Before I rant move on about the topic of the night, let me warn you beforehand this will be a long post of, to me a gentle reminder, but maybe to you (in which I hope not) a long written paragraphs of nothingness.

It will be soon early December and the world will see me marking footprints around the world of Europe (though this won't be the first time.). Previous years, my family didn't travel far much beyond the city I grew up from the age of 5 so headaches on accommodation and transportation are never an issue. That is not until, well specifically weeks ago.

It used to be like, "Oh let's rent a caravan and there we can embark on the long yet joyous journey." but this year the tables have turned. The man of the house has finally expressed his utter dislike towards caravans so we bid our farewell to the greatest invention of all time (at least to me it is.). So there comes the problem of which flight to book and which train tickets to buy and above all, are those tickets cheaper or more expensive than the others?

That is transportation. Accommodation is like a typhoon has hit the city! Not enough rooms, doesn't fit ALL of us, too far from the city center, and blah blah blah. The list could go on and on and on and on. Not even tomorrow could be enough.

Yes, we've been staring at the laptop screen for weeks trying to accommodate and transport ourselves to and fro for more or less 5 cities. It is tiring, believe me, trying to find apartments and book tickets. It is to the point my dear mother felt like vomiting. And this is just trying to find a place to crash in for the night and trains or flights to link us to somewhere.

So, I've been looking at some accommodation options and sites that most reviewers recommended (and it looks trustworthy too) are sites like HomeAway.com or its secondary site VRBro.com (I think that's what you call them: sites under a main site.)

Other sites like airbnb.com are okay too but HomeAway.com has insurance policy for the guests just in case if something happens like houses on fire, sudden cancellation by the HOST themselves (not the guests) or etc.

Moving on to transportation. Literally the headache on this part is the time consumption, fares and availability of tickets. The fares could be reduced if you have special rail passes (i.e. Germany has this Bahn tickets, Then you have the four-neighbouring-countries tickets and etc.). Remember, the rail passes are only subjected to participating European countries that uses Euro currency. Which means, United Kingdom is excluded.

I say we are more stuck on the accommodation part than we are stuck on the transportation part but both complement and support each other. If you have the place but not the ride, then it isn't worth it. Same goes vice-verse.

One thing that you need to take into consideration is the timeline of your trip. Where are you travelling to? If you're travelling to a four-season country, which season are you going to experience? Your luggage? Your pack or members? All of this needs attention.

If you're travelling during spring or autumn seasons, then your problems and risks are lessen. Just pack up some trench coats and scarves and you're fine. It's not SO cold during these two seasons but if you are not a fan of cold weathers (even the spring breeze and autumn chill) then pack some sweaters, but you'll look out of season.

As of summer, it's hot and dry. If you are from an equator country, the heat of summer is different. Like I said, summer is hot and dry whereas equator climate is hot and wet.

Care to wear thin cotton clothes. Do pack light-coloured clothes. Black or dark ones trap more heat. Always, always make sure you have plenty of water. Pack a few bottles to be cautious. You'll never know when you really need it.

I know it's summer but that's when you do A LOT of outdoor activities. The beaches, the park; they're all summer attractions.

Now winter. I warn you, if you're not a fan of cold, pack A LOT, and I mean it, A LOT of thin clothes. That way you can wear layers of them and then wear a sweater over the thick layers of clothes and you'll be fine. If you're travelling for two weeks or so, one sweater and one winter jacket is enough. You're not gonna be sweating a lot anyways.

If you're tight on budget and boots are crazily expensive, sneakers would do just fine. I like the ankle-length ones, just for extra warmth. But if you have the normal cut, wear it with a pair of THICK socks and you're good to play in the snow.

Listen, winter wears are expensive (if you're living outside a four-seasonal countries like I do). So if you have family members that OWN winter wear, just borrow from them. I know it doesn't sound fabulous and awesome, but remember, if you spend money less in your country, then you can spend money more overseas! Life's tricks are the best!

Overall, always travel light. Minimize your clothing and your things. You'll need as less weight as possible to be moving around.

One more thing. Do not make yourself an obvious traveler. You don't wanna get robbed or get pick-pocketed on your holiday, so try not to carry your cameras or maps or guide books or etc. around too often. Lay back, lay low and act like a local. Travel in small groups (not to large cause that is obvious too) and try blending in with the locals.

I hope I have given you a few helpful advice. I'll write about my vacation to Europe once I've finished my trip over there. Until then, I'll keep myself on the edge of my seat!