Planning a Euro-Trip: A Step-by-step guide from Bangladesh!

Travelling is a lot more complex for individuals who hold passports from countries that have do not have visa-free access to most of the countries in the world. Bangladeshi passports are on that list of nations that require visas to visit most countries, and European destinations definitely require visas. The good thing is that the Schengen visa covers most of the main countries that one would want to visit in Europe, and it is relatively easy to apply for this specific visa from Dhaka. In this article, I’m going to discuss the steps involved in planning a trip to Europe from Dhaka, and try to demystify the process a bit!

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this blog are based on my experience. I am not a specialist in this field, and what works for one person may not work for another. I understand that visas are often granted based not only on an individual fulfilling the requirements and providing the documents needed for the particular application, but also on seemingly irrelevant factors such as one’s travel history and luck. This blog should hence be treated as a guideline at most, and please do keep in mind that although following all these steps should help, it does not guarantee success.

Step 1: Choose your travel destination-

Europe has 44 countries (plus 4 countries which are dependent on these 44 countries, and this calculation counts the 4 countries that make up the United Kingdom as 1 country), so there are definitely a lot of options for travelling. It can be broadly divided into 7 geographic regions: 1) Scandinavia, 2) the British Isles, 3) Western Europe, 4) Central Europe, 5) Eastern Europe, 6) Southern Europe, and 7) Southeastern Europe/the Balkans. With the Schengen visa, you can visit 26 of these countries, and a multiple-entry Schengen visa provides you with access to another 15 or so countries that are not in the Schengen zone. Not all the countries have embassies in Dhaka, so it is important to choose a country within your trip that has an embassy in Dhaka. The most popular destinations include Italy, France, and Germany. Typically, you should apply through the embassy of the country you are entering first, or the one you are spending the longest amount of time in.

Pictured above: Italy, England, Albania, Slovakia, Spain, and Norway

It is important to understand that although Europe is a relatively small continent, you probably don’t want to spend most of your holiday shuttling between countries. It is definitely possible to visit 10 countries/cities in 10 days, but you will hardly get any time to spend in each country/city and most cities have so much to offer! Personally, I would suggest choosing one part of the continent, and visiting 3-4 countries over the holiday at most. For example, if you’re visiting Berlin, you can easily visit Prague and Vienna, or if you’re visiting Paris, you can also visit Brussels and Amsterdam.

Step 2: Book the flights, internal travel transportation, and accommodation-

Booking flights can be a bit challenging from Dhaka due to the $300 limit on credit card transactions. For flights, I normally use a travel agent, use my foreign bank account, or ask someone who has an international bank account to book my ticket. I use Skyscanner to do my initial search, and then have alerts on Google Flights. I ALWAYS book flights on the airline website, as there are so many horror stories of people getting stranded due to delays/cancellations when booking through third-party websites. Kayak is another great source for scouting cheap flights. If you’re flexible with your destinations and dates, you can play around with both to find the most cost-effective flight (i.e. flights to larger cities are often cheaper, and it is usually cheaper to fly in the middle of the week rather than on the weekends).

Internal transportation is required if you plan on traveling to cities and countries other than the one you’re visiting. Travelling within Europe is fairly easy, with options such as trains, buses, and flights. Europe has numerous budget airlines, making it easy to fly to different ends of the continent with less than BDT 10,000 (there are flights for as little as BDT 1000). However, these prices often do not include luggage (only a small hand luggage) or seats (and for some reason, everyone tends to get stuck with the dreaded middle seat). You can add on luggage for a fee (this varies between airlines and the size of your suitcase). If the journey is not more than 5 hours, I personally prefer booking a train or a coach. This is because flying means that you need to reach the airport at least 1.5-2 hours prior to the flight, and airports are usually located outside of the main city. Trains and coaches allow you to go straight into the city, and have less luggage restrictions; both factors are important to me. Also, it makes me feel better that land travel has a lower carbon footprint than flying! Coaches and trains can be comfortable, and sometimes cheaper than flying as well (not always though). Skyscanner is again my top choice for flights, Omio is great aggregator for coaches and trains (also flights), and Getbybus is great for Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Rome2Rio is another site that helps you figure out your options for travelling between cities. These tickets are likely to be less than $300, which makes it easier to book on your own from Bangladesh. Otherwise, reach out to a travel agent or friends/family members who have international bank accounts.

