Vacationing in Europe for Less

The first item on the agenda when you are planning a trip to Europe is to get a passport, either at the local post office or county clerk's office. This will cost around $60 plus the cost of photos, which you can get cheaply at places like Walgreen's. You should apply for this well ahead of time, since it will take a few weeks to process and you want to have plenty of time to correct any mistakes. Without a valid passport, you may not leave or reenter the country.

When saving for travel, the next thing you need to consider is when to go. If you want to find the best airfare rates and hotel prices, do not book your vacation during the peak tourist season or for major holidays. When you are considering this you should make yourself aware of the European holidays and not just the American ones. Oktoberfest is not the best time to visit Germany if you are looking for cheap rates.

When shopping for the best airfare, consider all the local airports and not just the one closest to you. Sometimes it is less expensive to drive a little farther and fly from another airport. You should try various travel websites to see if they have any airfare-plus-hotel deals available that suit your budget and where you want to go. Often, these websites will check various airports in your area for you automatically, to get the most affordable travel. The base rate for airfare alone (before taxes and fees) will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 for departures from the east coast, about $100 more for the west coast.

Another option to think about is not staying in hotels at all. Camping is certainly one option that can significantly reduce the price of your trip, and there are many camp sites available. However, if this is not a family vacation with the kids, there are also other indoor facilities to mull over like hostels or even convents and monasteries.

Once you've worked out travel and accommodations, food, entertainment, and emergencies will be your primary expenses. If you plan to eat out at a restaurant for only one meal per day, this will help cut down on expense, but still allow you to sample some of the local cuisine. For the remainder of your meals, check out the local food markets and make full use of any free or discounted meals your lodgings might offer. Purchase theatre tickets before traveling to get the best prices.