I went on the Summer Europe Trip 2019 and had one of the greatest experiences of my life. I not only went to 6 countries that I had never been to but I was able to meet and become friends with so many people. Even though the trip was as great as it was I wanted to create a list of the things that I wish I had known before traveling abroad.
At the time of the trip I was 21 years old and was going to be an upcoming Senior in the fall.

1. Pack Lightly. I know this term can be difficult to understand because it’s so subjective but if you can, try as pack as lightly as possible. I packed way too many clothes that I just never wore. You should be able to get away with packing one pair of dress shoes and a couple pants and dress shirts and a suit. In terms of having casual clothes, you really don’t need that many. Two shorts and a few shirts will suffice. Trust me this may not seem like that much but you will realize on the trip that you will not go through as many clothes as you think you will.
2. Get a credit card. I did not bring a credit card and I wish I had. I brought my debit card on the trip which was a visa and worked fine in every country we were in but unfortunately I broke the card in half on the third day of the trip. Luckily, I was able to find some tape and repair the card but if I had taken a credit card I could have used that and only relied on the debit card as a backup.
3. Bring Cash. The advice I received was not to bring any cash but to rely simply on your credit or debit card because you don’t want to be stuck continuously exchanging money. After going on the trip I don’t agree with that advice because 4 out of the 6 countries that we went to used the same currency. I wouldn’t bring a ton of money but 300 dollars as well as using your credit card should work out well. Having cash on hand will make it easy for you to do transactions and you won’t have to continuously get hit with an international bank fee every time you make a purchase which comes from using your credit card. Also in regards to exchanging currency– the task is pretty simple. There are an ample amount of places to get Euros, Pounds, or Franks.
4. Bring a Neck Pillow. On this 3 week journey you will spend a lot of time on a bus and a neck pillow will become your best friend when it may be difficult to get comfortable. Someone gave me this advice before I left and it was a worthwhile purchase. Also the neck pillow will be beneficial on your flight to and from Europe.
5. Sparkling Water. Many countries that we visit love to use sparkling water when you simply ask for water so when asking for water at a restaurant make sure you clarify that you want “still water”. Also water is going to be a charge at restaurants and is never free like it is in the states.
6. Bring a water bottle. You’ll want to fill your water up everyday and not have to rely on always buying water at every place you stop.
7. Be open-minded. Europe is similar but very different from the US. People have different cultures and carry themselves differently. Be open to a different way of going about life and make sure to come free of expectations and just enjoy the moment.
8. Go to the local grocery stores. Eating out all the time is expensive especially in Europe so make sure that some days and nights that you utilize the grocery stores and search for a cheap meal to save money.
9. Bring a journal. You won’t remember everything on the trip so bring a journal to log what you did on certain days. You’ll appreciate looking back and seeing what you did on certain days.
10. Be curious and safe. Number 1 rule is to be safe but definitely be curious as well. Go tour the cities and explore the different food scenes. Go shopping, go to museums, go to castles. Try and do as much as possible and have fun doing it.

Hope this helps! Hope you enjoy the trip!