Ever since my first trip to France at 18, I’ve been enamored with Europe.
Don’t get me wrong, I love exploring the US, but there’s something about leaving the country that helps me dive into vacation mode quickly, since I’m an ocean away from life’s daily stressors.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, I started feeling a familiar itch to travel abroad, so we visited France together two years ago. The following year, we upped the ante and headed to two countries: France and Italy.
When it came time to plan our annual vacation this year, I proposed our most ambitious one yet — three European countries in eight days with a travel day tacked onto both ends — then mapped out a whirlwind itinerary that included two full days in London and two and a half days in both Amsterdam and Paris.
It was an adventure of a lifetime, and we packed so much into a short period of time. Still, I made a few mistakes and learned several important lessons along the way.
I didn’t do enough research on security and customs protocol
When we traveled from London to Amsterdam on the Eurostar train, it took an hour to get through airport-level security and customs. Since I anticipated a similar experience traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, we arrived at the train station extra early, but there was no security checkpoint.
This minor mistake only cost us an hour of wasted time, but I regretted it. I could’ve hopped on an earlier train to Paris had I known that traveling from one EU country to another is a lot easier than entering the European Union from the United Kingdom.
With a tight itinerary, minutes and hours matter, so I learned to pay more attention to security requirements during the planning stage.
I waited too long to book one of my hotels
When looking into Amsterdam hotels, I found one in the city center, right near the main train station. I usually book things well in advance, but this time, I took a gamble and waited to see if the prices would drop.
By the time I went to book my preferred hotel, no rooms were available for my travel dates. As it turns out, there were a few big events in town that week, so rooms filled up quickly.
I’ve had luck finding last-minute deals on Booking.com before, so I took a look and booked another hotel that was a quick train ride away from the city center. Everything worked out, but the experience taught me to always research whether there are major events going on in a city when you’re traveling.
After all, you can always book the hotel when you see it, then cancel the reservation and rebook it if prices drop.
I learned you can’t see everything in one trip, and you don’t have to
When you only have a few days in a city, you’re forced to home in on the must-see items on your bucket list rather than seeing every major tourist attraction. For instance, my husband and I aren’t into art, so we usually skip art museums and seek out cool architecture, beautiful gardens, and meaningful experiences.
When we first started charting our own course on vacation rather than letting the fear of missing out guide us, we worried that we might regret seeing some of the major sights. But we quickly realized that it’s freeing to pick and choose the activities that matter most to you.
In Amsterdam, we could’ve seen the Anne Frank House since it’s a popular tourist spot. Instead, we spent an afternoon at the Heineken Experience in honor of my late father, who adored Heineken.
I don’t drink beer, but it was still incredibly rewarding to enjoy an experience that he never got to have himself.
Walking is often the best way to see a city — but don’t be a hero
Whenever I travel, I prefer to see new cities on foot rather than spending time (and money) on public transportation.
Since we only had two days in London, my husband and I took the scenic route to Kensington Palace and walked an hour from our hotel.
On a nice day, it would’ve been a lovely walk through a gorgeous park, but London’s weather is unpredictable. It ended up being rainier and windier than we’d expected, making the stroll pretty miserable.
Sure, we could’ve popped into the nearest train station, but the intermittent rain lulled us into a false sense of security. Next time, I’ll hop on a train instead, even if it means missing out on seeing a pretty park.
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