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What to expect from traveling in Europe? At the very least, discovering pages of Renaissance, Baroque and modern art. There are must have visits to museums, galleries and historical centres to see the works of masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Picasso. Depending on the time of year, various events and festivals such as carnivals, musical events, fairs and cultural celebrations will await you in each country with its own distinctive charm. Europe also offers a variety of natural landscapes, from the Alps and Pyrenees to Mediterranean beaches and Scandinavian forests. You can go mountain hiking, cycling, water sports or simply enjoy the nature of each individual region.
And it is worth highlighting European culinary masterpieces as a separate item. After all, it is impossible not to try French baguettes, Italian pizza, Spanish tapas and Swiss chocolate, isn’t it? However, travelling around Europe is always associated with high costs. And many tourists do not dare to go to Europe precisely because of the financial component. How to save money while traveling? Let’s start.
Budget Planning — Myth or Reality?
Let’s be honest, if there comes a moment when we plan a trip to Europe, we choose certain routes with the greatest pleasure and without much difficulty. We stay up half the night and choose the best hotels, cafes and restaurants based on reviews, flick through menus, put mental anchors on where to take photos for social media. We quickly decide on an excursion programme, even read articles about what to bring as a gift from a European tour to friends and family. But there are not so many people who want to plan the budget. We lose the hunt, fall asleep and come to the idea that we just need to earn more.
However, 90% of tourists would like to organise cheap travel to Europe. Some people think that this is a myth, but we argue that it is not. You can plan a budget, look at promotional offers and discounts in advance.
How to Properly Prepare a Budget Plan for Trip in Europe?
- Firstly, the first thing to consider is currency exchange. It is necessary to research all offers, and even look at prices in advance for the most favourable exchange. We recommend changing currency at home, before departure, as it will often be possible to avoid a large commission when paying;
- Secondly, you should book hotel rooms in advance, especially when touring famous European ones;
- Third, Divide your budget by the number of days on your trip to determine и your average daily expense;
- Fourth, In addition to basic expenses, consider additional expenses such as visas, insurance, medical services, event tickets and souvenir shopping;
- Fifth, divide your budget into major expense categories such as flights, accommodation, food, entertainment, transport and extras such as insurance and medical expenses.
Saving Money in Europe — How to Budget Your Trip?
Let’s start from the base, initially take a blank sheet of paper and draw it out into four parts: the top 2 points: necessary expenses, the bottom 2 columns – additional expenses.
- The first part is currency, insurance, necessary things and medicines for the trip;
- The second part – organisation of movement and rest at night: booking hotels and hostels, thinking about routes with toll and free sections of roads;
- The third part is the savoury point: allocating money for food and entertainment. Make a note of those places that are delicious, have promotions;
- The fourth part – cellular communication, without which it will be difficult to navigate the terrain, choose cafes and restaurants of local cuisine, and stay in touch with family and friends.
5 Ways to Save Money While Traveling in Europe
- Put an alert bell for bargain airfare prices in your favourite app. This is a great opportunity to save money, as prices change both during the day and at night, and the difference between the amounts is too big. You can save on a whole night in a hotel;
- Using a cellular connection while travelling is not just a desire but a necessity. However, if you use roaming, which is often offered when you arrive in a new country, you will leave a large amount of cash for calls, messages and internet traffic. There is a great solution – eSIM – a new approach to mobile phone usage in the form of an electronic SIM card without the overpayments and roaming charges. Simply connect the Embedded SIM on your phone, activate a local SIM card and even several in each European country;
- Use car hire as the perfect balance of speed, time and distance for travelling around Europe. It’s more cost-effective and faster than travelling by public transport;
- Monitor promotions and deals on tickets to museums and cultural events in the cities where you plan to stay. You can sometimes find great deals for group outings;
- Sample the local cuisine for lunch – save one meal and discover street food, which always has something more to say about a nation’s culture. After all, nowhere else tastes as good as at a counter on a busy city street.
Summary
The take-home message is travelling around Europe is a whole small life that holds memories for centuries. There is culture, sport and new discoveries. Wild beaches, the most delicious Italian pizza or pasta, fragrant and crispy croissants for breakfast. This is a dream, and this dream is not always expensive, because there are ways how to spend a European trip favourably and even cheaply with new technologies and our secrets, which were told in the article.
