My beloved and I have returned from our epic European adventure. It was indeed epic, amazing, and the best trip of our lives. Along the way, I learned a few more tips to help you save money on travel that I’d like to share with you…

Choose apartments as much as possible

Apartments are a great accommodation option for holidays. Not only do they give you more space, but they contain kitchens and fridges. Being able to make a meal or two at your apartment will save you a lot of money over the course of a long holiday. Additionally, a lot of apartments have washing machines and dryers, so you can sort your washing out for free.

Eat with the locals

The areas surrounding major tourist sites are targeted at tourists, rather than locals. As a result, prices for meals and groceries are hugely inflated. You can often save up to 50% on lunch or dinner, simply by walking a few blocks away from tourist areas into local hubs to eat or drink.

Only do hop-on, hop-off tours in large cities

Hop-on hop-off tours can be a great way to see a lot of the major tourist sights within a short time frame, from the comfort of a bus seat. However, hop-on hop-off tours are rarely cheap and often not needed. Unless your visiting a large, spread out city, such as London, skip the hop-on hop-off tour and walk instead.

Stay in city centres to take advantage of public transport

Most cities in developed countries have public transport systems that run to and from the city centre. To avoid paying for taxis to get to and from airports or train and bus stations, stay as close to the city centre as possible so you’re within an easy walking distance to the train line or bus routes.

Have lunch out instead of dinner

A lot of restaurants and pubs offer lunch time specials, with up to 50% off dinner time prices. Additionally, in countries such as Spain, the prices for the exact same food and drinks are different for day time and night time. As a result, you can save a lot of money on a long trip by eating your main meal at lunch time rather than dinner.

Don’t do laundry through hotels

There’s nothing worse when traveling than having no clean clothes or underwear to wear. When you get to this point, it may be tempting to get washing done through your hotel… Don’t. Hotels charge ridiculously inflated prices to do your laundry for you. Instead, google laundromats in the area and head there to do a load or two. If you only need a few things done, wash them yourself in your bathroom sink and use the room’s heating or windows to dry them.

Keep your eye out for free walking tours

Walking tours are becoming very popular. Fortunately, free walking tours are becoming increasingly popular and are readily available in major cities and tourist areas. Make sure to do your research and see if there are any free tours offered in the city your visiting.

Check out the free sites in each location

The availability of free things to do depends on where you’re traveling to. But there’s usually at least one or two sites you can visit for free (even in expensive London!). Free sites are usually listed in Lonely Planet guides. But, you can also just search “free things to do in ….” and figure out what your options are.

Cheers, TFC.