Money Saving Tips for Planning a European Trip Part 2

Top money saving tips include:

TIP: Renting a car? If you think gas prices are high in the US, Europe will floor you so if you plan on driving long distances, opt for a diesel car as it will work out cheaper. They are less available though so booking ahead is a good idea. Use your secure and widely accepted Visa Debit card to book online, or to purchase in person. Also don’t forget if you need cash, use your Visa Debit Card to access the local dollar at ATMs all over Europe.

TIP: For families or groups who are going to be staying in one place for more than a week, it’s often cheaper to rent an apartment or villa. Or opt for budget chain hotels and motels like Travelodge and Premier Inns in the UK or Etap and Formule 1 in Europe. After all, most of the time, you’ll only be sleeping there. Cute B & B’s can be pricey but you can save a little by foregoing ensuite facilities and sharing a bathroom.
Renting an RV can save a packet on hotel rooms for families. Countries like Germany and France (once outside the cities) are excellent for this type of motoring with good roads and plenty of camp sites.

TIP: With airline luggage weights being reduced and charges for extra bags, it makes sense to travel light. Use strong but lightweight luggage as some suitcases weigh a ton before you even put anything in them. Leave out that heavy guide book and use online travel guides. If you have an iPhone or e-reader, the Instapaper app lets you save copies of useful web pages to view later. You can also download entire travel guides to most smartphones or onto e-readers – also useful for other holiday reading. One thing not to leave out of your hand luggage is a copy of your bank’s international numbers, in case your Visa Debit card is lost or stolen and you need to cancel it.

TIP: When packing clothes, remember dry cleaning is more expensive in Europe so take washable items. If moving from place to place, you don’t need a huge wardrobe as each place will only see you once! The best investment you can make is a comfy pair of shoes so you can walk everywhere and save on fares – you’ll see much more too.

TIP: Phoning home can be a major expense in terms of roaming charges. There are several options to get round this. Top tip is to unlock your phone then buy a pay and go SIM card when you land in a new country. If you can’t do this, make sure you switch off data roaming on your phone before you land and then use café WiFi. If you load £5 onto a UK Starbucks card, you can register for free Wi-Fi at any Starbucks in the UK. Then just buy £5 of coffees and snacks at the airport Starbucks when you fly home.

If you have an iPhone, the Viber app lets you call any other iPhone for free with the same app when you are in a WiFi zone. You can also download Skype or Fring to your cellphone for free or local rate calls, depending on your phone type. Do your homework to avoid exorbitant roaming charges.