As winter ebbs and income tax refunds find their way into bank accounts across America, many people are beginning to plan their summer vacations. They may be visiting family or going to a theme park or national park or visiting a city they love. If you’re looking to travel overseas, perhaps for that European vacation you’ve always dreamed of, you may be planning further ahead than a few months.

For most people a trip to Europe is a once in a lifetime event. They may dream of it for years or even decades before they have the means to actually begin planning. You will most likely want to plan a year in advance, to make the most of your visit. This is because there are more hoops to jump through for international travel, especially if it is your first such trip. You will need to research countries and travel options, apply for a passport, and you may even want to learn to speak italian so that you can fully appreciate your time in Rome or Florence.

The first step is to decide on an itinerary. This can be a very time-consuming process, especially if you and your spouse or children disagree on which cities and countries are essential. While there are package tours available, it’s usually best to design your own trip, to make sure you have enough time to visit the attractions that matter to you. Whether you want to focus on historical sites, museums, art galleries, shopping or want to focus on outdoor activities, you can plan the trip of your dreams. At this point you may discover that your tax refund isn’t going to be enough, in which case you may need another year of saving and careful planning in order to prepare for you trip.

Once you have a definite plan, begin booking the appropriate transportation, lodging, and consider making reservations for restaurants and attractions that allow pre-booking. Figure out if you will need special permission to visit certain sites and when different cities and countries may observe holidays that will result in government-run attractions being closed. This is also the time to learn dutch , French or German and to study up on the etiquette and customs of each country you plan to visit.

When all is said and done, you can have an amazing European vacation, as long as you do your planning and are willing, upon arrival, to be flexible with those plans so that you can enjoy spontaneous opportunities.

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