Independent travel in Europe – Seven Secrets for Success by Karen Bryan<\/p>\n
You may end up actually seeing very little. I think it
\nis better to see more of fewer countries\/regions and see them properly.
\nYou may not want to stay in one location for your whole trip. However
\nif you choose carefully it may be possible to do several day trips from
\none central location. If you do decide to tour, consider spending at
\nleast two nights in some of your destinations. It can be quite tiring
\nbeing on the move every day, packing and unpacking. <\/p>\n
Driving will give you more flexibility but can be
\ndaunting at times and is not recommended if you mainly wish to visit
\ncities. You may decide to take your own car if you live in Europe. If
\nyou fly you can hire a car. Beware of extra charges for additional
\ndrivers, insurance excesses, airport charges, out of hours charges etc.
\nI always book a hire car through a UK company, with no excess. <\/p>\n
If you use a budget airline try to only book direct
\nflights. If you book a two leg journey, the budget airlines will not
\nassist you, as they only operate a point to point service. Public
\ntransport is pretty good in most of Europe. There are also several
\nbudget airlines you can use between countries e.g. Ryanair and Easyjet.\n <\/p>\n
Use a money belt, hotel safe etc. Do not have all your
\nmoney\/cards in one purse or wallet. If you lose it you are in trouble.
\nThis happened to me when I was in Milan: I was travelling alone and was
\nleft penniless. My credit card company did transfer funds to me but it
\ntook 24 hours! I had to borrow 10 euros from the hotel receptionist.
\nMake sure you have travel insurance and if there is an incident get a
\nwritten report from the local police station, to enable you to make a
\nclaim. Four: Try to learn at least a few words of the language. <\/p>\n
This will be greatly appreciated. My French is what you
\nmight describe as school girl (that was 25 years ago) but I do try when
\nin France. Often I receive the reply in English but at least I tried. I
\nalways apologise if I cannot speak the language. I don’t assume that
\nthe person I am talking to should speak English, I ask in their
\nlanguage if they speak English. As I do have a Scottish accent, I try
\nto speak more slowly and clearly than usual, certainly not raising my
\nvoice. <\/p>\n
You should allow some time just to wander around, enjoy
\na leisurely lunch. You do have to plan an itinerary, or you can just
\nwaste a lot of time, but it doesn’t have to be written in stone! Allow
\nyourself the opportunity to be spontaneous. <\/p>\n
Try to visit some authentic local restaurants, markets,
\nvillages, etc. where you will meet local people, rather than just other
\ntourists. Surely part of the reason for going abroad it to experience
\nat least a little of the local flavour, not just spend all your time
\nwith other tourists. <\/p>\n
This may mean that you miss out on a charming
\nestablishment you come across in your travels, (you could always stay
\nthere on your other trip). However it will mean that you don’t waste
\nprecious time going from hotel to hotel trying to find a room, having
\nto arrive early enough at your next destination to look for
\naccommodation. I am not even convinced that you save money by last
\nminute searches. <\/p>\n