Research the countries and cities you want to visit weeks to months before you depart on your trip. Many attractions require reservations and higher admission fees for nonresidents. You also need to calculate how long travel time is between the cities and the duration you want to stay in each location. If the sister city to your U.S. home is in Europe, try to visit. There might be interesting historical significance between your home and its sister city. For example, Chicago has 28 sister cities, which includes Warsaw, Poland and Hamburg, Germany. These relationships are often created as an indication of history and diplomacy.
Create a budget for your trip. Include the admissions prices to museums and attractions, as these expenses tend to be higher for tourists. Overestimate the amount of money to spend on food, souvenirs, lodging and shopping. Many countries charge an exit tax that you must pay to leave the country. Research which countries charge this exit tax and the amount they charge. Set aside this money, so that you do not spend it during your trip.
Read a travel book on the culture, common behavior, safety of the area and best places to stay, eat and see. Travel books also inform you of the scams that many locals run on tourists. As a rule, a stranger never wants to help you out because he is a nice person. For example, a person might approach you at the train station offering to get you a discount on tickets because he knows the teller and the language. However, it is unlikely that he would want to do this for someone he does not know, and he will end up charging you more when he requests payment later on.
Write down the location of every U.S. Embassy in all of the countries and cities you are visiting. If you get into a bad situation, such as your property is stolen, you are harassed or mugged, you lose your passport or you are discriminated against in another way, the U.S. Embassy protects your rights as a U.S. citizen. They can give you advice and provide the correct paperwork to help you to solve your problem.
Protect your identification and valuable items at all times --- whether on the train, in your hostel or walking downtown. Many people travel with a secure passport holder under their shirt. Make sure your property is visible to you at all times. Thousands of tourists visit Europe each year. Some locals have made a business out of stealing money, wallets, bags and other valuables from ill-informed tourists.
