (ish) and curl all in one, if you use it right. They take up too much room, there is rarely enough power points and if you're seriously that worried about what your hair looks like, I don't think back packing is the right choice for you! & Boys are just as bad as girls! One of the boys on my trip had 4 different coloured pairs of vans, 4 pairs of jeans, 6 different board shorts & like 12 singlets- SO UNNECESSARY! 

So please, for your own benefit- for the benefit of your back, for the benefit of the extra room for souvenirs, for the benefit of people waiting for you to choose an outfit/do your hair and makeup, for the benefit of comfort, for the benefit of organisation- PACK LIGHT!

2. SUITCASE VS BACKPACK
This was a decision that tortured me, and no matter how much research I did, I still struggled to decide and stressed about choosing the wrong one.
However, after travelling for 45 days straight with about 50 people, I was able to observe the pros and cons of both options very intimately.

A handful of travellers had gone with the backpack option- great big back packs that bulged from every angle and were stuffed to the brim with clothing, souvenirs, toiletries, and all sorts of junk. Most of these people came to severely regret their decision.

Carry-able: Whilst backpacks are easier to carry, as that is what they're made for, it is your ONLY option. You have to carry it all the time, and believe me, they get realllllllllll heavy! One of the guys on my tour let one of the smaller girls try his back pack on and she toppled over backwards with the weight of it. 
Europe is well known for having lots of cobblestones and stairs- so lots of people think the back pack is the best option- however, having a suitcase with a strap is definitely better! This way you're able to wheel whilst the ground is flat or when you get tired of carrying, and you can carry it up stairs/over bumpy roads.

Finding your shit: Everyone on my trip with a backpack struggled to find their things quickly, took ages digging through everything to find one item or had to unpack their whole bag every time we stopped at a hostel, always making a huge mess and having to repack their bag every time. 
Suitcases, however, offer a nice open view of all your items, neatly folded and laid out, super easy to see everything and know what you're looking for. They're also a lot easier to organise and re-pack in a hurry when needed.

Soft VS Hard material: Hard suitcases are fine to have when you're going on a 5-star hotel vacation. When you're backpacking/travelling on a low budget from country to country and will probably be going VIA coach/bus, then they aren't such a good idea. 
Backpacks can be handy when backpacking (obviously, hence the name) but they're still very large, bulky and heavy to carry on your back all the time. 
If you opt for a material suitcase with a shoulder strap/a strap that makes the suitcase easy to carry, then you're less likely for the suitcase to get damaged whilst being thrown around under buses and it'll be much easy to wheel/carry around.

Essentially, my best advice is to go for a material suitcase that you're also able to carry. A lot of us had these- they have wheels, straps, are long rather than super wide and have lots of room. They don't get damaged easily, you can wheel them through almost any terrain, and even up and down stairs quite easily. I'd also recommend using one that you don't really care about keeping afterwards. We all got to a point where we were dragging our cases through dirt, sometimes water, along cobblestones, rough cement, sand, you name it. They are all probably so dirty, and will be so damaged and useless at the end, but you get to a point where you really don't care and you just want to throw the thing off a cliff and be done with it.
 

3. WHEN TO KEEP YOUR PASSPORT ON YOU
Your passport is your most prised and important possession. Without this, not only can you not get home, but you cannot travel anywhere- SO DO NOT LOSE IT!
It is important to keep it safe at all costs, and at all times. This means having a safe place for it is vital! Some hostels come with lockers where you can lock away your valuables- this is a good place for cameras, passports, important documents, etc. Lock them all away when you're not using them. Even hiding it somewhere in your suitcase and padlocking it, is safe. Some museums in Europe allow you to get in for free if you have a UK passport- this would be a good time to keep your passport on you for the day, however you need to be extremely careful and keep is somewhere it cannot get stolen!
You also need to make sure it is on you, or easy to get to, when crossing boarders into places like Turkey, Russia, Serbia, etc, or if you're going to an airport. 

A time you should really NEVER EVER have your passport on you- is when you're out clubbing. Sounds pretty simple and obvious right? WRONG! The number of people who forget to take their passports out of their bags when they got clubbing and then leave their bag laying around or as one girl on my trip decided to do, leave it on the beach whilst you go for a nudey swim- is ridiculous! People look out for people like that, because passports are of high value, and will 10/10 times be stolen. When you are drinking and vulnerable, it puts you off your game and makes you an easy target. Also watch out for pick picketers on public transport and in overly crowded cities/sites. 

