Tour companies and travel agencies will put together packages for you of sampler tours where you can visit four to seven countries in 10 to 15 day excursions. This offers new travelers a taste of each country and it major highlights, without getting too focused on one region. Most general Europe travel packages will be this sampler kind of tour. To see one particular country more intently, consider in-depth tours or single country visits.
Cosmos, Nawas, Rick Steves and other agencies also offer themed tours for unique festivals or events, such as the 2010 Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. These trips may be two to three weeks long, but include other sightseeing beyond the main focus. Other trips like these are Rhineland tours, Castle tours and Art and Architecture tours.
In-depth trips will be upwards of three weeks, usually lasting about 25 to 30 days. These tours allow you to spend four or five days exploring a particular city such as Venice, Paris or Prague rather than one or two. If you have the money and the stamina, this is a fantastic way to see a little of everything in one shot.
In addition to group and individual tours, planning your own itinerary is an appealing prospect when you want to tailor your travel to very specific sights, including the less popular destinations around Europe. Use the sample itineraries of a tour company as a starting place, grab your map and guidebook and plan away. Booking airlines, hotels and transportation together can save you money and maximize your connections between destinations.
Pricing out your trip in advance and saving up money for the trip costs and the extras--spontaneous excursions, meals and souvenirs--helps you decide how far and how long you can afford to travel. Compare rates on flights at different times or from airline hub cities that may win you cheaper tickets. Plan your trip during "shoulder" season--late spring like April and May and early fall, September and October, just before and after the high travel summer season when all the costs rise.
Also, you need to know yourself and how much travel you can handle at once. Planning a 28-day trip for your first venture to Europe might fit you perfectly. However, many of us start craving our own bed and the lack of luggage toting from place to place after about two weeks. In order to keep a trip on your "Best" list, think about how long you want to stay and what particular accommodations that requires in your planning.
