A Europe tour could be cheaper and better than Manali

Yes, you could plan yourself and make a grand Europe trip at much lower than what you think. Some basic tips.

If you are reluctant to undertake Europe trip, it is time to shed that taboo. You have two options to do that. One is through tour operators which will be easy but there is no challenge or learning from it. You will be herded like a sheep. But there are advantages too especially when your expenses are fixed. The other is to do everything by yourself and the satisfaction you will get in this is mind blowing. Yes, it is not easy. If you are not great in using your mobile or inept in technology, do not attempt to go on your own. Please remember, you must have an internet data plan (either from your operator or from a local operator which I have put below) always on for the trip. You should also have extra charging options for your phone. Language is certainly an issue because very few people in the region you visit speak English. Also the accent and speed of English we speak is tough for them. Try to speak slowly.
There are two reasons why I opted to plan myself. One is that you decide where you visit not the tour operator. Second is that you are at your pace and time to do whatever you want. Yes, the tour operated trip could be cheaper but then there are ways you can also make it cheaper. Always go in twin sharing. Hotels charges you for two persons even if you are just one. So better to have a partner. If it is a family then you may better opt for a tour operated trip since kids can be challenging when you are on a foreign land.
Some basic things for Indians to follow are listed below. And please note these tips are for Indian tourists. This is based on my experience.

1. Your trip should be planned meticulously. Find out the best time to be in these places. You can do so in many ways by searching for weather conditions to vacations in the countries you are visiting. There are many apps for doing that. I use Sygic Travel Maps mobile app and Trip Hobo to plan every minute details of my trip including where I will have my meals. And yes, you should record your trips either live or after you complete the tour on Travel Libro. It is a fantastic way to let your close ones know where you are (In case of live updates) and also for your memory.
2. If you are in Europe in Summer (June, July etc), then be prepared to face the heat. The sun is scorching and you will find yourself spending more on water than anything else. I spent double the amount on water than food. Trust me, you will faint without a bottle of water in your hand. You will have to spend 1 Euro for a 300 ml of water. A Coke and Beer will cost you around 2 Euro. So if you are a beer lover, get a bottle or a can of beer and carry it along. In Rome, Florence and to an extent Milan, you will find fountains with chilled water. It is pure and you can fill it up and drink without any fuss. You can also drink from your hotel’s tap water. It is clean and drinkable. I suggest you go to a Departmental store and buy bottles in dozen. A dozen 1 Euro bottles can be purchased at 3 Euros(for 12 bottles). Keep multiple bottles with you when you venture you. Dont throw the bottle away when it is empty. Use it to fill it up from the fountains.
3. But if you choose to be in Europe for winter, then be prepared to find wash rooms because every 30 minutes you will find yourself searching a space for a leak. And it costs 1 Euro to enter a public washroom. Please carry a lot of 1 and 2 Euro coins as this could be handy in emergencies. It is not that easy to find it. Try searching mobile applications like Toilet Finder, Where is Public Toilet, Flush etc. I recommend Toilet Finder. Find it here for iPhone or Android. Another option is to get into a coffee shop, have a cappuccino and use their wash room. You will be minus by 2 or 3 Euro per person but then you have no choice. So basically you end up losing the money either by intake or outflow. The bottom line will always be under pressure. Watch for sign WC. In museums and places where you are visiting with a ticket, you can enter toilets without any charge. Remember, unlike India, the toilets are clean and when you come out, ensure it remains clean.
4. Remember July and August is school closure time in most of Europe and you will find hotels expensive. Since this is the same time when most US schools also close, it is better to avoid these months.
5. Be prepared to walk. Almost all the cities are walkable and it is fun to walk through European streets. But in cities like Rome and Paris, you may find it tough to make it. Here you can go for Day Pass and then travel in any mode of transport anywhere for 24 hours without bothering about buying tickets each time. In Paris, buy a pack of 10 tickets which comes for 15 Euros (single ticket costs 1.9 Euro) and plan your journeys in advance.