 You may now feel an overwhelming sense of paranoia about losing your passport on the trip. YOU SHOULD FEEL THIS WAY- without your passport, you are screwed.

4. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU LOSE YOUR PASSPORT
If you lose your passport, then you have to go through a lengthy, and often complicated and expensive process of replacing it. This means you have to firstly, find your countries embassy in the city you have lost the passport. Then you have to wait around whilst they are either able to find you a temporary one, or make you up a new one. Some countries do not accept temporary passports, and for the girl one my trip who had hers stolen, she faced not being let into some countries. She also had to go off on her own, off route of the trip, just to find an embassy, which at the time was in Italy- we were in Rome, and the closest embassy was Milan... so don't lose your passport.

5. PADLOCKS
Having some spare padlocks definitely came in handy! Obviously it's a good idea to put padlocks on your suitcase where they're needed (unless your suitcase has a built in one), but it's also smart to bring a few spare- in case you lose one or to use in hostels. Lots of hostels provide lockers or cages or some sort of "safe keeping storage" thing... but they don't always provide you with a free lock- most of the time, you have to pay extra for borrowing one. So bring a few padlocks to keep your important items safe and even to use on bags or backpacks when out and about in busy cities that are notorious for pickpocketing! 

6. DAY/NIGHT BAG
After booking my trip I went on a major bag hunt. I was thinking that I would definitely need some sort of magical backpack. Something I could fit a heavy camera in, a water bottle, maybe a coat, and who knows what else- but also one that wouldn't be a pain to carry. 
I ended up going with a backpack that had a laptop bag built in so that I could take my laptop in my carry on, on the plane over, and not worry about it getting smashed about in the suitcase. However, although it had great laptop safety features, it didn't have room for much else, and that's where it let me down. 

It's a good idea to find some sort of bag/backpack that you can use for day trips or throughout long days of sightseeing, that can also double as an overnight bag. More than a few times my trip stopped in places for just one night, and the pain of taking your suitcase off the coach, having to search through it all for things and to have to repack it the next day, as well as lugging it up and down stairs and along cobblestones would have been a nightmare! Instead, we all packed overnight bags- just the essential overnight items such as toiletries, pyjamas, spare undies, clothes for the next day, chargers, and whatever else you needed. So instead of lugging around a huge duffel bag with an uncomfortable strap or an inconvenient suitcase- opt for a back pack thats spacious but also comfortable and easy to carry. Especially if you don't think you'll have that many heavy items to take around with you all day.

7. IS IT WORTH TAKING MY HIGH QUALITY, RATHER OVER-SIZED, HEAVY CAMERA?
I struggled with this decision myself, owning both a canon camera and a go-pro. I took both because I wanted to take high quality photos and videos, as well as have a camera I could take in the water and on rough kind of adventures where I wouldn't have to stress about it getting wet or damaged. I lugged around the canon for a good few weeks, but the effort to do so, and even to have to get it out of my bag, turn it on, focus it, etc, was a massive pain!

A lot of people on my trip had these small little digital cameras that were "tough" and waterproof, and very high quality. These cameras were light, easy to tuck into pockets, took really great photos and videos, and could also be taken under and into water! It was basically everything I'd wanted and although the canon did take AMAZING photos and footage- I really wish I'd looked into the Nikon Waterproof Digital Cameras. They were definitely more practical and were almost just as good quality.
 


8. KEEPING TRACK WITH A JOURNAL
If you're the writer type, like I strive to be, you will set out to record your trip of a lifetime into a journal of some sort. You want to remember everything, so you want to write it down. Even if you're not usually a writer type, you may still want to try and keep track of the chaos and craziness, but it's not easy. Sometimes, you get too busy just enjoying yourself and you run out of time, or you forget to write. It's a really tough job to get it ALL down on paper, but it's so worth it if you try really hard to set a small amount of time, each day, or even each week, to just jot down things you did or ate or saw that day. If you have time every day to sit down for an hour and write in detail about every little thing that happened to you, then you're not travelling right! Often even when you get a long bus trip or boat ride and have hours of free time, you either end up sleeping or chatting to new friends. My strategy seemed to work alright- I had a tiny notebook that asked for the date, the place, what you saw, what you ate and what you loved. I kept track of my days in dot points, trying not to miss out important things, and then when I did have long trips where everyone else was sleeping, or an early night (rarely) then I started writing in more detail about each day, using the dot points as reminders, and eventually, I managed to get it all down, and it was so worth it, because now I'll never forget.

