A holiday in Europe is the trip of a lifetime for many people, and one that can easily put you in debt if you’re not careful. It’s easy to get carried away with it all and visit every attraction you’ve ever heard of, eat in the top rated restaurants every night, and stay in the most elegant of hotels in every city you visit. When you add some of the best shopping in the world to the equation you could easily spend away your life’s savings if you’re not careful!

The good news is that there are lots of ways to save some money along the way, while not compromising your holiday experience. It’s just a matter of knowing some tricks and planning ahead.

• The easiest way to save without making any other changes is to travel off season. Travelling over the peak summer months will cost you a premium and you’ll be treated to long queues and irate locals for the privilege. With the Olympics on this summer in London the UK is packed, so why not consider visiting in September or October instead? You’ll save on everything from accommodation to air fare and you’ll have more space to enjoy the sights as a secondary bonus!
• Whether you’re travelling off peak or not consider staying in self-catering accommodation to save. Not only are the rental prices often much less than a hotel would be, especially if you are able to divide the cost between a group, but you will also make savings by cooking your own meals rather than eating out for every year. Even if you were just to make your own breakfast and lunch every day you could easily save £10-15/person each day. That is certainly nothing to sniff at! Visit Sykes Cottages to find a great range of reasonably prices holiday cottages in the UK and Europe.
• If there are attractions that you know you will not want to miss, like the Uffizi in Florence, or The Louvre in Paris, make sure to look on their website in advance to see if you can book tickets in advance. Not only will this ensure that you won’t be disappointed when you arrive to find that they are sold out for the day, but that you get the best deal. Even if you won’t save, at least you’ll know what you’re getting in for so you can budget accordingly.
• When you do eat out at a restaurant there are a few tricks that can help you stick within the budget. Many restaurants in Europe have set menu deals that include one or two courses and wine for a set price, which is often a good deal. Alternatively, consider eating like royalty at lunch rather than dinner. Restaurants often offer quite similar menus at lunch, but at much lower prices.

A trip to Europe doesn’t have to break the bank; you just need to be thoughtful about how and where you spend to make sure you aren’t paying over the odds. There is nothing worse than being ripped off while on holiday and hopefully these tips will help you avoid just that.

If you’re looking for budget friendly accommodation throughout the UK and Ireland make sure that you visit www.sykescottages.co.uk to view a great range of cottage accommodation. There is also great last minute and short break deals on the website, or follow on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with daily deals!

Photo Attribution: “England France Germany Ireland Post” by Stuart Miles – FreeDigitalPhotos.net