I had a great time on my 7-day Royal Caribbean cruise to France and Spain, but I can’t help but think about the five mistakes I made.

Despite the highlights of my trip, I regretted a few things I would have done differently (and will definitely do differently when I return to Europe next year).

I think there is always room for improvement. Some mistakes I noticed immediately, others I only noticed later and could probably have been done differently.

There is too much to think about with every vacation, but I would recommend you consider these tips when planning your European cruise.

By public transport from the airport

I love how easy it is to get around London efficiently in the UK, but if you have a lot of luggage, it’s not ideal.

I did my homework and did a lot of research on what to do and not to do in London, and one great tip was how to save a lot of money by taking the subway between Heathrow Airport and your hotel in London.

What the tips don’t take into account is your luggage and how bulky it is to take with you. Neither the London Underground nor the trains between London and Southampton have special storage facilities for large luggage. Also, there are tube stations with stairs and no lifts, so you’ll have to lug your luggage up and down stairs.

I was actually quite surprised at how little space there was for luggage on the train to Southampton.

I was OK with it because I was traveling alone with only one suitcase. With my children and their luggage it would have been a nightmare.

On the way back from the cruise I made the same mistake until the night before I realized I was about to make the same mistake. I took a taxi to the airport again instead of the train just to avoid the luggage problem.

I recommend arranging a car service between the airport and London or finding a bus service that you can book in advance. Royal Caribbean also offers transfers that I would reserve for the return trip to the airport.

No priority for outdoor activities when the weather is nice

While I had beautiful weather for most of my trip, rain ruined my plans in both Paris and London and that could have been avoided.

When I arrived in Paris for my several-hour tour, I didn’t go straight to the Eiffel Tower to see it, but instead went in search of a great Parisian lunch.

Although the croissant was fantastic, I then wasted time waiting for the rain to let up so I could go see the Eiffel Tower later.

I had a similar experience in London when I took advantage of the glorious weather to sit in a pub when I could have actually visited Covent Garden. Later I had to cut my visit to Covent Garden short because it was raining.

No matter which city or port you visit, always take advantage of the sunny weather and save meals, museums and bars for last.

Not having a few euros

In Europe you can apparently pay for everything with a credit card, but having a few euros with you is always helpful.

In Bilbao, Spain, I realized that I had left my credit card on the ship. I wanted to pay with my American Express card, but no one in Spain seemed to accept that card.

I had US dollars with me, so I went to a nearby exchange office and 100 euros made a big difference in bars or cafes where I could pay with paper money.

This is especially true for street vendors and especially in emergencies when paper money is a good safeguard.

Long bus rides to shore excursions

In two ports I took bus rides of over two hours each, and although I really enjoyed the time in port, I think it was a mistake.

I’m torn about whether to call this a mistake, because I really enjoyed my time in Bordeaux and Paris, but it severely limited the time I could spend there.

Compared to the days I spent in Spain when I didn’t have to take a bus, the days in France seemed far too short and I really couldn’t spend that much time there.

This mistake leads to my next mistake: I would be quite suspicious of shore excursions with bus rides of more than an hour, because the time spent in port is very limited.

No extra day after the cruise to go to Paris

After I reviewed my Paris shore excursion, many readers recommended just checking out Paris after the cruise, and I think they’re right.

A major city like Paris cannot be visited quickly. To do it properly, you need a few days.

Thanks to the Eurostar train, it’s so easy to get from London to Paris that I should have planned a few extra days to properly experience the city.

As with London, plan a few days before and after your cruise to have time to visit both.