r/Europetravel • u/TrampAbroad2000 • Mar 28 '26
Itineraries These 11 mistakes are ruining your trip to Europe!
So often I see the same mistakes over and over again on this sub, I figured I'd write up some of the most common, so I can just tell a poster "see 4, 5, and 7 in this thread" or whatever. :-) Happy travels to all!
1. Not clearly defining interests, preferences, and priorities. What do you want to see and do? What kind of memories do you want to have after the trip? There’s no such thing as a general “must-see,” it depends on what you want and how you prioritize those wants. This should be the starting point for planning any trip, and it’s amazing how often posters seem to overlook it. If you can’t be more specific than “history, food, and nature," then you need to think through this most basic part.
2. Being ruled by FOMO. Related to the above, if you don’t clearly define your interests and priorities, FOMO will take over. I see far too many mad dashes through Europe that are just a grand tour of airports and train stations. I get it, it’s all amazing and you want to see it all. But you can’t, not in one trip and not in 20 trips. Accept that and prioritize. Europe will still be there in the future. Or, even if you think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe or “we only have 10 days of vacation a year,” the way to “make the most of it” is to give yourself the time to actually enjoy the places you’re visiting, not maximize the time you spend in transport and related logistics. An important point that may seem obvious but which many people miss: If you jam 4 weeks of travel into 2 weeks, the result is not that you have half as much time in each place. You have MUCH less than that, because transport and related logistics will eat up so much more of your time, as a percentage.
3. Not accounting for transport. Many itineraries here make it seem like the poster has invented teleportation (and more than a few would be insane even with teleportation). You need to account for the time it takes to get between places - not just your plane/train, but also related logistics like unpacking/packing, checking in and out of hotels, getting to/from train stations/airports, airport security, baggage claim, immigration, orienting yourself in a new place, figuring out how to get transport tickets, delays, cancellations, strikes, etc. In most cases, you should assume that changing locations will mean losing the better part of a day or an entire day to all of this, and flying especially tends to be a time suck (and often more tiring than train travel). So for example 3 nights in a place is in reality only 2 days.
4. Focusing on the number of countries. Almost without exception, posters here who mention wanting to “see as many countries as possible” have the absolute worst itineraries. They lose too much time to transport and related logistics (see point above), and, because the most obvious thing is to just go between large or capital cities, their itineraries tend to be too heavy on big cities, and they miss out on much of what actually makes Europe special, especially the regional contrasts within countries (more on that below).
5. Assuming country = place and overlooking regional differences. Related to the point above, it’s much more useful to think about places and regions, rather than countries. Many assume, for example, that they will see more things by going to three countries than just one. But in reality, regional contrasts within countries (especially larger ones like Italy, Germany, and Spain) can be much greater than across borders. For example, the South Tyrol region of Italy is much more like Austria (to which it once belonged) than to the rest of Italy. Alsace is a complete contrast from Paris, because it belonged for a long time to Germany. Hamburg is a lot closer to Copenhagen in vibe than it is to Bavaria. You can often experience more variety and contrast within one country (and generally benefit from better and cheaper transport links) than by hopping across borders or focusing only on the capital or most famous city in a country.
6. Focusing only on large cities. So many itineraries here are just a list of big cities. While they have a lot to offer, they are also often more similar than many people realize. Many of Europe's big cities "grew up" in the 19th century, and their architecture reflects that. More recently, globalization and European integration have also contributed to a certain homogenization. If you hop only between big cities, you’re almost certainly blowing past a ton of interesting places, and losing more time to transport. Smaller cities like Graz, Erfurt, Lübeck, Regensburg, Leon, and Urbino have a ton to offer, and outside a handful of the touristiest ones (like Salzburg and Toledo), most are blissfully free of mass tourism. More in this thread.
7. Not building in enough balance and contrast. I see many itineraries that hop across a bunch of locations, yet all with (in the big scheme of things) very similar scenery. The Alps are beautiful, but do you really need to see the Alps in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia, on the same trip? They look more alike than different, especially when it’s all you’ve seen for two weeks. Same with the Mediterranean - a trip that goes say Algarve > Malaga > Valencia > Barcelona > Mallorca > Amalfi Coast > Dubrovnik > Greece will likely turn into a blur where everything looks more or less the same. Especially for longer trips, mix it up, combining (for example) large cities, small cities, and towns; urban and rural destinations; Northern and Southern Europe; coastal and inland destinations; heavily touristed and less visited places. Think also about balance and contrast during your time in one place, e.g., I would recommend against visiting, on the same day, both the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay, or both the Hofburg and Schönbrunn palaces.
8. Not using “open-jaw” flights. This is a bit specific, but it's such a common mistake that I wanted to highlight it here. Often people book a roundtrip from their home country to say London, but their itinerary is actually something like London > France > Italy > Greece. They then have to spend a day backtracking to London, costing time and money, and often they have to do an extra cycle of unpacking/packing and checking in/out of hotels. Generally, it’s much better to book a multi-city (aka “open-jaw”) itinerary, in the example above it would be say New York to London but Athens to New York, on the same ticket. It generally does not cost significantly more than a regular roundtrip and saves significant time and cost backtracking; even if you go back via the same route (e.g., Athens back to the U.S. via London), booking it as part of the same ticket means you’re protected in the event of flight disruptions. Bonus tip: If your trip includes the UK and other destinations, fly into the UK but out of any other country, to avoid the UK’s high Air Passenger Duty, which only applies to departures from the UK. This can easily save around US$200 per person.
9. Relying on only one mode of transport. I’ve seen so many itineraries where it’s all driving or all flying. Especially in major cities, driving tends to be a nightmare, with difficult (and expensive) parking, congestion, one-way streets, pedestrianized zones, emissions-control zones, etc. Watch out especially for one-way international surcharges (e.g., renting in France and dropping off in Spain); these can run over 1000 euros! Europe has excellent trains, and they are often a much better option than flying or driving, especially considering train stations are usually much more centrally located and don’t require long wait times for security and baggage. But they don’t work well in all situations (between Portugal and Spain is one example), and for exploration off the beaten path, it can make sense to rent a car for a portion of your trip. Consider carefully the right mix of transport modes early on in your planning, as it can even affect your choice of destinations.
10. Over-planning. Planning is essential, but some people way overdo it - “4:17 pm, we stop for 8 minutes 27 seconds for gelato,” or “I’m looking for the best beer bar in Prague and the best croissant in Paris.” You don’t need to, and really shouldn’t, plan all this out. Leave time in your itinerary for discovery and wander - that’s the biggest joy of travel! A good strategy is to anchor each day around 1-2 main activities or sights (esp. those that require advance booking, like the Alhambra), but leave enough slack in the schedule for wandering and being spontaneous - or just relaxing. That’s especially important for longer itineraries; it’s one thing to do 3 places in 10 days, but 9 places in 30 days gets to be really exhausting, so build in down time.
11. Overdoing day-trips. Day-trips are great. But there's a right and wrong way; the recent post where somebody wanted to make 3 day trips, from Rome, to Naples, Amalfi, and Positano is definitely the wrong way. If you have 4 nights in a place and 3 day trips, you’re not actually spending any real time in that place! My own general rules: no consecutive day trips; no day trips just before or after a travel day; and max of 3 hours roundtrip (4 at a stretch), preferably with direct trains to smaller cities. More in this thread.
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Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
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u/_delicja_ Mar 28 '26
Quality of experiences over quantity of places always.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26
The only issue starts we the person who came up with the silly plan becomes hostile that you are crushing the hard work they so far have with it. They often don't realize that it's not the same as sleeping in NYC one day and then in SF the other day. Europe is far more diverse and even we struggle with with many cultural differences just when travelling around even though we mostly know them. Different power plugs (failed in Malta but thankfully they had most appliance from Sicily so they had UK sockets but they used convertors a lot), different bedding, different dining customs. I always struggle in Italy or Spain when my body is used to have dinner around 6pm but most of the restaurant are closed and I have to wait a few hours. Lunch is the same case. I go for it at 11am but when I was roaming through a small Spanish town looking for a place to eat, they looked at me like I'm crazy person that I'd like to have my lunch at 12:45.
Then you look at those Europe vs US that Americans on holidays do here and they don't realize that many things in their flat in Spain will be different to many other places around Europe.
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u/Howwouldiknow1492 Mar 28 '26
The next time I see someone wanting to visit "hidden gems" I'm going to throw up.
