The tour was wonderful and went smoothly, but I still learned a lot about how I travel and what worked for me - your mileage my vary, but these a my thoughts that I haven't really seen discussed elsewhere...
Planning (the fun part)​ ​
Find inspiration - talk to friends, watch travel shows, and read guidebooks, of course, but don't overlook things like old photos, movies, books, opera. Think about where you might want to go that isn't on the itinerary and know how you can get there. Also - for attractions like the Eiffel Tower, know if you're going to need to make a reservation and when you have to do that (I booked Eiffel Tower tickets months before I thought about getting on the airplane). But don't plan too much - the best days were when I stumbled on something completely unexpected.
Packing (and what to bring)
Traveling to Europe with just a carry-on seems daunting, but I even had room for a pair of nice shoes (there was no way I was going to go to Paris and NOT be able to go out to a nice dinner) and plenty of souvenirs on the way home. The Rick Steves' website has a number of videos - I watched Lisa's Monday Night Travel videos to get ideas.
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​Footwear - it takes up space, but I recommend having a second pair of footwear. Cobblestones and hard surfaces will beat up your feet and they want something different. Small and lightweight, even sandals in the summer, if you have space in your luggage, seriously think about it. Also - bring lightweight hiking socks (great cushion).
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Lastly, I have found the "hiking" pants from higher end companies can look very nice, while at the same time providing comfort for walking and activity, and having the added benefit of being quick-dry (useful both for laundry in the sink and for rainy days. There are other options, but I've had better luck finding hiking pants on sale.
Public Transportation
Learn the public transportation system and how to use it before you go (we really do not have the same experience with buses and trains in the USA as Europe). There are now apps for systems that help with trip planning and are great because you look more like an average person playing on your phone than a lost tourist, but I'm going to recommend practicing by going old school and doing what my German teacher made us do in high school - find a map of the system, print it out, and practice figuring out how to get from a place you expect to be to a place you want to go - and know how you'll know you're looking at the correct train.
Language
My philosophy on learning languages before travel - my goal is to be able to function.
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First step to that is being comfortable around the language even if you don't understand most of it (panic being a real barrier to comprehension).
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Second step is learning words and phrases that help you get where you want to go and how to be polite while doing so ("hello", "please", "thank you", "where is...", "how much...", count to 10 or 20).
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If you want to go deeper, know that after years of using Duolingo, I felt comfortable and was able to read most signage that I came across and understood enough of the spoken language to know what was happening on the trains.
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Practice situations - there was absolutely no way I was going to Paris without knowing how to acquire a pain au chocolat, so I practiced that (with many successes).