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7 Ultimate Europe Travel Tips – Save Money And Time |
The tips and hints in this post are going to help you save a lot of money and time if you ever travel in Europe. Of course some of these tips apply to worldwide travel and not only Europe.
The inspiration for this article comes from having spent 2 months travelling Europe and learning things the hard way. I have wasted hours and many dollars (or Euros actually) simply because there were a few simple little things that I didn’t know I had to do in order to make everything go smoothly and quickly.
The beauty about travelling in Europe is that countries and different cities are just hours apart. There are over 25 countries with different cultures and different languages that you can visit within a few weeks. You are totally in control of where you go and what you see.
7 Ultimate Europe Travel Tips
- Eurail Pass
This is a train pass with a number of options and is probably the most bang for buck transportation that you get if you want to travel to multiple countries in Europe for a number of days or weeks. The Eurail Pass starts at an amount in the low 200 Euros (Valid for a few countries and few days) and goes up to a couple of hundred Euros (for 30 days or more and unlimited countries in Europe).The reason why I say it is the most bang for buck transportation isbecause trains are relatively comfortable and convienient and not too expensive. A bus would probably be cheaper depending on your destinations but a bus is slow and in my opinion not so comfortable. With a train you have the added benefit that you can get out at any stop and grab something to eat in a small town before you reach your main destination. - TGV and High Speed Trains
When you purchase your Eurail pass it is usually only for normal trains and not the bullet or high-speed trains. These will cost you an extra fee on top of your Eurail pass but they have the advantage of getting you where you need to be very quickly. For instance a TGV train Amsterdam-Paris will take just over 3 hours. I personally took the normal train and because of an accident on the railways and some delays it took me 13 hours to get from Amsterdam to Paris.If you do decide to take a TGV or high-speed train then you have to make a reservation a day or more in advance, otherwise the train will likely be full. These high-speed trains only leave a few times a day so if you have no reservation it is possible you may not get a place on the train for the entire day. - Plan Your Stay
This may sound obvious but it can make life a lot easier. While it may seem adventurous to just get on a train and take a taxi to the nearest hotel, it really isn’t that simple. I did the latter and it ended up in expensive taxi fares and me staying in a crummy hotel in an area far away from the best places in the city.By doing a bit of simple research and seeing what other travellers (who have visited the city already) recommend you can discover the best area to stay in when you arrive. That way when you arrive you just grab a taxi and direct him to the nearest hotel in the area you have chosen (or to a hotel you have already decided on). - Travel With A Friend
Travelling with a friend (or girlfriend/boyfriend) is way better than travelling alone. Firstly you always have someone to talk to so there is no reason to get bored. You inspire each other to do cool things and really make the most of your trip. Secondly you have someone around you who you trust and who can help you in case of a problem. Thirdly it can be a lot cheaper because you can share taxis and accomodation.Instead of paying 90 Euros or more a night for a hotel room for yourself you just get a slightly bigger one with two seperate beds and then it works out to paying only 50 or 60 Euros a night. Taxis cost the same whether there are one or two people in it, so travelling with someone will halve that cost too. - Speak To Locals
The local people of the city that you are visiting are often very friendly and helpful. Unlike most merchants who are looking to rip tourists off by overcharging them or recommending expensive things to them, local people are more than happy to tell you about the beautiful places of their city and which restaurants and attrations are good to visit. - Plenty Of Sleep And Healthy Food
Just because you are on holiday does not mean that your body becomes super-human. It is very tempting to just eat out all the time. There are hundreds of food ranging from fries and burgers to pizzas to seafood and steak restaurants. If you eat junk food for too long you get really sick (especially if you eat junk food combined with a lack of sleep). It is just as easy to go out every night and see what the city you are visiting has to offer.My suggestion is that you try to eat 2 healthy meals a day. Go to a supermarket and buy some fruit and salads. not only is this healthy it is also a lot cheaper than eating out in a restaurant or cafe for evey meal.I also recommend getting a good 8 hours of sleep every day, it will keep you fresh and energetic and enthusiastic to make the most out of your travels. - Patience
When travelling it is inevitable that you are going to have to wait, move around or have miscommunications (especially if you are in a country that does not have your native language). I think that it is a good idea to adopt a patient and relaxed attitude. It is easy to become upset by the little hiccups of travelling but that usually only leads to you not having a good time and to you not enjoying your trip to the fullest. Take it easy and enjoy every aspect of travelling.
