While going on a vacation is always exciting, we still have to take care of certain boring, but practical details of travel before we set on our journey to ensure that no unpleasant surprises expect us at our destination. Like the saying goes, better be safe than sorry, even though planning the trip to the last detail might be time-consuming and plain boring, neglecting seemingly trivial things can in fact ruin your long awaited vacation. Whether you are a veteran traveler or someone that has never crossed the border, you cannot avoid accidents, so you should be prepared for anything while on foreign land. How many people had to turn back at the airport because they did not have a visa or got stuck on the way to their destination because of lost car keys is hard to tell, but a quick research on travelling blogs and forums will enlighten that incidents like these are not at all few and isolated, it happens to the best. You can argue that you want your trip around Europe to be a sort of adventure and that you can make the most of any situation, but not everything can be quickly fixed and you might end up losing flights and accommodation, not to mention that you can limit your time on certain destinations as a result.
Before taking a vacation around Europe, you should check out whether the countries you will cross demand more than a passport at their borders. Entrance in the UAE for example is not permitted without a Visa and obtaining it could take a couple of weeks in some cases. Another thing you might want to check is the cost of a visa, because certain countries demand a high pay for entrance, so you might want to add it to the expenses to make sure you have enough money on you. Another thing to check is the passport validity, because certain countries in the world do not receive visitors with passports that have a validity of less than 30 days.
Of course, travelling by car around Europe is the best way to make the most of your trip, because you will see the way of living in every country, not just their airports. However, you should note down some important phone numbers before you get on that trip. First of all, make sure your car is up for the trip and note down car repair providers that can help you just in case. Another number you might want to get is an auto locksmith phone number, because losing the car keys in a foreign land is as easy as they disappear at home with the slight difference that you cannot take a cab home to get the spare ones. Of course, taking the spare keys with you is a great idea, unless you happen to lock them in the car before losing the other pair of keys. Check out http://abacuskeys.co.uk to find out how you can obtain a set of spare keys. The Devil is in the Details, so check out in which countries you need a highway toll pass, because the fine can be quite upsetting.