You can approach the planning of a trip in a number of ways.  For me I narrow it down to where I roughly want to go and then figure out how much it will cost.  From here I can add or subtract locations or side trips.  As I'm currently beginning to plan a trip to Europe I thought I might walk through the process and demonstrate at least how I begin to put a trip together. Be aware that all the costs listed here are from internet searches I did on January 30^th and should be understood to be just examples of potential prices.

   Recently my Dad (who has never been to Europe) asked me to go with him and show him around at the end of April.  After prodding for specifics his only request was that it be Italy, Spain or Germany.  With only about 10 days to spend overseas I decided against Germany.   Although Germany is probably my favorite country in Europe, Italy or Spain can really give the first time traveler to Europe a sense of being in Europe in a small amount of time.  In Italy you have the normal circuit of Rome, Florence and Venice all within relatively close proximity to each other, making for easy and quick train travel.  In Spain, my favorite cites Barcelona, Girona, Granada, Seville and Madrid, are likewise relatively close and inexpensive. Personally, there is so much about Germany I love which is at different ends of the country a quick 7-10 day trip would not be enough time. 

The important part is choosing where to land:

  With my location narrowed down and trip duration in mind I begin with the most important part of a trip to Europe, the flight. 

   Continue Reading