Europe String

There are big, thick books on this subject, full of precise advice with lots of destination information.  But the truth is, there are just 5 very simple things you can do to drastically cut your travel costs.  When you’re on the road, you start figuring these things out, as your euros start dwindling and you wonder what happened to your well laid plains.  Here’s what you do:
 1.  Don’t move around a lot.  When most people budget they account for flight, food and accommodations.  But hopping from city to city, even on low cost public transportation, can eat into your budget …read more

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Hostel: A type of hotel that typically offers super cheap rates, by creating rooms with dorm bunk beds, instead of private rooms.

The question of whether or not to use hostels when traveling is a highly debated one.  I know before I used them regularly in Europe, I couldn’t imagine being comfortable sharing my personal space like that.  While hostels are definitely not for everyone (having a laid back personality is a good starting point), here are some things you might not know about the hosteling world.
Hostels are not just for kids. There are people of all ages at …read more

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This Just In is a new weekly column at EuropeString.com featuring the week’s best European travel deals. Have something to share? Leave a comment or Twitter @europestring.

Since Iceland’s financial collapse*, everyone in the travel world has jumped on the “you gotta go to Iceland” bandwagon. But how cheap is Iceland, really?
Probably not as much as you’d think. Since Icelandic currency dive-bombed in September, it’s remained at 129 Icelandic krónur to 1 US dollar. That’s about a 50% discount.  Good, but does it warrant a mass exodus to the land of ice and fire?
Well, it depends.
Have …read more

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“Chains” seem to be more synonymous with the US – think restaurants, shops and of course, hotels. Motel 6, Holiday Inn, Marriott, Hilton – no matter your budget or where you plan to go, you’ll probably quite easily find one of these. In Europe however, and especially if you are a budget traveler, you are more likely to find and stay in a locally owned pension or bed and breakfast. The positive aspects of chains is that you know exactly what you are going to get. And in the constantly surprising world of travel, a little bit of comfort can …read more

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Yesterday we talked about home exchanges and such as a way of cutting down on your hotel costs. Today, let’s explore some semi-working holidays that offer room, board, or both in exchange for some work on your part.
Do you like to talk? A language company that offers intensive courses may be for you. More Than English will pay for your accommodation and food in a rural Spanish village. In exchange you speak English to the attendees. With most of these language companies, you won’t get to speak the “native” languages, so this isn’t a good option for people looking …read more

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We’ve talked a lot about how to sleep cheap, as hotel accommodations can quickly eat up your travel budget. But if you are an adventurous sort, there are multitudes of other ways you can catch your forty winks without losing sleep over the price.
CouchSurfing is the social networker’s way to find a free bed. Basically, you sign up on the site, offer your spare room, couch or other sleeping implement to a traveler passing through your town, and when you go a’ visiting, you can crash at someone’s pad as well. Another similar option is a home exchange. At these …read more

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There is so much good information out there that sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. Not sure how often you get around to any of these sites, but here are some recent posts I found interesting and thought you may too!
Mary Jo from Fly Away Café is running a poll on how people choose their flights. Check in and share your opinion.
I love the pics posted at Travel Photo Daily. Visit daily and get a dose of travel envy.
I’ve started bringing a travel pillow with me on nearly every trip I take, even if I’m not flying. I find …read more

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Setting your budget before you even book your trip is a good way to get a handle on how much you can afford to spend, and then targeting destinations that will give you the most bang for your buck. Let’s look at all the expenses that go into your holiday. Note, this is not meant to depress, but inform you – remember, knowing is half the battle!
Think about what you’ll need to buy before you even leave your house for the airport. Do you have a passport? Do you need new luggage; this can include suitcases, carry-ons or even …read more

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Know you want to go somewhere and what you want to do, but not sure exactly where to go, and a destination that will fit your budget? A new website is hoping to inspire you.
TravelMuse is a family travel orientated website that offers many of the typical travel site goodies of destination guides, articles, theme travel tips, etc. but they also have a “Find Inspiration” feature that lets you input your vacation desires and it outputs a selection of trip ideas.
From the home page, it seemed much of what they do and recommend is US-based travel, so I wasn’t …read more

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Which websites do you have bookmarked for your budget travel planning? I obsessively check probably way too many…just in case. And I’m not very good at seeing a bargain price and snatching it – which is what has to be done as unfortunately, the truly cheap prices appear and disappear way too quickly. Here, I share some of my favorite go-to-first sites.
For airfares, if I’m totally flexible, I’ll visit SkyScanner to find out when the cheapest time to go. If I know when I want to go, I always check Kayak and then finding the cheapest price go to the …read more

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