London Tube’s Escalator

With the weather warming up around the world, this is one of the best times of year to visit Europe. The summer months bring visions of rugged cliffs, rolling green hills, and vibrant pubs while enjoying a pint. One of the most important parts of a trip to Europe is after you get there: getting around. Whether you’re spending all of your time in one country or traveling to a few different countries, you’ll want to follow some guidelines for quick and efficient travel around Europe.

Book far in advance: That’s right, make sure you’re planning weeks and even months in advance. And not just planning in advance, but booking in advance. Odds of prices going up are going to increase as the time to your trip becomes weeks and days. This means not just getting your plane ticket, but also going ahead and trying to reserve as much of your transportation as possible. Book these things during the weekdays, since this is the off-peak booking time and when prices are typically cheaper. Not to mention, this will allow you to get reservations for the times you want them.

Book online when possible: This isn’t the case every time when traveling, but often in Europe you can save a lot of money by booking online, rather than in person. Even booking a train ticket online the day of a trip can be cheaper than if you walked up to the ticket booth on the day of travel. As I mentioned above, the further in advance you buy tickets, the cheaper it’ll be and the better chance of getting the times you want, since this is a busy time of year to be traveling to Europe.

Make use of rail travel: Europe features a very connected rail system. Not to mention it’s faster. This isn’t like many American trains that make a lot of stops and never get up to full speed. Europe features several different rail providers. Do your research and consider mixing and matching rail travel with air travel.

Fly between countries: Of course the fastest way to get around is by air. If you’ve never been to Europe, then you may think that this will be a major expense. That’s not the case if you do your homework. Flying within Europe can often be one of the cheapest ways to get around if you book your flights far enough in advance. Consider this when flying between countries and when you won’t be renting a car.

Take the bus only when you have to. We’re talking about quick and efficient travel here; so taking the bus should be your last option. Riding the bus may be your cheapest way of getting around, but your travel time is going to be multiplied. If you have to do bus travel, we recommend doing it within cities and not for long cross-country trips. If you plan correctly, you can get a rail ticket or flight that isn’t much more expensive than taking the bus.