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What Travel Documents Do You Need?
Just like some people need to a visa to come to Australia and some don’t, you have to figure out similar guidelines as an outgoing Australian traveler. Australia is working on making it easier for people to get their required documentation with programs like the Australia online visa, but what about you as a woman going to Europe?
The Schengen area is 26 countries in Europe with similar requirements for entrance and exit. You can move around freely among these countries without visas for each individual country or going through border controls.
These countries include some of the most frequently visited such as France, German, Greece,and Italy.
For Australians, you don’t need a visa to travel to countries in this area for up to 90 days in 180 days. Some of the countries not part of the Schengen area include the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, and Montenegro.
The Flights
The high season in Europe is in summer,for the most part, so you may want to travel in Australian summer months to save money on your flights since Europe destinations will be less in demand. Any school holidays will see you likely paying high flight fares. The airport you leave from won’t likely make much of a difference in pricing, but Sydney will give you the most options.
How to Get Around Once You’re There?
Throughout most of Europe, you should avoid taxis and even Uber. Cities in Europe tend to have outstanding and very reliable transportation. It’s the most efficient way to get around in nearly all situations. There can be a lot of traffic, small, narrow streets and cab fares are expensive in general in Europe.
You can use public transportation within cities, and also as you travel between cities and even countries. You can book your train travel ahead of time online, but sometimes it’s better to book with an attendant at the train station. When you’re traveling by train, you have to validate your ticket ahead of time,or you may have to pay fines.
Booking Sites Ahead of Time
If you’re traveling to Europe’s major tourist cities, such as London, Paris,and Rome, particularly during Europe’s high season, you should either book tours that include tickets to attractions or reserve your tickets ahead-of-time. Many of the museums and most popular sites will include options to book the time you’ll arrive so you can skip the lines, although you may pay a slightly higher fee.
If you wait until you’re there, you can likely plan on waiting in lines that hours long or you may not be able to go in at all.
Book whatever you can in advance.
Leave the Tourists Areas
If there’s one favor you can do yourself in Europe, it’s venturing away from the tourist areas. Give yourself time to get lost in the real neighborhoods and side streets of Europe. This is especially important when you’re looking for food and restaurants. In Europe, the eateries around tourist hot spots tend to be busy, inauthentic and expensive.
Pack Appropriately
Overpacking for a trip to Europe is never a good idea. You’re much more likely to have to carry your luggage up flights of steps, even in hotels. Most apartments and hotels don’t have elevators. You’re also going to be walking along cobblestone streets and taking your luggage to train stations and storing it on the trains.
Don’t Try to See Everything
The flight from Australia to Europe is a long one, and it can be pricey so there’s a temptation to want to see everything you can. You may try to pack in four or five cities or maybe even countries in a week or two. The result, aside from feeling exhausted, is that you never get a real feel for any of them.
Minimize where you want to go and spend more time in each location. Don’t try to do too many location changes or day trips because it’s going to take away from the quality of your experience.