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Explore Alternative Accommodation Options

Hostels have become the go-to crash pad for millions of students and young travelers making their way through the streets of Europe, but there is no question many of these lodgings leave something to be desired. Instead of sleeping on a dirty pillow or sharing a room with a stranger, there are quite a few alternatives that remain less expensive than a hotel. Exploring these options could make the difference between the trip of a lifetime and a nightmare vacation.

Apartment rentals have become increasingly popular in recent years, allowing travelers to take up residency in a typical apartment wherever they might be staying. Most apartment rentals are offered through an agency that works directly with the landlord, and rates are incredibly affordable. This option is likely best explored when traveling with friends, as the cost can be split between several different people. In addition to being more comfortable than a hostel, an apartment will likely have a kitchen that can be utilized to make inexpensive meals.

Take a Look at Transportation

Ground transport is often one of the most important aspects of a vacation, allowing travelers to get around in the city they visit. Unfortunately, many tourists end up spending way too much money on tickets that could otherwise be less expensive. It pays to thoroughly research transportation options before departing, getting information about how different tickets work. Some European cities offer tourist tickets that include discounts to local museums and destinations, but they do not always offer the best bang for the buck.

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Engage with the Locals

Regardless of whether travelers speak the local language, engaging in conversation with the locals is often one of the best ways to learn about restaurants, cafes, and other local attractions. Guidebooks often include tourist traps or expensive dining options. Locals will not only share knowledge about more affordable options, but they can help open tourists’ eyes to an entirely different side of the city being visited. When it comes to exploring Europe, it’s easy to be tempted to spend a small fortune. Armed with these helpful tactics, travelers should find themselves more than able to stay on a tight budget, yet nevertheless experience a truly unforgettable journey. With all of that money saved, another trip to Europe might even be a possibility in the near future!

Sarah writes for Reserve Apartments, the serviced accommodation specialists who have hundreds of apartments throughout London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Reserve Apartments can help you find fully serviced Glasgow, London or Edinburgh Holiday Apartments quickly and easily.

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It’s not cheap

You think you have it bad in the United States. Well Europe can be really expensive. In some places you’ll need a lot more money than you’ve ever thrown around before. If you want to go out in London you will have to take out a second mortgage. Know that you will have to look after your money. If that means heading to the shops to buy some groceries, great. You can always cook in a hostel. But don’t expect to be going out for food every night.

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Watch your pockets

I don’t know how much experience you have with pick pockets, but unfortunately in some European cities you can see quite a lot of it. There are professionals that go around targeting unsuspecting people. It makes you an even bigger target if they can see you carrying around lots of fancy electronic equipment. Just be careful of anyone who welcomes you with a handshake and a little dance. Look in your pocket after this and it could be too late.

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It’s really cold

Especially in Northern Europe, you’re lucky if you will even see one week of summer. What I can tell you is that it’s really cold. Pack as much warm clothes as you can that will fit in your luggage, or be prepared to buy more from the shop. You don’t want to be waiting about at night with nothing keeping you warm except a t-shirt. It’s going to be even better if you have a hat, scarf and gloves.

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Taking money from ATM’s

You will eventually have to withdraw money from ATM’s and you need to be very careful. Don’t let anyone see your card. It’s equally important not to flash too much cash around. Not everyone will be as rich as you and waving money in their face is likely to entice them to take it off you. Some gangs also use special machines they put on ATM’s in order to swipe your card details. Have a good look before you use the machine to check everything looks OK. The last thing you need is to lose all your money in a foreign country.

Photo by Frank Hebbert

Be careful in bars

Like anywhere else you will find trouble in some bars. This tends to happen a lot more regularly in Europe. The main culprits are England and Ireland. Unfortunately, some people will go out with the sole purpose of starting trouble. It’s unlikely it will happen to you, but it’s always something to be careful of. If anybody tries to cause bother you should walk away before it gets out of hand.

Photo by Glenn Harper

John Peters is an expert travel advisor and writes various articles on topics like unique vacation spots, travelling tips and adventurous holidays. His company provides great services like cheap flights to Murcia with Jet2.com.

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Stay in hostels rather than in hotel rooms

Staying in a hotel room should be your last thing in mind if you are on a tight budget. Hostels may not have all the amenities and comforts of a hotel. But, it certainly provides clean and functional rooms for you to stay for the night. If you are traveling with the whole family, look for bigger hostels which may prove to be a big hit for your children.

Life Resort, Santa Pola, Costa Blanca, Spain / Photo by admin

Look for serviced apartments

If you are not comfortable with the idea of sharing a room with somebody else in a hostel, better opt for serviced apartments. Business travelers are usually the target guests of serviced apartments. However, you can always take advantage of their hidden bargains. Serviced apartments provide cooking facilities and a laundry room for their guests. You can even obtain access to their fitness gym and swimming pool at a very reasonable rate.

