About
I am writing this blog partly for my memoirs, partly because it may be of interest to anyone else going through the same issues
related to travel in Europe, obtaining Visa etc…I am Originally from the South east Asian region. For the past 10 years I have been in the UK. Annually I spend more than a lower 5 figure amount (in UK £) on my travels and explorations.
For me personally, one of the most important reasons for being in the UK is the ability it gives to travel in the mainland Europe. So far I have explored countries like UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium etc.., I have visited some countries like France and Germany on many occasions. Depending on your residency, you might need to apply for Schengen tourist Visa to visit Europe.
All These are Schengen states and can be explored with a single tourist visa which can be obtained from an embassy. In total there are 29 states that you can travel with a single Schengen visa. This blog will show what I went through and all useful and money saving information for traveling throughout Europe.
Schengen Visa
No matter however many times you’ve been through it, It is always intimidating to go through the visa process, schengen visa is no exception. In my case I postponed my travels for 3 years, simply because after going through the UK Visa process, I simply couldn’t be bothered to prepare all documents for any more visas. Fortunately this time around it was a lot more easier, and managed to get my first 1 year multiple entry Schengen visa from the French embassy in London.
Travel Arrangements - Booking Accommodation and Transport
Which to book first accommodation or transport ?
I usually find very cheap deals on carriers like Ryanair, so I book transport first. Then look for cheap/ reasonable accommodation.
Booking flights and accommodation can be very stressful if you have limited experience, or if you are traveling after a long while. Anyway we all have to start from somewhere.
Initially I used to use lastminute.com, simply because of the sheer convenience it offered. For example my first trip was to Paris, and I had no idea about the layout, travel, accommodation etc…. I simply booked a “City Break” through lastminute.com simply because it was easier and cheaper. Location was selected based on the closeness to the train station (Gare du Nord). My reasoning was, if I couldn’t find my way in Paris, at least I would have the option of finding my hotel, staying there until the end of holiday, which was for 2 nights, and get back on the train to London. So I ended up staying at a hotel in front of the station.
The other way to book, is by searching a comparison site like travelsupermarket.com, once you find a deal (travel and Accommodation) you like, search for a discount coupon for the specific hotel youv’e selected. You can reduce costs even further by using this method, and so far I have stayed at very pleasant hotels (Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, etc…).
What to take with you on Holiday, and what not to forget to take ?
SImply make a list of things you are planning to take, either write it down or preferably do it on a computer so that you can print it, and reuse the original list later for other trips. Just before you leave home, make sure you have checked and ticked off your checklist. This could save a lot of hassle even with things like turning off heaters, electricity etc …and remember, even if you forget to take many things with you, which you were planning to take, the 2 most important things you need to take are
1 Passport
2 Travel tickets (Flights or Rail) and accommodation details