Eurail pass or river cruise is my best suggestion for anyone who has never traveled abroad. This article is written with Americans in mind, and I suggest traveling to Europe.
Always fly direct when possible, and keep your plan simple.
Use Skyscanner.com to check the cities you can fly direct from your nearest airport. When I traveled for the first time with my husband, we considered other cities, but we were happy we went direct from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Paris, France, because there were the most frequent direct flights. You are lucky to live in a city with multiple options, but if you are not accustomed to international travel, stick with direct flights only.
How long to travel? I recommend one week. Most Americans only get a little holiday leave for messing around in Europe. Australians and others who are far-flung travel for a month or two because it is such a long trip, they want to make it worthwhile. It's okay to take a week or two to start because you can travel with quality instead of quantity. You can keep a slow pace for more than a week of travel, but after two weeks, you will get tired of traveling unless you really like to be away from home. I have traveled for months and made an effort to make friends along the way and tried to integrate with the locals. You need to learn more of the language and customs if you are sticking around a place for a while, and that is work. My husband likes ice in his drinks and missed home so much because he wanted comforts like ice in his water and to understand the conversations around him. The little things.
Also, if you are making a more extended trip, like two weeks or more, you would explore budget hotels and perhaps AirBnB. I like starting a journey with budget hotels such as Ibis, Novotel, etc. You are excited at the start and want to spend most of your time roaming a new place, so you will only see the room for sleeping. I'm still okay with Youth Hostels at this point in life, but my husband is not. I stayed at Chillout Hostel in Zagreb for nearly a week in 2018, and it was a fantastic experience. It's nice to stay in an affordable place and have fun with new people. https://www.chillout-hostel-zagreb.com/ My husband and I went to a summer music festival in Zagreb, and most of the people from the hostel were going to the same festival. Some boutique hotels are partly hostels that offer rooms with bunkbeds and also private hotel rooms. Sometimes you meet interesting people by staying in one of these blended privately-owned hotels.
Many European cities offer a variety of accommodations as well as big chain hotels. By the end of the trip, you want your own clean space and can stay in a Hilton or Sheraton. Likely, these are the more expensive hotels located near the departure airport. Convenient for packing up and leaving.
How many cities should I visit? Two or three maximum. Many people overbook their trip and only enjoy a little of the experience because of the rush and pressure of too much movement. If you choose a river cruise, you will see many cities while floating along a relaxing journey. For example, you would start in one city, Amsterdam, and cruise along to Budapest's final port of call. My advice for that journey is to fly back to Amsterdam, so you have a round-trip flight from the United States. There are many inexpensive airlines in Europe that you can take between European cities. https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/grand-european-tour/2023-amsterdam-budapest/index.html This is an example itinerary; these trips are pretty expensive but include most of your food, your floating hotel room, and cruises are pretty entertaining. It's possible to remain on the ship the whole time. If you are shy and don't want to meet other people on the boat, you can stay to yourself. Suppose you want to socialize with others on the journey, in that case, there are opportunities provided by the cruise organizers to get you involved with other travelers. Cruising is a good idea if you are weary of making train reservations and hotel arrangements. You might save money on a cruise package deal after all.
How much should I pack? I recommend packing light. Carrying less keeps you better organized, and it is less hassle to deal with. I often bring an oversized carry-on backpack in summer because it fits all my clothes as they are rolled up inside.
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| https://www.chillout-hostel-zagreb.com/ |
My mom has some tips she has shared with me. She wears only black and white on vacation! Then everything mixes and matches, and her outfits always look classy and put together! That would become dull on a regular routine, but it suits her travel style.
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| Mom and me in Venice Italy November 2021 |
Another tip from my mom's, friend June, who we traveled with. She brings precisely how many pairs of underwear she needs for the trip. For example, on a 7-day journey, she brings 7 pairs of old underwear and throws them away at the end of each day. Perfect! No worries about washing!
Should I travel with a partner or go solo? If your friends or romantic partner has no travel bug, don't pressure them to go. Just travel solo. Traveling can be difficult, especially if one of the travelers cannot handle disappointment or discomfort. Things happen on a trip, and that is part of the adventure. If you find yourself with a sourpuss who only eats at McDonald's, you will wish you were not on vacation. You've wasted your investment in airline tickets. You are lucky when you find yourself with someone who travels easily and doesn't get anxious when some problem comes up. You miss a train, or you lose your whatever thing… I lost the rental car in the Venice parking garage for over an hour. I didn't hear any complaints from my partner because he is a reasonable adult and understands things happen. I also misplaced the parking ticket and was afraid I needed to pay a hefty fine. Still, luckily, I asked politely, and the garage manager checked the video of the time our car entered the garage, so we only paid for the couple of days we parked. It wasn't the end of the world, but I can think of times when I was not so fortunate to be traveling with a calm person.
Should I rent a car or take the train? Definitely take the train. Only a couple of times has it benefited me to rent a car. I drive a standard transmission and am a good driver but I avoid the hassle and use the excellent train services of Europe. Train travel is way faster and goes nearly everywhere you want to go. Eurail.com can show you packages for multiple city journeys, and you can also buy your train tickets in advance. Buying tickets in advance is recommended if you travel in the summer because summer crowds can be hectic. When we went to Lake Como in Italy, we rented a car, and the transaction took nearly two hours to rent the car, despite our reservations. The agency in the Milan airport was bustling and needed more stock on offer. They kept giving us cars that were not suitable, a huge SUV to drive on the tiny little streets, and jammed highways. We returned the car two or three times; this was not a good use of our vacation time.
How do I get money? I have heard of people bringing travelers' checks or exchanging cash ahead of time at home. That usually costs much more than withdrawing cash from an ATM or using your card at overseas merchants. You want to ensure your card has a chip, PIN, and a reasonable overseas transaction rate. Do a little research and talk to your bank. Get a card you know will work well as an emergency card, such as an American Express. I don't use that card regularly, but it has helped me out on many occasions when my debit card has not been able to be used. I can advise being aware of Euronet ATMs and other predatory "tourist ATMs." Go to a bank ATM for the lowest withdrawal fees. You will find Euronet in the airport or in dense tourist areas, don't pay over 5 Euros to withdraw 100 Euros.
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| Avoid scam ATM, specifically EuroNet |
How do I charge my phone? Don't worry too much about power adapters. I bring a universal adapter around in my backpack, but usually, you can buy one for a few dollars wherever you travel. Most hotels will have a USB port in the room, either on the wall or in the desk lamp space. If there is no power adapter in the room, the hotel service desk will often lend you one or tell you where you can buy one. I remember being surprised in Istanbul I purchased an adapter for only $1.00, but it lasted for only about one month. Good value though! Power banks can save you, but I find them too heavy. I also don't mind when my battery dies, a bit of technology freedom.
Should I get a SIM card for my phone? If you like to stay connected, you can buy a SIM card specifically for the country you are visiting. You can also purchase a SIM card that will work in many countries you travel to. These are often affordable, maybe $50-75 for a data package that will keep you going for two weeks. You don't usually need a phone number. International calling can be done with WhatsApp messenger or another tool, like Skype or Instagram. I usually do fine without a data plan because I don't want to be connected on holiday.
Along with fun apps like Instagram, you can be reached with work messages, so consider that. Leaving your internet access to WiFi makes traveling more fun and organic. Downloading a map offline will make your day much more fun and flexible. Remember, your phone needs to be "unlocked" to replace the SIM card when traveling. Many Americans are surprised that their phone will not accept another SIM card because the service provider locks it.
In summary, travel light, choose a partner with whom you know you get along well, and keep a flexible schedule.
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