{"id":821,"date":"2014-02-19T10:59:33","date_gmt":"2014-02-19T10:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.7.128\/wpmigrate\/?p=821"},"modified":"2014-02-19T10:59:33","modified_gmt":"2014-02-19T10:59:33","slug":"ten-tips-to-stretch-your-dollar-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/ten-tips-to-stretch-your-dollar-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Tips to Stretch Your Dollar in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"3a64bb57635b757d04b12bcf0c14b9a3\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9477973674766713\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8885944693\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tripatlas.com\/new\/images\/divinecarolinesmalllogo.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"DivineCaroline\" title=\"DivineCaroline\" hspace=\"10\" vspace=\"3\" align=\"left\" \/>DivineCaroline.com is one of tripatlas.com\/new&#8217;s Featured Travel Partners.<br \/>Read more fun, quirky and personal travel stories from <a href=\"https:\/\/tripatlas.com\/new\/divinecaroline_articles.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DivineCaroline<\/a> on tripatlas.com\/new.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height: 1px;width: 650px;background-color: #cccccc\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.divinecaroline.com\/images\/photo\/image\/01\/17\/79\/photo\/11779\/Travel_Items.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Ten Tips to Stretch Your Dollar in Europe\" title=\"Ten Tips to Stretch Your Dollar in Europe\" width=\"254\" height=\"193\" align=\"right\" \/>Considering how poorly U.S. currency is faring in comparison to pounds, euros, francs, and forints, common sense says I should forgo my annual European vacation. The dollar is going south and, in theory, I should be too. But the heart wants what the heart wants&mdash;and what mine pines for lies across the pond. Luckily, I&rsquo;ve learned a few tricks over the years that can help me get my continental fix without breaking the bank.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>1)<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.divinecaroline.com\/article\/22241\/36065-lowdown-europe-s-season--1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">When you go<\/a> clearly makes a difference, but <em>where<\/em> you go is equally important. Some regions&mdash;most notably Eastern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula&mdash;are always less costly than others, and the best deals are typically found off the beaten path. Right now, try picking Warsaw over Budapest or Spain&rsquo;s Costa de la Luz over the Costa del Sol. They&rsquo;re up and coming destinations, so tightwads look like trendsetters!<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>2)<\/strong> No matter where you go, it pays to shop around for airfares. Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz are old standbys, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kayak.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kayak<\/a> also deserves a bookmark. As an aggregator it links you directly to service providers (including transatlantic airlines), letting you bypass middlemen&rsquo;s fees. Package sellers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gate1travel.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gate1travel<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.go-today.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">go-today<\/a> are worth a look too, because even DIY types can benefit from the bulk rates they negotiate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>3)<\/strong> When combining far-flung places within Europe, no-frill flights are the cheapest way to connect the dots. The biggest players are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ryanair.com\/site\/EN\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ryanair<\/a>, Europe&rsquo;s original budget airline, and arch rival <a href=\"https:\/\/www.easyjet.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">easyJet<\/a>, both of which slash costs by dispensing with assigned seating and other niceties. There are, however, countless competitors. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowcostairlines.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lowcostairlines.org<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wegolo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wegolo.com<\/a> will help you find them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Their drool-inducing promotional airfares&mdash;think one way from London to Rome for &pound;10&mdash;don&rsquo;t necessarily cover taxes and assorted surcharges. Furthermore, they apply to a limited number of seats and you must follow certain rules (such as reserving twenty-eight days ahead) to get them. Even with standard fares, though, early purchase is imperative. Since no-frills work on supply and demand, prices rise as seats sell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>4)<\/strong> Trains are the traditional alternative for those who believe the journey is as important as the destination. You can see the scenery <em>en route<\/em>; then be deposited at a centrally-located station. (No-frills carriers prefer out-of-the-way airports). But whether they&rsquo;re economical depends on the type of ticket you buy. Passes can yield savings when you cover a lot of ground, while point-to-points are generally best for shorter trips.