Travel in Europe, particularly on the continent, can allow exposure to a wide range of cultures in a short space of time. Many younger travellers look to the train network to provide a cost effective way to travel the continent, through products like the InterRail card. Whether you will travelling by plane, train or automobile, there are several considerations to attend if you want to make the most of your trip, from carrying the right phrase books to arranging adequate travel insurance. Here is a brief run down on some of the essentials.

For European travellers, the first basic cover to arrange should always be the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This EHIC is valid in all 27 European Union countries, and allows the carrier access to free or discounted medical care. Basically, if medical care is free for the citizens of the country, it will be free to carriers of the EHIC. It is essential to remember to carry the card at all times, as you will be required to physically produce the card if you ever need to use it – simply having a card tucked away back at your hotel is not adequate.

The EHIC is certainly valuable, but no substitute for proper travel insurance. As the name suggests, the EHIC is strictly concerned with medical care, and will not provide funds to replace lost or stolen baggage, or cover the cost of cancelled travel tickets and accommodation. Cancellation cover is particularly important for those who are touring, and can make the difference between being forced home early through lack of funds and continuing your European adventure. There are now many different suppliers of travel insurance, with banks like Santander now competing with dedicated insurance companies, so you need to take a little time to shop around if you are to find the best deal. Try to avoid simply taking the first travel insurance package you are offered without checking out the competition.

However comprehensive the travel insurance policy, you still need to ensure that you have several fall back options when it comes to finances should mishap or misadventure occur. Make sure that you always carry a little currency along with bank and credit cards, and don’t keep these all of these in the same place. A wallet is fine for either your cards or your cash, but not both in the unfortunate event that you are mugged or your accommodation is burgled. Money belts can provide a good back up storage for cash, as any bank or credit cards that are lost or stolen can quickly be cancelled through a phone call.

If you will be travelling with your mobile phone, make sure that you check out the roaming fees charged by your mobile operator if you want to avoid a nasty surprise when you get home. In fact, you need to check the charges incurred for using you bank and credit cards during you trip as well. The exchange rate used to calculate purchases can vary wildly between cards, and it often makes sense to take out a specialist card for your trip to make sure that you get the most bang for your buck.