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u/ObesiPlump Mar 29 '26
My favourite insta posts for a chuckle are where they are like "here are 5 hidden gems" then go on to list:
Santorini
Amalfi Coast
Cinque Terre
Mykonos
Capri
Or something like that
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u/Brown_Sedai Mar 29 '26
Hidden in the sense that all the crowds swarming those places are blocking your view?
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u/pro-bidetus-rasputin Mar 30 '26
These might have been secret gems decades ago, but they're not hidden anymore!
Word spreads fast, especially these days. So, if you find a genuinely hidden gem, please don't post it online. Show your pictures to your best friends, but otherwise please keep sush.
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u/LouisaB75 Mar 29 '26
Back in the 80s I visited a castle in northern England. It was beautiful, quiet, hardly any visitors even though it was the middle of summer, and excellent value for money.
Then some years later it was used as a filming location for Harry Potter. We visited again a few years ago and it was like a different place. The hidden gem was no more.
I much preferred my first visit.
Hidden gems can never remain so for long in the age of the Internet.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
The problem with hidden gems is they are no longer hidden when exposed so they cannot exists by definition. You need to find such place on your own when exploring.
Any video calming to have hidden gems is often just mix of places that are either fake viral spots made up by influencers and now tourists who follow them queue up there to take the same picture (we have a few such spots here in Prague that I don't understand why they are promoted nor visited) or those are simply the most visited places in the country but not by the 1-3 day per country visitors so they are so far not that crowded compared to the TOP 10 places in Europe or they include places further east because I feel that tourists have maps of Europe that end with Budapest or Krakow.
Not long ago I have seen a vlog titled The cheapest capital in Europe. Yes it was Prague and the title got bashed a lot in comment section and the OP just replied that by "Europe" she means London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam.
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u/brent_oberiot Mar 29 '26
That one I never understood. If you have no specific interest nor any travel criterion, why not stick with the well-known places ? The lesser-known places I liked were specific to my interests, and wouldn't fit to most travelers.
Besides, most "hidden" gems you'll find online aren't hidden at all, and oftentimes crowded.
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u/BalticiumKartvel 25d ago
Hidden gems are actually "getting lost in an unexpected music festival in Veszprémgetting lost in an unexpected music festival in Veszprém", "going to a small city in Montenegro no one has ever heard about and eat homemade cevapi". Hidden gems are not places but moments
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u/jennyjenny223 Mar 28 '26
I feel like people underestimate jetlag, too.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
Worse yet, they want to get off of a 10-hour redeye flight and rent a car and drive 6 hours. I think, please tell me what day you'll be doing this so I can stay the hell away!
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u/EarlyHistory164 Mar 28 '26
It's worse when they do it in Ireland - opposite side of the road, more than likely manual transmission and narrower roads than they're used to.
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u/Puzzled_Quality5013 Mar 28 '26
With fast driving locals on twisty country roads roads with sheep/cattle/cyclists in abundance.
Suggest a 48 hour ‘recovery period’ if planning to drive in Ireland or UK especially.
Irish native, California resident 30 years.
PS. Dublin to Galway is a straight shot on a small motorway. Might be an exception to above .. then rest for 48 in majestic Galway city.
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u/LePetitNeep Mar 28 '26
Scotland brought me to tears, and I was only trying to get from airport to nearby hotel with the rental car the first night. Opposite side of the road, manual transmission, roundabouts going the wrong way, narrow roads, RAIN.
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u/katekf Mar 29 '26
My husband is great at driving on the left and generally a really competent driver (taught in NYC by his Italian dad lol) but on our first visit to Scotland there was something wrong with the clutch on our rental car, which we discovered an hour or so into our drive when he was overtaking, needed to downshift to get back over quickly (oncoming truck appeared out of nowhere), and the car WOULD NOT SHIFT into gear. We made it by the skin of our teeth but were so shaken we had to pull over for a few minutes. Belated apologies through the universe to the other car and the truck, who I’m sure were also 😱🫣!
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u/EarlyHistory164 Mar 29 '26
I'm Irish so used to driving on the left but driving from Glencoe to Mull was something else. Shout out to the massive deer so blended perfectly into the landscape.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
Narrow roads in Ireland are no joke! Thankfully most people are very cooperative about backing up - the one exception I came across was a German guy who refused to back up 5 meters even though it was obvious I had nowhere to back up - and then demanded I compensate him if his car was damaged backing up LOL.
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u/LoInfoVoter Mar 31 '26
We took small group tours from Dublin and saw more than we ever would have seen on our own. Little things, like the sheep dog demonstration add to the experience, plus the history lessons. It ends up being cheaper than renting a car sometimes.
I also like New Grange. Very interesting!
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26
Another thing about driving is that they often have no clue about traffic rules, signs and they just expect if they know how to drive a car in the US they can do it here without studying anything or maybe just checking a blog or video from other travelers what they struggled with the most.
When I learnt how little they actually know about traffic rules, I'm surprised they can even drive here without taking at least mandatory brief online exam.
The best cause is they get lots of fines after their road trip through Europe, the worst is they cause an accident.
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u/esuerinda Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Beside jetlag, there is also travel fatigue to take into account. Unless your body can handle well constant travel, changing locations and being in go-go mode all the time, for all goodness please plan for calm, relaxing rest days.
Don’t do like I did. Within last week I returned home from Italy by plane, two days later I traveled to Kraków for work, shortly followed after by a train trip to TriCity (Gdynia, Gdańsk, Sopot) where I’m now. Effect?
Today I was too exhausted to walk anywhere or even enjoy sightseeing. I had to force myself to take a train to Gdańsk when I only wanted to sleep soundly at the hotel.
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u/George_Salt Mar 28 '26
12. Not looking at a map. Most of the sequencing issues where people zig-zag around Europe at random could be solved by putting pins in a physical map and connecting them with string, then taking a step back and sanity checking the pattern of movement.
and an amendment
9a. Not considering public transport. There's a tendency for American travellers in particular to overlook the existence of trains and medium/long-distance bus/coach services. The latter includes airport transfers where a bus/coach is frequently the better option.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
Ha, I almost included one about "look at the damn map!" It's amazing how many posters have clearly not looked at one (and maybe don't know what a map is ...)
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 28 '26
Tourists also understand there are intercity trains but ignore regional trains and buses. When they want to go for a day trip from their capital city of choice, they often look for organized tour trip, uber/taxi or rental.
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u/fabulosospucas Mar 29 '26
I would highly recommend against traveling by bus. Incredibly unreliable, even in places like Austria, Germany and such. Buses in Northern Spain were surprisingly on time, on the dot.
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u/Ghost-Dawg-Gainz Mar 28 '26
Some great tips, however I personally love moving fast. I find it boring being in the one place too long. I don’t need to “live like a local” and spend my time eating and sitting. I want to see as much as I can in as short amount of time. I have a two month Europe trip in May and my longest stay in one place is two night. Yes, I do have ADHD , but everyone is different. Some like slow, some like fast, as long as you enjoy it.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
I don't pretend I'm living like a local - that's another cliche/mistake that I almost included in this list.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26
In my experience it's just a clickbait that some traveling influencers that think they are tour guides use just to look better next to the others but I have seen a few videos from Prague titled "visit like a local" and it was always "visit like a typical tourist" dining, visiting or shopping in touristy area that no sane local would do but often with at least very mild research so they usually avoided at least 1/2 the tourist traps but still promoted some of them and added a few misleading "facts" and stereotypes. Compered to the typical vlog where you hear we have Czech Dollars here, there is saint Charles Bridge and then they need to touch all the statues, eat Trdelník and fund a few other tourist traps it was slightly better but still very far from actual local guide.
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u/orbitolinid European rock licker Mar 28 '26
Weather: doing speed sightseeing in southern Spain or Madrid in August. Or expecting a winter wonderland when planning Christmas market trips.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
Invariably when I tell someone Andalucia is miserable in summer, they say something like "but I'm used to it, Texas is hot, too." Ok, but in Texas you go from your house with AC to car with AC to office with AC to mall with AC to house with AC, you spent maybe 45 seconds in the actual heat.
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u/orbitolinid European rock licker Mar 28 '26
Wait, are all the sights in Andalucia not covered by an energy shield with cool aircon air inside? Don't get me wrong, I visited Meteora at 40C, but I was already acclimatised and know how to deal with this unbearable heat in summer, because aircon? What's that?
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
If you can invent that and the teleportation device, you'd make a lot of money from posters on this sub!
