Thought I'd post a little write-up here in the hopes of providing a little inspiration to those who are perhaps contemplating a longer flying adventure but just need that final little spark of motivation to go ahead and do it!!! 
(To be clear, this is what WE did and is written in good faith. I am NOT a flying instructor and I'm NOT suggesting you fly outwith your own capabilities . And I guess as a bit of CYA 
, "all views expressed here are mine and do not represent those of my employer" (this will make sense shortly!))
A bit about me....
I am a PPL/IR (as is my flying buddy and co-owner) with over 300hrs and everything was to be conducted IFR. Last year we flew to Copenhagen and Munchengladbach so had a bit of experience in planning and flying longer trips....
Oh, and I'm also an Area Radar controller at London Centre which certainly helps with the RT confidence!!
The initial idea....
Plan A started off with Lee-On-Solent (EGHF) - Berlin Schoenhagen (EDAZ) - Prague (LKPR) - Brac (LDSB) - Innsbruck (LOWI) -Troyes(LFQB) - Lee-On-Solent over the course of 7 days. However, once in Prague it became apparent that Innsbruck would probably be out as there was a huge amount of bad weather forecast over the Alps when we were planning to arrive, and Innsbruck in particular, so we modified the plan to go Brac - Ajaccio (LFKJ) - Dijon (LFSD) - Lee-On-Solent to stay clear of TS/CB.....
So...on to the hardware....
The aircraft is a 1977 Piper Turbo Arrow and to make use of the performance, I have a Sky-Ox 22 CuFt portable oxy system giving around 20 man-hours @ 15000ft. We both have the same kit so having 2 full bottles for the trip ensured we most definitely had enough Oxy for the entire trip. Some folks swear by the Mountain High system but, having done a LOT of research prior to buying a kit, I liked the simplicity of the Sky-Ox system and not having yet another item which was reliant on having batteries.
For in-flight weather I bought an older Golze ADL120 a few months back which works very well. The aircraft has a GTN650 for IFR navigation/approaches and a pair of Garmin G5's. I also use Skydemon in-flight too for added situational awareness and charts should it be necessray to drop below CAS/MSA due to icing etc...
I also have a raft and lifejacket which I take when I'm going cross-channel. I wasnt actually going to bother this time because we were initially planned to be crossing the channel at FL170 at DVR but at the last minute got re-routed across the North Sea via REDFA!. Also the (initially unplanned) legs from Croatia - Corsica and Corsica - Dijon required decent stretches across water so it made sense to take them along.
The planning and admin....
Firstly I used Autorouter to formulate the routes. Its a great free application and I'd also used this to file the flight plans. It will also advise of any slot times and updates along the way. An outbound GAR is required from UK and this was achieved using the government SGAR website. Once you have set up and saved your aircraft and crew details its then easy to file subsequent GAR's without too much added hassle. Annoyingly, you can only file a GAR within 48hrs of departure.
I dont understand the logic in that but hey-ho! I prefer to have most things squared away as soon as possible. I also printed and make screenshots of all SID/STAR and approach plates I thought could reasonably be required....I've found that I definitely prefer paper approach plates in the cockpit but I'm TRYING to move myself onto digital but without too much success to date. 
So with the outbound GAR and FPL's submitted up to, and including, Brac it was then onto a bit of weather watching. For this I use a combo of...Windy, https://en.vedur.is/weather/aviation/sigwx/ for any significant weather, the Weather and Radar app on my phone and Autorouter's GRAMET function (which is excellent!). This pretty much deals with everything and so far has ensured I encounter no nasty surprises. The ADL120 for the in-flight stuff is also very good and can be shown on Skydemon and updated using Iridium satellite download.
The good bit!!
The first leg (Lee-Schoenhagen) was planned at FL170 with the planned route being EGHF OCK M185 KOBBI M197 REDFA L620 SUVOX Z718 OSN L980 SAS L986 KOSIX DCT MOSEX EDAZ. We knew there was going to be some weather to the North of the route, especially around Osnabrueck but it turned out to be a little more to the South than anticipated. However, we asked for some weather avoidance headings from ATC and were granted these straight away. This is the planned versus actual route flown on this leg....