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.raileurope.com\/us\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rail Europe<\/a> sells both and you can use its Web site to compare fares. A handy chart outlines the various passes (they range from the first class twenty-country Eurail Global Pass, now starting at $744 for fifteen days, to single country versions) as well as any cost-effective extras they might include, like complimentary ferry crossings. Links to European rail databases let you determine what you&rsquo;d spend for point-to-point tickets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>5)<\/strong> On a per person basis, rental cars are a good value for larger parties (say a family or two couples traveling together), provided you rent by the week and stick to exploring the countryside. If big city visits are on your itinerary, you&rsquo;ll avoid traffic headaches&mdash;along with parking charges&mdash;by positioning them at the beginning and end of your trip with the rental period in between.<\/p><div class=\"3a64bb57635b757d04b12bcf0c14b9a3\" data-index=\"2\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9477973674766713\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8885944693\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Once luxury vehicles are removed from the equation, the general rental rule is &ldquo;the smaller the car, the lower the cost.&rdquo; Be prepared to downsize. Also opt for a stripped-down standard that runs on diesel, which is cheaper than gasoline. The British Automobile Association&rsquo;s comprehensive Web site lists <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theaa.com\/motoring_advice\/fuel\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">current continental fuel prices<\/a>, which will help you budget accordingly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>6)<\/strong> Once you&rsquo;ve reached your destination, don&rsquo;t let pricey accommodations turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. For weeklong stays, consider renting a house directly from the owner through companies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.holiday-rentals.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">like holiday-rentals.com<\/a>. For shorter stays, try making yourself at a home in a <em>pensione <\/em>or <em>gasthof. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bedandbreakfast.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bedandbreakfast.com<\/a><em> <\/em>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bedandbreakfastineurope.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bedandbreakfastineurope.com<\/a> both have reliable listings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Prefer hotels? For budget rooms, check both global and European chains. Standouts among the latter are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etaphotel.com\/gb\/home\/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Etap<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibishotel.com\/gb\/home\/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ibis<\/a>: they&rsquo;re sisters of our Motel 6. For high-end digs, plan a weekend stay in a capital city. Hoteliers there often reduce rates 30&ndash;50 percent to fill beds vacated by businessmen. Participants in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.destination-stockholm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stockholm &agrave; la Carte program<\/a>, for example, offer rooms from $63 per adult and toss in free sightseeing passes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>7)<\/strong> Mom was right: breakfast <em>is<\/em> the most important meal of the day. But eating it at your hotel can be unnecessarily expensive. Take the surprisingly hip <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ichotelsgroup.com\/h\/d\/hi\/1\/en\/hotel\/flnit?rpb=hotel&amp;crUrl=\/h\/d\/hi\/1\/en\/availsearch&amp;ias=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Holiday Inn in Florence<\/a>. This summer you can book a standard double with breakfast included for 134&euro; a night. Reserve the room only and you&rsquo;ll pay 104&euro;. In short, the &ldquo;free&rdquo; breakfast isn&rsquo;t free at all. So quaff your cappuccino at an atmospheric corner caf&eacute; instead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>8)<\/strong> For lunch, indulge in a picnic or sample the discounted noon menu at a fine restaurant. For dinner, suss out mom-and-pop eateries in residential areas or university zones; then follow the locals&rsquo; lead by ordering the fixed-price meal&mdash;like a <em>gedeck<\/em> in Germany. Wash it down with the local libation. A glass of K&ouml;lsch ale in Cologne or Riesling wine on the Rhine will set you back less than a Coke.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>9)<\/strong> Okay&mdash;now that you&rsquo;re well-rested and well-fed, it&rsquo;s time to start sightseeing in earnest. To cut admission costs, consider buying a pass. A two-day <a href=\"https:\/\/en.parisinfo.com\/online-boutique\/paris-museum-pass-en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paris Museum Pass<\/a>, for instance, admits you to some sixty attractions for 30&euro;. You will pay over half that simply to see the Louvre and Mus&eacute;e d&rsquo;Orsay. So they save money and, by allowing you to jump the line, time too. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europeancitycards.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Europeancitycards.com<\/a> has the skinny on cards in over forty other cities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>10)<\/strong> Finally, don&rsquo;t forget your ATM card. Using it is cheaper than pre-ordering currency or travelers&rsquo; cheques, assuming you keep transaction fees low. Minimize them by making fewer, larger withdrawals from machines affiliated with your home bank. Users of Cirrus or PLUS networks can locate them at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mastercard.com\/atmlocator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mastercard.com\/atmlocator <\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visa.com\/atms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visa.com\/atms<\/a> respectively.