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u/orbitolinid European rock licker Mar 28 '26
Sorry, I'm just a humble rock licker. 😢 I could though explain the difference of all the limestones across the Med.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 28 '26
It's not only about weather but seasons in general. In Czechia nearly all sights like castles and chateaux close in November and open in April except a few very touristy places that run all year long. Then you have those KCD fans asking about how to get to Trosky castle in middle of winter. We don't really do sightseeing in winter but skiing resorts are a thing here. Same if people want to go hiking - winter is not the best time. Snow is not guaranteed but you will probably end in muddy path with landscape of 50 shades of brown and black, leafless trees, bushes and dry rotten leaves on the ground.
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u/orbitolinid European rock licker Mar 28 '26
Same if people want to go hiking - winter is not the best time. Snow is not guaranteed but you will probably end in muddy path with landscape of 50 shades of brown and black, leafless trees, bushes and dry rotten leaves on the ground.
Personally, I love hiking in this weather, especially due to the lack of colour. But yeah, most tourists who travel in from overseas would probably be rather disappointed.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 28 '26
I find it a bit depressive, I just walk or go jogging along the stream next to our apartment house. The stream is surrounded by greenery so it's perfect place to escape the big city as you walk just a few steps and it feels like you are in the countryside even that you are still well within the city but the winter makes all the bushes, shrubbery and trees see through and it loses much of it's immersive effect that you suddenly see all the houses around. This week finally the leaves started growing.
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u/cubansombrero Mar 28 '26
I would also add, don’t feel like you have to do what everyone else does.
If you know you don’t like museums, you’re going to be miserable in the Louvre. And if you try to do a drive-by tour of the Louvre because everyone says you have to go there, you’re going to enjoy it even less because it will just be an exercise in logistics.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
See #1 - there's no general "must see," it depends on your interests and preferences.
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u/cubansombrero Mar 28 '26
Agreed, i just find it a particularly wild variation of #1. I can understand people who say “I want to go to Switzerland for the views” with no idea what they’d actually like to do there… those people can get a guide book and start narrowing things down.
But actively building an itinerary around activities you know you won’t like or that aren’t appropriate (like taking young kids to places like Auschwitz) requires a fundamental rethink of why you’re gong on a holiday.
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u/Weilerbach Mar 28 '26
Okay! I was thinking I might disagree but this is a well thought list. I think if people follow what you advise, they will be better off
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u/jay_altair Mar 28 '26
6 through 9 are absolute gold advice. Multi city flights 🤌
As a traveler who enjoys the mad-dash travel mode (ie changing locations every day or two) I will add:
don't do a mad dash as your first or second or third trip to Europe. Don't do a mad dash if you are traveling with children. Don't do a mad dash with anyone at all unless you are absolutely sure they're up for it, including yourself. If you're not someone who would drive upwards of four hours one-way just to get a really good sandwich, you might not be up for it.
Do get your International Driver's Permit
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
I agree. We travel that way too but I think you need to be pretty experienced, prepared, packed and have your homework with very good research done. It's surely not for people traveling for the first time somewhere because everything will be overwhelming, from navigating the airport to getting to the hotel and do the check-in, navigating the city, dealing with different language, currency, customs etc.
It's different when it's your first flight ever or your 10th flight that year, same with traveling in general. Do you travel abroad several times a year or is it your first trip ever? I have already refined our packing to essential minimum and we can go even for a week with two small backpacks. If we expect to do lot of "base changes" then you cannot spend 1h just with packing your stuff. You really need to be prepared. You need to know where you go, what ticket to buy, where. Car can be helpful but you need to skip big cities with it. If you do such trip it often doesn't make sense to included them at all since you can spend weeks in them alone but those 1-2 night per place trips are reasonable only if you stick to one region of bigger country or a smaller country. Something like 1-2 nights and then fly or travel to different country is total non-sense. We generally leave those big cities for isolated trips when there are public holidays on monday or friday here. So We generally fly Thursday evening after work and return on Monday evening or take a day off and extend it to Tuesday or leave on Wednesday.
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u/afrenchiecall Italiana Mar 30 '26
PLEASE, on behalf of all Italians everywhere, STOP with that hand gesture. It doesn't mean what you assume it means. I get it, anglophones use it for emphasis - but that's not at all what it means. The closest "translation" I can give to it is "what the fuck are you going on about?" or "really? (sarcastically)" Although, as with all hand gestures, it really depends on the context.
Regardless, please stop. Idiots. Arrivederci e grazie
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u/Unusual_Jaguar7751 26d ago
Please tell me what hand gesture. Will be in Italy next month & really want to know.
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u/LoInfoVoter Mar 31 '26
I’m curious. Have you ever stayed two weeks or more in one area? It’s the best way to travel.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Apr 15 '26
Yes, one of our first trips without Internet in phones was 2 weeks in London, next trip was Paris, then Rome, Barcelona and Madrid were we stayed all the time in one hotel and did day trips.
But nowadays we travel much "faster" when it makes sense. I wouldn't recommend it to beginner travelers nor to include multiple countries into one trip or stay at least 1-2 weeks in one country.
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u/WizardOfCanyonDrive Mar 28 '26
How about “over packing”? I see so many people panting and sweating as the wrangle their massive bags through airports, train stations and subways.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 29 '26
Best packing advice I got when I started traveling: Make sure you have your passport and ticket (the latter is electronic anyway these days), you can buy everything else.
Heck on a few recent trips (Italy, Austria, and Spain) I realized I forgot something and just ordered it on Amazon, it was waiting for me at a nearby Amazon locker when I arrived.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
I would just add medication. It's not always that easy to get it here if you don't have a local doctor and proper form filled from them. Don't expect to get the same stuff easily over the counter or even in a supermarket. We read this a lot when Americans run out of their pills and then ask where or rather how they can obtain it here after all the places they have been to told them they need prescription from a doctor.
It's not impossible to get but it's often very time consuming.
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u/orbitolinid European rock licker Mar 29 '26
Oh yes! In for example Germany you can't even get a simple otc painkiller or antihistamine in a supermarket or drugstone. You need to go to a pharmacy, which is closed during weekends apart from an on-call one which might in the end be in a village out of town. Metalonine is not available otc in every European country. Sudafed is not available, depending on country. Asthma emergency inhalers or a single contraceptive strip only after seeing a doctor in some countries. Antibiotics otc? Forget about it.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26
It's the same in Czechia and I bet it would be similar at least throughout the EU.
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u/serioussham Mar 29 '26
In the NL, you can by most of the above in the supermarkets, and what isn't available there is available in the drugstores. Although I do think that DM has painkillers and allergy meds.
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u/Shuddupbabydik Mar 30 '26
Can confirm. Last month, I had a 4 hour layover at JFK en route to Rome when I felt one singular little sniffle. After trauma flashbacks of getting a cold in Germany, and what a horror show getting meds was, I spent wayyyy too much money during my layover grabbing all of my go-to cold remedies - just in case. By the time I landed at FCO, I was full on sick, and was really grateful that when I couldn’t leave my hotel bed for my first 48 hours there, that I wasn’t slogging around, trying to navigate obtaining meds while there.
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u/Diligent-Variation51 Mar 29 '26
Medication is what concerns me. My husband is feeling well enough we are talking about international travel. He’s never been out of US and at 68 with his health we thought that was no longer an option. I plan to do a lot of research but he requires a liquid medication three times daily, so I really need to understand the rules about traveling with that. This isn’t a “feel healthy” medication either. It’s a “quickly deteriorate and becomes life threatening within days” if it’s missed. So much to learn!
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u/orbitolinid European rock licker Mar 29 '26
Uh, that sounds complicated. You really need to look into how to transport his medication in hand luggage as hold luggage might be delayed. Usually, there's a 100ml per bottle restriction for liquids, at security check, but I'm sure there are exceptions for medications. Not sure what documentation you need to get it through though. And don't forget travel insurance, though his condition needs to be declared to be covered most likely.
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u/Diligent-Variation51 Mar 29 '26
Thanks. I definitely need to buy travel insurance. And our carry on bags would be full of medications, personal documents, and electronics. If the stored luggage is lost/delayed, we’ll be wearing the same clothes until we can buy more. I’m just glad he’s doing well and his health is stable now. Last year was really rocky. We’re starting small with trips close to home and hopefully we can do a big trip soon
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u/henrik_se Apr 02 '26
Good to know is that this can go the other way. There is medication that is available over-the-counter in many European countries that requires a prescription in the US.
The US is generally more lax than the EU when it comes to medication, but exceptions exist.
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u/Nedgamell 16d ago
I once forgot my glaucoma eyedrops when I went to Beijing. I went to the nearest hospital and explained my predicament. Someone, somehow, was able to get my prescription for me. They didn’t charge me. It was incredibly interesting for me to be in a Chinese hospital and go thru all that needed to be done. Really living like a local!!! I’ve never forgotten that experience.