My Experience Of Travelling
Although I had some hiccups and wasted some time and money while travelling, I can say that I enjoyed the entire trip to the fullest. It really is an amazing experience walking through different cities, eating other cuisine, meeting new and different people all the time and seeing what every city has to offer.
I did not take the absolute cheapest way of travelling Europe but neither did I take the most expensive way. You could hitchhike, backpack and couchsurf your way around Europe and still have a fabulous time. You can choose my way of trains and reasonable hotel or you could fly from country to country and stay in 5 star hotels. Whichever way you choose to travel is up to you and there is not one way that is neccessarily better or more fun than the other.
What I Learnt From My Trip
As I’m writing this last section I’m sitting in my room back in Cape Town, South Africa. I arrived at the airport late last night, got home, unpacked my stuff and caught up on some sleep. On the plane heading to South Africa I had an incredible amount of ideas and realisations and as I was reflecting back on the 9 weeks I spent in Europe with one of my best friends, I came up with a whole lot of changes I’ve noticed in my thinking and my goals.
This is rather personal and may not be interesting to you but I feel I want to share it nevertheless.
- Before I left South Africa and in the early days that I was in Amsterdam I still had a strong idea that I might want to move to Amsterdam and live there for a few years. After spending 2 months living in Amsterdam and really living there like a local person would my view has somewhat changed. I have decided that I would not want to live in Amsterdam permanently but I do like the idea of having an apartment there for 1 or 2 months of the year. There is no single big reason why I would not want to live in Amsterdam, it just doesn’t feel like the place that makes me say “This is where I want to live without a doubt”.
- I want to live healthy. On my trip I actually never ended up going to the gym once or doing any real exercise. Although we did try to eat healthy, there was still plenty of fast foods and sugary food in my meals and combined with little sleep or an irregular sleeping pattern this cause me to get ill twice in the space of those two months. It just feels unhealthy living like that and I want to have energy and feel good. That has led me to decide to eat really healthy, go to gym, do sport and join hiphop classes again.
- Towards the last 2 weeks in Amsterdam Glen and I pretty much worked full time on our own projects during the day. We had some days where we would only go out to get some food and for the rest spend the entire day working on our blogs or sites. I realised how much I enjoy working on my projects and coming up with ideas to make them grow big. Now that I’m back in SA I’m going to kick into full work mode and get my projects moving bigger and faster
- Friends, family and loved ones are the most important things in the world. A city is just a city, a house is just a house, a porsche is just a porsche without someone to share it with. You can literally be in a really bad location with limited resources but if you have a friend with you then you can still have a great time. This year I want to consciously spend a lot of time with the people I care about.
- I have no desire to own big things right now. For the next few years I’m perfectly happy to rent a furnished apartment and live with the things I have. After realizing that I can get by with pretty much a suitcase and a laptop, all this extra stuff is a little unneccessary for me right now. I want to travel and see the world and for me I decided the best way to do that is to spend 6 weeks in one foreign city (which gives enough time to get to know it and to have a routine) and then 2 weeks backpacking or staying in a fun resort. The goal I’m aiming for is 2 of these 8 week trips a year.
- I enjoy learning. I haven’t read many books at all on my trip but the two I did read were really awesome and inspiring and make me want to do a lot more reading and learning now that I’m back in SA. (The books I read were ‘The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho’ and ‘Linchpin-Seth Godin’ and I recommend both of them to you)
- I’ve realised it’s taken me just about 23 years for me to start thinking for myself and really choosing my own direction in life. It is different for everyone and some people start at 16 and others after 30. Right now I feel like I know what I want and what I’m working towards and I’m excited about it. This is the first time in my life that I really feel like this.
