15 smart ways to travel through Europe on a tight budget

A European holiday can be the highlight of your life. There are several beautiful countries in Europe, and the best part is, you can see most of them on a single Schengen visa. But you will quickly find that Europe is as expensive as it is gorgeous. Instead of fretting over the amount of money you will need to spend, you could consider these money-saving hacks for your Europe holiday:

1 Travel off-season. Most people make the mistake of booking tickets in the destination country’s peak holiday season. This will result in more money for flight tickets and accommodation. Always travel to Europe, off season for cheaper deals.

2 Book your tickets in advance. The closer you book your tickets to the date of departure, the more expensive they will be. Frequent travellers know they must book tickets at least three months in advance to avoid last minute charge hikes and delays.

3 Travel to Schengen visa countries only. Not every country in Europe is on the list of Schengen visa countries. Look up the entire list of countries to know which ones you can travel to, on a single Schengen visa. A better way to save more money is to travel to an EU country but one which does not use the Euro, such as Croatia.

4 Look for alternatives to hotels. Your accommodation choice will impact your spends on your Europe sojourn. Instead of booking yourself into a hotel or resort, ask your friends or family members if you can stay at their place. If this is not feasible, stay at a hostel or rent an apartment from a local.

5 Carry cash to spend. It is always better to carry along sufficient cash instead of using your credit cards everywhere or taking money from the ATM to save on international withdrawal fees.

6 Book a multi-city cruise. Instead of booking 10 different cars to travel to multiple destinations, a single cruise will do the job better and cheaper.

7 Use public transportation. Car rentals can be expensive in Europe, especially if your pick-up and drop-off points are different and located far from each other. It is always cheaper to use public transport, which is quite good in Europe.

8 Walk everywhere and join free walking tours. You can learn a lot about a place and remember side streets and prominent landmarks if you walk everywhere. Also look for free walking tours with an English speaking guide to explore a city, but don’t forget to tip the guide.

9 Visit museums and art galleries on free days. Do your research and find free visitor days for art galleries and museums in your destination city. This will save a lot of money on admission fees.

10 Use free Wi-Fi only. Communicate with friends and family using messenger services on your phone and free Wi-Fi which is available at many cafes and restaurants in Europe. Sending emails, photographs and other communication is much cheaper with free Wi-Fi.

11 Use a rail pass to travel within the EU. We recommend taking a railway pass that allows multiple passage between select EU countries. You pay for it once and travel a certain number of times before you make the next pass.

12 Use a local SIM card. Do not use international roaming on your phone when you travel to Europe. Instead, get a local SIM card (you can get one at most European airports) and discard it when you travel to another country.

13 Shop in cheaper countries. Some European countries such as Switzerland are more expensive than others, such as Portugal. Make a shopping list and wait to reach a more price-friendly country before you start shopping.

14 Research how much to tip. Each country in Europe has different rules about tipping, so find these out before you get there. Some countries pay their wait-staff hourly wages, so there is no need to pay a high tip. At others, a good tip is a norm.

15 Stay within the sights. Instead of staying on the outskirts of the city and then travelling far to see the prominent sights, stay within reach so that you walk to the tourist spots instead of hiring transport.

Is a Schengen visa different from a UK visa?

The best part about travelling anywhere in the European Union (EU) is that one can take a single Schengen visa and move about from country to country. Hence, whether one wants to go to France from Germany and then head to Poland and then move on to Denmark or Belgium, the Schengen visa will allow easy transit from one to the other.

The Schengen visa is valid for countries designated for inclusion in the Schengen territory.

It is a widely held notion that all European Union nations are automatically included in the Schengen territory. This is NOT true – the Schengen area is not the same as the EU area. Hence, countries in the EU may not necessarily be part of the Schengen territory.

This is particularly true of such countries as the UK and Ireland. Both countries are not part of the Schengen territory, and hence a Schengen visa cannot be used in these countries. Conversely, a Schengen visa will not be valid in the UK and Ireland. A UK visa will have to be taken to visit the UK, despite the traveller holding a Schengen visa.

The designated Schengen territory comprises the countries of Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, Austria, Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Malta, Denmark, Latvia, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, Estonia, Slovakia and Liechtenstein. More countries are expected to be added to this area in 2016, if they are able to meet the requirements to do so.

Terms and conditions

• The Schengen visa is valid for a period of 90 days from date of issuance for travel within all Schengen member countries in a six-month period. In some cases, the visa may be extended to a period of one or two years.

• Though one is allowed to obtain the Schengen visa from one member country and travel to another, the issuing country may note that the visa is not being used for travel and tourism in that country. There is a risk of that country refusing to issue the visa in the future for fear of the visa being misused or not used on their soil.

• Though there is just one Schengen territory comprising 26 countries, each member country may choose to exercise their right to grant, withhold approval or reject a visa application on the basis of their understanding of the applicant’s past travel records, problematic behaviour while on tour, the number of visits made in the past, and so on. One member country’s rules may not apply to another’s.

The Schengen visa fee is taken in Euros only. Be sure to find out the exchange rate in your local currency before buying the visa.