Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Money Saving Tips

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Money Saving Tips

What are your best tips for saving money while traveling in Europe?

OK, I'll start my own post. Find the absolute lowest rock-bottom price on the Internet and then book through the hotel directly, asking them for that price.

Buy your train tickets in Europe. take advantage of week end rates avialable in many cities and hotels.

Hello Biscuit: Here are some of my tips: - Compare prices, before you buy anything (close to tourist sites, everything is more expensive) - Don't take anything from the mini bar in your hotel room (it's always a rip off, wordwide) - Don't make phone calls from the hotel (unless you use those special cards) - Don't sit down on the terrace of a sidewalk cafe, if you're just thirsty. (if you're tired and you want to relax for a while, it's a different story). Get a drink at the bar or even better a whole bottle in a grocery store - Have you main meal for lunch - Have a snack or a pick nick for dinner - Try to find out what's free (like church concerts, concerts in a park, etc.) - Plan what you want to see what day, especially in a large city and you will save a lot of money (and time), because you'll need very little for transportation, provided you are willing to do some walking. Hope this helps a little, although these are tips not only good for Europe, but almost anywhere in this world. At least, this is what I think.

Buy your train tickets ahead of time. For example j30 & j8 tickets are available in France through www.sncf.com. If you wait until the day of travel you won’t be eligible for these fares, though they are not available for every route or every day. Apex fares in the UK are only available by advance purchase too. I’ve advanced purchased UK rail tickets and had them shipped to the hotel I would be staying at. I pre-book any “positioning” train tickets, those where I’m changes cities and hotels. On the other hand, I do not pre-buy day-trip train tickets. I’d rather let the weather decide when or if I take a day-trip. Buy a corkscrew and some plastic cups. I can sit on a park bench with a glass of wine much cheaper than the people across the street are paying for their wine at a café. Watch those cab fares to/from the airport. It’s easy to drop close to 100euros for round trip cab fare in Paris. If traveling alone, that’s a lot of money. Split three ways it gets to be a better deal. Get a money belt and use it properly. Nothing will cost you more time & money on a vacation than having your wallet/purse stolen that has all your credit cards, ATM cards, cash and passport. Don’t eat breakfast in your hotel unless it’s included. In France many hotels now charge 8 euros or more. That’s a lot of cash for a cup of coffee and a croissant. Go to the local patisserie and get a pain au chocolat and orange juice for less than half that. Only eat one “nice” restaurant meal a day and usually make it lunch. Lunches are often cheaper. Grab a sandwich or bread, fruit and cheese for dinner from a little shop. Use the aforementioned bakery for breakfast. Double check those pass prices and that’s any pass from a museum one to a rail one. Some are not the deal you think they are. Some are, like in Paris the museum pass allows you to jump to the head of the line. That’s quite a valuable time savings. Ask for a nicer room in a 2 star hotel rather than a regular room in a 3 star, or nicer room in a 3 star rather than regular in a 4 star, etc. Travel off season is best, shoulder season is next best. Shop around, shop some more, then shop around again. Right now I’m working to get my average hotel per night cost from 61 euros a night for two weeks in France down to 55 euros. 75 euros may not be a lot to some people, but that will buy a very nice dinner for two. The same goes for airfare. I checked almost every morning for four months last fall before I saw an airfare to Paris I was willing to buy. Find the rest of Europe. Only stay a few nights in big cities like Venice, London or Paris; then spend a few nights out in the countryside. It’s much cheaper and you’ll get to see a part of Europe most people don’t bother to see. Rental car deals usually kick in with a minimum 3-day car rental. Also, consider getting a credit card that will cover your car rental insurance while in Europe. I pay $50 a year for my Visa. It saves me at least $100 a year to not have to pay for additional auto insurance and I only rent a car for 5 or 6 days a year in Europe.

Don't go to London, very expensive! I was really surprised at how much. One thing we saved money on was meals. This was unplanned but certainly worked out in our favor. Granted we stayed at very nice hotels, but the breakfasts were superb. They also included foods that we consider more lunch foods (like sandwich makings). So, we at a very large breakfast every day (which was included in our hotel price) and we found that we didn't get hungry much until dinner, aside from a hot chocolate. That is not normal for us to eat that little in the way of meals, but hey, if your not hungry why bother! This is where we found a definite money savings, as with most of our trips meals are our highest expense by far (after transportation/lodging).

My biggest money savers are: Drop your hotel expectations down a few notches and stay someplace inexpensive. Frequent the grocery store for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Then treat yourself to decent dinners.