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u/canaanit island child Apr 03 '26
Make sure you have your passport and ticket (the latter is electronic anyway these days), you can buy everything else.
I'm a huge fan of packing small, but this statement makes me a bit uneasy.
When I was younger, having to buy something like an additional pair of shoes or a jacket would have seriously messed with my travel budget. Also, it is kind of wasteful to buy things that you already own at home - what are you going to do with the additional one at the end of your trip? Throw it away? Ship it to yourself?
And depending on where exactly you are going, you cannot be sure that you can buy everything. I mean, most people here seem to be going to large cities, so they won't have any problems. But if you go to a rural area or a smaller island, it may be tricky to find clothes, shoes, or electronics, and if you order them online delivery times can be surprisingly long.
I have had more than one situation where my planned itinerary was: arrive in larger city late at night, get on ferry to an island or bus/train to a rural area early the next morning. Which would leave me no chance to go shopping for anything beyond train station snacks. And then it occurred to me that I had left my tripod or hiking shoes or rain jacket at home. So I had to postpone my onward journey for a whole day just to go shopping in the larger city. And if there are bookings involved it can be a huge nuisance.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
The advice isn't to be taken that literally, as in "pack nothing but your passport."
I take it to mean: Don't overpack, don't pack something on the 1% chance you may need it. Go carry-on only if possible - and it's almost always possible. TBH I still find that I pack more than I use even though I always keep it to no more than a backpack and carry-on.
what are you going to do with the additional one at the end of your trip? Throw it away? Ship it to yourself?
I'm talking about a USB charger that I can use on future trips, not an entire wardrobe.
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u/canaanit island child Apr 03 '26
USB charger doesn't fill two large suitcases, though ;)
Obviously the main things that people pack too much of are clothes, shoes, bags. And it really is a skill to be learned, to pack everything you need but not too much. There are entire subs dedicated to this topic.
This is very relevant for all those "10 countries in 20 days" itineraries: hopping all over Europe might require very different clothes for different climates and activities. Scotland in August needs different shoes than Greece in August. Cold weather clothes are the bulkiest items in a travel wardrobe, and also the most expensive ones to buy on a whim (especially in touristy areas).
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Apr 03 '26
Another reason not to hop all over the place. And: the most basic travel packing advice is layers, because it works.
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u/Diligent-Bluejay-979 Mar 29 '26
I get what you’re saying. I sometimes wonder if people who see my husband and me think we just bring everything we own with us! Truth be told, he is the recipient of a double lung transplant. We have to bring lots of meds (plus backups) and a CPAP with us, just for starters.
Only posting to say, you never really know what people have in those larger suitcases!
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26
I think this is rather and exception. The most likely scenario is 10 pairs of shoes, outfits that you cannot match between them, hair dryer, hair iron and a lot of stuff like that for a week long stay in 4-5 star hotel.
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u/katekf Mar 29 '26
I have a friend who packs a large suitcase for shoes and bags alone, and another of clothes (coordinated outfits for every day and event, all of which are booked and planned in advance by her travel agent), and a carry on for jewelry and cosmetics. 👀👀 Very much not my idea of fun but they also get picked up and driven around so I guess it’s not inconvenient?
(I have posted this elsewhere on the sub but despite years of carry-on-only travel, the first time we took our oldest overseas we packed 2 weeks of diapers and baby food pouches in the heaviest duffel of all time 😂. Like they don’t sell diapers in France? Madness. Relieved to be out of the car seat business and back to never checking, at least on the outbound.)
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u/Significant_Pea_2852 Mar 30 '26
People get so judgey about other travelers with big suitcases but some people have health issues, some people move to other countries permanently, some people have work stuff they need to cart around. If I don't have to help someone else with their luggage then I don't care if someone has their stuff in a shopping bag or in a massive steamer trunk.
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u/canaanit island child Apr 03 '26
Just a few days ago I was going from Switzerland to Germany by train, and there were three American women who each had two massive suitcases, plus a smaller suitcase, plus a backpack. (Yeah I don't even know how they handled all that going from the airport to the station.) They tried to squeeze everything into the luggage racks and other people were like, um, hello, we have luggage, too? It was one of those carriages that only has small-ish luggage racks at each end (not larger ones in the middle), and apparently those suitcases were all heavy as bricks and mostly too large for the overhead racks. They had reserved three seats and wanted to use the fourth one for part of their luggage, cue their baffled faces when another person turned up who had a reservation for that seat. Lots of complaining.
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u/maddog2271 Mar 29 '26
This is great advice. Basically all of it is what I tell people visiting Europe from outside to at least consider. If your grand Europe trip is less than 2 weeks, I will go one step further and say that it’s worth visiting just one country or even a region in that country. Two weeks in the Italian Piedmonte would be for example full of things to do. The same for Bavaria or Provence or you name it. You need to build in time for just existing in a place and soaking up that place’s specific way of living and the rhythms of its life to truly experience it; you need to see how time moves there. Otherwise you haven’t really experienced it, you just checked it off a list. A multi-country itinerary should only be contemplated if you have more than that time; once you’re at 3, 4, or more weeks then start considering how you will move from country to country, but man, whenever possible avoid airports. It consumes a huge chunk of the day, airports suck, and they are always somewhere way far from town. Just slow down…that’s my advice.
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u/F-sylvatica-purpurea Mar 28 '26
Wonderful list, thank you. My addition would be: read at least one book and check if that gives you a perspective other than the inspiration you got from the socials.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
A lot more people should be using guidebooks, for starters. And there are a lot of other books that can really enrich the travel experience.
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u/F-sylvatica-purpurea Mar 28 '26
Oh absolutely! I have been scolded before for suggesting guidebooks, that’s why I widened the genre to ANY whatsoever 😉. It boggles the mind that people would spend a fortune on flights and other expenses without any intent of knowing where they are going.
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u/OllieV_nl European Mar 28 '26
Going off Google maps with minimal zoom. Brussels, Munich, Cologne etc. are the first to show up in their region.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
Also, Zurich, Milan, Frankfurt, in large part because that's where the flights go.
It's not that these places don't have anything of interest, but they're hardly among the most beautiful or interesting in Europe.
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u/travel_ali These quality contributions are really big plus🇨🇭 Mar 28 '26
That problem outdates Google Maps.
I think it is just that people assume that the place they have heard of must be best because it is well known.
Kind of similar to the flawed logic of "it is July, the weather will be good everyday because it is summer!".
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u/LouisaB75 Mar 28 '26
Over 8 minutes for a gelato seems a bit excessive. In my hands it wouldn't last 5. :)
Seriously though, some of the itineraries I see online look exhausting. We are definitely trying to go for a less hectic one for our 6 1/2 days in Rome. We are limiting our day trips to 1 - Pompeii and Herculaneum, though were tempted by the Palace of Caserta, but with so much to see in Rome we decided against it. We also have several free afternoons, one full free day, and only set plans for 2 evenings.
Even so I am sure we will be tired out at the end of our trip.
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u/katekf Mar 29 '26
Herculaneum is so special—have the best time!
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u/LouisaB75 Mar 29 '26
Thanks. It is definitely going to be one of the highlights of our trip and the one we are most excited for.
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u/OkArmy7059 Mar 29 '26
But Pompeii and Herculaneum are Naples' day trip destinations. And they're 1/2 hour from one another.
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u/LouisaB75 Mar 29 '26
We are getting the high speed train from Rome to Naples and meeting our guide in Naples for Pompeii in the morning, lunch and then and Herculaneum in the afternoon. I don't anticipate us seeing much of Naples itself. That is the only day trip from Rome we are doing on our trip.
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u/OkArmy7059 Mar 29 '26
Right. 5 hours in transport is a very long day trip!
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u/LouisaB75 Mar 29 '26
Thankfully the high speed train is a bit quicker. Estimate is 70 minutes by train then 30 by van to Pompeii. Bus between the two sites is another 30 minutes. Then van and train return.
The bulk of it is by train and I actually like long train journeys. Especially when going through areas I have not seen before. I was less enthusiastic about the bus trip options because of the additional time and because I tend to get nauseous on long bus trips.
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u/OkArmy7059 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Where are you seeing 70 minutes? Everything I've seen says 2 hours. Oh to Naples then van to Pompeii. Got it. Still will wind up being close to 5 hours all together. Too much for me in a day lol. There's so much nearer to Rome to see.
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u/LouisaB75 Mar 29 '26
Just under 4 hours total travel including the 30 minutes between the two sites. Those are the estimates on the tour page we have booked.
