Travelling to Europe

Travelling to Europe

Travelling to different parts of the world may excite many of us. The mere thought of vacationing in Europe brings a wide smile on our faces. After all, Europe has some of the most beautiful countries in the world. Let’s take a look at the geography of Europe –

The geography of Europe can be understood in different parts:

1.      Scandinavian countries – comprising of Northern European countries like Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Finland lies in Fenno-Scandinavian region. Iceland is also a part of European Continent.

2.      Central Europe – comprises of  the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Austria

3.      Western Europe – Ireland. UK is not a part of European Union although it is counted in the European Continent.

4.      Eastern Europe – Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

5.      Southern Europe – Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece

The most beautiful parts of Europe are Central and Southern European countries. Northern Europe is characterized by extremely cold climate followed by Central Europe. The South is on a relatively warmer side, although it can also snow in Southern Europe on some occasions.

Central European countries have the richest economies along with UK in the west. The Eastern and Southern countries in Europe are still struggling to keep up with their Northern counterparts.

Being surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on many sides, Spain, Italy and Greece offer some of the most beautiful locales for tourists. However, the Queen of all in terms of beauty is Switzerland, which in spite of not being surrounded by any sea, is still able to charm the travelers from all over the world who seem to be smitten by the sheer beauty and tranquility of this country.

The best time to visit Europe is from June – September. The other parts of the year are relatively colder and only advised for the adventurous travel freaks who would like to enjoy skiing, snow-boarding and other snow activities.

If you are single and with a bunch of friends looking to explore Europe in the minimum possible time and with the least possible budget, the best way to travel across Europe is as a backpacker. Just pack in your back packs, plan your itinerary in advance, book your tickets/passes and you are ready for a trip of a lifetime.

Some tips for travelling in Europe:

1.      Take a back pack along and be prepared to walk a lot since most of local sight- seeing in Europe is covered on foot

2.      Plan your itinerary in advance. Since almost everything (from tickets, to tourist information etc) is available on the internet, you can plan your itinerary pretty extensively. This planning will save you many hours of your precious time from being wasted in looking around for information / standing in queues to buy tickets.

3.      City maps and guides are freely available at every major railway station and are a must to have if you are travelling without a guide.

4.      Pack only essential stuff. You don’t want to restrict your movement because of a heavy back pack.

5.      If you are travelling a lot, getting a rail pass is a good idea. Eurail Passes are a very popular and convenient way of travelling in Europe.

6.      Always keep your passport, insurance and flight tickets handy while travelling in Europe. You may be asked to present them by the local police authorities.

7.      If you are a vegetarian and can’t do without Indian food, you have the following options:

a.       Look out for Indian restaurants at your destination in advance and make a reservation there. There are many Indian restaurants in all major European cities, however, smaller cities may not have any.

b.      Prepare your food yourself and take it along

c.       Alternatives are McDonalds, Subway, Dommino’s and other local fast food joints

d.      If you chose to stay in an apartment / hostel at your destination, you may cook your food there itself

e.       Try some European delicacies like Cheese Fondue etc. Try to get a break from Indian food as well for some time. Remember you are in Europe exploring some new culture and food ???

8.      Always keep an eye on your finances. Europe is really expensive and your purse can get empty pretty fast if you don’t manage your finances well.

A Euro Trip can be a trip of a lifetime provided you plan well and are open to a culture much different from India. Surely, you shall be back with memories to cherish for life.

Bon Voyage…!!!!!