If you’re thinking of visiting Europe, you certainly have no shortage of countries to choose from. Europe is extremely diverse with over forty different countries to enjoy, each with their own cultures, languages, cuisines, histories, tourist attractions and more.
If you’re traveling to Europe from the U.S. then you’ll want to see as much of the continent as possible. And, the best part is that it’s well-connected by air, train and even buses in some parts, so seeing as many countries as you want to shouldn’t be much of a problem. We’ve listed some of the pros and cons of multinational trips to Europe for you to ponder before you decide where to go.
The Pros
1. Rail Travel
If you want to see as much as Europe as possible, train travel is the best way to do it. Most European capital cities will be connected to others by rail; even the UK which is an island has an underwater rail route that can take you straight to Paris in just a few hours.
It’s certainly one of the best ways to get around; the tickets are often cheaper than flying, it’s better for the environment, and you get to admire the views from the carriage window as you go. Check out https://rail.ninja/route/berlin-to-prague for more information on the train route from Berlin to Prague.
2. Ease of Movement
If the countries that you’ve decided to visit are in the European Union, then you should enjoy some ease of movement as you travel. Take advantage of the twenty-six countries in the Schengen area, which include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and many more.
When traveling between these countries you will not need to go through customs at the airport; you can just get on with exploring. You can go straight from Sweden to explore tailor-made tours to Spain for 2021 with ease.
3. Save Money
Perhaps one of the best things about a multinational European trip is that you’ll get to save money in the process. Finding a fight to another European country or getting the train across the border is far cheaper than visiting the two or more destinations on different trips.
And, traveling across borders in Europe is easier than ever. You can find really cheap train tickets between countries that are located next to one another and the journey isn’t usually that long either. For example, you can get to Stockholm from Oslo in just a few hours, or get a bus from Budapest to Prague.
The Cons
1. Changing Currencies
For the most part, European countries will accept the Euro – so if you’re only traveling to countries where this is the main currency, you are going to be fine; you won’t need to switch to a different currency before you travel.
On the other hand, if you plan to visit Poland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Croatia, Denmark, Romania, the UK or the Czech Republic, you will need to change your currency as these countries do not use the Euro. If you’re going to be visiting these countries, it might be best to get a travel card that you can use anywhere.
2. It Can Be Tiring
There’s no denying that all the country-hopping and travelling can get tiring, but that being said it’s certainly worth it. When planning your multi-destination trip to Europe, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get between destinations and rest when you get there, so you don’t end up rushing around unable to take everything in.
Before you go, do some research on train, bus and flight journeys to determine how much time you need to allow for travel. If you can, get a sleeper train and travel overnight so that you arrive at your next destination refreshed in the morning.
3. So Much to Do
So much to do, and so little time! The last con is that Europe is massive, so there’s not going to be enough time for you to explore it all, even if you spend years there. The best thing to do is make a list of your must-see and must-dos so that you don’t miss out on the main bucket list stuff at least, especially if your trip isn’t a very long one.
Where will you travel on your European adventure?
