Karen started planning our trip to Europe in July 2023

Karen has spent hundreds of hours detailing our rail trip from Scotland to Belgium to cover Sept. 22 to Oct. 24, 2024. Notice the Rick Steves travel books on Europe, the maps of Europe and the piles of notes she’s been taking.

Over the past several years we have tried to schedule a trip to United Kingdom.. We talked with a travel agent for a tour of England, Scotland and Ireland. But when war broke out in the Gulf, we decided not to go.  

We looked at several commercial tours such as cruises that visited numerous ports around Europe and some overland tours. However, they all fell short of seeing everything we wanted to visit. Many of those we looked at said things like “see the Eiffel Tower” or “view Big Ben.” We wanted to do more then see them, we wanted to visit them and walk through them.

With that in mind, Karen decided she could plan a trip for us using the extensive rail system and we could actually stop and see what we wanted to see. Also, we figured we could not see everything we wanted to in just a couple of weeks.

With that in mind she began her research using Steves’ books and online advice columns such as Seat 61, which provides almost a doctorate in rail travel throughout Europe.

As Karen researched, we began gathering what we would need. Following Steves advice we bought each of us small suitcases and backpacks that can be carried on the plane rather than having to check any bags.

Steves warns that we should travel light and not take a lot of clothes. We are carrying just enough for about a week each and then finding a place to wash them. Maybe three pairs of pants, several shirts and enough socks and underwear to get us through a week. Our plan is to wash our clothes where we stay in hotels. Karen has meticulously selected hotels with private bathrooms and Steves says clothes can be washed in sinks. We’ll see and report later on.

We’ve also purchased body pouches to be worn under our clothing because pickpockets are said to be notorious throughout Europe. We have even purchased lanyards that affix to our phones so no one can snatch them while we walking or talking on them.

Travel insurance has been purchased as well as overseas cell service so we can send and receive data as well as unlimited phone calls during our trip.

As of a week before we fly out of Raleigh-Durham, all that’s left to do is the actual packing of our clothes. Reservations on rails, hotels and the many sites we plan to visit have been made.