9. PHOTOCOPIES OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
People tend to lose things whilst travelling, and as I've said, your passport is the worst thing to lose. Next being your license, your accommodation information, your transport booking numbers, your credit cards, etc. It is always a good idea to take photocopies of important documents and keep them somewhere separate (but safe) from the originals.

10. MICROFIBRE TOWELS
When you're travelling you will hopefully be showering. All hostels provide showers, yet so many backpackers stink. It's a mystery...
Anyway, normal towels take ages to dry (damp towels = smelly towels) and can add a bit to the weight of your suitcase. Hallelujah that some genius out there invented micro fibre towels. These towels dry 100 x more quickly than normal towels and are a lot lighter, weighing almost nothing. No they don't feel as good as a normal towel does, but if you do your research and buy a decent one, it will dry you and itself very quickly, so that if you're constantly on the go from city to city, you don't have to worry about leaving your towel out to dry all night long. Make sure when you're buying online that you get a human sized towel because a lot of them are gym towels and I don't think thats enough to dry your whole body with... (best 2 brands I've experienced are DENALI & Katmandu).

11. VITAL FIRST AID KIT MUST-HAVES
If you're backpacking around Europe, or travelling on a low budget ANYWHERE in the world, you are mostly guaranteed to get sick. You will catch SOMETHING. Once again, it all depends where you're planning on travelling, because different countries are notorious for different things. Some first aid MUST-HAVEs however include: mini-packs-of-tissues, anti-nausea tablets, painkillers (panadol, neurofen, whatever works for you), GASTRO-STOP/Imodium (you do not want to be midst travel when you have to hopelessly watch on whilst lava starts flowing from both ends of your body), Emergency/generic antibiotics (you can usually get these over the counter in case you pick up an infection like tonsillitis), VITAMINS (so important to keep your immune system top notch), strepsils/sore throat remedies and anything else your mum recommends (mums are always right). You'll be amazed at how much time and money you spend in pharmacies overseas.

12. THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK (CURRENCY CONVERTING/GETTING EUROS)
Travel cards will be your best friend. The currency conversion rates are usually a lot better, and it allows you to withdraw cash in whatever currency you want (providing the ATM stores that currency), mostly offering low or no withdrawal fees. Most banks can hook you up with a travel card, but don't just go with the first one you see, do your research. I just went with my bank's travel card and it ended up costing me quite a bit in ATM fees. Definitely look into the different options out there before choosing one. You can also bring a credit card with you as a back up but check with your bank what kind of usage it allows overseas and what the fees will be. 

13. THE LIFESAVERS THAT ARE MULTI PLUG BOARDS!
Usually everyone needs to charge devices or plug devices in. From camera's, to phones, to laptops, to hair straighteners and dryers and curlers, etc. Good hostels provide each bed with a powerpoint and a light, so sometimes it's not a huge problem. Unfortunately, most hostels aren't this convenient and some terrifying places might have an 8-bed hostel with one powerpoint in the far corner. You and your friends might be in a 4-bed dorm with only one powerpoint too. This is when the power boards/multi plug boards come to the rescue. If you're travelling with friends, bring one board between you and it makes the world of difference. You don't have to wait for someones phone to be on 100%, or for someone to finish blow drying their hair. You can all charge your devices at once, and everyone is happy.

14. SPARE MEMORY CARDS
Nothing is worse than getting your camera out in front of the Eiffel Tower, about to take a masterpiece picture when suddenly your camera flashes "MEMORY CARD FULL". Depending on how many GBs your memory card is, what kind of camera you have and whether you're planning to take a million photos and thousands of videos, you may need to consider stocking up on some spare memory cards. I had a 32 GB memory card for my canon (which tends to use up more space for files since it takes higher quality images) and I was able to take 600+ photos as well as plenty of videos over a two month period. My Go Pro memory card was about the same, and told me I had 2 hours and 30 minutes of footage- I took 2 for this and used up one fully and half of the other. You're better safe than sorry, thats for sure. Even as a back up memory card, losing your first one would be sad enough because you'd lose all your photos so far, but not being able to take any more because you didn't bring a spare wouldn't be a nice feeling either. So be prepared.

