A visit to Europe should be a dream, but it can quickly become something of a financial nightmare. That's because some parts of Europe are extremely expensive. How can you, as a visitor, look to reduce the costs involved?
There are a number of areas where you can look to make savings. These start with your flight booking. You may think that all flights to Europe will cost roughly the same amount of money, but this could not be further from the truth. There's actually an enormous amount of variation.
If you're looking to make big savings then you should certainly be making your bookings online. By doing so, you'll be able to compare prices to ensure that you really are getting a fantastic deal. Don't forget that your times of travel will make a considerable difference to the price that you pay for your airline tickets.
Try to show a bit of flexibility. You may find that altering the days, or times, of your flights could make a big difference. If you can avoid peak times for travel then you'll certainly end up paying less.
You can also use the Internet to shop around for the best hotel deals. Don't make the mistake of booking the first hotel that you happen to see. A hotel group boasting an impressive website may be great at marketing, but there's no guarantee that they'll be offering competitive prices. Shop around and be prepared to show flexibility here too. Do you, for instance, need a central location if you're able to make use of excellent public transport links?
When you arrive at your destination, it makes sense to observe the places where local people choose to eat and drink. There's a great chance that these venues will offer high quality options, together with competitive prices.
If you stick to restaurants and bars that are popular with other tourists then you should expect to pay inflated prices. This is a mistake that many tourists make. If you here others commenting on how expensive it is to eat in a particular city, then you might want to take an interest in their choice of restaurants. Such restaurants are best avoided!
The key to make sure that you have a relatively inexpensive European experience is to do your research. This needn't take the enjoyment out of the trip. The alternative, however, is likely to put a rather large dent in your bank balance.
Martin Wynn
