<![CDATA[IT'S EXPENSIVE TO MAKE MISTAKES. LEARN FROM MINE. - Travel]]>Tue, 21 Sep 2021 04:24:45 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Safe and cheap travel to Europe for first-timers - How I did mine]]>Sun, 08 Jul 2018 09:54:55 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/safe-and-cheap-travel-to-europe-for-first-timers-how-i-did-mine
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Photo: View from Mount Fløyen in the city of Bergen, Norway

7 tips for first time Europe travellers

Travelling to Europe can be very expensive. However, with careful planning, you can save a lot. In my case, to be able to visit 13 cities within budget, I had to plan the dates that would give me the most affordable modes of transport. I had to work out which city to travel first before the next one, and whether I needed to catch a plane or train to my accommodation. I also had to decide how long I needed to stay in a city before I prepare for the next one. You will see how the savings are made as I go through the seven tips below.


Before booking your plane ticket or accommodation in Europe:

1. Make a list of all the things you want to accomplish and places you want to see. You may have heard some people talk about a place they visited. You may have seen photos or travel videos of beautiful places to visit. Research about the city that you want and the things and places that it is known for. It could be a historical building like the Colosseum in Rome or the fjords in Norway. Since I was a kid, I always wanted to go to Denmark because I was fascinated by what I read about Hans Christian Andersen and Beowulf. So when I heard about a short exchange study program to Denmark for my law degree, I applied straight away.

You will need a map of Europe to work out the order of your travel. For example, travelling from Denmark to Sweden, then to Norway is geographically logical. Since these countries are neighbours, you can easily catch a train from Copenhagen to Stockholm, then to Oslo. Just note that sometimes there are special flight deals that are cheaper than trains or buses and you only get to know about these deals while you're in Europe. So before you book travels within Europe, just compare prices with other modes of transport (train, bus or plane).

Since majority of my time was in Denmark, I made Copenhagen and Aarhus my base cities. This meant that I could leave my luggage either in Aarhus or Copenhagen while I went travelling around Europe (thank you for my Airbnb host in Aarhus for looking after my luggage). You don't want to be dragging a heavy luggage while you hop from one city to another. Having a base city for me also meant that I would be flying out from Copenhagen back to Australia. Another option that other people do is to book a one-way ticket to their first stop in Europe and they work out which city to fly out back to their home country after they finalise their list of cities to visit while in Europe.


2. Set a budget. Say you only have $7,000 to spend. After listing all the cities you want to visit, it is time to work out the estimated costs. You may have to sort your list in Step 1 above in order of priority or importance and geographical location. For me, the cities of Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense in Denmark were the first three. Then Stockholm, Oslo and Bergen, which are all located in Scandinavia.

Deduct the cost of the return airfare. You're left with money for accommodation, food, transport within Europe, shopping money and everything else. You can research online about the cheapest airfare or use your travel agent. I used Webjet to compare prices and then went to my travel agent to see if she can find a cheaper one or match the ones I found online. Once the main return plane ticket is booked, it's time to book your accommodation for the must-see cities. My host institution was Aarhus University in Aarhus, Denmark so I had to book my accommodation via Airbnb for the dates I needed to be in Aarhus, including my stay in Copenhagen for a few days. My accommodation for the first three cities was booked before leaving Australia. I left the rest of trip to finalise when I got to Europe.


After booking your plane ticket and main accommodation:

3. Research the average cost of a meal and one night accommodation for each city. If you know how much a meal cost and a night's stay in each European city that you want to visit, you can calculate how many days you can afford to stay in each of them. You will also know, approximately, how much you will have left for shopping, cruises, and everything else. Depending on your circumstances, you may or may not book your accommodation for the third or fourth city you want to visit before leaving home. For example, I decided to book my Stockholm accommodation before I left Australia to ensure that I would have that particular Airbnb place that I wanted for the dates I needed. I booked the rest of my Europe trip while I was in Denmark, which was my first stop. I recommend not to book your whole Europe trip in advance because you may get special fare deals for plane, train and bus tickets while you're in Europe which you may not necessarily know or hear about until you arrive in Europe. For example, while I was at Aarhus University in Denmark, someone told me about a crazy flight deal for only AU$13 from Aarhus to Hamburg. I could not believe it. So yes, you can book the first couple or few cities then wait until you get to Europe to book the rest of your trip.


Once you are in Europe:

4. Book the rest of your trip (accommodation and transport). You may meet some people along the way, from or not from Europe, who may have visited or who are also going to some of the cities that you want to visit. This is an opportunity for exchange of ideas. You may not necessarily travel with them but you can certainly share tips and ideas on what to check out in each city and what to watch out for. I prefer personal experiences shared by someone I met more than reading some of these things online. Also, the things that you read online may not be as detailed as shared by the people who are from Europe or who spent time there, long enough to know the safe and not so safe places.