6. You only need one of the two city movers to know the place. Download Moovit or Citymapper and you will be the boss wherever you go.
   But to access this you need internet and hotels do provide free wifi. But when you are out of hotel what do you do? You have the option to activate international data roaming or buy a Witourist hotspot machine (only if you are in Italy). If you want it in entire Europe, then opt for other players like HipPocket. You pay around 3 Euros each day and you can connect multiple devices with 4G speed. This turns out to be cheaper if you have more than 2 phones or devices with you. For you to buy this, you first need to book hotels and then ask it to be delivered at the hotel where you arrive and then pack it at give at the reception when you leave. (In case of Witourist, the last hotel you stay in Italy. Do not take it out of Italy as you will forfeit your deposit which is around 75 Euro. This deposit is refundable after the device reaches their office)
7. Do not take shorts or half sleeve clothes since most museums do not allow you to enter with it. I would suggest collared T shirts and Black (stripe free) jogging pants. This will look like a formal pant. If you go in a Jeans or a formal wear, you are likely to have Jock Itch type issues. (Scratches between inner thighs when you walk or run too much. Trust me, I am saying this from my own experience). This will aggravate further and you will end up back home with a widened walk style which I presume you are not looking at (No, I was alright next day). Trust me, in Europe no one is bothered at what you wear. Most likely you will be excited on what they wear. Keep all your branded expensive wears for India for your relatives and friends for them to envy you.
8. Travel Europe on trains. All cities are very well connected. The advantage is that airports are far away and you need to reach hours and hours in advance which curtails time you spend in any city. Plus airline tickets in Europe do not include check in baggage. You will end up paying for luggage more than what you paid for your seats. I recommend using Trainline for booking all your trains. Download the app and be your own boss. If trains are expensive, try Flix Bus. It is as comfortable as train but at a fraction of the cost of train. All you need is the online ticket you get on the app. No paper tickets. Remember, in trains when you book, look for First Class fare too. Sometimes it is just a few Euros extra for that extra comfort. Go for it. All cities have Uber. If you want to use it, then change your payment option to an international card which accepts multi currency payments. Remember, Uber is ultra expensive than local taxis. If you want to travel 10 kms in Paris, you will spend 30 € whereas the taxis may take only 10€. But all Ubers have luxury sedans to transport you. If you find comfort in it, so Uber it. But remember, Uber or Taxis cannot pick you up from places like stations or bus stands. You have to be at a firm place (a restaurant or a store) for it to pick you. If you put Eiffel Tower as the pick up point, you will end up waiting at Eiffel Tower till morning.
9. When you book hotels, it is always advantageous to be near the Train station. Most stations are at the heart of the city and hence you can walk to your hotel, keep your luggage, take rest and start your tour. Most hotels have check in time at 2 PM. So plan your train journey so as to reach around this time. If you reach early, just keep your luggage in the hotel and go out for your trip and come back after 2 PM for check in. In summer sun sets around 11 PM (Yes, when you are snoring here in India, you could use the same time roaming around. But shops close at 7 or 8 max) and rises around 4 AM. So you have a long day. If you prefer not to venture out during the hot summer day, you have the option for morning and evening while the noon could be your rest time.
10. You will be paying Tourist Tax at every hotel. It is not included in your bookings. It is around 3 to 5 Euros per day per person. In most places it is collected in cash. Ensure you have enough cash with you. It is a good idea to have a Travel Card and load it with Euro. If you are buying any souvenir from the street places, only cash will do.
11. Many EU countries especially, Italy is filled with Bangladesh residents selling everything under the sun. If you are a Bengali, you will feel at home. Most of them speak all the Indian languages including Tamil and Hindi. The rest of those who looks like Indians are from Sri Lanka. You can read here why so many Bangladeshis are in EU or here why Sri Lankans are. You have to bargain hard for your price. Remember half the souvenir you are being sold are made in China (Yes, the Make in India labels are not seen here. Your local store models made in China are everywhere. See PRC in the label) and so avoid it. Even Made in Italy could also be made somewhere else which I cannot vouch on. Made in Italy products are more expensive than the Chinese counterparts.
