Why an article about how I might travel around Europe you may well be asking yourself? Well, the answer to that is simple; I was thinking that many retired Canadians may be speculating, now that I have more time to travel where might be the best place to have my first extended trip? For me, that “best” place is Europe. If only because it is relatively close, and there are many flights connecting most major Canadian cities to a wide range of European destinations.
Secondly, when doing the “research” for this post (always remember that for some bloggers “research” might be limited to a few minutes of Google searches … guilty as charged) I discovered there was some empirical evidence to support this. A 2015 Statistics Canada survey ( http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/arts37a-eng.htm ), the most recent look at travel by Canadians to foreign countries, revealed that seven of the 15 top countries visited were in Europe.
I think it’s safe to assume that retired Canadians preferences probably follow the Stats Canada results relatively closely, but I do not know this to be a fact. I say this because when searching for countries that were favored for visits by retired Canadians I found virtually no information. Predominantly my search results netted articles that talked about which countries Canadians might like to retire to, not just visit. Sorry, we’re not thinking about moving to another country anytime soon, so I probably won’t be writing about that for some time.
A Multi-Part Series
There are probably as many ways or approaches to touring Europe as there are countries or regions. This multi-part series will first look at some of the “conventional” ways folks have typically toured the continent. The middle parts will examine some of the perhaps lesser-known, but fun ways, to tour and enhance your European experience at the same time. A brief overview of each travel strategy will be provided, and some of the potential pros and cons of each approach will be examined. The series will end with a presentation of how the Love-goddess and I do it … scary stuff to many of our friends!
Before Retirement
Before retirement most of us are probably restricted to travelling in the conventional ways, simply because of time and commitment constraints. Or, some folks may have found that one or a two of the conventional methods are a better fit with their personal comfort zones.
My Agenda
My not so hidden agenda for this series is to get you thinking about how you have traveled in the past, or how you think you might travel in retirement, and to get you thinking about trying out some new interesting alternatives. For some, this may require a significant stretch. One of the great things about retirement is that it provides an opportunity for us to break out of our established routines and practices and continue to grow as individuals. Trying new ways to travel is a pretty safe way of stepping outside one’s comfort zone to try something new.
Having said that, I want to make it clear that I am not placing a value judgement on any of the different ways people travel. If you are planning lots of travel in your retirement, good on you! Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how you choose to do it!
The Conventional Paths
The conventional ways to travel discussed below will of course seem very familiar to you. And, it is probably safe to assume that most of us have experienced one or all of them previously. Nothing new here. In general, these are the most expensive ways to travel. When others are making the decisions as to where you will travel, and arranging everything, they are typically charging you a premium to do that. They do all the work, you pay all the money.
When you go through the pros and cons stated for each you will see that occasionally the pros and cons are simply the mirror image of one another. What can be viewed as a pro for one individual may be construed as something negative by another.
1) Travel with a Tour Group:
Just as it sounds; you book through a travel agency and travel with a small to midsize group of individuals you have probably never met before. The itinerary and most of the travel-related details, like where you will stay and where you will eat, will be organized for you. Not much to do in terms of personal preparation other than show up at the airport or destination meet your group and follow the designated tour guide
Pros:
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- • Great for solo travelers; many female friends have told me that this is particularly true for women travelling on their own
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- • They organize and provide all the transport, so you get to watch the world roll by as someone else drives the bus
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- • You don’t have to find hotels, catch buses or trains, or buy museum and gallery passes on your own
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- • Relatively safe
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- • You get to meet new people who probably speak the same language you do
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- • Someone else solves all the problems
Cons:
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- •Someone else solves all the problems; you have no control or say over the solutions
- • Usually have very tight time constraints
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- • You are stuck with the same people for the entire trip
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- • No real flexibility in the travel schedule; you don’t get to stay longer in a place you find interesting
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- • Restricted opportunities to interact with locals
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- • Limited control over your own time and what you see and do
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2) Sail on a Cruise Ship:
Boat cruises are somewhat similar to travel with a tour group, in that the itinerary for where you will visit is established by the tour company, but there is a bit more personal flexibility around what you will do at the individual destinations. All the travel is by ship.