Parting Words
To sum up, I think that travelling is one of the most amazing things that you can do in life. After all, we only live once and I think it’s awesome to see every thing that this wonderful world has to offer us. If you have the chance to take some time off and travel, grab it with both hands!
You will grow in ways you cannot imagine and you will have the time of your life. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week ahead!
Looks like you had an amazing trip through Europe Diggy (im jealous!).
Now I can’t wait to start travelling again this year
Anthony Feint´s last blog ..Cool Tools for the Location Independent
Hey Anthony!
Yeah it was totally amazing thanks
Just had a look at your site again, your theme looks really awesome!
Thanks man, glad you like it. Its based on the thesis theme
Anthony Feint´s last blog ..Cool Tools for the Location Independent
Very nice and personal post Diggy
I’m glad you enjoyed Europe and thanks for the tips.
Keep it up
Hey Adam!
Thanks for stopping by
How are your own projects coming along?
I like being in new places, but I don’t like the traveling/transportation part of traveling, so that kind of sucks. That makes me like living at places more than moving around fast.
Like living in Amsterdam for 2 months would definitely be something I could do, but Spain is where I belong for the moment!
I’ve also found that it is hard to eat healthy when you’re traveling. Somehow it seems like the urge to eat crap or give yourself permission to eat crap is stronger. I like settling into one place and getting everything set-up, it allows me to live a healthier and more balanced life.
There’s so much you learn about doing the things you dream about (or think about). Realizing that you don’t really want or need what you thought is huge and is something that has had a huge and positive impact on my life.
It’s nice to feel like you have everything you need.
Funny coincidence on The Alchemist. I JUST finished reading that book after everyone recommended it to me. It was awesome and I completely resonate with the message. What did you think about it?
The first time I really traveled was when I went to Spain in 2005-2006. It changed me completely and 3-4 years later I realized that this is where I want to be.
How do I write these long comments? I keep a notepad window open and comment on anything that comes to mind while I’m reading your post
Henri Junttila´s last blog ..How to Use Article Marketing to Increase Your Blog Subscribers
Henri!
I always love your comments! It is definitely going to get attention from readers who want to find out more about the guy who writes 500 word comments. Hehe
I agree with you about the moving part. It’s fun for a week or two but after that it becomes a hassle. I think that 6-8 weeks is the ideal time to spend in a city to get to know the ins and outs of it and to determine whether or not you would want to live there on a more permanent basis.
I think the alchemist is an awesome story, I really enjoyed it and it is very different to how I thought it would be. I like how so many lessons are hidden in the story.
If you have time please do a video about your life in Spain, what it looks like and where you are staying
Would love to see that!
Cheers!
I need to get myself a good camera, but it’s in the works!
It’s a shame that we were not able to meet. I still have to visit amsterdam with the ticket I won. Hopefully we’ll meet in SA one day
Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..How to deal with Criticism in Writing
Hey Oscar!
Yeah too bad we didn’t get to meet up in Amsterdam. Let me know when you are coming to South Africa!
As an older (52) person, I wish someone had shared this kind of stuff with me in my 20’s. Regardless, you’ve allowed me to live vicariously and I’m already thinking about planning an extended trip with my wife or one of my children.
Hans Hageman´s last blog ..Who Are You? Really?
Hey Hans!
Thanks for the kind words and glad to hear that you enjoyed the post
I hope that the trip you are going to take is going to be an amazing one!
Hi Diggy!
Sometimes (everytime I check your blog) I wonder how you make those posts in pretty short time.
One thing I didn’t find which I think is worth to take into consideration is to get a frequent flyer card of bigger airlines. You may not get a flight for free within three months (ok, maybe YOU will) but using the same as credit card for hotel booking, car rental, eating out and so on it might happen sooner than later
Some Frequent Flyer Credit Cards even give you a worldwide health insurance for three months
Best regards,
Andrés
Hey Andres!
Haha, yeah man it’s hard work but I’m treating it as a business this year so I like putting the time and effort into my articles!
