10 Tips for an Unforgetable (& Affordable) European Trip

Hubby and I visiting the Colosseum in Rome, Italy

 This year my hubby and I finally took the trip to Europe we've been planning for about seven years. My husband gets a two month sabbatical every seven years at his work and we've been dreaming of this trip since his first day of work (basically).

Here's what I recommend:

1. Pack LIGHT.
Want to save money on flights and help you stay sane? Pack as light as possible. No, you don't need seventeen outfits for your two week trip. No, you don't need shoes for every possible occasion. And no, you don't want to pay the overage fees because your suitcase weighs too much.

I am proud to say, that for our two and a half week trip to Europe, we brought only a single carry-on suitcase for each of us (I also brought my BIG brown purse but I feel like that shouldn't really count). I don't usually pack super light, so I carved it way down in order to fit everything into a carry-on. In the end, I packed two pair of skinny jeans (one blue and one black), one maxi dress, one bathing suit, two pair shorts, three t-shirts, two tank tops, one jacket, one pair of sandals, and one pair of sneakers. I also bought a scarf when I was in Italy.

2. Try to learn the language.
No matter where you are going, try to pick up at least a few phrases from the local language. Not only will the locals appreciate it, but they'll be nicer to you too!  Since we hopped around so much on our trip, I usually looked up common phrases for the country we were headed to as we were on our way. Even just knowing how to say hello, please, and thank you will go a long way.

3. Use public transportation.
Public transportation in Europe is not the same as it is here. In my personal opinion, it is way better than in the US. Trains are clean, efficient, inexpensive, and a great way to see some sites as you travel to your next location. Buses are convenient and easy to use. When we were in Ireland, we took the bus from Dublin to Doolin and we saw some amazing things along the way that we wouldn't have had time to otherwise.

We found this castle in the middle of our bus ride from Dublin to Doolin, Ireland.

4. Ask locals for advice on restaurants, sights to see, activities, etc.
Our first night in Rome, we asked the reception desk attendant where he would go for dinner. He recommended we go to this cute little restaurant that was tucked away from the main road. It was amazing! Now, you may be saying to yourself, "Well Katelyn, you're in Italy - of course the food will be amazing" but trust me, even Italy has those touristy restaurants that leave you wanting more. This restaurant had a meat slicer right in the middle of the dining room! You could see them pounding the meat from your table. It was awesome! Plus the waiter gave us a little lesson on Italian so it was definitely a win-win.

5. Experience something that the culture/country/providence is known for.
You wouldn't go to Mexico and eat nothing but hamburgers and french fries, would you? Where ever you find yourself in your travels, be sure to take a moment to find out what that region is known for and then go try it. You're there for adventure, so go have it.

6. Walk everywhere.
Most of Europe is extremely pedestrian friendly. Save some money and just walk to your destination. Not only will your wallet thank you, but you'll  probably find a few attractions you never even knew to look for. For instance, when Justin and I were strolling through Barcelona during their Festes de La Merce we passed by a street with a TON of people walking through it. We were curious, so we followed the tide. Lucky we did, because that flow of people led us to the Castellers (Human Towers). Literally thousands of people were packed into this square to see the Castellers build a human tower and have a child climb to the top of the tower and stand up. It was incredible, and a little nerve wracking, but I am so glad we stumbled upon it.

7. Check the reviews.
If you have the time, and the Internet connection, check out the Yelp reviews on that restaurant you've been dying to go to. Sometimes the reviews will support what you expected, but other times the reviews will let you know that the place is really just an accident waiting to happen.

For example, when we were in Barcelona, I really wanted to go see a Flamenco performance. I searched around and found this place that was only a block away from our hotel - score! The website looked great, it had some amazing photos of its performers and some great pictures of an empty restaurant being set up for the 8pm show. Fast forward a few moments to the Yelp reviews and I learned that once they fill up that quaint little restaurant, the stage (and the performers dancing) are impossible to see. A few clicks later and I found the perfect venue - and for less then half the price! Pay special attention to the reviews that are in that country's language. Once you translate those, they will be the most accurate.

Vienna was one of the restaurants we found on Yelp. Cutest little restaurant right off Las Ramblas in Barcelona, and talk about affordable!

8. Avoid tourist traps.
Too many people spill into those things. Not to mention they're usually incredibly over priced.

9. Stay flexible.
If your plans change last minute, try your best to roll with it. You're on vacation, relax! But of course, staying flexible can be hard to do when you're scheduled up to your neck in activities. Which brings us to our next, and most important tip...

10. Don't over-book.
Luckily, my husband and I are not the type of people to over-book ourselves. We see vacations as the medium for relaxation and therefor never schedule more than one thing each day. We want to be able to unwind and we can't do that if we're constantly looking at the clock or running to the next bus stop. So while in Europe, we picked a few things in each country that we new we would want to experience and left everything else open. For example, here was our tentative schedule for our trip:

• London
• Abbey Road
• Ireland
• Live, traditional music at a pub
• Cliffs of Moher
• Spain
• Flamenco dancing
• Yummy Sangria
• Italy
• Explore Rome (Colosseum)
• Wander through Venice
• Eat pasta

So go have an adventure! Probably the most important tip, that I didn't include above is to not take the trip too seriously. If you're always worried about finding the most amazing dish, or seeing the best view in the city, or finding THE BEST anything you're always going to feel like you may be missing something. There are a million wonderful things out there, it would be impossible to miss them all. So relax, take a deep breath, and try to loose yourself in the experience of a new place. 

Have you been to Europe? What are your top tips for new travelers? I'd love to hear them!