I like to distinguish between a trip and a vacation. Trips are about adventure and discovering new places. Vacations are about relaxing and becoming refreshed. When you travel to Europe you are inevitably dealing with jet lag and an overnight flight. You are navigating in a foreign language and currency. These stressful differences don’t lend themselves to the trip being a vacation. But, in our busy lives, we often need our trips to also be our vacations. These planning tips can help you make sure that a European trip is actually a vacation.
Try to Overcome Jet lag
Sleep as much as you can on your overnight flight. Pack and plan well in advance of your trip so you can get lots of sleep the nights leading up to your trip. Try to stay awake your first day in the European city so you can go to bed early and get on the European clock. When you check into your hotel or Airbnb, unpack, take a quick shower, drink some caffeine and go explore the city.
Don’t Cram too Much into Your Time
It’s tempting to try to go to every museum and see every sight while you are on this often once in a lifetime trip. Even if you are doing enjoyable things though, a fast pace as you also navigate all the newness is going to be exhausting.
Ask Yourself What Makes a Relaxing Day at Home for You
Is it sleeping in? Having a leisurely breakfast? Taking an afternoon nap? Reading a good book in the middle of the day? Laughing with your kids while you watch a funny movie? Whatever those things are for you, do them on this trip.
Plan Well Before You Go
I find this especially important in a big city. There are so many options in a city and too many logistics. You shouldn’t plan out every hour of your trip but you should know the things you really want to do. If you haven’t planned, you can’t know that list. If you don’t know that list, you will find yourself doing a bunch of stuff that may not really matter to you. Click here to read more about how I plan my trips.
Good Planning Gives You More Leisure Time
Planning ahead helps you appropriately group the activities that you want to do. Navigating transportation in a big city is typically stressful. When you plan well, you can see a museum and then take that 10 minute walk to the famous sight. No planning will often have you criss crossing the city.
Expectations Are the Key to Happiness
Take the time to examine your expectations. Talk individually to every person in your group about their expectations. I’m currently planning a trip to Amsterdam with my twins who are Juniors in High School over their spring break. They are worn out and exhausted. Even though my daughter loves to go and see constantly on our trips, I am setting the expectation that we are going to make this a much needed vacation. For us, that means no more than one museum a day, leisurely meals, hanging out in parks, and downtime in our Airbnb watching stuff together.
Every guide book and blog says you can do everything in Amsterdam in two to three days and we are there for a week. I was tempted to split our time with a visit to Belgium. However, every time you check into new accommodation, you take one step away from being a true vacation. Unlike our spring break trip to Paris, we are going to NOT see 8 things in our first day. The plan is to savor, enjoy, and come home truly refreshed. Following these six planning tips will help us make this a European vacation and not just a trip.
Here are two great resources planning a trip to Amsterdam:
Helpful blog on train travel – Netherlands Train Travel