12. If you are visiting Switzerland, please be reminded that there are no monuments to see (like in Italy or France). It is more of nature. To do this you need to travel country side or to places like Alps, Jungfrau, Rigi, Titlis etc. And Swiss tour is expensive. Do not exchange big notes of Euro here as you will get back Swiss Franc which is almost equal to Euro but won’t be valid in other Euro states (Switzerland is not part of the EU but your visa is valid here). Most tour operators start their trip from Zurich Airport. And all the mountains mentioned above are in their wish list. So if you go to these places you will find you are in Chandni Chowk with Indians filling up the landscape. The other half are Chinese who are equally loud as Indians are. I avoided all these places and went for a drive with a friend to country side where no tourists come. Yes, had a wonderful time at the Ski Resorts of Hoch-Ybrig in Obserberg. Finding it tough to pronounce? May be but you won’t find a single fellow Indian here because this is not in the wish list of tour operators. Unless you have friends who can drive you around, don’t try this. Follow the guided tourist style here. You can also plan Germany, if you have time, from Zurich.
13. You have to wind up your trip within 10 to 12 days or it will become tiresome. You have a choice to either have your last destination as Paris or Berlin, which is almost equal time to travel. If you go to Berlin, take a break in Frankfurt which is on the way (Not mandatory). But the ideal place to go is Paris. There are so many places to see in Paris but do not make the mistake of seeing them all at one go. You will end up nowhere. Find your best 7 to 8 places (If you are choosing Louvre, then make sure you spare at least 6 to 7 hours and be ready for an exhausting day) and spend more time there. Ensure when you plan your trip, you also take into consideration of booking entry of your favourite places and museums much in advance. You have the option to have a guide or join a guided tour. Remember, do not go with your tickets directly to the entrance. In most cases, you have exchange the tickets with an entry bar coded card at the offices mentioned in your tickets. I recommend buying your choice of tickets from Get Your Guide.
14. Food in Europe is normally Pasta and Pizza. Margarita is the best for vegetarians but a couple of days into Margarita, you will crave for your spicy home food. The other option is McDonalds and Burger King. Here too getting vegetarian is a hard option. But you may be able to find one menu without meat. For Meat lovers, there are Turkish, Chinese, Singaporean, Thai, Malaysian and Japanese restaurants. Go for these once in a while to rejuvenate your taste buds. Most hotels offer breakfast. But remember this is not your Aloo Paratha, Poha and Idli Sambhar breakfast you find in Indian hotels. More or less, you will find a couple of bread items with either jam or butter which may include a Croissant and unlimited Coffee and fresh or canned Juice. If you happen to stay in a 4 star hotel, you can find eggs, bacon and fruits too. Do not enter specialised restaurants as you will find your pocket lighter when you get out of them. The menu can be misleading. For eg, I ordered a fish item which said 8 Euros (with a small write up — 100 gms). When it came the fish was 1.2 kg baked in Italian style. I had to pay altogether 154 Euros for the meal. But it was real good and fresh. (The last one is the typical Sour Grapes explanation).
15. I started with Rome, went to Florence, Pisa, Venice, Milan, Zurich and ended with Paris. I will have a detailed and interesting anecdotes about each of these places in a later blog. I just completed these 15 points as I am about to board an Etihad flight back home from CDG, Paris. In the meanwhile if you are in a hurry and wants some information now, I recommend watching videos of The Roman Guy.

Till then, save some money and look for cheaper air tickets. Trust me sometimes you end up going to a few European places at the cost of going to Manali (minus the problems of Indian infrastructure). But in case you want your money to be ploughed back to Indian economy by visiting an Indian place, I strongly recommend you forget what you have read so far and plan a local journey. By visiting Europe, you will end up bolstering some one else’s economy. (There is no harm in doing that especially when we expect our economy to get boost from tourism) Most of these economies run only on tourism. Imagine where India has missed the bus.