Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
two to three days of departure), prices are equal to high-speed train prices. That being said, European budget
airlines often have deals where fares are 1 euro, 1 pound, or no fare at all, you simply pay the taxes and fees.
The most popular budget airlines in Europe are Ryanair, easyJet, German Wings, and Transavia. If I need to
get somewhere in a hurry or far away, I'll fly because fares are cheap. You can refer back to Chapter 5 for
further information on how to find cheap flights.
ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
One thing I love about Western Europe is the uniformity of activity costs. Museums, day trips, attractions,
guided tours, pub crawls—there's not a lot of variation in prices. It makes budgeting much easier. The
Louvre in Paris is $16 USD, the Prado in Spain is $16 USD, the Acropolis in Athens is $16 USD, and the
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is $18 USD. See? All relatively the same price. In general, prices are
about $16 USD for the large, ultra-famous, everyone's-heard-of-them museums. Smaller, not so well-known
museums typically cost a few dollars less. In the United Kingdom, all public museums are free.
Full-day tours vary in price depending on the type of tour you are taking and what you wish to do. For
example, a wine tour in Tuscany is around $140 USD for a full day leaving from Florence, while one in
Bordeaux is around $70 USD when booked via the tourist office. A tour of the canals of Amsterdam costs
around $20 USD, while skiing in Switzerland will often cost about $70 for a lift ticket.
Local tourism offices, hostels, or hotels have information on tour operators and current prices. Appendix
A has a list of some of my favorite operators in the region.
Pub crawls, if that is your thing, can be found in every large and touristy city in Europe and are run by
either the local hostels or a major company like Ultimate Party (joinultimateparty.com) in Amsterdam, or 1
Big Night Out in London (1bignightout.com). They cost between $15 USD and $25 USD and include en-
trance into the pubs, free beer, and free shots.
The two best ways to save money on activities in Western Europe are by taking free tours and by getting
city tourism cards. In the vast majority of Western European cities, you can find free walking tours. I take
them all the time, and it is usually the first thing I do when visiting a new city. They are a perfect way to
familiarize yourself with city attractions, learn some history, and get your bearings in a new environment so
when you walk around alone, you know where you are. They typically last two to three hours.
The biggest walking tour company is New Europe (new europetours.eu), which organizes walking tours
throughout most major cities in Europe. If you are interested in taking a walking tour and this company
doesn't offer one in your city, the local tourism office and your hostel should have a list of companies that
offer free walking tours.
The second-best way to save money is to get a city tourist card. Cities in Europe that are frequented by
tourists have their own tourist cards that offer the benefits I listed in Chapter 8. Since most travelers tend to
go to Europe to do a lot of sightseeing, these cards have their most financial impact here. After all, Europe
has thousands of museums, tours, castles, and activities to do. As I mentioned in Chapter 8, the Paris mu-
seum card saved me about $85 USD. I can't recommend getting these tourist cards enough if you plan to see
a lot of attractions.
Another thing I always do before I visit a city is check the local tourism board for deals. They post in-
formation about current events, specials, and tourism deals happening in the city. They are an invaluable
resource. You can find the local tourist office near train stations, airports, and major attractions. If it is not
listed on the map, you can ask at your hostel/hotel registration desk for directions.
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