But a trip to Europe is a very different beast. Yes, I've seen package deals to Paris...but to me, that isn't a trip to Europe...that is a trip to Paris. A trip to Europe is an in-depth endeavor that takes months, sometimes even years to plan. Oh, but how fun that planning is!
In 2004, I took my 3 daughters to Europe for 21 days...that trip was 4 years in the making. I bought every guidebook I could get my hands on, watched every television show I could find, and surfed the internet as much as was available back in those days. The end result was an amazing and memorable trip that had it's share of ups and downs. I learned so much from that trip that is going to make this upcoming trip even better!
This August, I will be taking my boys to Europe for 24 days. We will be hitting some of the places I went on my first trip, but have tweaked it to fit Mike's and Matt's interests. They are both huge WW2 buffs, so Berchtesgaden, Berlin, and Normandy are in; and Matt LOVES Spain, so we are planning 5 days there. What are we cutting? Amsterdam, Venice, and Nice.
The planning for this trip has been quite intense. I haven't bought as many guidebooks, because I fell in love with Rick Steves' travel philosophy, and those are pretty much the only guidebooks I need (although I have bought a Rough Guide and a DK). For this trip...the internet has been where it's at. You can go to TripAdvisor and get reviews on any hotel or b&b anywhere. You can rent apartments at VRBO (vacation rentals by owner). You can go to RickSteves.com and ask questions of expert travelers...just make sure you have thick skin...some of them can be pretty rude. One thing I love to do is go to Google and map out a day of our trip. It's crazy...I can figure out how long it will take to walk from one site to another or what restaurants are near our hotel.
Yes, the internet has revolutionized travel planning...but there is a downside. I keep messing with my trip! I change things all the time. Mike asks me, 'What are you changing now? I thought you had it all planned out.' Then I find something new and change a whole day. Well, today Mike met an elderly woman from Germany at the airport. He told her about our trip and she wrote down somewhere in Berlin she says we HAVE to see. So, he calls me and tells me about it...I research it and she's right...and now I have to rearrange another day!
Happy Travels, Cindy
90 days til we leave for Europe!