On arrival we filled up at self-serve and were greeted by the German Border Force who stamped our passports. The Ops staff at Schoenhagen were very friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend Schoenhagen for visiting Berlin. All fees (not including fuel) were 82 Euros....25 of that being approach charge. Very content with that....
We stayed in Berlin for 2 nights and then set off for Prague. Prague requires slots in and out which had me learning how to file GCR slot requests (very simple in the end..even though I had to resubmit due to an 'error' converting times to UTC
). Take off time from Belin was to the minute as was our arrival into Prague....was considering starting an airline with that kind of on-time performance . Flying into a large international airport was very satisfying and were met near the GA/Business ramp by the helpful 'follow me' car... 
. Taxiing past the 'big stuff' was also very cool indeed!!! I used Czech Airlines Handling and, once again, the guys could not have been more helpful. All fees came to 183 Euros which, for a large international airport, were MORE than reasonable....I mean 35 Euros for 2 days parking was fantastic IMHO!!
Once again, planned Vs actual at FL130...EDAZ BOLBO2A BOLBO M748 HDO DCT GOLOP GOLOP4P LKPR
So, after a couple of nights in Prague (beautiful city BTW!) we were off to Brac. LKPR VOZ4H VOZ DCT PISAM DCT TAGAS DCT GOLVA L604 PETOV M725 SIRMI M725 SPL SPL6N LDSB
The scenery en-route was stunning even at FL150 and we were seamlessly passed from Centre to Centre. Not much in the way of weather but, despite asking for descent well in advance, we were left a little high with not many miles to run. This resulted in a descent a little more steep than I would have liked but I'm sure the controller had other issues to sort out. With my Controller hat on I certainly understand the issues with piston engined aircraft requiring a flatter descent profile and facilitate this wherever possible. However this is not commonly understood within the controller community so dont be afraid to ask/explain to the contoller that you would prefer an early descent for 'engine reasons'. The vast majority of flights we deal with are jet powered aircraft who have no issue in losing the altitude very quickly when required.
Anyway....the Brac airport staff were very helpful and patient with us while we stowed our things in the aircraft and put the cover on! . We were recommended a taxi service into town (Bol) and were there in no time! It was my first visit to Croatia and I was blown away by Bol. Beautiful place and definitely on the list for a return visit at some point. 
. Costs here came to 85Euros which, again, were very acceptable.
Having already ruled out the Plan A destination of Innsbruck, we then departed the next day for Ajaccio in Corsica.....LDSB SPL5R SPL M730 BAGNO M872 LOMED L12 ELB L146 BTA BTA2N LFKJ
A HUGE DCT from ANC to ELB saw us cut a good few track miles off the route. A quick look over the left wing provided a stunning view down the spine of Italy at FL160..
Ajaccio has an unusual arrival for RW20 in that the 'STAR' brings you to a point (IDDOL) where you then make an assessment as to whether you can achieve a visual join to DWRH for landing. Once again being left a little higher than desired the controller who, I've no doubt thought they were being helpful, offered us a right base for 20....of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing and we should have declined and followed the published arrival. However we were in glorious VMC and, incorrectly, assessed we could make it.
. Anyway, we didnt and ended up in descending orbits in various points within the ATZ. Learning point no.xxx
Once on terra-firma we once again stowed our stuff and covered the aircraft. Handling agent sorted us out through the gate and we caught a short taxi ride into town. It was rather warm and ended up being 31deg at 2100L
. While a lovely place, I felt Ajaccio wasnt as pretty a place as some of our other destinations. Also, I think visiting on a Sunday probably didnt help as we spent a LOT of time trying to find a suitable restaurant that was open.....got there in the end though
Costs accrued on Corsica were 64Euros for handling etc...
