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Planning Europe Travel: How to Narrow Down on the Best Countries for Your Next Trip!

Europe – the land of Winston Churchill and his voiced vision of ‘United States of Europe’ still holding true by & large is a continent that attracts tourists from all across the globe. Planning Europe travel is one of the most intricate trip planning one can ever do.. And if it’s your first travel in this part of the world then the excitement doubles up.

The rise of ‘Schengen Area’ which is the world’s largest visa-free zone by most European countries, planning Europe travel has become a little more enticing. After all, there are so many beautiful countries and cities worth visiting, which one to select and which one to keep for next time is the Big Question?

In this article, we try to simplify this one big bone of contention of selecting best countries and cities as per your preferences for the coveted Europe trip!

List of Contents

Season of Travel:

While planning Europe travel one of the important things to consider is your travel dates and the season during your trip days. Generally, the months from June to October are considered favourable for comfortable travel in most European countries. While the winter season is considered a not so good time for travelling to Europe. Winter season extends from October end but the low tourist influx phase continues right till the spring season ends which is around April.

During the winter season, there is an extreme fall in temperature and at some places, heavy snowfall can hinder your travel plans. Another issue during the winter season is that of daylight. One can expect the sun to go down around 4.30-5PM in the evening. Scandinavian countries experience extremely cold weather and countries from the northern belt of Europe like Switzerland are best not to be added in the trip itinerary if planning for travel in winters. Still if one wants to travel during the winter season to get a taste of Europe’s cold then they can select western European countries and places near the Mediterranean belt like Croatia, Greece. These countries are slightly warmer countries than in the rest of Europe.

Number of Travel Days:

While finalizing the destinations to be covered in the Europe trip the next important point to consider is the number of days. Considering the days in hand one can pick the destinations like for smaller durations like a week or so only a few places or neighbouring countries can be visited. While if one has a span of two weeks or more, then many more destinations can be fitted in the itinerary. The trouble aggravates because of internal travel. Even if one opts for flights firstly, it is a costly affair and secondly catching flights is also time-consuming. In the case of internal commuting by public transport like trains and buses, the frequency and timings are to be considered.

Go Region Specific:

One can simply pick and choose the countries as per the vivid regions of Europe. Northern Europe comprises of countries like Finland, Ireland, United Kingdom, Norway and more while Central Europe has countries like Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland etc. Western Europe has majorly Spain and Portugal. The eastern belt of Europe has countries like Austria, Czech Republic, and Russia etc. which can be considered. The Southern European region has countries like Greece, Croatia, Italy and more. One can pick any region depending upon where the major interest area lies and can plan the trip.

Consider Your Interest Area:

Europe is a wholesome destination for all tourists of diverse interest areas. It has a rich cultural, historical background and then it has breathtaking cinematic views to offer. One can also indulge in adventure sports of a vivid kind in Europe. From sky-diving to skiing, you name it and the activity is available. So it is good to analyze where your interest area lies before planning Europe travel.

For adventure activities, Spain is the country to be while Croatia is for a chilled out relaxing holiday with a backdrop of ships and the sea. Greece, Italy, France, Belgium are those countries that offer both scenic views and have strong historical backing to witness. Belgium, Italy and a few others are also popular choices for food lovers. If you are planning a trip with family then you might want to visit popular museums and kids friendly attractions like Disneyland, Legoland and more.

<<Read about Visiting Paris during Christmas Time here>>

Planning Europe Travel Keep in Mind Your Budget for the Trip:

Again Europe has countries and places that cater to a different set of tourists with respect to the trip budget. Like the countries from the Scandinavian belt and Switzerland would classify well for high-end itineraries but for budget travellers France, Belgium, Eastern Europe countries and Mediterranean coast countries would suit better. Countries like Spain, Britain etc. can be both budget-friendly and luxury as well depending upon the activities that one would like to indulge in. If you are a budget traveller, planning long internal travels won’t be a good decision. Also worth considering would be Schengen visa member countries only if you don’t want to invest in the multi-entry visa.

While planning for a trip to Europe one does happen to become a little greedy in the want to cover more and more destinations. But for a no-rush holiday in Europe, the above points are really important to think over before preparing the final itinerary.

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This blog post is a part of #blogtrain hosted by Amrit Kaur from www.amritkauramy.com  and sponsored by Natural Indian Brand Vedantika Herbals www.vedantikaherbals.com . Do follow the blog train of great writers and bloggers. Read all the posts in the blog train and keep a check on Instagram feed for a huge giveaway on 7th Aug 2019. Also, check out Rashmi’s post at www.ajisthsmomstyle.com  next in this blog train. 

(51) Comments

  1. Noor Anand Chawla says:

    I have visited Europe multiple times and I can never get enough of it. You have covered all the salient points well!

  2. Khushboo says:

    Thats a very helpful post for.people who are ppanning a trip to Europe. I will surepy remember these tips.

  3. I loved that you covered all of the main points we need to keep in mind while making plan to visit Europe. Thanks for sharing!!

  4. Thanks for this post dear, you explained each and everything very well. This post would be really helpful for all those who are planning to visit Europe.

  5. An amazing and detailed post in here. Will definitely refer to it while planning my next trip. Thanks.

  6. I think I would cover Europe in 3-4 trips. The place looks so beautiful that it would not be justified if everything is done in hurry. This plan is great for the trip.

  7. Saarah says:

    I would say these are the perfect guidelines for every tourist was looking to explore Europe and I’m sure going to consider coming back to your blog whenever I plan my Swiss vacations.

