Europe Travel Tips
So I’m back from my 8 week European adventure and I thought I’d share with you my top tips. Before I left I did SO much research and created lists of things that other people found useful. So I thought I’d share my condensed list of random and not so random useful things.
1. At the very top of my list is my Fill2Pure water bottle.
It has to take number 1 because it saved me so much money and saved the enviroment. It was about $49 (AU) I ordered it online after doing my research on filtered travel water bottles. This one stood out for me because it is stainless steel and the regular filter removes a range of tastes, odours, chemicals from treated tap water (home, gym, office) including Chlorine, 90% of Fluoride, DDT, Arsenic, Aluminium, MTBE, Lead, Mercury, Copper, Chloroform, Chromium, PCBs, Pesticides, Volatile Organic Compounds, Trihalomethanes, Nitrates & Nitrites, and Arochlor 1260 (PCB) providing you with great tasting pure water.
So not only was I drinking clean and safe water, I was able to fill my bottle from any ‘safe drinking water’ taps for FREE.
https://www.fill2purefilters.com.au/regular-stainless-steel-bottle.html
2. Shoes is next because as I learnt shoes can make or break your day.
I opted for my Superga which are super cute and mostly comfortable, but I can tell you from experience they are not comfortable when you are walking 20 000+ steps per day. I would definitely take something more comfortable than converse or superga next time I travel. I did love my Birkenstocks though when the weather warmed up, I pretty much wore them everyday.
3. A Scarf/ shawl
I read on many travel blogs that taking a scarf that can double as a shawl is essential and man did my cheap $12 black cotton on scarf come in handy. I used it as a Scarf, a Shawl on a freezing day when the temperature dropped to 9 degrees and there were many times I used it as a blanket on the bus or plane. I highly recommend packing something similar for versatility.
4. Powerboard
This is something I won’t travel without anymore. It’s really a lifesaver. Before my first trip to Europe a good friend of mine told me about this trick, because you never know how many plug points a room will have and now days so many things need charging, phone, ipad, camera, powerbank, smart watch and then you might want to plug in your hair dryer at the same time. So I always pack a 4 points extension plug. Now days you can also get ones with USB which are also super handy.
5. Castile soap
I was given a small sample size of Dr Bronners Castile soap and it was SO handy when I was doing washing in a basin. I washed my underwear and cotton T-shirts regularly in a basin and Castile soap is so versatile. You can use it for cleaning your body as well.
6. A flexi lock
When staying in Hostels it’s super important to have a lock with a flexi wire so you can lock your things away, but I also used it to lock my backpack and hand bag together at times and it was way more useful than my luggage locks.
7. Keep Cup and Wooden Cutlery Set
In case you missed my last travel list from New Zealand… my Keep Cup makes the list again because of its usefulness, I actually rarely used it for coffee, but I used it daily to mix up my supplements or have water in my room, especially in Hostels where cups aren’t always available. I also used my wooden spoon/ fork a lot. So I highly recommend carrying these items.
8. Finding Good Coffee
This travel tip comes from me trying to find good coffee in each place I went. It wasn’t always easy, but let me tell you, by using Google and searching ‘specialty coffee’ I was able to find some of the BEST coffee I have had. I found beautiful roasters and hole in the wall passionate people making amazing coffee. I also googled how to order my coffee in each country so I could get as close to what I was wanting as possible. So if you love coffee that’s my best advice.
9. Sim Card
Ok everyone, for me this is a must. Last time I went to Europe I didn’t get a SIM and I relied on wifi… when you are travelling solo, a SIM card gives you safety and freedom. I ordered 2 SIMs before I left from SIM corner, that way the moment you touch down on foreign soil you have access to maps and all important docs are available. I loved having the freedom to call hotels, use maps anywhere and everywhere and it cost me $40 for 30 days with 12GB data. No brainer for me. Roaming is so expensive.
https://www.simcorner.com
10. TripIt
When I was planning my trip I really wanted an online platform that would store flights, hotels etc in one easy to view format. A lot of people recommended Google Calender. I found TripIt, its a website and it has an app. It can recognise itineraries from emails and it stores your trip from start to finish. I was able to have check in times, check dates easily and also share with friends and family who wanted to follow my travels. I will definitely use this in the future when I travel.
So there you go my random list of useful travel tips. As always feel free to comment or contact me if you want any more information.
*None of the products are sponsored or promotional. I share from personal experience and products that I have used and value.