Tips and Tricks
All the things you need to know to travel with less frustration.
Not eating out every meal can save you so much money
Grocery Shopping
We usually book accommodations that have at least a fridge if not a whole kitchen which means we can buy food for some meals. Even just eating one meal a day from items bought at a grocery store, can save you quite a bit of money during your trip. Plus it is fun to go see what new and interesting foods you can find in foreign grocery stores.
Bring your reusable grocery bag along so you won’t have to buy one there (or do buy one and collect them from around the world!) In Europe food prices are much lower than in the US, so you will be surprised at how much cheaper it is to buy groceries there.
Browsing all the different options in grocery stores, is actually one of our favorite things to do.
Stay Near What You Want To See
Staying too far away from the places you want to visit wastes a lot of your time. It could save you money but will cut into the time you have available to see everything that interests you. That being said, you also don’t need to stay right next to the most popular spots either. Stay a few stops away on the metro and it will be cheaper and still close enough to be convenient.
Location Is Important
Research what is around the accommodation you are looking at. Make sure it is near train stations, metro stops, or tram lines if you aren’t renting a car. Are there restaurants close by or a grocery store within walking distance?
AirBnB vs Hotel
We do a combination of both. That enables us to stay places where we can do laundry or have a kitchen to make meals. There are even apartment hotels that will give you both of those items as well.
Do you want to rent a car or take a Train?
Transportation
Renting a car can be a necessity if you are going to out of the way places. Driving can enable you to stop and see random attractions you find on the way to different destinations. If you are visiting large cities you will need to find places to park your rental, which can be costly. Trains are an excellent option, especially in Europe. They are affordable and easy to use, plus the scenery out the window is amazing. Flying to different cities is also an option and is pretty cheap in the EU.
Buy your tickets to attractions ahead of time
Get Tickets Before You Travel
Standing in a line for hours just to buy a ticket before you can even get into a location is a giant waste of your time. Be sure to buy your tickets to your desired attractions from their official websites ahead of time and save yourself the annoyance of waiting or even potentially not even being able to get in. Popular tourists spots like the Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum, or the Vatican Museum will have timed slots and if you don’t have your tickets in advance you could be waiting all day to get in to locations like these.
ATM’s and Credit Cards
Foreign transactions can cost you money beyond just the cost of what you are paying for. There will be foreign transaction fees from your bank on purchases.
When using your cards, the ATM machine or card reader will ask if you want to convert the transaction to US dollars. Always decline the conversion, as it will most likely cost you more than if you let your bank or credit card company do the conversion on it’s own.
Make sure you notify your bank and credit cards that you will be traveling so they do not decline any transactions for security reasons. We have made this mistake and it is very annoying if your card gets declined and it’s a weekend. You then have to wait until Monday morning in your home time zone to rectify this issue.
Learn Hello and Goodbye
Like us, you may not speak a foreign language but just learning a few simple words can go a long way.
Learning how to say hello, goodbye, please and thank you in the local language can make your experience much more pleasant. Just that simple attempt at courtesy will usually win you a little goodwill with whoever you are interacting with, such as shop owners, waiters, or hotel staff.