Next up was Dijon at FL160....LFKJ LONSU1R LONSU M622 DIVUL G374 PERUS A3 RETNO Z42 LTP A2 DANBO A6 DJL LFSD
Uneventful leg other than a few 'bumps' which, initially we put down to CAT but, after more thinking after the fact were probably misfires caused by ignition issues due to non-pressurised mags. We planned for the RNP to RW35 at Dijon and used the VNAV feature of the GTN to hit the IF (ISD35) bang-on at 2400ft from FL160
After the usual aircraft related stuff on the apron, we headed into town to find our hotel....which turned out to be a very funky apartment in a great location just of the main square.. I had no expectations of Dijon but I was blown away by just how lovely it was (both my flying buddy and myself both love old, historic towns and this one didnt disappoint!). Obviously the obligatory Dijon mustard was purchased for Mrs SD on the way...
Next day we arrived back at the airport and were met by the (pre-arranged) Douane who were very friendly . Seems like a good opportunity to mention the Ops staff who were amazing and really went out their way to help especially by recommending places to visit in town when we arrived. Dijon seems to get some bad press in the GA community but I could not have been happier with the service. I guess its a case, as always, of understanding the requirements beforehand and making sure you comply. Another place I would definitely make a return visit to and recommend. Costs here came to 50Euro for landing and overnight parking...
Last leg of the trip back to UK was filed at FL150 thus...LFSD DJL A6 SOMDA T11 VATRI B3 BILGO H20 XORBI H40 ABB N20 NOTGI EGHF
Not much to say about this one other than obtaining a few DCT's from ATC....
All-in-all a great weeks adventuring around Europe.
Summary/tips
One good tip is to read any pilot notes on Skydemon as well as sites like EuroGA and this very forum. Also take time to actually LOOK at the 'textual information' bit on Skydemon for things like Airport opening times and whether there is AVGAS and Customs available. The Customs bit is quite important as there is usually a 'Prior Notice Required' time for entering and leaving the Schengen area and times DO differ. Once you're IN then you can put your passport away until your last point of departure prior to coming back to UK (mostly!!). As I said, being clued-up on the specific airport requirements IS important as Dijon, for example, required prior customs notification of inbound flights even from airfields WITHIN the Schengen area (its on the NOTAM too!!). Also, I try and find any airport websites for useful info and email addresses etc. I guess I'm making this all sound complicated but it actually isn't. Once you have a routine then its easy from there!!! Oh, forgot to mention handling.. ..at a lot of bigger places this may well be mandatory and requires pre-notification to the agent. Again this can be found in the 'textual information' bit but I did find a useful website (touchngo.fr) which makes all this stuff MUCH easier to arrange. However, it DOES take a bit to register but worth it.
Other tips would be to ensure you have a rough idea of where you're parking when you land at your destination and what the likely runway and taxi route will be. Also, ALWAYS where possible refuel when you ARRIVE!!! This ensures no delays to your departure. In Ajaccio the wait for the AVGAS bowser would have been 2 hours!!
. Thankfully I have an AirBP card so just taxied over to the pump and self-served in 5 mins... . Speaking of which, if you intend to do a bit of continental flying I would thoroughly recommend getting yourself both AirBP and Total cards. Its a bit of a hassle in applying but NOTHING compared to the potential hassle and disruption if you dont!!! Also, if youre going somewhere sunny make sure you have a cover for the aircraft or AT LEAST some window shades as the cabin can get VERY toasty in direct sunlight!!.....airport aprons tend to be VERY exposed!
While we didn't get any ramp checks always ensure you have the required documents IN the aircraft (lists on CAA website among others). Noise certificates are required in Germany and, I'm sure, many other places so make sure you have them or at least a pic or PDF.
Most importantly...dont be frightened or put off by the apparent 'complexity' of it all....(its really not!) and have confidence in your abilities. Try and be as prepared as you can be, pilot the aircraft to a good standard and you'll be fine. Oh.....AND, whether IFR or VFR, if you need to avoid weather then tell ATC in good time so they can plan ahead.....a 'help them to help you' kind of thing.
Having a PPL is a fantastic opportunity to go and explore places and have new expreriences and combined with an IR makes it very simple indeed. Yes, it'll more than likely be cheaper to fly with a budget airline but thats not really the point is it?? Its all about the adventures and trips like these will certianly be something you won't forget.