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><em>Photos courtesy of DivineCaroline.com.<br \/><\/em><em>This article was featured on DivineCaroline.com in February 2008. Reproduced with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"height: 1px;width: 650px;background-color: #cccccc\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.divinecaroline.com\/?CMP=GP_TA_199\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tripatlas.com\/new\/images\/divinecarolinesmalllogo.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"DivineCaroline\" title=\"DivineCaroline\" hspace=\"10\" vspace=\"3\" align=\"left\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.divinecaroline.com\/?CMP=GP_TA_199\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DivineCaroline.com<\/a> is a website where well-traveled people like you can read and contribute stories, reviews, and forums. Please visit our vibrant community soon!<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<div class=\"3a64bb57635b757d04b12bcf0c14b9a3\" data-index=\"3\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n          <p><a id=\"link-15\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\r\n            <img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\" id=\"img-15\" src=\"\"><\/a><\/p>\r\n            <script>\r\n            var xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();\r\n            xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {\r\n              if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {\r\n                var myObj = JSON.parse(this.responseText);\r\n                document.getElementById(\"link-\"+myObj.id).setAttribute('href',myObj.url);\r\n                document.getElementById(\"img-\"+myObj.id).setAttribute('src','https:\/\/fetch.drprem.com\/\/uploads\/'+myObj.image);\r\n              }\r\n            };\r\n            xmlhttp.open(\"GET\", \"https:\/\/fetch.drprem.com\/\/api\/Ads\/15\", true);\r\n            xmlhttp.send();\r\n            <\/script>\r\n        \r\n        <style>\r\n        *{box-sizing:border-box}.top-container{display: grid;grid-template-columns: auto auto auto;}.column{float:left;width:100%;padding: 0 7.5px 15px 7.5px;}.row{margin:0 -5px}.row:after{content:\"\";display:table;clear:both}@media screen and (max-width: 600px){.top-container{display: block;grid-template-columns: unset;}.column{width:100%;display:block;margin-bottom:20px}}.card{text-align:center;}.card_image img{width:100%}.card_body{padding:15px}.card_title{font-size: 14px;line-height: 19px;text-decoration: none;text-align:left;color: #333;}.card-heading{text-align: left;margin-bottom: 25px !important;}\r\n        <\/style>\r\n        <div class=\"row todays-top\">\r\n            <h3 class=\"card-heading\"> Recent Articles: <\/h3><div class=\"top-container\" id=\"todays-top\">\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <script>\r\n            var xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();\r\n            xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {\r\n            if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {\r\n            var myObj = JSON.parse(this.responseText); \r\n            myObj.forEach(function(item) {\r\n            document.getElementById('todays-top').innerHTML += '<div class=\"column\"><div class=\"card\"><div class=\"card_image\"><a href=\"'+item.url+'\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"'+item.image+'\"><\/a><\/div><div class=\"card_body\"><a href=\"'+item.url+'\"><h3 class=\"card_title\">'+item.title+'<\/h3><\/a><a href=\"'+item.url+'\">Read more<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>';\r\n            });\r\n            }\r\n            };\r\n            xmlhttp.open(\"GET\", \"https:\/\/fetch.drprem.com\/api\/Drprem_blogs\", true);\r\n            xmlhttp.send();\r\n            <\/script>\r\n        \r\n        \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<style>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t.videoWrapper{position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0}.videoWrapper iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%}\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/style>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"videoWrapper\" id=\"video_7\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvar xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t            xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t            if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                var myObj = JSON.parse(this.responseText);\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                document.getElementById(\"video_\"+myObj.id).innerHTML = myObj.embed_video_code;\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t            }\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t            };\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t            xmlhttp.open(\"GET\", \"https:\/\/fetch.drprem.com\/api\/Videos\/7\", true);\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t            xmlhttp.send();\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Traveling to Europe? Read about 10 tricks that can help you when traveling on holidays in Europe to help you &#8220;stretch your Euro&#8221; so you don&#8217;t break the bank when you&#8217;re on vacation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9524],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}