My best money savers are for BEFORE going to Europe. In the months leading up to your trip, pack your lunch for work (or school). Don't use your credit cards. Pay cash for everything. You'll find you are paying better attention to what you spend. Save for your trip. Buy good maps for where you are going, and use them to plan driving routes, pay attention to distances and times, and prioritise what you want to see. Always leave flexibility for the unexpected. If you are going to rent a car, make the arrangements BEFORE you leave. Know your priorities. If eating well is important to you, seek out interesting, charming 1 or 2-star hotels so you can afford better restaurants. If this is your first trip to a romantic location, (or a honeymoon or special anniversary trip) plan for your priority. Don't give up a view just to save 10-20 euros a night. Likewise, don't stay in the suburbs instead of in town. Use the tourist offices if you need to find a place to stay -- we got a better deal on a room at the same place we'd checked out on the web before our trip. Oh, yes, and try to travel anytime BUT summer. It's cheaper and the weather is nicer!

Sign up for all of the email travel newletters, even the ones from the hotels. You'll always find a bargain for discount hotel rates and sale fares to take advantage of. Keep checking with the airline's web site after you've purchased your airline ticket. If the fare drops, call the airline to see if you are eligible for the cheaper fare and either a credit or MCO. Just saved $120 on a ticket that I thought was cheap to begin with. Travel off-season when there are lots of bargains and no crowds. Buy film when its on sale and store it in the freezer to extend the shelf life. Minimize the amount of gifts you buy for friends and family - buy them food items and bath products in the supermarkets and pharmacies. Quinty, I've been to London a dozen times, and I never think of London as being expensive, and I go to the theatre every night and stay in very nice 4 star hotels - but then, I'm a bargain hunter.

Not necessarily a money saving tip, but could save you the loss of an expensive camera: Buy a disposable camera at home and use that one to have other people take photos of you and/or your loved ones together. Never ever let a stranger use an expensive camera to take a picture of you. They can and will easily run off with it.

We found that we saved money if we shared an entree at lunch and dinner. Despite what many say, portions are quite adequate in Europe. One of us might have a cup of soup and then share the other's entree and split a dessert. We were always satisfied and kept the food cost down. We also do this in Hawaii where food is very expensive.

Leslie, thanks a bunch for the tip about calling the airline if the ticket price falls. I never thought that possible (nonrefundable, etc.). Just got $40 back from AA and was told to call back if it falls again!

If you visit Ireland you can visit the National Museum (4 sites) and the National Gallery free.A feature of the main museum in Kildare St.,Dublin is the collection of gold ornaments stretching back thousands of years. Another feature of Ireland is a lifetime lottery ticket called Prize Bonds for Euro 25 (about $30) which you can buy in any post office.You will be entered in the draw every week of your life for this single payment.The prizes come from the interest paid on the amount you pay.See www.prizebonds.ie for details

All the previous suggestions are great! This suggestion will work for those who have an extended trip planned: try to find 'off the books' jobs at a cafe, pub, chalet, pensione, hostel, etc. It pays for room & board, and usually a bit extra. Sixteen years ago, I extended my trip for a total of 6 months by doing this.

1.. cheep hotel/ hostel/ camp 3. if traveling inter city take train and get sleeper save on hotel.. 3 buying airfare threw bucket shops or make trip a RTW (round the world segment. best for busenss class.. 4 in some cities rent a bike.. 5.. sandwiches and picnics are as European as you can get.. skip bistros for the ocasianal night out.. I can give you some poor backpacker tips but I'm not sure if you want too walk around smelling like a bum and looking like a skeliton..

1. Don't spend too much on airfare. Consider travelling to Europe during the winter or spring. 2. Don't spend too much on hotels. Even 10 Euros per night will be a savings of 70 if you stay a week. 3. Don't spend too much on food. Consider making a sandwich for lunch. Consider eating dinner out half of the time and buying grocery store food the other half.

These are some great tips! Don't forget the ziploc baggies--shampoo and lotions all over your clothes is not a good thing and laundry takes time. Baggies can also be used to store leftover from meals... Look for pensiones and homestays v. hotels Belong to every frequent flyer program/car rental/hotel program under the sun and get their emails. I've gotten upgraded rooms at hotels just because I was a member. Make friends you'll have more places to visit! If you're a teacher like I am, be sure to bring your school (picture) ID. There are many discounts out there, you just have to ask. Keep the tips coming!

Don't bother with Delta for getting a refund when fares decline after your purchase. Delta is now publishing a fare significantly lower than what I had bought a while ago. I just called Delta to request a refund or credit, and was told there is a $150 "reissue fee". Also, for the new fare, they would let me use only the fare available through their phone reservation service, not the even lower fares at their Web site. This, plus the reissue fee, would wipe out any savings from doing a ticket exchange.

If you are a student or senior, ask if they have a discount rate. Most major sites in England do and all you need is a student id or proof of age. Some theatres have rush or student tickets available, ask at Box Office. Use half price ticket booths for the less popular plays, or get lower priced seats at the box office.

More, more! These are great.