How to Plan a European Road Trip
There are many of us that are no longer satisfied by a short city break in one location, and that’s why we’re all obsessed with the idea of road trips or a multi-destination break.
It doesn’t need to be a pipe dream, it’s very much doable, especially in Europe. This post will explain the most important elements to plan a European road trip to ensure a great experience with minimal stress.
Decide Your Route
The great thing about Europe is that it’s very well connected and transport between each country can be pretty painless. That said, you need to be making the most of your time and optimising your travel route so that you aren’t going around in circles, literally.
The idea of this article isn’t to recommend routes and places to visit, that’s a whole different subject and we’d be here all day fighting between ourselves trying to come up with the “ultimate” European road trip. The reality of it is, the best European road trip involves visiting all of the places on your personal list.
We recommend literally printing a map of Europe and marking all of the priority places. When this is done, draw lines from the start point to the next logical place on the map, and repeat. You will end up with a list of places to visit, and an order in which to do it.
Your Transportation Method
A road trip doesn’t necessarily need to involve driving. There, we said it. Some people love being behind the wheel and would love to be the one doing the driving, and that’s great, but it’s also fine to not want this responsibility.
The continent has some of the most advanced transportation systems in the world, including high-speed trains that can get you from one destination to the next in a pretty short space of time. There are also a number of overnight sleeper trains which means you wouldn’t even lose a day of your trip while moving between locations.
If you do choose to drive, which we would recommend for at least a section of your travels, be sure to scratch up on the road rules and basic driving knowledge – especially if you’re changing sides of the road.
Spending Money
Some people prefer to carry all cash, some just card, but our recommendation is to keep at least a reasonable amount of cash with you in case you need it.
That said, don’t travel with too much cash, and consider using one of the increasingly popular online banks, like Revolut and Transfewise. These new tech companies are providing the best exchange rate and fee-free spending around the world and our quickly becoming a go-to option for frequent flyers.
We’ve touched on this subject in real detail on our card v cash blog, so be sure to check that out for more information on your spending money options.
Travelling Europe for Cheap
On the subject of spending money, there are a few ways to spend less of it. There are a lot of bargains to be had when it comes to European travel, from hotels, bargain flights and cheap eats.
How you travel depends on your budget, but nobody wants to overspend, so why wouldn’t you travel cheaper if you could? Be sure to use comparison sites when it comes to booking flights, and also utilise these for any hotel bookings.
Another great accommodation option is AirBnB, with property owners letting out individual rooms or entire apartments/houses to give you a real authentic home-from-home feel.
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