You are totally right, I have not mentioned getting your credit card linked to flyer miles or scavenging the internet for last minute flights that cost a fraction of the price of regular flights. Honestly I haven’t had much experience with these things so hopefully I’ll be able to write more about it in the future!
Thanks for the suggestion and for leaving a comment!
Keep wel Sir!
Glad to hear your trip went well man. I’m sure you learned a lot! The alchemist is one of my favorite books of all time.
I’d also like to be in position to do what you do within the next couple of years, but until then I’m simply enjoying where I’m at.
Heya Bud!
Thanks bro, the trip was totally awesome! You’re doing really well, you now write for Pluginid, make good $$ and have the option to reach thousands of readers with every single post you write! Keep it up and you’ll be way past me by the time you’re 23!
Well, when I get to Europe, I’ll be sure to bring a friend
I enjoyed your realizations, Diggy! I love how personal growth and development are in all aspects of our lives when we keep conscious and self-aware
The best part of starting a blog is knowing I can share what I’ve learned and hopefully someone will benefit. I’m still smoothing out some rough edges, but it’s worth it!!
Grateful you found me on twitter!
Til next time — Cheers!
Heya Kim!
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah it’s one of the best things about bloggins, being able to share your joys and experiences. Keep working hard and you will get to where you want to be!
Some great insights & realisations there Diggy. Your closing points are very poignant.
Family, at the end of the day, are so important – they’ll be there for ye when others may not be.
And your point about ‘thinking for yourself’. Well, so many spend too many years in a corporate environment or jobs they don’t like. Whereas, self empowerment and taking control of what direction you want your life to take costs nothing… in fact its just a change in mindset… think of Neo in The Matrix when he wakes in the pods to realise a new reality. Isaiah Berlin called it positive liberty – the freedom to make your own choices/take control of your own future/environment.
Hey Roderick!
Thanks for stopping by! Yeah I’m very much coming to the conclusion that we are put in a box by society and by our parents and by school. If we don’t break free from that box we will live our lives in captivity. It’s crazy to think how many people try to control us all the time and tell us what to do! I really recommend a book called Linchpin by Seth Godin!
It’s beautiful to see you grow from living your life and gaining your own understanding
Thanks Ivan
Hehe, Diggy, don’t forget the best on – hitchiking. Just stick out your thumb and it’s all free of charge.
I’ve travelled from Yugoslavia to London via the Oktober Fest once using this method and made several trips between London and Paris. I’ve hitchiked in Zimbabwe, Turkey, Spain, Tunisia, Scotland and many other places in modes of transport varying from a porsche (our backpacks would hardly fit in) to a donkey cart (poor donkey:)
Crazy but true and I recommend it when exercised with reasonable caution.
Bon voyage!
Hey Annabel!
Haha, yeah true, hitchhiking and couchsurfing. Those are two cool ways to get through Europe very cheaply but I haven’t done either of them so I don’t have any authority to speak about it
It sounds like you have had some crazy and cool travel experiences yourself
I wouldn’t mind hitchhiking in a porsche!
Hi Diggy,
That is some really good advice. Your advise on researching hotels is sound.
There are plenty of hotel reviews to be found on the net so it is well worth taking the time to find out. Hope you enjoyed Europe and had time to visit Ireland my homeland.
Hey Camilla!
(no offense) but maybe I will go and see it one day with a girlfriend.
I had an awesome time in Europe thanks! I did not however get to visit Ireland. It does not sound very appealing to me
Hi Diggy,
I found your site through your post on AlmostFearless.com. It’s incredible what you have learned at such a young age and excited that you have found the passion and direction in life.
Your postings are very inspiring! I found this one particularly so because I share your love for travel (currently planning a trip to Dubai, Istanbul and Jordan in May), and found myself breaking out of my own shell this year to pursue my own passion regardless of what other people think. It’s been a beautiful experience and much enriched life.
Just wanted to thank you for sharing and looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Heya Tiffanny
Thanks for the kind words! I’m happy that you found my blog and that you like what I write.
That trip of yours sounds like it’s going to be good. You’ll love Dubai, I certainly did. Just make sure you have enough savings for all the shopping
Keep well and keep in touch