Traveling Through Europe, Part 1

Planning and Budgeting

This is the first in a 3 part series on European travel, with an emphasis on Western Europe. I've written this based on my personal experiences, and in addition to providing motivation, I will guide you through the planning process, budgeting, travel, accomodations, common issues that travelers face, and more. The main topics discussed in this first article are: common types of trips you can take, finding cheap flights, the costs and modes of transportation for traveling between European cities and countries, and railpasses.

World At Your Fingertips
Once you turned 18, you may have started to realize that you had the entire world at your fingertips. If you didn't realize this, don't worry, because now you know. If the place is on this planet, then you can reach it. You can see the pyramids of Egypt, the cathedrals of Italy, the jungles of Africa, and the deserts of the Middle East. The only thing stopping you is yourself. Many people make the sad mistake of trapping themselves in a lifestyle and carreer, and at that point, the idea of packing their bags and going on an adventure can seem utterly impossible. The first step you need to take is making a commitment. Do you want to travel? If the answer is yes, then you need to start planning now. Don't put it off until after college, or after you've got a career, because you'll likely end up in a position where things are too comfortable to disturb. So, if you truly want to travel, the best advice I can give you is: Stop dreaming about it, (plan) and go.

How To Go About Your Trip
The best thing to remember while planning a trip is that the most fun is had when you experience a new place. Riding planes and trains isn't really the fun part. It's interacting with people, working in a new city, partying in a new city, seeing foreign beaches, seeing foreign monuments, and so forth. With that in mind, you have a few different options as far as "how" to go on your trip.