Europe Travel Guide

When you’re moving around from city to city in Europe, you won’t want to lug around a bunch of heavy bags with you. Avoid surprise baggage fees and spare yourself the misery of lugging your heavy bag up 5 floors of rickety staircases (because everywhere we’ve ever stayed in Europe is somehow always on the 5th floor and there is never an elevator). If you’re the rolling bag type, Away Suitcases are as beautiful as they are functional. If you prefer to carry your belongings on your back, we swear by this roomy carry-on backpack!

…and last but not least, don’t forget to pack an outlet converter! We recommend getting a type C converter as this works in most European countries.

Getting around Europe is a breeze and you have plenty of options. For overland travel, intercity bus lines like FlixBus are the cheapest way to get from one place to another. If you’re planning to go to several different locations over the course of a week or two and prefer to take the scenic route, book a Eurail pass, which lets you take the train as many times as you like over a set period of time. It’s not necessarily the cheapest option, but it’s definitely the most enjoyable. For longer distances, you can take budget airlines like RyanAir – sometimes the prices on these airlines are as low as just a few Euros! We’ve included some tips to help you get from place to place in our 2-week Europe itineraries.

Most places in Europe do speak enough English for you to get by. That said, it’s polite to learn a few basic phrases, like please, thank you, hello, and goodbye. Do a little prep before your trip – your effort will go a long way and be much appreciated.

OK, so Europe in the winter is beautiful and not to be missed but boy oh boy is it COLD. Sweaters will become your best friend. Our recommendation LAYER UP. In the summer time expect to have warm sunshine until very late into the evening with a slight breeze if you are staying coastal. With an intense sunshine you will be making sure you did into the crystal blue ocean to cool off.

We thought Italy and it’s regional weather deserved its own little spot.

There are MANY different types of climates so be prepared depending on where you plan to visit. Ranging from mild continental in the Po Valley, to the VERY cold in the Alps, summer sunshine on the Mediterranean coasts and islands, and finally, cool and windy in the Apennines. July and August are the hottest and sunniest months, except in the Alpine region, where thunderstorms in the afternoon are quite frequent.

Our favorite time of the year to travel in Europe is during the winter. As the weather gets colder, the Christmas markets come to life, snow begins to fall, and it’s the perfect time to throw on cozy sweaters, puffy coats, and winter boots and wander through cobblestoned back alleys. With just two weeks of travel time, you can fully experience and immerse yourself in some of the best winter destinations in Europe. Europe in the winter isn’t high season, which means fewer crowds and cheaper prices. But it’s also not low season, so you can expect most tourist attractions to remain open to visitors. Plus, you’ll get to try activities that the summer crowds won’t get to experience, like Christmas markets, holiday decorations, traditional winter foods, and ice skating!