And yes there is a lot close and in Rome to see, but Pompeii (and Herculaneum) are somewhere I have wanted to visit for many years.
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u/OkArmy7059 Mar 29 '26
Plus you have to get from and back to hotel, and need to be at train station early enough to not worry about missing train. Trust me it's at least 5 hours of the day spent "traveling". Tour guides are always going to underestimate travel times because they want the business.
But if you never plan to be in the area again and badly wanted to see it, probably worth it!
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u/LouisaB75 Mar 29 '26
Luckily our hotel is 5 minutes walk from the train station.
And yes I am sure it will be worth it. 😀
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u/katekf Mar 29 '26
I agree with most of the “slow down!” advice here but sometimes you just want to make something happen, aware of the strain, and I’m 100% with you on this plan!
We drove 3+ hours (with three kids ages ~4/8/10) from our rental house by Lake Bracciano, north of Rome; went to Herculaneum on our own in the late afternoon; dropped our stuff at the glum hotel we’d booked across from the Pompeii gates to smooth the early meet up with our guide. Very little of charm to the town of Pompei so my husband had a wild hare to check out Positano 😂😂😂 and we drove there, sat still on the road overlooking the town for a solid 45 minutes while stopped for a religious parade of some sort, sweatily trekked around looking for somewhere to eat with 3 kids at 8 pm on a summer night, got a case of the church giggles watching every American wannabe influencer alive trying to look chic for photos among thousands of clones, got a table at some random hotel with bad food and a great view, and drove back to the hotel super late. Pompeii guide was a highlight of the trip the next day, then we ate a quick lunch and piled back in the car and drove back to our house rental.
We’ve spent a ton of time in Italy but never south of Rome, but this wasn’t a trip where we wanted to fully decamp to a new location, and we didn’t want to stay in the south to see Naples etc. at that time of year. It was a calculated decision and it was great!
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 28 '26
Can you somehow make this mandatory to read and confirm before anybody can post their wonderful travel plans here?
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u/Atxforeveronmymind Mar 28 '26
We are here now in France 🇫🇷 and had a few things planned, but guess what, we slept so late, casually had our coffee of choice, and went out and made the best of it. AND IT WAS FABULOUS. Didn’t really miss any fomo crap either!
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u/Best_Midnight_2063 Mar 28 '26
This is far away the absolute best post I have ever seen on this sub.
This should be in the FAQ, and should be required reading.
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u/FA-100 Mar 29 '26
I work in travel at a heavily Europe-focused company and can undersign all of this! This is the type of stuff we are constantly trying to get American tourists to understand.
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u/ObesiPlump Mar 29 '26
Ironically, once one is aware of 5, 6 and 7 it's easy to get a different kind of FOMO because the sheer number of amazing places that can be visited in a region can render one catatonic. It's been a great joy planning this itinerary but also a massive headache. Guidebooks are amazing (and are the reason I discovered less popular places like Braga and Antequera) but also make one acutely aware of the places they won't be going to because they simply don't have the time.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
It's true - every time I go to Spain (and many other places) I learn about more places that I want to visit in the future than I actually visited on that trip, so my list keeps getting longer. But I just make that a part of the joy of travel, which should be about discovery after all!
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u/scottarichards Mar 29 '26
Thank you. It breaks down the most common ways so many travelers undermine their European vacations/holidays before they start. And is helpful in offering positive solutions.
I agree on the multiple modes of transportation. I see way too many folks now revert to trains for everything. For example, taking ridiculously long train trips when flying would be less expensive and more time efficient. I understand that some may want to use the train because it’s a green alternative, but you only have so much time. It’s not always a wise choice. It’s your time limited vacation. Pay the carbon add on if you can.
And some regions (for example, Brittany/Normandy and Provence/Côtes d’Azur in France) are best traveled by car, if even you have to rent for a few days. It’s very easy to drive in these areas and having a car greatly improves your flexibility and ability to enjoy and fully experience the area.
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u/brittaly14 Mar 29 '26
My 12: forgetting to budget for convenience/tourist tax. Just assume that something will get disrupted or miscommunication and you’ll pay to get it resolved. If you budget this into the trip and can do it without feeling stressed about spending, your trip will be more enjoyable.
Train delayed and you miss a tour you paid for? Tourist tax. French air traffic control on strike and you need to book another night hotel? Convenience tax. Flight delayed and you arrive very late / no taxis so you get a scammy “uber” driver and the rate is a little high? Tourist tax. French trains on strike and need a cab? Convenience tax.
Also, assume the French are striking. Never travel to your fly out city without an extra day to accommodate any disruption.
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u/Qwe5Cz European Mar 29 '26
I would say that don't travel if this is your last money and you have no other buffer.
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u/brittaly14 Mar 29 '26
I’m not saying the last penny you have, but just that travel is a lot easier when you can drop 20 or 200€ on the convenience tax and have it not ruin the trip, because you already planned for it. Especially for bucket list trips or first trips, people budget to the edge of their comfort level. So when something goes wrong it can bring a lot of stress into a trip. If you just set aside like 10% of the total budget for contingencies it makes the emergencies way less disruptive.
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u/jaymatthewbee Mar 30 '26
I guess you comment is pointed towards Americans. I think their particular attitude is that European countries are smaller than some US states, but they don’t take into account how empty the US is in comparison.
You can travel for four hours in America and not pass anything of great interest. In most of Europe if you travel for four hours you’ll be passing by thousands of years of history.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 30 '26
Not only Americans, but yes often it comes from Americans. "We drive 12 hours a day in Texas so we want to drive across all of Europe in a week!"
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u/Zeebrio Traveller Apr 01 '26
I'm the best & worst most example of this ... At age 56, I decided to go on my first trip to Europe with a group lead by my local Chamber of Commerce -- a week in Croatia.
I knew a week wasn't enough, so I customized my trip to fly out of Amsterdam 4 weeks later (vs. Zagreb with the rest of the group).
Then I was like ... Whaaaaaaaaa???? what??? what do I do???? SOOOO much!!!!???
SO. I got on Songkick and looked up cool music venues. Bought tickets to shows for bands I liked (all around the $20-25USD mark, so nothing would break me if I didn't make it).
I think I reserved a couple nights in Cinque Terre ... but other than that I had NO LODGING PLANNED ... Every couple days I'd get on my Chrome book and see what show was next. I'd just aim that way. It was late October-mid-November, so I had no trouble with lodging/transport.
I loved my lodging in Antwerp and stayed a few more days. Got a Thai massage. Lodging had a kitchen so made food. Wandered around Grote market day & night. Chocolate museum.
I literally did NOT advance plan EXCEPT Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. I'd had a good amount of "tour vibe" in Croatia.
I wandered neighborhoods, met people at bars/restaurants (saw a total of 5 shows - 4 tickets bought and a 5th bonus in Dubrovnik because I met people).
I will NEVER be able to duplicate that trip. My absolute CLUELESSNESS was my advantage. I missed trains. I got lost in Istria. It was the best 4 weeks of my life.
IN HINDSIGHT, I moved too much ... but I was also not racing to get to the next place --- well, except for the shows ... but otherwise, I just stared in awe. At everything. I spent at least 2 hours at the Antwerp train station, taking pictures of people at the cool dove/peace sculpture.
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u/BrunelloHorder Mar 28 '26
Great post, could not agree more. I’ve commented most of these multiple times, especially on proposed itineraries in the Italy subs.
Strong general rule is 3 nights per stop minimum, and 3 moves max on a two week trip. People who try to move bases more often are mainly seeing the insides of trains and train stations.
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u/Best_Midnight_2063 Mar 28 '26
Oh God. I don't know what it is about Italy, but the itineraries people post in those travel subs are absolutely insane.
I swear half of them are ChatGPT generated and people post to troll the subs.
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u/Swebroh Mar 28 '26
Good points.
As for day trips, they are great -- when they are short enough. For me, I very rarely do day trips that are >1 hour each way. If it's longer, I usually just stay the night. If the day trips are short enough, I don't mind doing several on consecutive days. I like staying places that are good hubs/bases, and well connected with public transport.
I also think it's often great to stay in "lesser" cities. Cheaper, less touristy, and still with tons to offer. Places like Bologna, Ghent, Padova, Avignon, Lyon.. etc.
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u/RealUlli Mar 28 '26
One potential addition: look into medium distance overnight train connections with sleeper cars. If you can find one between two cities you want to visit, book first class tickets for it, they're worth it. They will save you a full day and a hotel night, so the 1st class ticket doesn't look that expensive any more (actually, it's cheaper than the normal fare plus the cost for the hotel).
