Research Costs, Attractions, and Languages to Improve Your European Vacation

Europe is one of the most thriving tourist destinations in the world. Especially for those countries who are part of the European Union, like France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, tourism is a vital source of income. Consider, in England alone, tourists generate £96.7 billion. According to USA Today, France is the most popular tourist destination in the world, both for European vacations and overall. In fact, 76 million people visit the country every year. Italy, with the Vatican, comes close with 60 million annual tourists, according to city-data.com.

If you’re planning to go on a European holiday excursion, there are some things you should consider. After all, properly managing both your time and your money, whether you’re traveling to London or Lyons, is crucial to any successful trip.

Plan Ahead of Time, Book Early to Save
Especially if you’re planning to travel during peak tourist seasons, it’s important that you plan ahead and book your arrangements early. Doing so, you not only cut the cost of travel arrangements and hotels, but you can make sure those things are actually available to you. As About.com writes, hotel accommodations can be really difficult to secure during peak times. Many hotels will black-out rooms, driving up the prices of those they have available. By planning ahead, you can get the rooms before the blackout, and before the prices have been raised. In short, you can find the best hotels for less.

See All There is to See with an Itinerary
Especially if your European vacation is only meant to last a week or two, drawing up an itinerary is the key to your spending time wisely. Consider, as UNESCO.org shows, there are 981 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world. Of those, over 30 are in France alone. If you want to see the Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe in France while still having time to get to the UK’s Durham Castle and Cathedral, then you need to plan out train times, and food and lodging costs ahead of time to make the most out of your travels.

Make an Attempt to Speak the Languages
While it’s still an English-dominated world, the fact remains that making an effort to speak the local languages on your European vacation will go a long way in ingratiating yourself to people and in saving money. As written on 3 Months to Fluent, studying just the basics of a language can help you find cheaper accommodations, food, and even help you find some of the best local attractions around. On the flip-side, refusing to even try to speak French, Italian, or whatever the case may be is a great way to earn a bad reputation and increase your prices for a lot of things.

Taking a European vacation is one of the greatest adventures you can ever go on. Unlike much of the western world, Europe is relatively unspoiled outside of its big cities. Whether you’re heading to King’s Cross station to try and get into Hogwarts or you’re looking to the ski the French Alps, keep these three tips in mind to save time and money on a European vacation you’re not likely to forget. See this reference for more.