15. NECK PILLOWS ARE YOUR FRIEND
I decided not to take a neck pillow on my trip as I thought it would be a pain to carry and it wouldn't fit in my bag. I wish I could go back in time and beat myself over the head with one to try and hit some sense into my brain. Neck Pillows are life savers. You can sleep almost anywhere with them. You're likely to be doing a lot of bus and plane trips with long hours and stiff seats that offer next to no head support. Neck Pillows make sleeping so much easier and just improves how comfortable you feel in average seats or beds. Also if you're on a trip/tour such as contiki, top deck, etc, they usually let you store things on the bus, so you can use your neck pillow on the long drives and then leave it on the coach for the next trip. Otherwise, it really is worth carrying this thing around. 

16. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE WALKING TOURS
A lot of hostels and tour companies offer free walking tours. Well, sort of- most free walking tours suggest that you tip rather than pay a set fee. It's never forced and you get to choose the price, so it can still be as cheap as 5 euros. Most walking tours only go for a couple of hours, are offered throughout different times in the day and are so worthwhile. There's a tour company called Sandeman who do great free walking tours in almost every city (as well as offering the best pub crawls)! You literally get led around the city, shown the best sites, told the history and important facts and really get to experience the city the way the locals do or in the best way possible. I definitely recommend that you take advantage of any and all free tours because the worst case scenario is that if they do turn out to be terrible, you can always leave early and not worry about losing money because- it was free.

 17. BRING YOUR STUDENT ID
Even if you're no longer a student, but you still have your Student ID (thats still valid) it's amazing how many places will accept it and give you a discount. Cinemas, zoos, museums, public transport, even restaurants sometimes! It's so worth it, even if they won't accept it, it's worth a try- you've got nothing to lose.

18. IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A UK PASSPORT- GET ONE
If you're in any way eligible for a UK passport, it is in your best interests to get one or apply for a dual passport. It usually takes a long time/is a lengthy process, so make sure you prepare months in advance. UK passports open a lot of doors- you are more likely to be let in to countries with strict border control, you can stay in Europe for as long as you like and travel, work or live, a lot of museums or sights such as the Louvre and Eiffel Tower give you free entrance if you're also under 25 and you are usually also entitled to a UK health care card that provides you with free health care around Europe. Plus I'm sure it has a lot more benefits that I don't know about, but it is definitely an asset- something, as a British citizen, I wish I would have done/looked into more.

19.GETTING AROUND CITIES- TRANSPORT
Some cities have so much to see when you may only have a small amount of time. Also, in your head you may imagine the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Arc De Triumphe, The Champs-Elysee and the Lock Lock Bridge in Paris are all lined up next to each other within walking distance. But you would be very wrong. Most cities are massive and so spread out that getting to see everything becomes very difficult. My best advice here would be:

Hire bikes: My friends and I hired bikes in Paris and some other major cities and they usually all have bike lanes and it makes all the difference. You get to see so much more in a small window of time, as well as having full control of where you are going, where you stop, and it's a lot of fun! They're usually pretty cheap to hire but you do need a credit card to pay a safety deposit incase you don't return the bike. You can also usually return them anywhere in the city from hire points which is super convenient.

Tour Buses: Most cities have these double decker tour buses without a roof on the top that you pay a fee for the day for and are able to hop on and hop off throughout the city. It comes with an audio guide so you get to see all the main sites, learn about the city and only get off and see the ones you feel like you want to explore more. It's an easy way to get around on a nice day and they are usually very often so you're not waiting around for too long.

Trams/Trains: A lot of European cities have really reliable and constant public transport services. The majority of them have both above ground trams AND underground trains such as metros, subways, the tube, etc. These systems are super easy to figure out, always ask at your hostel reception when in foreign countries because when the country doesn't speak a lot of English it can be hard to figure out what stop is what- even the London Underground/Tube is complicated and daunting at first. I'd say this is usually really cheap (London and expensive cities aren't SUPER cheap but are still probably your cheapest option) in most European cities, and they take you almost anywhere you want to go at regular times, with a train coming almost every ten minutes or even every two minutes. Definitely look into using these and if you're on a trip like contiki/top deck then your tour manager will usually help you figure out which stop is yours and which stops you may want to go to for sight seeing, shopping, etc.

Public Buses: A lot of cities also have reliable bus services that drive certain routes around the city. They are usually very cheap and fairly easy to work out. Make sure you check the bus route and the timetable before hopping on. I would say however, that some buses don't make it very clear which stop you're stopping at every time, so it's not the best option for those of us who aren't super direction savvy.

