Planning a trip to Europe can be exciting, but it can also feel like a lot. If you're already stressed before you even leave, these tips will help you travel with less pressure and actually enjoy the experience.
Anxiety can appear from nowhere, and it gets all the more amplified when we feel overwhelmed.
If you haven't already, read up on my ultra-essential tips to travel Europe. These tips will help you prepare for your trip to Europe.
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Book in Advance
We always book essential travel accommodations in advance.
I highly recommend that, as it removes a task from your checklist, and it helps you focus on other things because you know you are set to travel and stay in xyz destination.
Great rooms are always booked out in advance. This holds true! Book at least 2 months in advance during shoulder season.
Peak season depends on the destination, but I know that hotel rooms for a New Year's trip in the Alps are booked out in the summer already.
Tickets to landmarks and sights can be arranged before visiting. If you are touring a destination because of that one popular landmark, you will want to book your ticket slot in order to avoid bad surprises. This will greatly reduce your travel stress.
Embrace Slow Travel
Slow travel is when you take your time at a destination. It means to immerse yourself. So, instead of visiting 6 cities in 8 days, you stick to 1–2 cities in 8 days.
I know that many plan a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe, but Europe is a continent and not a country. There is so much to do, see, and experience.
Consider planning more trips to Europe in your life so that you can enjoy a place the way it was intended to.
Keep Offline Options Ready
We have had instances in Europe where we fell into a no internet zone. One that comes to my mind is the Berchtesgaden national park (which is a touristy district) in Southern Germany, and you wouldn't expect that in such a busy place.
What helped was keeping online options downloaded. That means screenshots of online QR tickets, offline maps, and the local language Google Translate pack offline.
Weird technical difficulties can happen, and when it comes to payments, it makes sense to keep cash with you for the just-in-case situation in Europe.
Do You
Forget what your acquaintances, family, and friends told you about Europe and what you should visit and do. Their advice isn't always in your best interest.
Just because someone said that you have to visit the Vatican in Rome because you come from a Catholic background doesn't mean that you should compromise on your dream itinerary.
You don't have to feed your Instagram followers with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or the Big Ben in London just because that's what everybody does.
What if you'd like to see a Moulin Rouge show in Paris instead, or if you'd like to go to the Tate museum in London because you love modern art.
Do you!
Pick Accommodations That Suit Your Needs
If your home is your sanctuary, consider shelling out more for accommodation that suits your needs.
I care about cleanliness, aesthetics, safety, and good customer service. As a result, I'll skip the cheapest available options.
Look out for accommodations that cover all your bases. Do you require Air conditioning in the summer? Do you love a rich breakfast buffet? Do you need a specific pillow to sleep?
Actively look out for the things that you care about and treasure because you are used to a certain lifestyle, and travel should be fun and not a chore.
Learn to Do Nothing & Be in the Now
I know, it's easier said than done. We need to teach ourselves again to do absolutely nothing and to be in the now.
I take a few days to get out of the daily working rush when I'm on vacation. To help me achieve that, I take it slow.
A walk through a lovely town, or a green park, or a beach can help you achieve that. Take a book and read and listen to the wind, or watch the locals go about their day. You are on a vacation, and your job is to do nothing.
Pack Essentials Only
It is so much easier to travel with the bare essentials because there is less stuff that you can lose.
Fewer things, less to carry, and more space for authentic souvenirs.
We used to carry our laptops everywhere so that we could load our SD cards to the laptop. We stopped this because of A. the weight, B. we simply brought more SD cards, and C. we would rather not fall victim to robbers and pickpockets.
Pack wisely.
Travel in the Shoulder Season
Peak season, such as winter or summer in Europe (depending on the area), can be very overwhelming. It's not just the heat that will crush you, but also the over tourism.
If we are not running into busy places to take pictures as proof for you to see the mass tourism, we avoid them.
That's the Oktoberfest in Germany, the Jubilee in Rome, all the overcrowded cute towns in Europe in summer, and so on.
The shoulder season is the most convenient time to visit if crowds give you anxiety.
I'm purposely not saying off season because off-season, in tourist areas, means that nothing is open. That wouldn't make sense either because you have come to see something, right?
Join Small Themed Tour Groups
Large tour groups are consistently the default when you book your spot on a tour, but they are rarely the best option. Larger groups are less flexible, and honestly, they have no benefit.
Picture yourself in a classroom of 40 vs. 10 kids. Which one do you think will be the better choice if you want to learn something? I bet you picked the one with the 10 kids.
Well, the same goes with smaller tour groups, and the smaller the group, the better.
Your ultimate best option, if you value freedom, is to hire a private tour guide. You will be able to ask questions, and you won't feel as overwhelmed with a new destination, and you can coordinate with the tour guide for a restroom break.
The right tour guide will eliminate your travel anxiety completely, and you will finally be able to experience the world as you were meant to.
Your Chill Zone & Routines
When I'm at the airport, I keep a certain playlist on Spotify ready. This reduces my travel stress immensely.
My wife likes to pick a café or food place at the destination where we will hang out after a busy sightseeing day. She will also sit straight up when the plane is landing because she says it helps her ease her mind.
The point is to find something to help you ground yourself when you are facing travel fears during a trip. That can be watching people, listening to music, reading travel quotes, relaxing at a lovely café, or doing an exercise or motion.
Routines can be powerful as well. If you are used to reading the newspaper in the morning, then by all means do that on your trip abroad as well. You don't have to compromise on the things that give you comfort and stability.
Get Travel Smart
Nobody is perfect and all-knowing, and if somebody claims that, they are delusional.
Things can go wrong for various reasons, and there is no point mulling over it. What matters is to move on and to not make the same mistake again.
You will come across scammers in Europe, and the only way to reduce your fear of getting ripped off is to inform yourself about how they operate. If you still got scammed, and you realized it in retrospect, learn to give yourself some grace. It happens to the best of us.
In time, and the more you travel, you will be able to spot the nonsense from afar. You will learn to say no or to not react when somebody throws a bracelet at you while calling you “my friend”.
And armed with this knowledge, you will be much more confident, and the uneasiness will subside.
The more you travel, the easier it gets.
Do Wellness Travel
I think Europe is the best spot for wellness travel. Wellness is the art of caring for your body and soul while on a getaway.
Wellness hotels and thermal spas are the first things that come to my mind, but a wellness trip can also mean a country house vacation, a spiritual trip to a sacred site, or a culinary food trip.
If all other tips fail, focus on doing a wellness trip only. This will give you the confidence again to step out and see the world once more with curious eyes.
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