10 Ways to Prepare Before Going to Europe

I've been traveling to Italy every summer since I was a baby. Each trip has given me new insights on what to do on the next one. I put together 10 Ways to Prepare Before Going to Europe. These are useful tips that you could use before heading to Italy or pretty much anywhere in Europe.

If you have never been to Italy or Europe before, you should definitely follow these tips because they are not at all hard to do and they can be real useful.

 

 

• Offline Maps

 

• • • Before going to Europe, please get the app google maps or CityMaps2Go (if you don’t already have it). It is easy to download whatever area of Europe that you will be traveling to. The reason why I would recommend doing this is because it works offline, which is insanely useful because you would not want to get lost and not have a map that works. This assures you that no matter what, wifi or no wifi, you will be guaranteed to find where you are going.

 

• Language

 

• • • If you don’t know how to speak any European language, I would recommend downloading the app Duolingo (it’s free) because it can teach you some of the language before your trip. Don’t wait to get this app last minute, it can be useful to start practicing weeks before, that way you can communicate with the locals in their native language.

• Save space on your phone for pictures

 

• • • I always have storage problems on my phone because I take one too many pictures. If you get a chance (and you have low storage), I would recommend deleting pictures (or whatever else is taking up space on your phone)  so that you have enough room to take photos while travelling. I use the app google photos to backup my entire camera roll. This makes sure that everything is safely backed up there and I can clear my camera roll leaving me enough room for memory.

 

• Transportation

 

• • • If you are a foreigner to Italy or Europe in general, you probably would have a tough time navigating where to go. But if you brush up on your Italian a bit (by learning some phrases), have a map downloaded on your phone, and you’ve done some research about getting around with the transportation there, you should be good to go. In Italy, if you don’t have a car, most people usually take the train to get from one city to the next, or even a bus. Find some videos on Youtube or articles on the internet to read into getting around in Italy. But for the most part (wherever you go) you will be walking A LOT because that’s just how it goes in Europe.

 

• Suitcase

 

• • • Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to be packing your suitcase a day or two before travelling. Whether you are going for a week or a month, you need time to plan out what you should or should not bring with you. It’s definitely not fun when you find out that your suitcase is above the weight limit so you have to pay $$$$.  Organize yourself and get it all together at least a week before that way you won’t get stressed out and forget anything.

 

• Passport

 

• • • Before going anywhere international you MUST have a passport. Always make sure that your passport is up to date and isn’t expired and even make a photocopy of it before leaving just in case.

 

• Currency

 

• • • Prior to leaving for Europe, make sure you bring some European currency with you so that once you are there, you will already have the correct currency. I recommend stopping by your bank in advance rather than paying high fees to convert dollars to the currency by an ATM in Europe.

 

• Medications

 

• • • Please bring with you medication you may need on your trip. Although you may be healthy on the way there, you still need to be prepared if you get sick. Are you required to get any shots before traveling? Do you need to refill any of your prescriptions? These are some questions you should ask yourself before heading over to Europe.

 

• Adapter

 

• • • I cannot stress how important it is to get an adapter. It is such an important thing to have with you in Europe because, guess what? If you are from the states, your charger will NOT work in Europe. They have completely different outlets, so buy an adapter before you get there.

If you aren’t a spontaneous person, you should 100% plan your trip ahead of time. You don’t have to go all crazy and make a million reservations, but at least figure out whether you may need a car to rent. Another option is to stay at a hotel  because you don’t want to arrive there not knowing where to go or how to get to your destination. You’ll also find that the closer to when you will be arriving the prices will increase for lodging.  And in some bigger cities, there will be limited availability; especially on weekends.

There you have it, 10 ways to prepare before going to Europe. I hope these things can help you in so many ways because I want you to have the best time when you are visiting magical Europe.