Money-Saving European Travel Tips

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ABOVE: Rome wasn't built in a day, and it can't be seen adequately in less than a week.

TIP 1: Stay within a city, region, or country.

If you're an American and you were visiting New York, would you also try to squeeze Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Miami into the same trip?

If you're British and you were spending a few days in Edinburgh or Glasgow, would you tack Cardiff onto your holiday itinerary?

Probably not. So why overextend yourself (and your budget) by trying to cram Paris, Lucerne, Venice, Rome, and Munich into a one- or two-week trip?

By limiting your geographic reach, you'll save on transportation costs, and you'll be able to take advantage of other money-saving strategies such as renting a vacation apartment instead of a hotel.

Also, if you're visiting more than one country or city, try to balance a higher-priced destination with a cheaper one: e.g., London and Edinburgh, or Paris with Madrid and Lisbon. Spending part of your time in interesting smaller cities like Siena, Porto, Santiago de Compostela, and Freiburg im Breisgau can lower your overall costs even more.