Visit Europe!

When you fly off this summer on your longed-for sunshine holiday, the last thing you want to anticipate is getting ill whilst abroad, or losing all your belongings. Having adequate travel insurance will give you peace of mind that, should the untoward happen, you will be taken care of.

But the watchword is ‘adequate’. You need to make sure that your policy covers all your potential needs, so check the terms carefully for any limitations or exclusions you might not expect.

Medical – To begin with you need your policy to have a high basic medical cover – one million pounds for Europe and at least two million for the States and the rest of the world. You won’t have the luxury of our good old NHS should you have an accident in America. The medical cover should provide for an air ambulance to fly you back home if need be.

Loss of baggage and personal belongings – Be aware of any single item limit on your policy so that very expensive camera equipment wouldn’t exceed the upper limit.

Cancellation – If you have paid out thousands for a holiday and have to cancel at the last minute through some unfortunate illness, you would be glad to have a policy which would refund most of your money. The same applies if you were abroad at the time and had to rush home for an emergency.

Personal liability – This is an important one especially in the States. A policy should have a minimum cover of one million pounds in case you cause an injury to someone whilst abroad, or to their property.

Emergency help line and legal expenses – a 24-hour phone line should be available on your policy. You should also be able to claim for legal expenses.

Disputes – Your travel insurance provider should be a member of the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is the body you can make a complaint to if you have a dispute that can’t be agreed between you and your insurance company.

When you purchase travel insurance you must be completely honest about any medical conditions you or anyone else on the policy may have. This is important as otherwise you will be denied a claim relating to that condition.

Choose a policy where you are happy about paying the excess.
Don’t sign up for anything you are not sure of. Ask questions if you aren’t clear on any details, and read the small print.

Travel agents are likely to charge more for travel insurance than you would pay elsewhere, so don’t automatically buy it when booking your holiday – shop around. Travel agents are best dealing with travel, not with insurance. Currently you wouldn’t have the safety-net of the Ombudsman if there was a dispute on a policy sold by a travel agent.

You can save on the premium if your possessions are covered on your home contents insurance already. Also, if you are planning another trip later on in the year it might be more cost-effective to purchase an annual multi-trip policy rather than just the single. And don’t accidentally buy a worldwide policy if you’re just going to Europe.

If you use an EHIC card (the old E111) in Europe your policy excess may be waived if you need medical treatment.

When you start thinking about travel insurance don’t forget to check your bank account and credit cards. Some had an incentive of free travel insurance if you used the card to pay for the holiday, so you may find you are already covered. Just check it’s the right cover. And watch the wording – travel accident insurance only offers limited medical cover; it’s not the same as full travel insurance.

Europe is a popular destination for students between semesters in college, or those young adults needing a break from the real world. If you want to get in one last great adventure before you start in on the adult world, backpacking Europe is one of the best ways to do it. You’ll be able to see a lot of new things, meet new people, and experience new cultures – and have an absolute blast while doing all of the above.

A backpacking Europe itinerary has been traditional for many years. Well-off young men used to take a tour of the continent in their last years of school. The popularity of backpacking Europe rose in the 1960s and 1970s, too, with people traveling all over with a relatively small number of possessions. Now, people of all economic classes do the same. It’s a wonderful way to learn and find some new experiences. You are guaranteed to make some new friends!

Generally, student travelers choose to backpack – which means living out of a small travel bag or backpack and sleeping mostly in inexpensive hostels and other budget accommodations. That’s because they get the most out of their money this way and extend the time they can travel. After all, staying in hotels can get very costly and thus restrict the time you can spend on the road. You’ll also see more of the real Europe by spending nights in a youth hostel, instead of just being stuck in quiet hotels or on tours and seeing only the touristy side of things.

People from all over the world choose to backpack through Europe, so you’ll meet a wide variety of others looking for the same things you are. You may find that you don’t speak a common language, but it’s surprising how well you can communicate anyway. You’ll probably learn a little of the local languages while you’re traveling, as well. When in doubt, almost all young backpackers speak English these days anyway.

Just remember to interact as much with locals as you do with other backpackers if you really want to learn about the countries you’re staying in. Politeness and open-mindedness are extremely important, too. The local rules will be different than you’re used to, and it’s a good idea to follow them. You’ll get a lot more out of the experience of backpacking Europe if you put in a little bit of time and effort to get along with and understand the locals, no matter where you end up.

Backpacking Europe is an incredible experience, and if you have the chance to do it, don’t pass it up. You’ll be amazed at all the new experiences you can have, what you can see, and all the things you can learn. It’s a lot of fun, and an extremely valuable experience. Check out the logistics of a backpacking Europe itinerary soon.

When deciding that you are going to travel to see the many different beautiful landscapes of Europe, the mode of transportation will significantly impact your experience. Ever since the European Union formed, it has made traveling between different countries much more affordable. So whether you are on a romantic honeymoon with your fiancée, on a family vacation or just as a student back packing around, transportation does not have to put a dent in your wallet.

Taking the train through the various country sides is a pleasurable experience. Many different people of diverse economic statuses that you encounter along the way also prefer to travel by train. The appeal of visiting destinations that are completely culturally different from your home are the people that you encounter and the conversations you have along the way. You will find many different types of rail passes for your journey across Europe that will be affected by how many destinations you’d like to visit and the amount of people you travel with. The fares also take into consideration how many days you would like to travel for. Traveling by train can be more appropriate for individuals under the age of 26 because your Eurail Youth Pass will be for a discounted amount of Euros.

While you will not be able to simply look out the window and admire the various views of Europe, traveling by train at night will be considerably cheaper. When you travel at night, you will find that they have sleeper car accommodations. In these sleeper cars, there are bunks for you to energize in preparation of your day of sightseeing. The sleeper cars are not private, but the plus side is that you will not lose a day traveling and will be able to spend more time sight seeing. Taking the train will also deliver you and the people you are traveling with directly into the center of most cities. You will rarely find yourself in obscure destinations feeling lost and disoriented while trying to make your way back to the destination you actually want to end up in.

Most travelers will choose to travel by train; however what you sacrifice in comfort by taking coach, you will save in expenses. You can travel between many European cities by coach, since many companies will have organized coach routes. Taking coach will most likely be more appealing to students who are looking to save money on their trip. Coach also is more appropriate when your destination is not one of the major European cities, but a smaller town or land mark. Many times once you arrive by train, you will need to find another mode of transportation to get to the smaller location. Coaches will more likely deliver you directly. A few companies will also offer combinations of coach/train packages that ultimately will get you to both the larger and smaller destinations and will provide a cheaper rate altogether.

In the end, it comes down to price and comfort that will affect your decision of whether to go train or coach.