For many travelers the first trip to Europe is like a rite of passage, it is a special adventure no matter what your age and you want it to be great the first time. With holiday cash in hand and passport up to date you’re all ready to go but that is not necessarily true. Read on for important steps and decisions you may want to consider before you take off to make your pending trip a total success.

How much funds do you have? One week will keep you busy sightseeing on one area or city. Two weeks will give you more of an advantage to spread your wings and see more. What area of Europe you wish to see is an important decision, there are massive areas of Europe to be covered and choosing one general area will keep you hopping even if you have a few weeks.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself while in the planning stages:

1. Do you just want to go and see the destination you choose?

2. Do you want to visit London, Rome, Paris and see the big sights?

3. Do you have an agenda like checking out your family roots with a genealogy search?

4. Is there a festival you have always wanted to check out like the running of the bulls in Pamplona?

5. Do you wish to focus on one country or take the grand tour of Europe?

6. Do you want to go on a tour or go your own way and wing it?

If you’re a student you have the summer season on your side between the school year. If you are retired then time is not a factor and you can stay as long as your finances hold out. You can also travel during the shoulder seasons when there are fewer crowds. If you have a few weeks try and book during the shoulder season to maximize the experience and reduce the lineups. Limiting to one country a week may work for you, even that much time will allow a basic overview of the country you choose to visit.

To take the pressure off your first trip to Europe a tour might be the answer. Tours are overly abundant and available for you to see any area of Europe you desire within your time frame. You can even find tours that will focus on festivals, main tourist attractions and popular landmarks. Accommodations are all taken care of along with meals and could be the best way for you to gain the confidence you need for your first big adventure to Europe.

If crowds are not your desire then touring independently is another option. You will have to do a lot more research but with the Internet at your fingertips finding information has never been easier. Tourist associations all over the world want you to come to their country with tourist dollars in hand so you will always be met with friendly replies for all your inquiries.

Sitting down and making a list of your priorities and desires is the best step to take when planning for a trip this size. As Ben Franklin once said, “Fail to plan you will plan to fail”.