The Little And Large Issues You Should Prepare For When Heading To Europe
For a lot of people, Europe contains some of the top items on any travel bucket list. We all know about the art and glamour of Paris. The history and majesty of Rome. The sunny islands of the Mediterranean. But traveling to Europe can be a disaster if you’re not prepared right. It’s something that needs to be prepared for well in advance. There are a few reasons why.
Being flight smart
Most importantly, you have to know that flying to Europe isn’t something that you can do on just any day. In the two months leading up to a flight, prices will double for most airline seats. It’s recommended you book from 21-22 weeks in advance. If you want to cut prices even more, consider flying at awkward times. Most people start their holidays on a weekend. Start yours in mid-week instead.
Finding the best places to stay
With any European destination, you really don’t want to go to the first hotel you find. You need to do your research, particularly from the side of an English-speaking perspective. Beyond worse service in an area you don’t know, you have a language barrier to deal with. To save yourself a lot of hassle with accommodation, you want to find a place that’s well known for accommodating English speakers. That is if you don’t speak their language of course.
The culture jump
For people outside of Europe, there are a few more culture shocks than you might expect. You might live with different food and different customs. But being unable to charge your phone? That’s just unacceptable. Yet you will need an adapter that can help you fit your native plugs into European sockets. Similarly, you want to do your research on where you switch your currency to Euros. Make sure you know the exchange rate so you’re not getting duped into a terrible deal. You should also consider getting a hold on a travel app that can help you translate the most important exchanges.
Regulations & rules
As you might expect, a lot of European destinations have their own rules and regulations for how you travel there. You should keep an eye on the news for this. Especially as sites like http://etias.com are forecasting a whole new restriction. Previously, traveling without a Visa in the Schengen zone was no problem. However, depending on where you come from, you might now have to start filling in applications well before your journey.
Some personal safety advice
The reasons for the travel restrictions in Europe are the same as those in the USA. Domestic terrorism. With that in mind, you may be concerned about how safe some areas in Europe are. Rest assured, normally, there’s nothing to worry about. If you’re truly concerned, however, you should do your homework. Keep updated with helpful pages like https://travel.state.gov. These can help you see all the latest travel warnings and give tips on how to travel safer.
Because of the sheer travel distance and popularity of European travel spots, you need to be forward thinking. But you should also think about the current global climate and how it might affect areas you want to go to. Hopefully, the tips above can help you make your trip a little easier.