Planning a journey without flying—Australia to Europe return—turned out to be very different from planning a normal holiday. Some parts took weeks of research, while others changed completely once we were on the road.
Travelling by car, ship, and train through many countries meant learning how routes connected, how much flexibility we needed, and when plans had to adapt.
This section will gradually collect practical planning tips, research tools, reflections on our planning process, and some of the things we learned along the way so check back from time to time.
#1. The Journey Before the Journey
Some parts of the planning took months of research. Routes, ships, trains, visas, timings, and connections all became part of the adventure long before we left home.
#2. Deciding How Long to Travel
Knowing this might be our one and only overseas trip together—because Russell doesn’t fly—I initially wanted to see as much as possible while we were there.
However, once we started looking at return cruise options to Australia, the choice really became either five months away or closer to ten. In the end, family and budget played a big part in our decision. New grandchildren had arrived, and extending the trip would have almost doubled the cost.
It also meant making some difficult choices about the itinerary itself. We reluctantly removed Ireland and Italy from our plans so the journey remained manageable within the time and budget we had available.
Looking back, we realised we didn’t need to see everything in one trip for it to still be an incredible experience.
#3. Combining Research With Experience
While we wanted to shape the journey ourselves, we also learned the value of having expert help when needed. My Godson, Callum from Barrow & Bear Travel + Cruise, was incredibly helpful with parts of the planning process. Rather than having someone organise the entire trip, we usually worked out where we wanted to be first, then asked for help booking more complicated sections or finding better options and pricing.
We learned that even when you want to shape the journey yourself, having expert help for some parts can make a huge difference. For us, Callum’s advice and assistance with selected bookings was invaluable.