Taxi's: NEVER get in an unmarked taxi. Also make sure the taxi driver uses a meter, and if you have a tour manager on certain trips they can advise you on the estimate prices so you can usually tell if a taxi driver is ripping you off. If you feel uncomfortable or worried, take a picture of the taxi's number plate and send it to a friend, or get in another taxi. Some taxi's can be dodgy and when you're a tourist and they can tell, they will definitely try and rip you off.

20. GETTING AROUND- COUNTRY TO COUNTRY
European countries are all quite reasonable distances apart. Compared to the size of Canada, Australia or the United States, the cities are all very close to one another. Thankfully, most countries in Europe are now a part of the European Union, which means you don't have to go through border control in every single country like they used to. This makes travelling within countries a lot easier! There are several train lines, buses and cheap flights that can help you travel between countries and there are also tour companies that provide transportation such as the aforementioned contiki and top deck, as well as a company called BusAbout which is a hop on/hop off bus system that drives certain loops through European countries and allows you to hop on and off where you wish. 
Google can be really handy in finding transport, you literally just google "Berlin to Prague" and it comes up with a list of bus/train companies or flight options- even how long a walk it would be (not a super desirable option). Bus trips are usually the cheapest option but also can be very long and if you're on your own then very boring and uncomfortable. Trains can be slightly quicker but also very busy and slightly more pricey. Plane trips are obviously the fastest option but also the most expensive, however, there are a range of low-budget airlines available in most parts of Europe that are extremely affordable and worth looking into. Airlines such as Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Wizz Air, and more, offer a low-budget ride thats well in your price range! So it's definitely worth doing your research and weighing up the travelling options.

21. EATING CHEAPLY
Eating on a budget in Europe can be tough and down-right depressing due to all the amazing food offered. Many of us find that we somehow manage to eat our way through the continent and if you're a huge foodie like me then you'll have no regrets!
I would never recommend to anyone to be a tight-ass when it comes to European food. You have come for the experiences and food is one of them. Treat yourself to restaurants and wine and dine yourself when you can, however be smart about it if you're on a budget. 

Budgets aren't fun, but the cheaper you are, the longer you can stay and travel usually. You don't have to go to a 5 star Italian restaurant to experience genuine Italian food. Often most cities have food markets or street vendors that sell the kind of foods you want to try. You don't have to spend a fortune to experience good food in Europe- its everywhere. Definitely research when food markets are on because they often have local foods that are great value for money and taste amazing. 

Also take advantage of hostel kitchens- most hostels have kitchens for guests and cheap supermarkets around so it's easy to cook instead of eating out all the time! Buy a loaf of bread so you can have toast for breakfast, look for pre-made meals and carry pre-made sandwiches in your back pack for lunch when you're out sight seeing. The most expensive places to eat are restaurants in museums or anywhere near main sight seeing tourist attractions!



22. ALCOHOL
If you're on a budget but you want to drink, then drink beer. If you don't like beer, then you're going to have an expensive time. Some countries have cheap alcoholic options for non-beer drinkers but they are never anywhere near as cheap as beer. So if you don't like beer, learn to like beer, or expect to be spending a lot of money. Europeans love their beer and they love their wine. If you like neither, you will miss out on getting drunk cheaply and experiencing some of the best variety of alcoholic flavours on the continent. Each country seems to have their own beer and their own favourite wine selection, you get a great range and save a lot of money. Also if you're a fan of alcohol then don't be afraid to try different things. For example in Greece, they seem to love offering you shots of Ouzo .. that was an experience. Be careful of getting too drunk when you're in a foreign city- especially if you're on your own because it will be hard to find your way home and you could easily get into trouble. Make sure you stay in groups and know your route home. And what may be my most important piece of advice so far, coming from personal experience- 
BEWARE OF TEQUILLA!



23. FREE THE PEE
In Europe peeing is usually not free. That's right, they charge you to use the bathroom. Pretty rough. And sometimes you're stuck in public with a bursting bladder and no spare change. So, my suggestions would be: Pee in places like shopping malls, restaurants or shops that have toilets. Most places only let you use the toilet if you're a customer so make sure you take advantage of these toilets when you are in/before you leave food places or shops. Otherwise, definitely make sure you keep change/coins on you at all times. Have a little coin purse and keep it full because there is nothing worse than not being able to pee when you need to.