There are many cruise offerings for the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, and other parts of the European coast. Additionally, several cruises are now offered on smaller boats that travel up and down many of the great rivers in Europe, such as the Rhine. So, many, many options.
Pros:
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- • On the ship someone else solves the problems
- • Cruising on a ship is an added bonus for the nautically inclined
- • Usually no language issues
- • Easy to meet people on the ship
- • Easy transport between travel locations
- • Almost everything onboard is included in the price except for alcohol (meals, entertainment, etc.)
- • Like staying in a hotel that moves; you only unpack once
Cons:
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- • Will cost more than you think; the initial cost you pay may seem reasonable, but they will be attempting to extract more money from you in many different ways (e.g. gambling, for fee restaurants, photos, etc.)
- • Cannot bring your own booze onto most ships
- • Stuck with the same people on the boat
- • Don’t get to have a “local” experience
- • Don’t get to interact with and meet locals
- • Tours in ports visited sold on the ship are expensive; harder to visit locales on your own
- • Limited time in locales visited
- • Off the ship you solve your own problems for the most part
- • Most of your time is spent on the boat
3) Assisted Travel on Your Own:
You establish your own travel itinerary including locations to visit, time spent at each, type of accommodation you’d prefer, and length of travel. Many, or even all of that the details, Including booking airfares and accommodation and internal transport, are identified and booked by a travel agent with whom you work.
Pros:
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- • You choose the places you will visit, often incorporating suggestions made by your travel agent
- • A greater range of choice in how much you will spend
- • Get to have much more of a local experience; especially if you choose not to stay in large western, chain hotels
- • Greater control over how you travel between locales; e.g. car rental, train, bus, plane
- • the travel agent can help solve the problems as best they can from a distance
- • Not forced to travel with anyone else
Cons:
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- • Still hard to change your itinerary; if you arrive in a place you like and would like to stay longer, you probably will still not be able to because of your pre-booked hotel reservations
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- • If you do not like the type or location of your accommodation you probably won’t get to change
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- • Harder to meet people
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- • Lack of an understanding of the local language might provide some difficulty
- • You may, or may not like, the travel agents solution to problems that arise
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4) Travel on Your Own:
The most flexible of the conventional methods is to not only decide where it is you’re going and when you’re going, but also make all the arrangements and book everything yourself (flights and internal travel, hotels, purchase museum and gallery tickets, etc.). You typically do all of these long before you leave on the trip.
Pros:
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- • You choose the places you will visit
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- • The greatest control over how much you will spend
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- • Get to have a very local experience; especially if you choose to stay in small local hotels or AirBnB rentals
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- • Total control over how and when you travel between locales; e.g. car rental, train, bus, plane
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- • Not forced to travel with anyone else
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- • Usually easier to change your travel itinerary mid trip
- • You get to solve the problems; you see them as part of the adventure
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Cons:
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- • You are it; you are in charge; there is no backup person or organization to help with the planning
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- • Harder to meet people if you are not a very outgoing individual
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- • Lack of an understanding of local language might provide difficulty
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- • Finding hotels, travelling by train or bus, buying meals in restaurants can be anxiety provoking for many
- • You have to solve problems on your own, or by conscripting others to help you
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Wrapping it all Up
I suspect that many of you could identify pros and cons for most of these travel strategies, that I have not mentioned. Indeed, if you have a favorite one, you may well be able to offer many more pros than what I have come up with. And, if you do have a favourite, you may think that I have overstated the cons. When I asked friends whom I knew had preferred travel methods, every single one of them could identify many pros, but most could not come up with a whole lot of cons. We like what we like. I, and probably other readers, would love it if you would add your own pros and cons in the comments section below.
As I said in the beginning, my wish is not to promote or particularly malign any of these conventional methods, but rather, to prepare you to consider some other ways of exploring Europe.
Next Up: Heading to Europe? #2 Some Alternative Ways to Do Your Exploring
Updated: Friday, February 24