  8. You have mentioned some really important points like season of visiting and budget which are very important when planning a holiday. I really loved reading this and found too helpful.

  9. Papri Ganguly says:

    We are planning a Europe trip next. Hope these tips will be helpful for us. We’ll keep your points in mind while traveling.

  10. This is such a complete guide for traveling Europe.. Love all the tiny details you have provided .. Will bookmark this ..

  11. Planning Europe trip based on season, interest and your mentioned points would be help especially with your details shared.

  12. I love how you have penned down the entire plan for this trip. this is so useful for those who want to plan in the near future, great tips for tourist who want to explore Europe. Thanks for sharing.

  13. Wow… that’s an amazingly written blog .. I will definitely keep these things in my mind when I will plan my trip to Europe . Hope that comes soon

  14. Much needed post! We are planning to have a trip to one European country this year. Was so confused. This article came as a great help!

    1. Glad to know that the article was helpful.

  15. These are some great tips for planning a Europe trip! I’ve been wanting to visit Europe since a long time and your trips will definitely helped me.

  16. hey I am planning to go to Europe this Diwali and already preparing for my Europe trip , thanks for your tips I really needed at this point of my life

  17. I have never been to Europe but we are planning our first international trip soon and Europe is in our destination lists. Your post will be very helpful in my upcoming plans .. love the article

  18. Nisha Malik says:

    Europe is definitely in everybody’s bucket list. For me Paris is one city I would like to be first of all as its a fashion hub. Your article can really help creating a nice itinerary.

  19. Loved the detailing of the post. Mini guide for those who want to travel to Europe. Thanks for sharing dear.

  20. Sarah Shaikh says:

    It’s interesting how you have defined the countries and parts of Europe in a simple way.It will help easily in planning and preparing for a Europe trip.Thanks

  21. I loved your selection of topic buddy and found your advice worth bearing in mind.

  22. Information like this is a great help before planning a trip abroad. And especially a place as big like Europe. Great help for all travellers

  23. Lovely post. My friend who recently visited Europe kept telling me how it could have been a fiasco because of certain things they didn’t consider. But I guess I will just refer to your post before flying

  24. You have compiled every aspect of Europe trip, would love to explore it, gonna bookmark this article

  25. Quite helpful tips to keep in mind when planning a Europe trip. The weather, sights and budget play a big role in determining a destination.

  26. We have never been to Europe yet, however I found this post to be useful for making a perfect travel plan.

  27. So useful for those who actually are planning for the trip. All details are here. Thanks for sharing.

  28. I have been to this continent several times and you have written an excellent article! I prefer to visit the colder destinations in winters and vice versa!

    1. Yup same here.. <3

  29. These are some tips i keep in mind too. I always map out where i must visit and what’s the distance between two places. Loved the post

  30. Europe is in my bucket list also. We are also planning for a Europe trip. Thanks for sharing all the details.

  31. Mrinal Kiran says:

    Wow… So traveling to Europe during winters isn’t really a good plan! Loved reading this post!

  32. The weather, sights and budget play a big role in choosing a destination. this are Quite helpful tips to keep in mind when planning a Europe trip.

  33. Shub says:

    Wonderful read! Europe is full of awesome countries. It’s difficult to decide which one to visit. This post has some nice pointers.

  34. I will keep all this in mind while travel to Europe, Great tips to make vacation mode more comfortable and hassle free

  35. Nisha Malik says:

    I love how deep and well researched your posts are. They cover every single detail about he topic. Like here you have done a marvelous job in preparing a nice e Europe itinerary.

  36. Europe as a destination is vast. Each country it a complete destination in itself and as you have rightly pointed out one needs to plan where to focus based on individual preferences.

  37. Jhilmil says:

    Rightly said picking right season is key while planning for Europe . For local’s Summer is preferred weather , but for us maybe bit colder one will help roam around freely

  38. Europe is on travel list next and this post is surely helpful for anyone planning to travel there. Thanks for the details.

  39. This is an amazing and detailed post. I am sure many will find this post useful. Thank you for this

  40. Europe is like a dream location for me to visit sometime soon. Loved your way of putting things that needs to be planned and kept in mind while planning a trip.

  41. Mrinal says:

    I have never visited Europe… But it has always been a dream… I would love to visit someday… Your post is really informative… Bookmarking this for further reference…

  42. This is definitely an insightful read for planning a Europe trip. I’m glad to know that Spain is also budget-friendly. It’s been on my list for quite sometime now.

  43. I just had my euro trip a year back in June/July only…it was 2 weeks long trip and very narrowed one, so much to see…i started from milan, headed to geneva followed by austria and rome…such an amazing trip it was

    1. Seems to be a lovely itinerary in mid Europe.. Hope you had a lot of fun there.

  44. I’ve been to Spain and Switzerland… it’s definitely beautiful.. Spain is not very expensive… and so is Germany. It really depends on what you want to spend on.. booking in advance can certainly get you good deals

  45. Spain and Greece are the main two places I wish to visit. Your post has been very helpful to make me take decision.

  46. Travelling to Europe is just like a dream for me. God knows when can I complete this dream of mine.

    Your post is really good.

  47. I came across your article very much in time, we are so confused whoch countries to pick in one trip, thanks. I am sharing this with my family 🙂

  48. Well researched article. I wish to visit Central Europe as Switzerland tops my list. Thanks for this wonderful post.

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