Travel within Europe
Europe spans an area of 10,400,000 km2 (or 4,000,000 square miles), from Asia to the Atlantic Ocean and from Africa to the Arctic. The longest river in Europe is the Volga (3.530km), in Russia. It flows into the Caspian Sea. Europe’s highest mountain is Mount Everest, with a height of 5,642m above the sea level. Near the Mediterranean Sea, Europe’s climate is subtropical, while near the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, the climate is subarctic. For tourists, Europe offers a vast diversity of cultures, many beautiful cosmopolitan cities, and lots of attractions. Europe is divided into 5 zones: Western Europe, Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Mediterranean Europe. Europe is a collection of different countries, currently in the process of coming together as the European Union. The European Union’s currency is the euro, but not all countries adopted it. However, some countries outside the EU use euro as single currency.
To enter Europe, you must be aware of the rules, depending on where you wish to go. If you want to visit a Schengen country (Schengen countries have abolished border controls between them) and want to visit only Schengen countries, you need only one Schengen Visa. Some citizens, like Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States of America citizens, don’t need Schengen visas if they enter as tourists and stay for no longer than 90 days inside the Schengen area. This means 90 days for the whole Schengen area, not 90 days for a single country.
For Non-Schengen countries, you must consult that country’s immigration policies. If you wish to enter a non-schengen country and return to the Schengen zone, you will need a multiple-entry visa.
You can enter in Europe by plane, by train, or by ship. The largest air travel hubs are London (LON: LCY, LHR, LGW, STN, LTN), Frankfurt (FRA, HHN), Paris (CDG), and Amsterdam (AMS). These hubs have connections to all of Europe’s countries, so you can travel anywhere in Europe. The Trans-Siberian Railway is the most used railway. One can get into Europe either by passenger ships or freight ships.
You must be aware that there are no border controls between countries that are in the Schengen area and that a Schengen visa is available for any Schengen country. Traveling between a Schengen and a non-Schengen country will result in border controls being applied at the entry point. Be aware that wherever you travel, at some airports, airlines will demand to see your ID card or passport.
If you plan to take a plane to Europe, you must know that all flights within and from the European Union limit liquids, gels, and creams to 100mL per container. These must be carried in a transparent zip-lock bag of 1L or less and presented during security checks. Also, only one bag per passenger is allowed. Many airlines provide a very cheap travel inside Europe, much cheaper than by train or bus. Some of the cheapest air companies are airBerlin, Centralwings, easyJet, HLX, Ryanair, SkyEurope Airlines and WizzAir. These airlines have the lowest fees on routes from and to cities in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.
Through Europe, you can find a wide variety of ATMs, from many different banks around the world. Note that these ATMs don’t usually have letters on their keypad, and also may not accept PINs of over four digits. As for the credit cards, in some countries, many shops will insist to see your ID for any credit card transaction. Stores displaying Mastercard, Amex, etc logos are required to accept sign-and-swipe. However, many will initially refuse, so be persistent to obtain this.
Among the biggest risks in Europe are pick-pockets and muggings. Many European countries have a very low level of violence. You must not concern yourself with your health, as most restaurants have very high standards in hygiene. The vast majority of European countries have clean tap water, posing no risks to health. If you are a tourist and want to travel to many beautiful countries, see many cultures, and have unique moments, you must consider traveling within Europe.