5 Essential Tips For First-Time Travellers To Europe

Cape Town, , April 4, 2010  – Challenges facing first-time travellers to Europe inspired Tess’ European Travel Blog that was launched as a fun guide for young adults. While planning her first trip to Europe, Tessa found that the information on official websites did not always prepare travellers for the reality of what they would experience. “Real-life experiences from other travellers are far more valuable in preparing you for what to expect than the edited information from official sources. Many websites and travel companies make promises they can’t or don’t keep, fellow travellers will always tell you the truth,” says Tessa. Her blog covers everything from travel budget planning and booking flights, to transport within Europe and great places to visit.

Tessa encourages readers to share their own tips and advice and comment on her blog posts. She says: “No matter how carefully you plan, there is always the chance that something will go wrong or you will miss something amazing. Only someone who has visited your chosen destination, or booked a trip similar to yours can tell you what to look out for – good and bad. I find travel forums and tips from everyday travellers to be the most useful. Travellers, especially young ones, love to explore so they’re a great resource for finding new places to visit and things to try.”

Covering every step of the travel process from your budget to which sights to visit, Tess’ European Travel Blog mentions five top tips to help you start your travel planning:

1. Set a realistic date for your trip, figure out how much you can save each month and use this to determine your travel budget. If you don’t, you’ll never go.

2. Research, research, research. Planning an overseas trip takes time, but you need to look at all your options. Don’t choose the first option you find, shop around.

3. Google “customer reviews” of companies you want to book with. Although you can’t take every review too seriously, they give you a general idea of whether you want to use the company or not. 

4. Make a list of the essentials – the things you simply have to do. Find out the average cost and work it into your travel budget. It’ll give you a good idea of how much money you have to work with.

5. Don’t discount flying from place to place within Europe. It can actually be cheaper than the famous Eurail and it’s quicker.

Young first-time travellers don’t always have the luxury of travelling to Europe and just “winging it”. For most, a tight travel budget determines what you can see or do and you need to be prepared for any mishaps along the way. That’s why finding out what to expect is so important. Tess’ European Travel Blog aims to provide useful travel tips as well as provide a platform for other traveller’s to give advice and make comments. You can easily register on the blog to leave comments and get regular updates.