get a cheap airfare. If you use a little bit of effort, you can get fares cheaper than 25 years ago.

Non peak travel is cheaper - but make sure that places you want to visit are open at that time. One of my friends always trys to travel at the end of the off season, getting the travel bargains but not suffering much of a weather deficit.

Stay in one place for several days and use self catering accomodations as much as possible. Gites are mentioned for France. I have gone self catering in Scotland and enjoyed it. I am scouting places in Germany and I can't believe how many inexpensive places I am finding. And in Germany, you can stay for as little as 3 days. Being able to fix some of your own meals is really a cost saver. And in some countries, it saves hours spent in restaurants.

Look for inexpensive places to stay. www.bensbauernhof.com describes a type of accomodation in Germany not normally mentioned. I'm sure there are similar places in other countries.

Look for all sorts of discount tourist cards. Some are mentioned in trip reports on this forum. Others you find by prowling aroundthe internet, looking at the tourist office websites of places you are visiting. For smaller tourist offices (equivalent of a state, county or city in the US), the information might not be in English, so use the Google translator. It isn't perfect but usually gets the point across.

It's only a small part of the overall cheapskate strategy, but it's worth walking a little before you eat or drink -- away from the Champs Elysees in Paris, or the Old Town Square in Prague, or whatever. Try not to use the places most visitors use, because they often involve premium prices. The places where the locals go are cheaper, and usually more interesting.

And I can afford the 100 euros /night rate because I travel for 4 nights maximum, usually 3... I couldn't do it for longer trips. But I only have paid that top in two places, London and Milan. Most of the time I'm on the 70-80 euros. I think it's all about your personal budget and also how you want to spend your money. To give an idea, the smallest part of my budget are meals :)

We are trying to go back to England on a lower budget this spring. We will travel during the off-season, and we have rented a 17th century cottage that is only $413.00 for a week. That works out to only $60.00 a night for two people, and we will have the place all to ourselves! Plus we can save by buying groceries and not eating all our meals out. Now I'm just doing the nervous waiting dance watching for the fares to go down.

I hate to tell you this, Sgny, but that &quot;obvious $300 a night&quot; hotel room <b>would be</b> a budget option for some folks (no, i did not say &quot;most folks&quot;) so don't be too hard on Ira for asking his budget question.

I agree with getting food in grocery stores, buying airline tickets through discounters/consolidators; travleing in the off and so-called &quot;shoulder seasons&quot; and being careful about the level of hotel in terms of staying in a place that has a bunch of &quot;amenities&quot; you will never use.

I would not call doing anything for the sake of saving a little money alone &quot;budget travel&quot; and I do not think you should try to &quot;save money&quot; by severely inconveniencing yourself or creating a bunch of hassles just to save a few bucks.

Now that's MY &quot;general answer&quot; to your &quot;general question.&quot;

Pack light and don't buy stuff.

The two go hand-in-hand, bc if you're carrying your own bags (as we have always done) &amp; you're using public transportation (as we prefer to do), you won't want to be filling up your bags w/anything that's added weight. Works for us!

Doesn't mean you can't shop, because I do love to shop -- but I shop more for entertainment, not to accumulate. (I understand people who like to bring home stuff to remind them of their travels, so if that's you, this &quot;tip&quot;
won't work!)
:)

Off-season travel was a great tip. Hotels often offer special rates in the &quot;off&quot; season (in Rome, the second part of January and most of February) which make it much more affordable. Public transportation is indeed inexpensive, so train travel from city to city is do-able, as is bus travel. I have found that air fares seem to decrease significantly in the off-season, too. I am headed back to Rome in January and have spent a fraction of the price for round-trip fare than what I spent in September.

In terms of meals, having lunch as &quot;the big meal&quot; of the day is indeed one way to go. Another is to &quot;graze&quot; with foods purchased from open markets and shops. A good bakery can also be a very good friend! ;-)

I also am not one to buy for the sake of buying, and found that prints of the places I've been, sold in outdoor stands where one can also purchase postcards, have served as wonderful reminders of my trips. Which is not to say I haven't shopped, but it's often been as presents for others, not myself, and I have good pals who've helped me obtain discounts by their professional associations with a shopkeeper here and there.

Museum and/or transportation passes are often ways of making your vacation more affordable, also. The Oyster card in London, the Metro 3-day pass in Rome, la Carte Orange in Paris can all help you cling to some valuable Euros.

