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- On my first trip to Europe, I visited 11 countries in just one month.
- I had an amazing time, but also made some mistakes that cost money and added unnecessary stress.
- If I could do my trip again, I’d pack detergent pods, invest in a large backpack, and eat out less.
I always wanted to travel the world.
As a child, I fantasized about adventuring to places I’d see in movies, meeting new people, and expanding my horizons beyond the city I was born and raised in.
Growing up, though, travel was only viewed as a necessity reserved for family emergencies.
It wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I was able to make my dream come true. After a demanding three months at work, I decided to treat myself to a monthlong European trip.
Before this trip, I had never been to Europe. I’ve lived in Canada my whole life and mainly just traveled within North America. This spring, though, I took a leap of faith and ended up visiting 11 countries in a span of four weeks.
I went to Turkey, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia on my own, and then met my partner for a second leg in Austria. Together, we visited Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.
I saved money by staying in hostels, using a Eurail pass, and even traveling on red-eye buses. I can honestly say that this was the trip of a lifetime — but there were some things I wish I had done differently.
I didn’t pack proper shoes.
Many of the videos I had watched while preparing for this trip emphasized the importance of wearing walkable shoes — so, I packed a pair of Birkenstock sandals and some New Balances.
What I hadn’t realized was that the streets in some older towns, like Hvar, Split, and Dubrovnik in Croatia, were made of stone. This meant that whenever it rained (it did!), the streets became very slippery and took a while to dry.
My go-to shoes didn’t have proper traction, making me very prone to slipping on rainy days. Thankfully, I was very careful and narrowly avoided some falls, but I saw a few tourists who weren’t as lucky.
Travel-sized laundry detergent would’ve saved me money and stress.
Something I didn’t realize about staying in hostels was how expensive it would be to do laundry.
A few places had washing machines, but in some cities, I had to track down laundromats.
The costs started adding up, especially when I had to spend extra money on detergent at my Berlin hostel.
If I’d thought to travel with a packable detergent like Tide Travel Sink Packets — which cost under $7 for three at Walmart — I would’ve been stressed about one less thing.
I should have taken advantage of local grocery stores and bakeries instead of eating out so often.
I was on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, so in the moment, I was more than willing to shell out a little extra money for a local delicacy or fancy restaurant.
Once I got home, though, I realized my meals had really added up.
Throughout the entire trip, I only visited grocery stores and bakeries a handful of times — mainly in smaller towns in Croatia (where dining options felt more limited), and in Budapest, whenever I felt a bit peckish after dinner.
I loved those experiences, though, and wish I’d had them in the other cities I visited.
Checking out foreign grocery stores felt like seeing a slice of life in another part of the world: I got to chat with locals as they grabbed a pastry on their way to work, and watch families on their grocery run.
A large backpack would’ve been a worthwhile investment.
On my trip, nothing humbled me more than having to trek up stairs and haul my bags back and forth while I watched backpackers navigate their way with ease.
When I got home, my calves looked defined from weeks of climbing up stairs with a duffel bag and some luggage.
Using and investing in a great backpack, instead of a duffel, would have made this experience much more painless — and it also might have pushed me to get rid of things I truly didn’t need, like my makeup bag.
I overplanned a lot of my days.
My biggest mistake, ironically, was being too prepared.
In some cities, I overplanned my days down to the most minute details. Now that my trip’s over, I’ve learned that it’s one thing to map out routes and restaurants — but it’s another to feel like you’re constantly in a rush to make it to the next activity.
One of the best parts about my trip was having unplanned days to walk around, enjoy my surroundings, and naturally discover things.
My partner and I spent a good two days walking around parks in Amsterdam with no real agenda. We ended up finding an amazing Italian restaurant near Vondelpark, and had one of the best meals on our trip.
On my next trip, I plan to give myself a lot more free time.
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