Five Ways To Save Money While Visiting the Fifteen Most Popular European Attractions

Acropolis (Athens, Greece)

Pompeii (Campania, Italy)

Rome Coliseum and Roman Forum (Rome, Italy)

Trevi Fountain (Rome, Italy)

Stonehenge (Salisbury, England)

Westminster Castle, House of Parliament, and Big Ben (London, England)

Eiffel Tower (Paris, France)

Louvre Museum (Paris, France)

Versailles (outside Paris)

St. Mark’s Square (Venice, Italy)

Sistine Chapel and The Vatican (Rome, Italy)

Leaning Tower of Pisa (Pisa, Italy)

Champs-Elysees (Paris, France)

Notre Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France)

Canals of Venice (Venice, Italy)

Five Money-saving Tips:

1. Limit rental cars and cabs. The expense really adds up and is unnecessary. Opt for trains, tubes, and buses. They are generally safe, easy to navigate, and relatively cheap.

2. Eat the free continental breakfast at your hotel or hostel, enjoy a picnic lunch (shop at the local market or grocery store), and choose a tourist menu dinner to save big $$$ on meals. Picnics are fun and so is exploring/shopping overseas. And isn’t a picnic overlooking the Eiffel Tower more memorable than a sidewalk cafe or fast food place? Remember that breakfast is the only time of time you’ll be offered free coffee, so drink up. Also, as a general rule, there are no free refills on sodas. *Be careful about tipping. Many countries have built-in tips (called service charges) so you may end up tipping twice. Some countries discourage tipping.

3. Look into buying a pass. Most major cities offer a city pass that bundles admission to popular attractions. This saves alot of money. Also, you may be eligible for discounts if you are in the military or a teacher or a senior or a student, etc. Often, admission prices are marked down to half price for late afternoon visitors. If 2-3 hours is all you need in a museum or attraction, this is a good option. Be sure to ask.

4. Be sure to read my page about using credit cards and what you need to know about exchange rates and fees while overseas.

5. Be aware that there can be different prices for food and beverage in many places throughout Europe, depending on whether you dine inside (standing up) at the counter or bar, inside sitting at a table, sit outside, or take out. The same is true for movies. There may be different prices for seats. There is usually three or four tiers of seating from upper balcony to the front rows. Europe tends to charge for movies the way we charge for theater tickets.

Good resources for European travel planning include Cosmos Holidays (www.cosmos.co.uk) and TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com)

For more money-saving tips on European travel, be sure to read The Encyclopedia of Cheap Travel: Save Up to 90% on Lodging, Flights, Tours, Cruises, and More!