Save much money by saying no to some of the services offered in a hotel

Never ever place a call to any of your friends within or outside Europe using the telephone inside your hotel room. It would also be wise to refuse an offer of being able to watch more movies inside your hotel room. If you really want to watch a movie while in Europe better go to cinemas. Otherwise you will end up being shocked by your hefty hotel bill. Resist the urge of calling the hotel room service just to ask for food delivery to your room. Take the time to walk outside and look for affordable restaurants. This will save you a lot from experiencing stress and anxiety because you reduce your risks of blowing your budget while on a travel.

Take the time to have a little chat with the hotel staff

Talk to them about your future plans of coming back to Europe with your friends or business partners. You may also want to give them an impression that you really liked the hotel. The hotel staff has to know these things so that they will look at you as their prospect loyal guests. As a result, the staff will be giving you a VIP treatment. They will also be happy to offer you some really good deals that will help you save money and make your stay worthwhile.

Getting a room late at night will save you more money

Hoteliers only have one night to sell their rooms to tourists. Missing one guest for the night would also mean missing the chance to earn. This is one of the advantages of looking for a hotel room late at night. Hoteliers will become pressured not to have someone for each room. Therefore, getting inside the hotel late at night will give you the chance to ask for a discount or the best deal. You should be smart enough to negotiate and let them feel that the little amount you have is better than an empty room for the night.

Traveling these days in Europe has proved to be a reasonable thing to do. Many European airline companies are now giving out huge discounts to tourists. Therefore, make an effort to look for airlines, not just hotels that will allow you to save some of your hard earned money. After all, the best does not always have to mean the most expensive.

About the Author:
Ryan Rivera used to suffer from anxiety attacks for seven years. He now dedicates his life helping other anxiety sufferers through his writings. You can read more of his articles at Calm Clinic.

The post Money-Saving Tips for Finding the Best Place to Stay in Europe appeared first on Best of European Union.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Carlo Columba

Visitors of Scillato can admire the typical Sicilian Baglio house from the 19th century. Its owner is old aristocratic Sicilian family since its inception. It is surrounded by extensive parks full of rare trees and centuries-old trees. This house is nowadays used as a hostel for tourists and there is even a swimming pool with cloak-room. The house stands on the edge of a protected natural park, the Parco delle Madonie and is situated near a large golf course.

Do not look for the sea in Scillato (in fact, not all of the places in Sicily offers swimming in the sea), but if you have a car, you can go to the beach town of Cefalu, which is located approximately 40 km away. Cefalu preserved its picturesque and medieval atmosphere. Above the town rises interesting reef La Rocca resembling a fortress, which was once overlooked by the temple of Diana. Cefalu’s dominant is the cathedral of 1131, which was originally a royal tomb, and the main temple of the kingdom of Sicily. The coast is lined with some beautiful sandy beaches.

View Scillato – a good starting point for interesting trips in Sicily Italy in a larger map

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But when you are moving from place to place and exploring new cities it also means you have to keep all your precious items on your person.

This, of course, is like a huge flashing beacon to potential thieves and pick pockets, who have a keen eye for tourists and know what sort of valuables they have on them.

Now it needs to be said that muggings in busy tourist places are rare and it should never stop you from travelling. But it is a fact of life that the tourist dollar makes you of great interest to certain locals.

But if you are sensible and aware of your surroundings you can lower the chances of losing you most prized possessions.

For starters a money belt is a great way of keeping cash, traveller’s cheques, passport and other small but vital items safe. It can sit underneath your beltline hidden from view but close enough so you know where it is.

If possible though try not to reveal it in public – its greatest strength is the fact it is hidden. Thieves know tourists where money belts too, but they don’t want to go round checking down everyone’s trousers to see! If they see you fiddling around with your belt they will assume you have something valuable to keep and may target you.

If you absolutely have to retrieve items such as bank cards from your wallet go to a public toilet or somewhere else where you can take out things in private.

Then when you have arrived at your hotel or hostel, place items such as your passport either in a locker or behind reception. Most London hotels have a safe in each room or at least one in the office behind reception for such items.

Then when you head out exploring take only the amount of cash you need for the day. If you aren’t sure, or want to keep a bank card with you just in case, keep small bills in a pocket for things such as drinks, bus tickets etc.. and your bank card safely tucked away.

Sites such as hotels.com give a description of the area you are travelling to so it pays to read up on area where it may not be safe for tourists to go, again lessening the chances of you being a victim as well as giving you the chance to get the most out of your travels.

You are free then enjoy the wonders of travelling without the hassle of dealing with missing valuables.

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