If you are planning a trip abroad, you can't do much better than the European Union. The EU contains 28 different countries including Austria, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania and the U.K., and was created with the purpose of allowing "free movement of goods, capital, services and people between member states." There are a ton of benefits to traveling within the EU. Here are the top three.
Many People Speak English
For most travelers, it is recommended that you learn at least enough of the language of the country you are visiting to get around easily (not to mention the fact that it is just common courtesy). If you don't have the time or the language proficiency to hack it, though, you will probably still be fine in the EU. Around 58 million people in the EU are native English speakers, and another 38 percent of the population (including people in Spain, Italy and other countries where English is not the native language) say that they are fluent enough in English to hold a conversation. This means that if you get lost or need help in some other way, chances are high that you are always close to someone who can speak your native tongue.
Freedom of Movement
One of the most important goals of the European Union is to allow citizens and visitors alike to travel freely between one country and another within its borders. One example of this is the Schengen Visa, which allows visitors to travel from Italy to France to Germany and more all on one visa. Inside the EU, there are fewer checkpoints, ID-checking stations and customs checks at the airports, which can mean a whole lot less hassle. As long as you have the correct documentation, you can move as you wish around the entire European Union without much trouble. This is something quite impressive, as no other group of countries allows this type of unfettered access to surrounding areas without special border checks and stopping points. It also leads to more peaceful relations between all of the countries involved, which is good, not just for travelers, but for businesses as well.
All Your Dream Destinations Are at Your Fingertips
By far the biggest benefit of traveling in the EU is the fact that so many of the beautiful countries you have always dreamed of visiting are just a train ride away from each other. Within a span of a few days, you could visit Italy, France, and Spain, all without having to take another airplane (unless you wanted to). All of these countries are closer together than you might think, and with the Freedom of Movement initiative, you don't have to waste time checking into each country. In most cases, you can move from one to the other just as you would from one state to the next in America, which basically puts all of Europe at your fingertips. The possibilities for your itinerary are endless!