24. KEEPING CHARGED
One thing I didn't bring, but a lot of people on the trip did- was a power box. These are little boxes that you can use to charge your devices. They have multiple usb points and when there isn't an available wall socket to charge your phone or camera, you can use your power box. Power boxes also need to be charged every now and then, but not nearly as often as your devices. They are handy when you have been using your phone all day and the battery dies when you are out exploring or somewhere you don't have access to a powerpoint. You can plug in your device and it charges pretty quickly too. They're super handy when you know you'll be on the go a lot and especially if your hostel doesn't have many power point options.

25. EXPECT SCAFFOLDING
My tour group renamed our trip "The Scaffolding Tour of Europe" because of how much scaffolding there was on everything. Unfortunately most sight seeing icons are difficult to get a million dollar shot of because the view is usually slightly obscured by scaffolding. They are ugly, bulky and if you weren't expecting them they can be very disappointing. Most famous icons are old and need repairing or are popular so are being upgraded. So don't be surprised when the Trevi fountain is drained and full of workers, the Sagrada Familia has its usual crowd of cranes (that one's an ongoing job) or if any of your top must-see sights are "under construction".

26. SLEEPING WELL
Getting a good night sleep in busy hostels, on public transport or in camping sites can be tricky. These places are often full of people who are more often than not drunk, noisy, disrespectful or all of the above. You can get lucky and come across the occasional quiet hostel with respectful people and peaceful nights, but in the peak seasons in touristy cities- this is rare. So I would highly recommend sleeping eye masks and/or ear plugs. These also come in handy when trying to sleep on planes, buses, trains or any kind of long transport rides. Hostel rooms can also often be brightly lit and often if you're in a shared dorm the other inhabitants of your room may come and go at any hour of the night and day meaning opening and closing doors and unwanted noise and light. Sleeping masks can come in handy here and ear plugs help to block out the noise. If you're not a huge fan of ear plugs then headphones come in handy too- play some music that can block out the noise and hopefully put you to sleep.

27. GYPSY WATCH
Be on the lookout for all the crazy gypsys. These people are usually of the African persuasion with hundreds of sunglasses or selfie sticks or hats or bags draped over they bodies and will harass you on every corner of every street to buy something off them. They usually rip you off or sell you crap quality stuff and are all paid by the same person. They literally will wait outside your bus door to jump in your path as a sales technique. They are everywhere in Italy, some parts of France and Spain, in a lot of Eastern European countries and most busy tourist cities. Try and avoid them and don't buy anything off them unless you really do need a cheap pair of sunnies that will last a few weeks or you're really desperate for a selfie stick (but seriously, do you really want to become one of those people?).

28. SPENDING MONEY- HOW MUCH MONEY TO SAVE/BRING
How much money you'll need will all depend on how long you are intending to stay in Europe, what kind of budget you're looking at and what kind of activities you're interested in doing. I would highly recommend saving as much money as humanly possible for a Europe trip because it's one of those things you really don't want to be stingy with. You want to experience as much as you can, participate in every activity, taste every food and have an amazing, unforgettable time. You don't want to have to say no to things because you can't afford them. You can find some decent hostels for around $30 (Australian or roughly 15 pounds) a night. Private rooms are usually more between the $50-$100 (Australian or roughly 25-50 pounds) mark. Bed & Breakfasts are usually quite pricey from the research I've done, and hotels are a whole different ball game. Food prices are very changeable and depend on a range of different variables. There are also souvenirs, extra tours and activities, alcohol prices, club entry fees, toilet fees and many more costs to consider. 

I would say - VERY ROUGHLY (because there are way too many variables to consider for a precise amount)- that if you saved about $10,000 (Australian or 5000 pounds) you could easily travel happily for three months or if you were a bit more careful on your spending you could last on it for four to five months. Also if you are on a trip with accommodation included then $5000 (Australian or roughly 2,500 pounds) would be plenty for a two month long or less trip. If you're really worried about money, make an itinery- look into hostel prices and dates, tours or day trips, average food prices, etc.