Bookmark different websites to help you get a picture of realistic expectations to have on airfare. Several have been mentioned here, but AutoEurope, QIXO, as well as places like Expedia, and venere.com, can give you some ideas of what airfares and hotel lodgings typically run. (A night in a decent hotel in Venice, for example may be shocking to you compared to a night at a decent B&amp;B in Florence.) While not everyone may want to spend the $$ to stay in a 4-star accomodation, having a private or ensuite bathroom may be important to you--or not. Once you determine what your priorities are, you can choose places that fit your criteria, and meet your projected budget pretty well.

BC

For breakfast, go to the bakery and get some bread. For lunch, find a vendor and eat your lunch while you are walking. Visit a wine store in France, and fill your liter water bottle with red wine. I paid 1 Euro. Book budget flights ahead of time. For hotels, as long as you are near the subway or tram stops, it doesn't matter if you are not right downtown.

Finally, and most important, fly on a foreign airline as the alcoholic drinks are included in the airfare in coach.

Book tickets early. There used to be cheap late fares but now the fares go up the later you leave it. And try for off season.

The flight is a great part of your holiday price so have fewer longer holidays.

Apart from certain major cities, even $100 a night is expensive. There are often cheaper hotels a little further from the centre which are just as good as hotels costing 2-4 times as much in the centre.

For many people, accommodation is a place to rest at night and they don't want a mansion. Somewhere reasonable and quiet is good enough for many. Hotel details can be found on the internet, giving you an idea.

Restaurants are expensive. there are cafes, fast food, snacks on the run like sandwiches or filled baguettes.

Never scrimp on entrance fees. When I went to the Colosseum in Rome, I saw a lot of people who had travelled thousands of miles to see the place but were too stupid to pay the small entry fee to go inside and were trying to see from outside. The same with the main museum in Mexico City (museums and sites are free on Sunday in Mexico).

Use public transport. It often is easy to do. Watch other people to see how it works.

Don't use guides. A good guide book will do the same. You can check on the internet beforehand for further information.

Hmm, walking buy the tourist shops and looking at post cards takes a lot of energy. Maybe you could just watch travelogues at home.

Anyway, if you're not leading a budget lifestyle at home start now. Skip the fancy $5 coffees, bring lunch to work, keep your old car running (if you need one) instead of getting a new one. Think twice before buying something fun (hmm, I could get a bread machine/air compressor/whatever or I could go to Europe).

Great advice ncgrrl. We have started this practice in our new married life.

I think NcGrrl gave the best advice! (sorry, everybody else!)

Once we'd calculated one of my co-workers, who always goes out to Starbucks for coffee, spends about $660 a year. Here is your flight.

We have a winner!!!

I agree! As with diets/losing weight, it's not what you do the two weeks of vacation that matters most... it's those other pesky 50 weeks of the year.

I definitely agree with lifestyle changes at home to help you reach your travel goals :) It works with saving for retirement, buying real estate and other things as well. Decide what exactly are the most important uses for your money and go for it.

1. Travel off-season.

2. Fly mid-week for lowest airfares.

2. Rent an apartment instead of a hotel room. Nicer accomodations for less money, and you'll be able to do your laundry (so you pack less, and can use public transit more easily) and have some meals at home.

3. Eat your big (restaurant) meal in the middle of the day instead of in the evening. Less expensive, and your evenings will be free for things like concerts, etc.

If I spend more than about 70 Euros per night for a twin hotel room, I don't think I'm traveling budget - I think I'm splurging! It's all perspective.

Internet.Internet.Internet.

I did price comparison online for all of my airline tickets, I read reviews on tripadvisor and virtual tourist and other sites when looking at a budget hotel, and buy discount transportation tickets for the city you will be in (ie Oyster card for the London tube, etc.).

Think home exchange. Cheapest way to go far for less.

Some of my budget travel tips are posted on my web site: http://www.luvtotravel.homestead.com/tips.html

Monica ((F))

Get a credit card that gives you FF miles, for whatever airline makes the most sense for your home airport. Use that card for everything you can-- groceries, gas, Blockbuster, paying bills on-line, etc. Then when you have enough miles for a free round-trip ticket, you only have to buy one RT ticket for your spouse. There's half-price airfare for you.
:)&gt;-