(To be clear, this is what WE did and is written in good faith. I am NOT a flying instructor and I'm NOT suggesting you fly outwith your own capabilities . And I guess as a bit of CYA , "all views expressed here are mine and do not represent those of my employer" (this will make sense shortly!))A bit about me....
I am a PPL/IR (as is my flying buddy and co-owner) with over 300hrs and everything was to be conducted IFR. Last year we flew to Copenhagen and Munchengladbach so had a bit of experience in planning and flying longer trips....
Oh, and I'm also an Area Radar controller at London Centre which certainly helps with the RT confidence!!
The initial idea....
Plan A started off with Lee-On-Solent (EGHF) - Berlin Schoenhagen (EDAZ) - Prague (LKPR) - Brac (LDSB) - Innsbruck (LOWI) -Troyes(LFQB) - Lee-On-Solent over the course of 7 days. However, once in Prague it became apparent that Innsbruck would probably be out as there was a huge amount of bad weather forecast over the Alps when we were planning to arrive, and Innsbruck in particular, so we modified the plan to go Brac - Ajaccio (LFKJ) - Dijon (LFSD) - Lee-On-Solent to stay clear of TS/CB.....
So...on to the hardware....
The aircraft is a 1977 Piper Turbo Arrow and to make use of the performance, I have a Sky-Ox 22 CuFt portable oxy system giving around 20 man-hours @ 15000ft. We both have the same kit so having 2 full bottles for the trip ensured we most definitely had enough Oxy for the entire trip. Some folks swear by the Mountain High system but, having done a LOT of research prior to buying a kit, I liked the simplicity of the Sky-Ox system and not having yet another item which was reliant on having batteries.
For in-flight weather I bought an older Golze ADL120 a few months back which works very well. The aircraft has a GTN650 for IFR navigation/approaches and a pair of Garmin G5's. I also use Skydemon in-flight too for added situational awareness and charts should it be necessray to drop below CAS/MSA due to icing etc...
I also have a raft and lifejacket which I take when I'm going cross-channel. I wasnt actually going to bother this time because we were initially planned to be crossing the channel at FL170 at DVR but at the last minute got re-routed across the North Sea via REDFA!. Also the (initially unplanned) legs from Croatia - Corsica and Corsica - Dijon required decent stretches across water so it made sense to take them along.
The planning and admin....
Firstly I used Autorouter to formulate the routes. Its a great free application and I'd also used this to file the flight plans. It will also advise of any slot times and updates along the way. An outbound GAR is required from UK and this was achieved using the government SGAR website. Once you have set up and saved your aircraft and crew details its then easy to file subsequent GAR's without too much added hassle. Annoyingly, you can only file a GAR within 48hrs of departure.
I dont understand the logic in that but hey-ho! I prefer to have most things squared away as soon as possible. I also printed and make screenshots of all SID/STAR and approach plates I thought could reasonably be required....I've found that I definitely prefer paper approach plates in the cockpit but I'm TRYING to move myself onto digital but without too much success to date. So with the outbound GAR and FPL's submitted up to, and including, Brac it was then onto a bit of weather watching. For this I use a combo of...Windy, https://en.vedur.is/weather/aviation/sigwx/ for any significant weather, the Weather and Radar app on my phone and Autorouter's GRAMET function (which is excellent!). This pretty much deals with everything and so far has ensured I encounter no nasty surprises. The ADL120 for the in-flight stuff is also very good and can be shown on Skydemon and updated using Iridium satellite download.
The good bit!!
The first leg (Lee-Schoenhagen) was planned at FL170 with the planned route being EGHF OCK M185 KOBBI M197 REDFA L620 SUVOX Z718 OSN L980 SAS L986 KOSIX DCT MOSEX EDAZ. We knew there was going to be some weather to the North of the route, especially around Osnabrueck but it turned out to be a little more to the South than anticipated. However, we asked for some weather avoidance headings from ATC and were granted these straight away. This is the planned versus actual route flown on this leg....