29. PRE-PLANNED TRIPS (CONTIKI, TOP DECK, ETC) VS SOLO TRAVELLING
People often weigh up the options of doing a contiki or top deck trip as their first travelling experience or going solo and doing it all on their own. Personally, I think if it's your first solo travelling experience or even if you're young, unexperienced and with a friend or partner, the pre-planned trips are your best bet because they still give you a taste of travelling but everything is booked for you. You don't have to worry about accommodation or getting from country to country/city to city- it's all booked for you in advance and you also still get the freedom to choose extra tours/day trips/activities and often you get free days to decide what you want to see/do in a city. These tours also often do "taste-tester" trips where you get to see a lot of different places in a small amount of time, so although you don't spend ages in each place, you get to dip your toe in and see what you like. You also get to experience hostel/hotel standards which will help you book your own for future solo travels. If you feel like you want to do it all on your own then definitely feel free, but I think trips like contiki and top deck not only take away the stress of accommodation and transport planning but they also offer the best environment for making friends and meeting other fellow travellers.

30. DO YOUR RESEARCH
I cannot stress this enough. When you first book your Eurotrip or start the plans, you spend hours and hours blissfully scrolling through Eurotrip blogs, tips, stories, watching Eurotrip youtube videos, looking at pictures of castles and nice beaches and googling different tours and all sorts. But when it comes down to the cold hard research- people rarely do enough. Research is important for three main aspects- experiences, accommodation and money.

Experiences: One of the worst feelings in the world, is regret. Imagine the day you're leaving a city, you drive past the most amazing cathedral you've ever seen in your life, or the best looking mexican restaurant, or an incredible beach that looks almost empty and undiscovered- and you never noticed any of them the whole time you'd been there. And now you're leaving so you probably never will. Or imagine you get home and you're telling someone where you've been and they say "oh you went there, did you go to ___? did you see ___?" and you realise that you stayed in this city/town/country and were in visiting range of these amazing places but you never knew about them so you missed your chance of seeing them, because the chances are you won't be going back anytime soon. Do your research! Make a list of all your stops/the main places you want to visit and look at whats around. There are so many websites that go into detail about what there is to do and see in each city. Make a list of what places/sites interest you and of what you think you'd like to see, and then research the possible tours, prices and most importantly REVIEWS because it may look like an amazing photo, but if 800 people say it was crap and a waste of money, then they're probably right. Equally, if 800 people have given it excellent reviews and said it was a must-do/life changing experience, then book it in!

Accommodation: Accommodation can be very easy to mislead people on. You can easily just show people what they want to see- a nice view of the ocean (but really only one room offers such a view), the only nice bedroom in the hostel (which compared to the rest is like staying in a palace) or people looking like they're having the best damn time of their lives. If you're looking for a hostel "hostel world" is the best website to give you your best choices for the city you're looking at staying in. They offer lots of reviews that split into categories such as cleanliness, staff, value for money, security, facilities, atmosphere and most importantly, LOCATION. Location is, in my most humble opinion, very important. It's always cheaper to book a hostel that isn't centrally located, the further from the main hub you are, the cheaper they get. However, this means the costs usually even out when paying for public transport (unless you really look into cheap transport options) and it takes more time out of your days/nights trying to get "home". Walking tours and pub crawls usually begin and end in central locations so they are also a pain to get to and from (especially if drunk) and you honestly end up just wishing you'd paid a tiny bit extra to be close to everything. I'm not talking a 5 star hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower, I'm just talking a hostel thats maybe 10 minutes or any easy train ride away from the city centre, rather than a 50 euro or half hour cab ride. Always look at the reviews and the pictures. If you think you like what you see, also look up the place on trip advisor and read the reviews on there/look at the guests pictures. Make sure you'll be near a train station at the very least! If you're planning on staying in a hostel for a while especially, then you really don't want to book any old hostel that you see first- DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Money: Doing research on things not only helps you find the best experiences and accommodation, it also helps you compare costs, find great bargains and special deals, and save heaps of money on things you could have avoided buying. On the internet you can find trips and tours that have been highly reviewed with great value for money, blogs and websites dedicated to the cheapest but tastiest food options in each city and even whole blogs dedicated to travelling on a budget. If you do your research on accommodation, tours, trips, museums, sites, restaurants, etc, you'll be able to save yourself booking expensive over the top things that turn out to be a waste of both money and time, and use your hard earned cash on experiences worth it all.


So they are my top Eurotrip Travel Tips so far! I hope that they were helpful for anyone planning or looking to plan a Eurotrip like I was. Travelling has honestly changed my whole perspective on life, it has been amazing and I would recommend it to everyone and anyone. Don't waste your life staring at the same walls, the same streets or the same office desk everyday- get out into the world and see and experience as much as you can!

Your adventure starts today :)



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