How We Planned Our First European Vacation

It all started when Yuven was in the 1st grade and chose French as his second language. We began learning French together on Duolingo to support his online classes. Gradually, he learned more about France and dreamed of visiting Paris to see the monuments and try the food.

Planning our first European vacation was overwhelming with many decisions: countries to visit, the number of days to stay, budget, and whether to join a group tour, plan through a travel company, or do everything on our own. Finally, we decided to take the difficult route – plan and book the entire trip ourselves!

How we did it

1. Deciding Countries and Cities:
   For us, Paris was a must-visit. From there, we looked into neighbouring countries and decided on Belgium and the Netherlands. These places offered activities that matched our interests and preferences like history, architecture, food, and activities and places that interest children.
   
   We gathered information about places to visit, activities to do, where to stay, how to get around, the best time to visit, and what to eat from various sources like TripAdvisor, blogs, Facebook groups, YouTube, Google reviews, and Instagram. Here are some helpful links:
   
   Facebook Groups:
   Les Frenchies – Paris Travel Tips
   Amsterdam Travel Tips and Hacks
   Amsterdam Travel Tips
   Amsterdam Secrets
   Travel to Paris with Kids
   Paris Travel Tips
   Paris Travel Tips and Plan
   Travel Belgium Group
   
   YouTube Channels:
   Les Frenchies Travel
   Paris Top Tips
   Kritika Goel
   Desi Couple On The Go
   Anuj Bucket
   PRATIK JAIN Vlogs
   
   
2. Number of Days:
   We narrowed down our preferences and decided the number of days for each city, considering the opening and closing hours of monuments and activities. We also kept buffer days in each city to relax, especially since we were traveling with a kid. This also helped us deal with the uncertainty of European weather.
   
   
3. Travel Plan:
   Initially, we were confused about taking a group tour, a customized tour, or a self-paced trip. After reading group tour reviews, talking with friends, and checking itineraries, we eliminated the group tour option. Customized tours were expensive and had restrictive cancellation policies. We decided to plan the trip ourselves. Also used ChatGPT to create the itinerary.
   
   
4. Visa Application:
   We planned to use an agent for our visa application but decided to do it ourselves after learning from friends’ experiences and watching Schengen visa guide videos on YouTube. Credit goes to Mihir for handling the visa process. Read our blog on getting the Schengen tourist  visa:
   The Definitive Guide to Apply for a Schengen Tourist Visa
   
   
5. Dates:
   Before finalizing the dates, we checked for public holidays and vacations in the countries we planned to visit. We avoided major events and weekends in big cities like Paris and Amsterdam to avoid high flight and hotel prices.
   
   
6. Transportation:
   We decided to use public transport extensively, which is excellent in almost all European countries. We researched transport options and chose areas to stay accordingly. For inter-country transfers, we considered trains, and bus travel. We avoided driving due to the complexities of different rules and regulations.
   
   
7. Flight Booking:
   We booked multi-city flights (Mumbai-Paris and Amsterdam-Mumbai). We chose Emirates, which had a layover in Dubai. We decided to spend a day in Dubai to visit the Museum of the Future and the Dubai Frame, which were new since our last visit in 2017.
   
   
8. Accommodation:
   We booked accommodations near public transport, and ensured that hotel rooms have AC and lifts, (not very common in Paris). All hotel bookings were refundable in case we have to change our travel plan.
   
   
9. Attractions and Activities:
   We listed major attractions, hop-on-hop-off buses, and activities, noting working hours, closed days, prices, and booking options – advanced booking or on-the-spot.
   
   
10. Train Travel:
    Eurostar train rates vary by time and availability, so we booked through the official Eurostar website. We didn’t opt for a Eurail pass after researching for rail passes. More info here.
    
    
11. Daywise Itinerary:
    We marked interesting places on Google Maps while watching videos or reading reviews. This helped in planning our day-wise itinerary.
    
    
12. Kid-Friendly Activities:
    We tried to include at least one activity per day that interested Yuven to keep him excited through the vacation.

This sums up how we planned our maiden European vacation! I’ll keep adding more tips and details in upcoming blogs, so stay tuned. Happy travel!