Top 5 ways to save money while traveling in Europe in 2024

Planning a trip to Europe can be a bit tricky when it comes to your budget. If you are planning to visit one or more of the 27 countries of the European Union (EU), you can eliminate worries about exchange rates while traveling by visiting one or more of the 20 countries that use the euro.

Once you've chosen the countries you want to visit and what you'd like to do, you'll need to manage your expenses to make sure you can do it. According to the locals, here are five ways to save money while traveling in and around Europe in 2024, according to Yahoo.

Find the right source of local transportation

Habits are different in every country, so you need to take that into account. For example, locals in France use car-sharing services to save money. If you're traveling to Spain, you can use Renfe AVLO to get to different cities like Seville or Valencia. It's convenient, fast, and affordable. Prepaid cards can save money on trams, buses, and city trains in Portugal and Ireland, and Greece offers a loyalty card program for its ferries. Rail Europe also offers travel passes.

Ideally, you should walk or cycle as much as possible. Walking is free and a great way to see the sights. Renting a bike is relatively inexpensive if you need to get somewhere faster.

Take advantage of free rides

In Denmark, you can go kayaking for free with Green Kayak, which is a great way to explore the environment and help it. In France, La Fête de la Musique offers free concerts, and La Nuit des Musées offers free evening visits to museums. Many museums in Ireland are free all the time, including the Galway City Museum and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Museums in Lisbon and Barcelona are free on Sundays.

Many attractions can be visited for free. Nice has the Simier Monastery, Copenhagen has the Botanical Gardens, and Madrid has the Temple of Debod.

Choose alternative accommodation

Instead of expensive hotels, you can choose local Airbnb, bed and breakfasts, and hostels. Hostels are cheaper and less luxurious, and you'll likely have to share a bathroom, but they usually have other benefits like free breakfast and laundry facilities.

Choose the things you are going to buy carefully

It's easy for vendors to sell souvenirs at unreasonable prices because they expect you to want to bring back something to remember the experience – regardless of whether the item is of good quality. Be careful when parting with your money.

In countries such as France and Portugal, locals recommend buying drinks at the market rather than at a bar. Then you can spend more time immersed in an unfamiliar landscape.

As TravelWise reported, experts gave their top tips for young people who want to travel but don't have a big budget.