On arrival we filled up at self-serve and were greeted by the German Border Force who stamped our passports. The Ops staff at Schoenhagen were very friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend Schoenhagen for visiting Berlin.
All fees (not including fuel) were 82 Euros....25 of that being approach charge. Very content with that....We stayed in Berlin for 2 nights and then set off for Prague. Prague requires slots in and out which had me learning how to file GCR slot requests (very simple in the end..even though I had to resubmit due to an 'error' converting times to UTC
). Take off time from Belin was to the minute as was our arrival into Prague....was considering starting an airline with that kind of on-time performance . Flying into a large international airport was very satisfying and were met near the GA/Business ramp by the helpful 'follow me' car... . Taxiing past the 'big stuff' was also very cool indeed!!! I used Czech Airlines Handling and, once again, the guys could not have been more helpful. All fees came to 183 Euros which, for a large international airport, were MORE than reasonable....I mean 35 Euros for 2 days parking was fantastic IMHO!!Once again, planned Vs actual at FL130...EDAZ BOLBO2A BOLBO M748 HDO DCT GOLOP GOLOP4P LKPR
So, after a couple of nights in Prague (beautiful city BTW!) we were off to Brac. LKPR VOZ4H VOZ DCT PISAM DCT TAGAS DCT GOLVA L604 PETOV M725 SIRMI M725 SPL SPL6N LDSB
The scenery en-route was stunning even at FL150 and we were seamlessly passed from Centre to Centre. Not much in the way of weather but, despite asking for descent well in advance, we were left a little high with not many miles to run. This resulted in a descent a little more steep than I would have liked but I'm sure the controller had other issues to sort out. With my Controller hat on I certainly understand the issues with piston engined aircraft requiring a flatter descent profile and facilitate this wherever possible. However this is not commonly understood within the controller community so dont be afraid to ask/explain to the contoller that you would prefer an early descent for 'engine reasons'. The vast majority of flights we deal with are jet powered aircraft who have no issue in losing the altitude very quickly when required.
Anyway....the Brac airport staff were very helpful and patient with us while we stowed our things in the aircraft and put the cover on!
. We were recommended a taxi service into town (Bol) and were there in no time! It was my first visit to Croatia and I was blown away by Bol. Beautiful place and definitely on the list for a return visit at some point. . Costs here came to 85Euros which, again, were very acceptable.Having already ruled out the Plan A destination of Innsbruck, we then departed the next day for Ajaccio in Corsica.....LDSB SPL5R SPL M730 BAGNO M872 LOMED L12 ELB L146 BTA BTA2N LFKJ
A HUGE DCT from ANC to ELB saw us cut a good few track miles off the route. A quick look over the left wing provided a stunning view down the spine of Italy at FL160..
Ajaccio has an unusual arrival for RW20 in that the 'STAR' brings you to a point (IDDOL) where you then make an assessment as to whether you can achieve a visual join to DWRH for landing. Once again being left a little higher than desired the controller who, I've no doubt thought they were being helpful, offered us a right base for 20....of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing and we should have declined and followed the published arrival. However we were in glorious VMC and, incorrectly, assessed we could make it.
. Anyway, we didnt and ended up in descending orbits in various points within the ATZ. Learning point no.xxx Once on terra-firma we once again stowed our stuff and covered the aircraft. Handling agent sorted us out through the gate and we caught a short taxi ride into town. It was rather warm and ended up being 31deg at 2100L
. While a lovely place, I felt Ajaccio wasnt as pretty a place as some of our other destinations. Also, I think visiting on a Sunday probably didnt help as we spent a LOT of time trying to find a suitable restaurant that was open.....got there in the end though Costs accrued on Corsica were 64Euros for handling etc...