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
I have to say, I'm not a big fan of night trains. They sound great in theory, but often cost as much as or more than a hotel night plus regular train. They're generally much slower so you don't save that much time (e.g., Amsterdam-Munich is 7 hours on the day train vs. 10.5 on the night train), and I find I don't get a proper night's sleep even in a sleeper. And you have various other hassles like what to do with luggage until departure time and upon arrival in the early morning.
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u/RealUlli Mar 29 '26
I only tried them once before and found it to be quite ok. I left my luggage in a locker at the train station.
The longer travel doesn't really count, IMHO. In the 7 hours, you do nothing but watch the world go past (which does have its own charme, I do admit). In the 10.5 hours, you spend most of the time sleeping, possibly having a light dinner and/or a breakfast while moving - things you'd normally do in the hotel while not moving. So, actually you do save a lot of time.
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u/Neo_The_Fat_Cat Mar 28 '26
Number 10 is the important one. We leave time for serendipity to kick in - some of our best experiences have come about in ways that would be impossible to plan in advance.
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u/west_of_here_2002 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
I really appreciate No. 1 especially when combined with No. 2. It’s so important to check in with yourself while you plan to make sure the trip you are planning actually matches your priorities and interests, and then editing, editing, editing by asking yourself whether your planned activities are on the list because you afraid of FOMO or because you actually want to do them.
I’m also in support of No. 11 in particular, in part because, while day trips have a time and a place, I typically prefer making a big loop on my travels or an occasional overnight instead of several day trips.
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u/L-W-J Mar 29 '26
This is truly spot on. We have a family trip planned for this year and your list of errors has been embraced by one of our family who has never traveled before. I am going to send this to them. Thank you! Really really great advice.
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u/Champsterdam Mar 29 '26
I remember going to Italy with four friends and they were like “how about everyone just pick one city and we’ll do those four cities in the four days we have in Italy. I was like what?? Four days sitting on trains?
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u/truthvenian Mar 29 '26
All of this is great and should be pinned to the top of this sub.
My advice that I give to people now is just to pick one region of France or Italy and realize that within that one region you can easily spend 2+ weeks and not see every awesome thing and you will have a thousand times more fun that that London, Paris, Rome, Athens trip you were planning.
My daughter and I do week long trips in France every year now and we just go to a different region every time and every time I feel like we missed out seeing a lot of cool things in whatever region we were in.
Also, you can rent a car from a train station. Take a train for the medium distance and then rent a car for a few days.
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u/Worth_Oil3329 Apr 01 '26
Points #3 (accounting for transport time) and #8 (open-jaw flights) are absolute game-changers. People let FOMO take over and try to cram 5 countries into 7 days, only to realize they spent half their vacation just packing and sitting in train stations. Europe is meant to be experienced by chilling at a local cafe and soaking in the vibe, not sprinting through airports. Super solid and necessary guide!
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u/LoInfoVoter Mar 28 '26
I believe those people should take a cruise. They don’t care about culture, hidden gems, amazing world heritage sights and world class art. They just want to take their Instagram photos then move on.
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u/ObesiPlump Mar 29 '26
Hahaha the cruise I went on took us to 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites (which I know isn't the point you're making). But yeah a really irresponsible way to travel as I learned post trip. Won't do it again
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u/_bleep_blorp_ Mar 28 '26
Such a good list.
Sadly from the American point of view, we get so little time off and there’s so much to see and do in relative close proximity in Europe, it’s really easy to make these mistakes. It’s especially true for people who might only get one chance to travel that far.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
I'm American so I understand. But I really want to get across to people that 7 stops in 10 days is absolutely not "making the most of it."
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u/_bleep_blorp_ Mar 28 '26
You’re 100% correct. I unfortunately learned that lesson after my 1st trip overseas. It’s a tough mental hurdle to get over but once I did, trips are sooooooo much more enjoyable.
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u/imrzzz Mar 28 '26
OP addressed that in point 2.... What's the point of spending that precious time exhausted, flustered, and with no memories except airports and train stations?
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u/_bleep_blorp_ Mar 28 '26
I don’t disagree at all. Just saying that in my opinion those factors make it really tough to mentally accept that OP’s tips are probably best for most people. I learned that OP was right the hard way
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u/imrzzz Mar 28 '26
Yes, and I wasn't debating with you, just kind of singing back-up vocals to your comment.
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u/Justice_RDSS Mar 28 '26
Que post maravilhoso. É justamente isso que tenho pensado ao montar a nossa viagem. Iremos passar 30 dias na Europa final deste ano e temos vários dias em lugares como por exemplo, só para citar três: Paris (06 noites), Roma (07 noites), Bruxelas (04 noites). Fiz uma postagem em outro subreddit de viagem onde as pessoas criticaram a parte de Bruxelas, dizendo: são muitas noites, lá não é assim tão interessante. Para nós que iremos viajar, andar pela cidade, sentir o clima, sentar na praça, ver como as pessoas realmente vivem o seu cotidiano é a grande descoberta - isso para mim é realmente viajar e conhecer os lugares. Mais uma vez, parabéns pelo excelente post, muito coerente e verdadeiro. Abraço.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
I would say though you're more likely to enjoy 4 nights based out of Ghent or Antwerp (with day trips to Bruges and, if you really want, Brussels).
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u/Justice_RDSS Mar 28 '26
Iremos visitar Ghent e Bruges, mas decidimos nos hospedar em Bruxelas - me pareceu uma cidade encantadora.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26
Brussels struck me as a lot of things, but "charming" was not one of them. But YMMV.
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u/Willing-Donut6834 Mar 29 '26
It's OK. It's just not better than many other places around. But it's not shitty either. Say one likes art. The museums are good, with Magritte and co.
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u/_missadventure_ Mar 30 '26
I spent a week in Brussels and had a great time. I like museums though, and beer.
My highlights:
The atomium! Built for the world's fair, cool museum in a really crazy building. Like really crazy. There's a restaurant in one of the top balls that was solid, but worth it just for the experience. And when I went, a very cool light show
a beer tour - I booked with get your guide, it went around a bunch of local bars and similar. Had a really good time, a lot of interesting beer
the grand place or grote markt, and just all the old town. So pretty, a very pleasant day of wandering, cafés, wafels...
the Musical Instrument Musem - incredibly cool building, incredibly cool exhibits. I couldn't get into the roof top restaurant, but if I went back I'd definitely work out how to fit that in
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u/Justice_RDSS Mar 30 '26
Obrigado pelas dicas de lugares - já salvei aqui. Bruxelas realmente parece magnífica.
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u/Escapedtothecountry Mar 29 '26
Brussels is a fabulous city. It’s far more than the EU institutions. I could easily spend four days there.
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u/_paquito Mar 28 '26
On #s 5, 6, 7 - my absolute favourite trips and the only ones I generally do these days are trips that just focus on one region. I'll choose a city to fly into and check that out for a couple days, but then build out the rest of the trip with maybe 1 other large city, then some small towns and countryside. Makes you really understand and appreciate a region in a pretty holistic way and you come across a lot of unexpected things.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Absolutely. The more I travel the more I feel that way, as well. Too many people think only about countries and cities, rather than regions.
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u/west_of_here_2002 Mar 29 '26
This is my favorite kind of trip. Big city + regional loop. If you travel light, it’s not hard to change locations every couple of nights to make a loop (which I prefer to day trips personally) if you are doing so in smaller towns in a region. Train distances/times are shorter, train stations are smaller, and they are often right into the center of town (but not always, which goes back to the tip from OP about looking at a map!)
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u/Franks-View Mar 29 '26
Agree with your points here. Even more so "Point 5" is so underrated. Whenever spending time abroad I like to I spent more time to "deep dive" in to regions and experience the diffeerences. i.e. Spain and the contrast between Basque Country, Andalucía, and Catalonia is bigger than anything I've experienced hopping between capital cities. Different languages, different food, completely different architecture. Or norther part of the Netherlands (i.e. Amsterdam vs Rotterdam or east side etc) People who do Madrid-Paris-Rome in 9 days are honestly seeing less variety than someone who does San Sebastián-Seville-Barcelona in the same time." but hey, whatever floats your boat.
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u/thetoerubber Mar 30 '26
Number 8 is the biggest rookie mistake I tell people about all the time … most people have no idea open jaw tickets are even a thing; they think you have to fly in and out of the same city and it’s never crossed their mind to do it differently.
