How to travel Europe on a shoestring budget

Paris Eiffel Tower

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money” –Susan Heller

Travelling to Europe is a dream destination for most people. With its rich cultural heritage from castle to prehistoric landscapes, it is obvious why Europe is the most travelled place in the world.

However, for many the cost of air ticket alone is going to put away the idea of travelling aside.

If you are willing to get a bit out of your comfort zone and do some planning, there are a few simple ways for you to travel without breaking the bank. Try these methods and you will be bringing half the money. Here are our tips:

1. Look out for cheap airfares

First and foremost, you’ll need a flight to bring you to Europe and that’s when airfares could contribute up to 20% of your budget should be bought with careful planing and research. There are many flights comparison website, and you will be shortchanging yourself if you do not utilise them.

Read also: 6 tips to save on your air ticket

2. Plan your mode of transports

Once you reached your dream destination, you will not be sticking your butt at the Eiffel Tower for the entire week. Find out the cheapest way to bring you to The Louvre or the Notre Dame de Paris. If you stay within the district, walk and embraces the place like a tourist. If not there is bus, metro and RER at your service. If Google is not your best friend, make it yours.

If you are travelling to other parts of Europe, besides taking a flight all the time which may bust your budget, your next best alternative would be train. Countries in Europe are connected by high-speed trains which could take you between destinations in hours. Consider buying a Eurail pass if you plan to hop around different countries. Work the number out using the trip planner by RailEurope and see if it is more worthwhile to purchase individual tickets or a rail pass. Do note that for certain trains (night and scenic train) might need additional reservation fee to make a reservation.

Good news (and good excuse) for those under 26. They have a youth pass which you can to enjoy up to 35% discount off its Eurail Pass.

3. Plan your accommodation

The next item on your list would be accommodation which contributes to a significant amount of cost to your budget. You don’t need to stay in five star hotels to enjoy your Europe trip. Most of the time should be spent exploring the scenic and tourist attractions rather than having a spa in your bathroom or a view from your balcony that overlook the entire cityscape.

If you are a student with not much budget, hostels and backpackers would do just fine. You can also rent someone’s room temporarily using airbnb.

Otherwise, budget hotels and motels such as IBIS or Formule 1 could be in your consideration.

Again, this requires careful planning and your best friend would be more than willing to help.

There are aggregators sites like Trivago, Agoda and Booking.com which will compare and show you the available accommodation at your check in and out date and you can filter and sort them according to your budget.

If you want to further save on your accommodation, you can consider booking an overnight train and sleep while you travel to your next destination. You not only save on hotel cost, you save valuable time.

4. Food

Eat like a local. If you visit touristy areas, expect yourself to dig deep into your wallet. Follow the locals’ lead for cheap eats. Ask around to find out affordable restaurants. Of course, there are times when you should indulge in their delicacies, so occasionally pamper yourself a bit.

As a Singaporeans, we are not used to tipping, but in Europe if you plan to tip, around 10 percent is the norm.

Some of your accommodation may include breakfast, so take advantage of it. Croissant and Coffee? I will take that.

5. Entertainment

Find free entertainment. Visit the parks, concerts and cathedrals and you can’t deny that exploring Europe by foot together with a camera is by itself – entertaining. It don’t cost much to have a photograph with an Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum in the background. Visit their national heritage sites and immerse in their culture and diversity without busting your budget.

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6 tips to save on your air ticket

6 tips to save on your air ticket

Planning for a getaway? It’s never too early to start planning for the trip. Before you get excited over your dream destination, it pays to start scouting for the cheapest tickets.

There are many factors that affect the price of the ticket. The price of a ticket may fluctuate and differs across different airlines and the route taken. Ultimately, it depends on the basics of economics of supply and demand which explains for the variation in pricing.

Here we share with you 6 tips to save on your air ticket:

1. Choose your departure and arrival date wisely

Airlines segment their market to increase their profitability. In other words, they charge different travellers different price for the same route. How do they do that? Business travellers usually travel on a Monday and return on Thursday and Friday, and flying on these days would usually be more expensive than if you travel on mid-week, say Tuesday and Wednesday. Avoid these dates if your travelling plan is flexible.

2. Buying early on the right day

While it is ideal to purchase your ticket when airlines launches a sale, you can also enjoy up savings if you make your purchase on the right day. According to flight comparison website Skycanner, it would be the cheapest to book as early as possible for budget and short-haul flights. The best time to book is 28-29 weeks ahead of your travelling date from Singapore. Whereas for full service and long-haul flight, it may be cheaper to wait, but not too long from your flight date. A general benchmark would be between 17-22 weeks ahead of scheduled flight.

3. Flying on less peak hours

If you are flexible with your travelling plan, flying on less popular hours will get you cheaper ticket. Most people do not want to reach their destination late in the evening or depart early in the morning, but as long as public transport is available to bring you to and fro from airport-accommodation, why not?

4. Use flight comparison websites

With advent of technology, the introduction of flight comparison websites have helped many individuals compare prices of different airlines at their selected date. There are many sites like SkyScanner, Kayak, Zuji and Expedia which does the job for you. Use at least 2 to make sure that you are getting a bargain for your air ticket.

5. Credit Card Perks

Before you book your next flight, check if your credit card is eligible for rebates, air miles or free travel insurance. Many banks are offering travelling credit card to chalk up your mile points which can be used to offset your next ticket or upgrade your seats. If you are a frequent traveller, you may even redeem for free tickets. If not there are also rebates and free travel insurance as an icing to the cake.

6. Shop for Travel Vouchers

You can search for travel vouchers that are up for sale on classified sites like Gumtree and STClassified. These vouchers are usually offered by individuals who have won them in lucky draws and gifts and do not intend to travel. These vouchers are usually being offered at 10-20% cheaper off its value.

7. Use our Hotels Search Engine (*Updated 9 March 2015)

Have you heard of Trivago, Expedia, Hotel.com? Yes, these hotels aggregators search thousands of hotels to find you the best deals but which one to use? Use our hotels search engine (http://hotels.moneydigest.sg) as we search these aggregators to bring you the best price guaranteed hotels.

Read Also: Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Europe Trip

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