For hotels, I use Booking.com, although Agoda and AirBnB are other viable options. Booking.com allows you to book properties with free cancellation, which is great in case your trip gets cancelled (or your visa application doesn’t go through). Reading reviews is a great way to gauge how the hotel will be; for example, some hotels have lower ratings due to it being located on a noisy street with lots of bars. This may not be a problem for you if you can sleep through an earthquake and a parade (like me) and want to stay in a busy area. Another thing to look out for is that many hotels in Europe do not have air conditioning, as they didn’t get too hot until fairly recently. Many hotels don’t have elevators either, which can be problematic if you’re carrying large suitcases (like me), or travelling with very young children or elderly relatives. I would say that spending around BDT 8,000 per night is normal for a central location in a country in Western, Central, and Southern Europe, as well as the British Isles. It’s a bit cheaper in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and more expensive in Scandinavia. However, you can save on hotels by staying a bit further away that the city center, or by staying in hostels. For me, proximity to the main spots I want to visit and easy accessibility to bus/train stations are key while making hotel bookings.

While at this stage, I’d recommend creating an itinerary for your trip. It’s good to have an itinerary that shows which dates you’ll be at in each city/country, and you can even list out the key sights you plan on seeing as well! I’ve heard that it helps to include this as a cover letter during your visa application. I offer consultation services for creating an itinerary in Europe, so feel free to reach out if you need help!

Pictured above: Switzerland, Belgium, and France

Step 3: Complete the visa application form-

The application forms are available on the VFS site of the embassy you’re applying through. For example, the application form for Italy can be found on https://www.vfsglobal-it-bd.com/. At this stage, book the appointment at VFS. This can also be done online, on the same website where you find the application form.

Step 4: Get the other documents together-

After completing the application form, it’s necessary to get all the other documentation together. This includes 1) travel insurance, 2) a letter confirming your student status/NOC from your workplace (some people choose to include their salary within this document to show further proof that you’re not a potential flight risk and that you will return to the country once you’re done with your holiday; this is not necessary and I have personally not done it, but it doesn’t hurt!), 3) bank statement of the last 6 months showing that you have sufficient funds to cover the trip, 4) bank solvency certificate, 5) visiting card or copy of your employee ID card (if any) 6) 3 months’ pay slip, 7) a copy of the main information page of your passport, 8) printed copies of all your flight bookings and hotel reservations, and 9) TIN certificate (if any). Those who are married need to submit a marriage certificate, doctors may need to submit their BMDC certificate, and it’s necessary to include birth certificates for children and infants. For those who are not employed or students, a copy of a fixed deposit with certificate from a bank or a copy of your Sanchay Patra and certificate, an asset valuation document, or any documents regarding share ownership. For businesspeople, a copy of the company’s bank statement over the last six months, a bank solvency certificate, a copy of the trade license, and other relevant documents such as an import/export certificate, a memorandum for a limited company, and a blank page of the office letterhead. If you are going to visit family or friends, an invitation letter (in a prescribed format), copy of residence permit, proof of relationship, and a recognized ID of the friend/family member are required. Your passport must also have at least 6 months’ validity in order to be able to apply for a Schengen visa. It’s also good to have a few copies of a passport-size photo, although you don’t really need it anymore as they usually take the photo at the embassy now.

Step 5: Apply!

After gathering all the documents, you’ll have to go and submit the documents the day of your appointment. There are lounge/priority services at many of the embassies, which is something I’d recommend because it is often a quicker process than the regular one. You’ll need to make the payment in cash, so it’s good to have the exact amount on you when you go (although they are usually able to provide change). They’ll take your biometrics, and afterwards, you may be called for an interview as well.

After this, keep your fingers crossed and you should hear about your visa within 14 working days. I hope this blog helped to clarify some questions regarding the visa application process and figuring out how to choose the travel destinations. If you require additional support for your specific requirements,, please feel free to reach out to me so I can help, as I offer consultation services! Happy travelling!