Regarding number 10, I also have a friend that plans every meal in advance to the exact place and minute out of guidebooks and blogs … I like to wander around and try whatever gem of an eatery I stumble upon. We don’t travel together anymore lol
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u/No-Yoghurt8543 Mar 31 '26
Number 1 always confounds me. I have very strongly defined personal interests, which define where I'm travelling. Sometimes I will try something new of course, but generally my trips are either linked up with my interests, or I'm seeing a new area that could be interesting to me.
I see so many trip plans out there that just include "food, architecture and art" as generic interests. I think that people just have a desire to go on holiday, and then post-rationalize their trip to say Barcelona by saying they like architecture or whatever. Which is a really bad way of going about travelling, because there's a lot of Gaudis architecture that would be really boring to people who are non-architects. There is no one destination that is a highlight or the best, because everyone likes something different. My parents have been touring the swedish countryside eating at local cafes and hiking for 40 years now. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else if you're not into that, and they're definitely not seeing any instagram highlights. But they do enjoy their holidays.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
I'm amazed how many posters can't come up with anything when I ask about their interests. Several have just said "sightseeing" and - I'm not making this up - "stuff to do."
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u/No-Yoghurt8543 Mar 31 '26
Yeah, this distinction is where I personally draw the line between "holiday" and "travelling" because I've noticed that travelling with such people generally has a very different vibe from the way I like to travel. I have several friends who are just interested in hitting the main sights of a place before retiring to a bar and getting drunk in every location, and it doesn't seem like their holidays have a profound effect on them. Whereas I'm looking to learn something new, have new experiences that push comfort zones, and learn more about my interests or see beautiful works of art in real life.
I'm not judging these people for wanting a comfortable getaway, but at least they should stop pretending to be interested in the places that they're going to beyond having seen instagram reels about it, or being self righteous about being a "traveller".
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u/Icy-Obligation6504 Mar 31 '26
On the FOMO - I'd say the biggest suggestion I'd have - don't plan your trip according to Instagram or TikTok. Read a few blogs, real user reviews instead of just the Influencer videos. No doubt some are good - but relying on "trending" places or instagrammable spots kills the travel and the vibe. I remember travelling with someone who was too much into it, driven by FOMO, it was painful.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Apr 02 '26
Better yet, use a guidebook! I've been to so many amazing places that I only learned about in guidebooks, where I'd look around and where the crowds were. They were at the "hidden gems" promoted by some TikToker, probably!
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u/Icy-Obligation6504 Apr 02 '26
Have never used a guidebook. I usually talk to locals in the hostel. I too have a couple of places which I want to "check" from my list but 70% of my time is wandering aimlessly :p
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u/giantZorg Mar 28 '26
Generally agree with the list.
On point 7 however, the alps look indeed rather different in the different countries (and regions within). Granted, it took me many trips to relatives in Italy to notice and appreciate it, but crossing the alps was always a highlight for me as the scenery changes so much.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 29 '26
The Alps can look quite different in different spots. But as you said it does take time to appreciate those differences - and the typical Switzerland - Italy - France - Austria - Germany trip is blowing past the Alps far too fast, and spending too much time in cars, for that.
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u/beautyandrepose Mar 29 '26
I so agree with you in regard to day trips. Did many bus trips while staying in London and Edinburgh. If I ever see another bus I’ll run!
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u/DrLemonBars Mar 30 '26
2) Rick Steves’ maxim “assume you will return” is always instructive. It relieves you of the pressure from trying to do It All.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
It's a bit like how a meal at a high-quality restaurant, where you leave feeling like you could have had another bite or two, is much more satisfying and more likely to bring you back than an all-you-can-eat buffet where you stuff your face and feel awful afterwards.
But one difference is: when it comes to travel, the higher-quality experience is actually likely to cost less!
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u/pro-bidetus-rasputin Mar 30 '26
Good job. Nevertheless, items 3 and 7 contradict each other a bit, as incorporating variety is not always compatible with short trips.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 30 '26
I don't see that at all. You can, and should, build variety into just a single day, e.g., my example about not visiting a bunch of art museums or palaces on the same day.
And the whole point of #5 is you don't have to visit different countries to have different experiences or cultures.
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u/TrafficOn405 Mar 30 '26
Thanks for your list. Don’t do a 2 week trip where you’re got 8-10 destinations. Don’t set it up to see as much as possible, to constantly be in transit. I like dropping the baggage and getting settled in for 3 days, and explore the city or town where I’m at a normal pace.
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u/Signal-Ruin2100 Mar 30 '26
¡Totalmente de acuerdo! Muchos itinerarios se vuelven una carrera por ver todo Europa, sin disfrutar realmente de cada lugar. Los puntos 4, 5 y 7 son especialmente importantes (pensar en regiones más que en países, equilibrar grandes ciudades con pueblos y variedad de paisajes, y no obsesionarse con saltar de un lugar a otro sin contraste).
Al final, priorizar experiencias y dejar espacio para descubrir cosas espontáneamente hace que el viaje sea mucho más memorable.
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u/New_Afternoon197 Mar 30 '26
Wow! This is definitely great info for my first time planning a Europe trip in 2027.
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u/Traditional-Carob440 Mar 28 '26
Hi. Just wanted to gently say that whilst you think there's a right way to travel, it doesn't mean it's the right way for everyone.
We all like our pizza different, bro.
Let me respond to each of your points.
- Sometimes people genuinely want what would be widely considered the 'best of'. Recognising you won't see it all, you want the highlights, regardless of focus. Whether that's architecture, mountain views, ocean views, food, cultural activities... Just want the generally-perceived highlights.
That's not hard to understand. If you don't quite get it, think of it in terms of albums. Not trying to listen to a band's entire catalogue, just wanting the 'best of' album, regardless of the genre of each individual song.
If someone gave me 'history, food and nature' or 'amazing cultures, beautiful views and delicious food', I could absolutely give them fantastic recommendations anywhere in New Zealand, Australia or SE Asia.
Just because you might think that's stale and boring, just wanting the absolute stand-outs that country or region is known for IS a valid way to travel.
- Again, each to their own. So long as people understand the implications, who cares that that's how they choose to travel? People sometimes have a tick list. Maybe try all of the most unique food, genuinely happy to spend a large portion of their travel to do this.
Have you never met someone that just wants a beer in as many countries as possible? Or wants to see every major sporting event in the continent in a given timeframe?
You're approaching all of this through your own bias, and practically admonishing people for not traveling like you.
- This is actually your most helpful tip. And when people are asking for help, genuinely the best help you can give them is a realistic expectation of time required.
Having said that, time and distance are not the same the world over.
In the UK a four hour drive might only be attempted for a one or two week holiday.
In Australia, a four hour drive is entirely reasonable for an overnight stay, or to go to an event and turn round again.
So long as people understand the time required, they can filter that information through their own lense, and decide for themselves if it's feasible/worth it.
4 and 6. I feel these are basically the same point. Again, some people don't want a 7 course cultural immersion. They might prefer tasting a charcuterie board of Europe, a small taste of many places. For some, the highlight might actually be the number of countries. And for some, they LIKE big cities. I don't, but many do.
I nearly put this in with 4 and 5, but it is a bit different. You're right; many people don't understand regional differences. That's why people ask for help. Don't get agro with them, just answer their questions. And once again, not everyone wants a comprehensive experience of a country. For example: I'd love to visit both coasts of Canada. I have no desire to visit Saskatoon.
Again, who CARES if people want more of the same?? So long as they understand that's what they're getting. You do know there's people who travel solely to look at birds, yeah? There's people who never tire of seeing waterfalls. I personally build a crapload of contrast into my travels, but not everyone WANTS that.
This tip is a bit more constructive. People may not be aware they can travel like this. Good tip. However, there are many people who want the simplest journey there/back as possible, and will pay more for the privilege. So, excellent point, just not for everyone.
Some people just like what they're comfortable with bro. Many people do NOT want to drive in a foreign country, especially if it's on the opposite side of the road than what they're used to.
Some have bought a Eurail Pass, and want to maximise the value. They may also find a lot of the fun is either planning out a route across the continent, or conversely, having no plan at all, just content to ride the rails randomly.
And some just like flying. It can sometimes be cheaper than any other mode of transport, can maximise the amount of cultural difference experienced, and they just know and understand how air travel works, so that's what they're comfortable with.
Some people LOVE planning holidays! For some, it's their absolute favourite part of traveling. Just because you (and I) couldn't think of anything worse than planning out every single detail, doesn't mean others don't get satisfaction and joy out of it.
