How to Plan a Budget trip to Europe-a few tips

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How to Plan a Budget trip to Europe-a few tips

Travelling to Europe is a dream for most of us. The exotic locales, the wonderful history, the abundant natural beauty, all call out to us. But the supposed drain in our bank balance deters us sometimes. Don’t worry. We bring with us, a few hacks for you to have a great trip to the remarkable destination. Just follow these simple tips and enjoy the trip of your lifetime, within limited resources .

1.Plan much in advance-

One of the simplest way to have a  trip which does not cost you exorbitantly, is to plan much in advance.You will get air tickets at a much lower rate, hotels will mostly have vacancy for you to choose a cheaper option.

You will get more time to hunt for days when there are offers on eurail

passes and other attractions like museums,amusement parks etc.

2.Go off -season-

The months of June, July, August seem like the ideal months to go to Europe ,escaping the excruciating heat of Indian cities.But these can be the worst month for the same.Apart from the problems of long queues at all attractions and maddening crowds there is also the consideration of spiralling rates of everything.

Though ,it may not be always possible but try and plan your trips during less popular months.

3.Choose your place of stay wisely-

The maximum drain on your pocket when going out is on accommodation, so choosing your place of stay wisely will help you in controlling that .Explore all options, even couch surfing and house minding. You can practically live for free.

If it’s a family trip, try staying in home-stays and apartments ,where you save on other costs like food and laundry .Check out the deals in hotels too, you might just hit the jackpot.

4. Eat smart-

 After lodging ,the major spend -category happens to be ,food. But, it’s not very difficult to  eat a wholesome meal at a reasonable expense.

First of all, raid the supermarket. Buy whatever you think you can eat without cooking and carry it with you the whole day and have a picnic whenever you are hungry. This way you avoid restaurant food which can cost a bomb in Europe.

Secondly, use the facility if you have a kitchen in your apartment or hostel.

Cook a basic but wholesome meal ,like sandwiches, bread-omlette, rolls and have in breakfast before leaving for the day. Similarly you can cook a good filling dinner  at night .You can also carry a few packets of ready-to-eat meals from India and have them when you come back late at night to your place of stay.

5.Explore maximum and spend minimum-

 A little thought into your trip planning will help you in saving a lot of moolah.

First thing to be done after landing up in a new city ,is to go to the tourist information centre. You will get valuable information regarding various attractions and also save time and money by not wandering aimlessly.

Wherever you go, find out about the free walking-tours and make it a point to attend the same .They take you to most of the points of attraction and give you a fair idea of the city. You can decide after that which attractions you want to spend more time on.

Museum  entry fees can be quite high in Europe but most of them have a day in a month ,when entry is free. If possible, plan your itinerary accordingly.

local transport can be expensive .Try and  stay close to the city-centre and walk to the attractions. You will save a lot .If you must take some transport, avoid cabs, go for bus or metro.

 

6.Use free wi-fi-

Although staying connected seems like the most important thing to the millennium generation but when on a trip to Europe,curb that sentiment.

It’s okay to invest in a basic plan for an international sim for emergencies but for the rest just  make use of the free wi-fi available almost everywhere in this post-modern continent.With the sim also,be very careful because even the incoming calls have different charge rules in different countries.

7. Consider your cash options-

ATM withdrawals can be costly and you may get charged extra at every withdrawal.Go for a credit card which ,in most of the cases, more reasonable.

8.Travel light-

 Apart from the fact that you will have to carry your luggage a lot of times, travelling light makes sense for monetary reasons also.

Low cost carriers give you fares which are dirt cheap but they also charge a hefty premium for extra luggage. Whatever you save on fare ,you will have paid in double if your baggage exceeds their limit.

If you follow these simple tips ,you can have a great trip to this wonderland without spending a fortune. So, go ahead and enjoy!

--Mamta Kumar

   An Educationist and an avid traveller