Next up was Dijon at FL160....LFKJ LONSU1R LONSU M622 DIVUL G374 PERUS A3 RETNO Z42 LTP A2 DANBO A6 DJL LFSD
Uneventful leg other than a few 'bumps' which, initially we put down to CAT but, after more thinking after the fact were probably misfires caused by ignition issues due to non-pressurised mags. We planned for the RNP to RW35 at Dijon and used the VNAV feature of the GTN to hit the IF (ISD35) bang-on at 2400ft from FL160
After the usual aircraft related stuff on the apron, we headed into town to find our hotel....which turned out to be a very funky apartment in a great location just of the main square.. I had no expectations of Dijon but I was blown away by just how lovely it was (both my flying buddy and myself both love old, historic towns and this one didnt disappoint!). Obviously the obligatory Dijon mustard was purchased for Mrs SD
on the way...Next day we arrived back at the airport and were met by the (pre-arranged) Douane who were very friendly
. Seems like a good opportunity to mention the Ops staff who were amazing and really went out their way to help especially by recommending places to visit in town when we arrived. Dijon seems to get some bad press in the GA community but I could not have been happier with the service. I guess its a case, as always, of understanding the requirements beforehand and making sure you comply. Another place I would definitely make a return visit to and recommend. Costs here came to 50Euro for landing and overnight parking...Last leg of the trip back to UK was filed at FL150 thus...LFSD DJL A6 SOMDA T11 VATRI B3 BILGO H20 XORBI H40 ABB N20 NOTGI EGHF
Not much to say about this one other than obtaining a few DCT's from ATC....
All-in-all a great weeks adventuring around Europe.
Summary/tips
One good tip is to read any pilot notes on Skydemon as well as sites like EuroGA and this very forum.
Also take time to actually LOOK at the 'textual information' bit on Skydemon for things like Airport opening times and whether there is AVGAS and Customs available. The Customs bit is quite important as there is usually a 'Prior Notice Required' time for entering and leaving the Schengen area and times DO differ. Once you're IN then you can put your passport away until your last point of departure prior to coming back to UK (mostly!!). As I said, being clued-up on the specific airport requirements IS important as Dijon, for example, required prior customs notification of inbound flights even from airfields WITHIN the Schengen area (its on the NOTAM too!!). Also, I try and find any airport websites for useful info and email addresses etc. I guess I'm making this all sound complicated but it actually isn't. Once you have a routine then its easy from there!!! Oh, forgot to mention handling.. ..at a lot of bigger places this may well be mandatory and requires pre-notification to the agent. Again this can be found in the 'textual information' bit but I did find a useful website (touchngo.fr) which makes all this stuff MUCH easier to arrange. However, it DOES take a bit to register but worth it. Other tips would be to ensure you have a rough idea of where you're parking when you land at your destination and what the likely runway and taxi route will be. Also, ALWAYS where possible refuel when you ARRIVE!!! This ensures no delays to your departure. In Ajaccio the wait for the AVGAS bowser would have been 2 hours!!
. Thankfully I have an AirBP card so just taxied over to the pump and self-served in 5 mins... . Speaking of which, if you intend to do a bit of continental flying I would thoroughly recommend getting yourself both AirBP and Total cards. Its a bit of a hassle in applying but NOTHING compared to the potential hassle and disruption if you dont!!! Also, if youre going somewhere sunny make sure you have a cover for the aircraft or AT LEAST some window shades as the cabin can get VERY toasty in direct sunlight!!.....airport aprons tend to be VERY exposed!While we didn't get any ramp checks always ensure you have the required documents IN the aircraft (lists on CAA website among others). Noise certificates are required in Germany and, I'm sure, many other places so make sure you have them or at least a pic or PDF.
Most importantly...dont be frightened or put off by the apparent 'complexity' of it all....(its really not!) and have confidence in your abilities. Try and be as prepared as you can be, pilot the aircraft to a good standard and you'll be fine. Oh.....AND, whether IFR or VFR, if you need to avoid weather then tell ATC in good time so they can plan ahead.....a 'help them to help you' kind of thing.
Having a PPL is a fantastic opportunity to go and explore places and have new expreriences and combined with an IR makes it very simple indeed. Yes, it'll more than likely be cheaper to fly with a budget airline but thats not really the point is it??
Its all about the adventures and trips like these will certianly be something you won't forget.