Rubbish. Never heard of a hub? Park yourself in one place then do trips in different directions from that hub. Many people prefer that than changing hotels more frequently. A better tip would be to remind those planning holidays to be mindful of their own energy levels. Which might be different to yours or mine. Some people are happy sitting on a cruise or beach for two weeks at a time. I'd rather stick a fork in my eye. Some people are go, go, go from dawn to midnight every single day of their trip, and they THRIVE. Not me. Like you, I need a little recharge here and there. Doesn't mean that the other ways of traveling aren't equally as valid.
Look, I understand what you're trying to do here, and I appreciate the effort you've put into it. But you're looking at this through your lense.
If it helps, try looking at it through the lense of a travel agent who just wants what's best FOR THE CLIENT.
When I was much younger, I was a walk-up booking agent in Cairns, Australia. People would come in all excitedly and say, "I want to go to the Great Barrier Reef"!
And here's the questions I'd ask, always being led by their answers:
Do you want to dive, snorkel, or are you not comfortable with either?
Do you want a boat cruise, or an island experience?
Do you want a motorboat or a sailboat?
Do you want a yacht or a catamaran?
Do you want a large boat or a small one?
Do you want a relaxed vibe or a party vibe?
Do you want half day, full day or multi day?
Depending on the answers they gave, and taking into account their budget, I'd work out the best trip FOR THEM.
These days, as a tour guide of multi-week tours, I see what happens when travel agents don't listen to their customers preferences.
This season I had a woman who was very clear to the travel agent; she wanted to see New Zealand, but didn't want to drive any more than 3 hours a day.
Well, not only was she on the wrong tour, she pretty much was in the wrong country unless she had the funds to fly everywhere. It was hard work making it an enjoyable experience for her. Got there in the end, but whilst everyone said it was the trip of a lifetime, she was glad she didn't have a breakdown and had a few highlight moments.
I applaud the sentiment behind your post, but when asked for advice I would encourage you to try and figure out what is the best travel advice you can give FOR THEM.
Just remember, we all like our pizza different. 😊
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
Thanks for (almost) completely missing my points (and the point). :-)
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u/Traditional-Carob440 Mar 28 '26
I didn't miss your points (or the point) at all.
Read what you wrote again. Read it from the perspective of someone who doesn't typically travel the way you do.
Whilst well-meaning, you're attempting to shoehorn people into what YOU think is the ideal way to travel.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Not at all trying to shoehorn people. That's the whole point of #1. People travel lots of different ways, and that's great. Heck, I travel lots of different ways on different trips, or even on the same trip.
Trust me, I've read this post plenty because I edit myself obsessively. It's good advice IMO - but you and anybody else have a 100% money-back guarantee if you're not happy with the advice.
You're also welcome to make your own post with your better advice.
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u/productionwhore Mar 29 '26
Sheesh.
OP wrote up a well thought out list of tips/advice to avoid some common mistakes that the unseasoned traveler may make. THEY AREN'T RULES, which is what you seemed to have interpreted them as. he gave some advice for people who may not know what their travel style is and don't have the travel experience to ask themselves the right questions about motivations and goals, or underestimate the energy their must-see-list requires. you throw out some examples of edge cases of people who have an interest and pursue it doggedly. OPs list isn't for them. OPs list isn't for you, or even for OP. if you've travelled enough and know how you travel best, ignore the list and move on, or reflect on some of your early trips and the mistakes you made and learned from.
seems like you are just pushing the idea that people should hire a travel agent, which may be a great choice for some, and hugely beneficial in certain instances, but with some smart tips/advice most people can plan their own 2 week trip to europe and have an amazing experience, and would benefit from not over-scheduling, generally, not a rule.
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u/Traditional-Carob440 Mar 29 '26
Actually, I think travel agents are mostly redundant these days.
I'd say two of these are genuine tips. The rest are OPs idea of what a good trip should look like.
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Mar 28 '26
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u/Europetravel-ModTeam Mar 29 '26
Your content was removed, because it was unnecessary, unhelpful or considered spam. Comments should be genuine and add something useful to the conversation. If making a recommendation, explain why!
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u/Ryder907 Mar 29 '26
8 I like Iceland air for this, coming from west coast they seem to be very accommodating on this. TAP air seems the same as far as open jaw, yeah you got to reroute through Iceland but their network is pretty extensive. Europe air travel is pretty reasonable with budget airlines it’s flying across the pond that gets expensive and locks you in.
Open jaw sounds nice but can easily be allot more expensive and locks you in.
10 see above I usually fly from Seattle and land in Amsterdam on Iceland air and it’s easy to transit on a budget out of there either on train or flights. For example I found I over planned my time in Portugal and decided to hop over to Rome, budget flights I was able to get back to Amsterdam for return flight through rek. Look for affordable hotels hubs that are easily accessible.
11 I usually look for day trips that dbl as transport or break up my transport to lay over in a smaller town. i.e. rather than 12/8hr train trip/bus a 4hr trip to a small town then the rest the next day move on. That said have fun like the town free to stay for longer
4/5 think this comes down to leave and I agree. Feel these come down to tourist/who’s visiting some people don’t have the free time trying to cram it all in. In this respect if they are a first time traveler it may be their first opportunity, but doesn’t mean it’s going to be their last.
Early in my travels it was let me see as much as I can visit everywhere, now I really liked that place and I want to return and spend time here.
Agree with all of the above just wanted to add my 2 euros.
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u/BlueEyedIrishGal Mar 31 '26
Folks, if you ever decide it’s safe to travel to the USA 🇺🇸, we will politely help you with all of your questions. We hear it all over here too.
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u/pinetree_beachboy Apr 02 '26
Oooh!!! This is interesting. I’m saving this for my upcoming Europe trip. Thank you!
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u/Mysterious_Coast_246 Apr 15 '26
Yes, that sounds normal. She probably switched into “manager mode” and focused on what made sense practically, while you needed a friend in that moment. Neither is wrong, just different support styles.
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u/riastoica Apr 28 '26
I think a lot of it depends on how you like to travel, but I’ve started looking more at smaller places just outside bigger cities rather than the cities themselves.
Places that aren’t necessarily “hidden”, just not as heavily promoted. They tend to feel a bit calmer.
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u/slakmehl Rick Steves Enthusiast Mar 28 '26
Some excellent advice here, agree with all but #1.
Many of the most rewarding travel experiences come from mostly ignoring your own interests. The point of travel is to embrace the unfamiliar, and the best things in life are acquired tastes.
Travel oriented around what you already know you like is safer, and its easier to predict how much you'll enjoy each place. If that's what you want, go for it.
But it also lowers the chance that you'll grow as a person, so I much prefer taking the risk that I won't enjoy something for the chance I will enjoy something new. Give me totally unfamiliar art, architecture, cuisine, drinks, landscapes. Whatever the locals say is good. Some of it will be meh, some of it you might even hate, and thats OK. When something clicks, its a genuinely novel enjoyable thing that you didn't know about before.
"The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper" - W.B. Yeats
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
The point wasn't you should only do what you already know and like, but you need to think about what you're looking for, which can and should include the unfamiliar and unexpected, as I noted in point 10.
And you need to make time for that kind of discovery and spontaneity, and the time and space for your brain to actually process it and make meaning out of it. Your average mad dash through London-Paris-Rome-Venice in 10 days is just going to be a blur.
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u/slakmehl Rick Steves Enthusiast Mar 28 '26
Yeah, that's a good framing.
and the time and space for your brain to actually process it and make meaning out of it
Absolutely.
Which also relates to your emphasis on logistics. Independently of how detailed an itinerary is, it pays dividends as part of planning to build the structures about what you might want to do and how to do it. If you know e.g. "I can see X museum in 2 hours, it's a direct tram from my hotel and I can reserve a timed-entry a day in advance online" that becomes a building block you can move around, relieving the cognitive burden of figuring anything out while you are there. Every brain cycle you have to spend on that stuff during your trip is going to come out your ability to process the thing itself.
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u/TrampAbroad2000 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
The mental processing bit is underestimated IMO - so often people say "We are young and energetic and want to move at a fast pace." But it's not just about moving physically between places - our brains (esp. adult brains) are not wired to absorb a gazillion new things, 12 hours nonstop. The natural reaction is to shut down, and it becomes a blur.
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u/Careful_Seat Mar 28 '26
We're going to Salzburg, Austria later this year, and my hubby booked us for a week (we're in DC). Figured that's plenty of time to get there, get settled, have a day or so for the jet lag, then be able to see all the immediate area has to offer. Including a day of just wandering freely.
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u/CleanEnd5930 European Mar 28 '26
👏🏻 agree with all of this. So many of these points stem from people starting with a list of place names of places they think they should visit.
Often I see something along the lines of “I’m going to Rome, what should I do?”, and I think “What made you pick Rome in the first place??”