How to Save Money for your trip to Europe
We all have great lofty goals of traveling to and through Europe but when it comes down to really starting to plan, you realize you may not be able to have the luxury trip you were hoping for. I have been there. I am sure you have as well. One day I really do think I am going to win the lottery and be able to go wherever I want whenever I want, but until that day comes, I’ll just have to resort to planning and saving for the trips I want.
So how can we make our dream trips more affordable? It’s simply really. Take a couple of the ideas below and put them to use. It may not seem like big changes but over time, you’ll see your savings start to add up.
Plan in advance
I generally start planning my bigger trip more than a year in advance. Some people (my husband, mostly) think I am crazy, but there is a method to my madness. Let’s say my plan is to travel to Ireland in April. I will start tracking the cost of airfare around 18-24 months in advance of my trip. Now, I know I am not going to be able to buy those airline tickets until 11 months in advance or later but I am tracking the cost trends to see when will be the best time for me to buy next year. Is it an exact science? No. But it has worked for me in the past and could for you too.
Travel in the off-season
The most expensive time to travel to Europe is May-September. American kids are out of school, Europeans are on holiday as well...so hotels and tour companies increase costs. Supply versus demand- I never thought I would put my economics class to use but it turns out they were actually teaching us viable information in school. April and October are considered the “shoulder months” so travel costs are a little cheaper than summer costs. The weather won’t be as nice but you’ll encounter less tourists. The off season is considered November - March. It’s winter there just like it is here so this is when costs are at their lowest. Bring a jacket/sweatshirt with you and your wallet will thank you.
Stay in one location -Take day trips to get the most of the country you’re in.
Imagine the spokes of a wheel. Your hotel is the center of the wheel and each day you can travel on a different spoke visiting another area of the country you're in. Doing this will save you money on transportation and hotel stays in different cities.
Save money from each paycheck
There are a lot of people out there that will make you feel bad for not saving money from each paycheck. But I get it man. A lot of us are living paycheck to paycheck and that makes it virtually impossible to save money. But here’s the thing- I am not asking you to save $100 each paycheck. If you can, more power to you. What I am saying is save as much as you possibly can. Find little ways to cut out extra spending. Cut meat out of 2 meals a week. Buy generic instead of name brand. Take leftovers to work rather than eating out. Little things can add up when it comes to saving money. Take that money you’re saving, whatever the amount may be, and set it aside for your travel fund.
Book your trip with a travel advisor.
Contrary to popular belief, using a travel advisor to help plan/book your trip does not cost you more money. In actuality, it usually ends up saving you not only money but time and stress as well. While it may seem that researching and piecing the trip together yourself will save you money, it usually does not in the long run. Travel advisors work directly with suppliers to package rates together rather than booking through multiple different search engines. This bundling saves you money and allows you to work with one person rather than 10 different companies for your trip. Most times you can pay off your vacation over time as well rather than having to pay for everything up front at the time of booking. Travel advisors also have your back if something goes wrong, either before, during or after your trip.
Saving money for your European trip isn’t rocket science but sometimes we just need that little reminder that we can do it and we do have options and we WILL find a way to make this vacation happen.
When you’re ready to make your vacation happen, give me a call. Let’s see how much money we can save you for your trip!