Getting Around Europe

There are many different ways to travel through Europe and each one has it's own benefits. Here are a few different ways to get around Europe

Air

Traveling through Europe can be done quickly and at a reasonable rate by plane. There are, of course the major airlines (Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Alitalia, ect.), but there are also some discount airlines that will save you money (in some cases, a lot). Discount airlines include: Easy Jet, Ryan Air, German Wings and Air Berlin. These airlines are very common across Europe and are beginning to put a dent in rail business. The discount liners are very safe, but the are able to operate at a lower cost by cutting out a few things that traditional airlines offer. This can include, but may not always include; reserved seating and complementary food and drink.

One major downside of traveling Europe by air is that you must stick to a schedule. You will have exact times and days that you must come and go from cities. This can be a major turnoff to some.

One thing to note: While it may seem that traveling by plane is always faster then by train, if the distance is not that far, the time from when you arrive at your departing airport until you leave your arrival airport may be longer then the time from then you arrive at your train station til you leave your destination train station. In other words.... because of security and check-in times, flying may take long then a train is the distance is not too great to begin with.

Search the Kayak bar on the top right of this blog. You'll get the lowest airfares across Europe on traditional airlines there!


Train

Trains are always coming and going from every major city in Europe. This way of travel will take much longer then traveling by air, but you will have much greater flexibility in you travel dates (you can walk up to a train station and buy a ticket to leave on any day you want, no advance purchase needed). While riding the train you will be able to see some of Europe's beautiful countryside. If you are able to sleep while traveling taking overnight trains may be a good idea as you will save on hotel costs and will be able to spend more of your time site seeing.

If you plan on traveling Europe for a few weeks or even a few months a rail pass can be very useful. You can get a pass here: http://www.eurail.com/

Seeing Europe by train is ideal for the leisure traveler who doesn't mind spending the extra time going from place to place.

EuroStar is also a place to get train tickets between London and Paris (plus a few other spots).

Bus
Traveling by bus is similar to traveling by train, but slower and less frequent. However, it is usually cheaper.

Car
If you feel comfortable traveling through Europe by car can be an incredible experience. There is no better way to really "get a feel for Europe." When traveling by car you have the option to see virtually anything you want and change your route anytime you want. You will also meet "the locals" very easily this way. Seeing Europe's small towns is a must. This is the best way to do it.

Beware, however! Driving laws (right of way, passing, ect.) may be different then what you are used to. Be aware of the laws for where you are driving!