While most people think of Paris, Switzerland, Italy as Europe, it is quite varied in reality. Given the vast expanse, it makes sense to prioritize a region and visit it thoroughly one at a time.
Here are things to know before visiting Europe and deciding where you want to go to
You can broadly think of what excites you the most and then prioritize one country and maybe 1-2 more around it
- Cities- Almost any country, but prominently France, Italy, Hungary, Czechia
- Beaches- Spain, Portugal, France, Italy
- Mountains- Switzerland, Austria, Norway
- National Parks- Croatia, Norway, Slovenia
- Architecture- Italy, France, Hungary for traditional architecture and Scandinavian countries for modern architecture
- Varied landscapes: Iceland, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland
- Northern lights: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland
Best time to visit
Spring and Autumn between Mar- May, Sep- Nov are safe bets and best months to visit. The temperature will be pleasant with minimal rains and snow. In case you want to experience the winter weather and northern lights, December to February is best for Scandinavian countries
Visa
Most countries are part of Schengen zone with single visa enabling you visit all the 29 countries. Countries that need separate visa are
- United Kingdom including England, Ireland. UK visa are easier to get than Schengen visa and have much lower processing times
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Serbia
- Montenegro
- Albania
- North Macedonia
- Kosovo
Getting In and around
The best flight connections are typically between Lufthansa group (Lufthansa, Swiss Air), KLM group (KLM, Air France) and Middle East carriers (Emirates, Etihad)
If you plan to use public transport and stay for more than a week, Eurail pass turns out cheaper. It is valid for long distance train travel, but excludes intra city trams/ metros/ buses with few exceptions. You can explore all Eurail pass options here
For intra city travel, each city has a 24-48 hour card which you can use on public transport
Currency
Euro is the currency that works in most countries, 20 to be precise. Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain accept Euros
Countries that have non-Euro currency are
- Scandinavian countries- Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland accepting own versions of Krone/ krona
- Switzerland- Swiss Franc
- United Kingdom- British Pound
- East European countries- Hungary, Czechia etc.
Euros and cards might still be accepted in large establishments, but better to carry small change in local currency
How much does it cost
There are 3 broad categories of countries with different daily costs you can budget. Please note that all countries are more expensive than India and these are all relative to Europe only
- High cost: $200-250 per day; Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland
- Mid cost: $150-200 per day: Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia
- Lower cost: $100-$150 per day: Czechia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina