Five excellent resources for researching your trip to Europe

You have decided you’re going to Europe this year. Congratulations! I hope you have a fantastic time. I believe having an excellent plan to make the most of your trip is essential. Last week, I wrote about five factors to consider when picking the type of trip you’ll take to Europe. If you haven’t read that blog, I recommend that you do. Today, I will share five resources you can use to research your trip to Europe.

Why, trust me, when it comes to European travel?

If you’ve never heard of me, don’t know anything about me, or have never watched my videos, you may be wondering why I should trust this guy’s opinion on European travel. Three reasons.

1. I’m not a travel agent and have nothing to sell you. I don’t have a book, a Master Class, or a digital course—none of that. I am a guy who’s obsessed with traveling to Europe.
2. I’ve visited Europe twenty times over the past decade, including the COVID years. I go to Europe from America at least twice a year. Last year I went to Europe four times.
3. I have plans for most countries in Europe. I don’t know what you did during Covid to pass the time. I sat down and cranked out plans to go all over Europe, which I hope to take in my lifetime. You name a country in Europe, and I likely have a plan for it. 

Resource #1 – Travel Books

That’s right, we’re starting old school. I highly recommend purchasing travel books when researching for your European Vacation. Some of you think, “I don’t want to buy any books.” Trust me, they are worth their weight in gold. You are likely going to spend thousands of dollars going to Europe. Don’t get cheap when it comes to travel books. They’re usually less than $30. Here are two examples from our most recent trip to Italy.

1. Rick Steve’s Italy is the best guidebook for that famous country.
2. Corinna Cooke’s 101 Fabulous Things to Do in Rome. I’d never been to this city before. Her book was super helpful. It is from her Glam Italia Series.

Resource #2 – Travel Videos

Once you know where you will go in Europe, I recommend watching YouTube. Search for your location and watch videos of people who have been there. There is a ton of great content on YouTube regarding European travel. There is also some crap. After watching a few videos, I am confident you’ll figure out the difference quickly. I want to give a special shout-out to Mark from Wolter’s world. I’ve been watching his videos for years. He is both funny and knows his stuff when it comes to European travel. 

Resource #3 – Travel Podcasts

I love listening to podcasts, especially when I’m walking our dog. Once you know where you’re going in Europe, head to Apple or Spotify and search for those locations. See if you can find some travel podcasts related to those locations. I have found a lot of helpful content out there. I want to give a special shout-out to The Amateur Traveler podcast. Another great resource that’s been around for years. This podcast has episodes describing almost all parts of Europe.

Resource #4 – Facebook travel groups

Some of you don’t like Facebook. That’s fine. All I am telling you is that when it comes to travel, Facebook travel groups are a great resource. In these forums, you can ask questions, float ideas, get feedback, and post your pictures from the trip. People are helpful in these travel groups. They do it for free and will go out of their way to ensure you have the best trip possible.

Resource #5 – Travel websites

There is a ton of great information about European travel on the internet. I take advantage of these resources as much as possible. For example, I recommend the UK travel planning website. It has excellent resources if you want to visit the UK. Tracy is an expert I trust. I highly recommend her. 

One resource I use with caution – Trip Advisor

Let’s shift gears for a moment. I leverage a lot of resources when conducting research. I’m going to talk about one I use but with caution. Trip Advisor is a hugely popular website and travel app. There is some excellent content on this site. I will caution you. Sometimes, their rankings and restaurant reviews aren’t accurate to me. Here is a good example. Below, you see listed the top three attractions in London.

1. Tower of London – yes, a great choice.
2. The British Museum is another incredible sight.
3. The London Eye – No, it is not the third-best site to see. There are so many other sights like Westminster Abbey that you should see before going here.

I recommend some caution when reading Trip Advisor content. Don’t put too much stock in the opinions, reviews, and rankings. By the way, some places pay to get ranked higher than they deserve. 

The resources that I can offer fall into three areas of expertise

I’ll finish this blog by providing my services and resources in areas where I feel like I have some expertise in European travel.

1. The country of Germany – I lived there, and I’ve traveled extensively around this country.
2. Long weekend trips – my wife and I have done several of these. We have a good grasp on what works when spending a long weekend in Europe coming from America.
3. Typical European Vacation for Americans – we’ve done several of these.

I am happy to help folks. I’ll remind you that I’m not here to charge you money. You won’t pay anything. If I can help you, I will. Hopefully, these resources will help. Have fun planning your European adventure.

I am Doug Keating, and this is my letter to my sons.