I spent a day organising my travel dates, modes of transport and accommodation for each city. To be able to visit 13 cities within budget, I had to plan the dates that would give me the most affordable modes of transport from one city to another and from the airport or train station to my accommodation, and then to the next airport or train station to the next city.


5. For first time Europe travellers, try to stick to the main or big cities. Travelling to Europe for the first time can be a little daunting but you don't want to let that stop you from going on an adventure and explore the world. There will always be risks in travelling but you can minimise them by sticking to the main cities. Why? Firstly, it's because many people have been there and there are heaps of articles and blogs about them about what to watch out for; Secondly, transportation from one big city to another is relatively easy and available; Thirdly, booking an accommodation is not difficult because there are heaps of Airbnb places and hotels available; The fourth reason is that the main city almost represents the main culture for a particular country so if you experience the big city, you experience the country (sort of); Lastly, there are always other tourists in the big cities so you feel like travelling with them and not alone. It is also relatively safer because I noticed when I was in Europe that tourists tend to help other tourists too.

Once you get a taste of what Europe is like by its main or big cities, then you can decide to check out the smaller ones, either towards the end of your trip or your next Europe trip.


6. Use accommodation that has good reviews. I used Airbnb for my accommodation because they have a feedback or review system from other travellers. This is important for first-timer Europe travellers because you don't have a lot of reliable information. Most Airbnb hosts will actually help you how to get to their place and will also recommend places, restaurants and things to do in their city.

Your Airbnb hosts that have good reviews are a very good and reliable source of information. They are locals and they know better than anyone else. Ask them as many questions as you have to.


7. Book a free-city walking tour in advance before you arrive at your next city. Most cities in Europe have free-walking tours conducted daily. They are actually tip-based so if you're happy about the tour you can tip the tour guide at the end of the tour. There is no obligation to give but most people give anyway. Tips range from 5 to 20 euros. The tour guides are friendly and you can ask them for directions, good restaurants and bars that won't rip you off. During the tour, they also give you a bit of history lesson. I absolutely recommend these types of tours because you will save time trying to figure out which places to check out in each city. Remember that you have limited time and money. Use them wisely.

By knowing when you arrive at your next city and also the times of the walking tour, you can decide beforehand whether to check-in to your accommodation first or go straight to the walking-tour from the airport or train station. Consider going to the walking tour first if you don't have a lot of luggage. By doing this, you optimise your time and also save on accommodation because you don't have to check in earlier than you have to.
]]><![CDATA[Odense, Denmark]]>Tue, 20 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/odense-denmarkOdense is the third largest city in Denmark. This is the home city of the famous Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.
]]><![CDATA[Copenhagen, Denmark]]>Mon, 19 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/copenhagen-denmark1576539
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This girl, I walked an hour for you

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]]><![CDATA[Amsterdam, Netherlands]]>Sun, 18 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/amsterdam-netherlandsThis is definitely a very interesting city to visit. Come see for yourself.
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Just another morning in Amsterdam

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]]><![CDATA[Hamburg, Germany]]>Sun, 18 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/hamburg-germany
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Alster Lake in Hamburg

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]]><![CDATA[Florence, Italy]]>Sat, 17 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/florence-italyThis is one of the most beautiful cities I visited in Europe.
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‘Freedom Arvo’ Arno river, Florence

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]]><![CDATA[Rome, Italy]]>Sat, 17 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/rome-italyThis is one of my most exciting trips because I got to see a lot of historical and famous places like the Coliseum, Pantheon, St Peter's Basilica, Vittoriano, Trevi Fountain, among others. I must tell you that Rome is full of tourists so allow some time to get to places. Plan your day and book tickets online rather than spending hours on queues. Also, beware of scams. There are people who will let you hold their selfie sticks and you'll find out later on that you have to pay for them. I didn't fall into their trap because I heard about this scam and also read about it online.
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Inside Pantheon in Rome

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]]><![CDATA[Milan, Italy]]>Sun, 11 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/milan-italyMilan is a beautiful city, full of beautiful and friendly people. There are also a lot of tourists here so it would be good to meet people from other parts of the world. I recommend to use the free walking tour service. It's tip-based so if you're happy with the tour guide, you can give him or her a tip after the tour. Tip ranges between 5 to 50 euros.
There are a lot of plaza squares in Italy which they call 'piazza.' This one in Milan is called Piazza San Fedele
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Piazza San Fedele in Milan

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]]><![CDATA[Milan, Italy]]>Sun, 11 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/milan-italy3820109Italy is home to a lot of magnificent church architectural works. One of them is Milan Cathedral which was just a stunning piece of art.
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Duomo di Milano or Milan Cathedral

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]]><![CDATA[Prague, Czech Republic]]>Wed, 07 Feb 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://renelopeque.com/travel/prague-czech-republicI caught a train from Berlin to Prague. I recommend when travelling between cities, choose the train if you have the option because you get the chance to see more en route your destination.
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On my way to Prague from Berlin

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