For me, the hardest part of traveling is the financing. I like to think that I am smart with my limited money and live within my means. Making responsible financial choices on vacation can be hard, because I would love to see and do everything, but I know that isn’t financially possible.
Winter Break was a whopping 8 days long and spanned 4 cities. Here are a few tricks I used to save money and still have a great time on my vacation.
Free Walking Tours
Free walking tours are a great way to see a city. I have gone on five free walking tours and I highly recommend them. They are always 100% free and are in every big city; all you need to do is type into google “[city name] free walking tour.” In general, the tours are between 2-3.5 hours long, are outdoors, and on foot.
Free walking tours are based on the idea that people should not have to pay for a tour which is not good. Thus, the visitor can take the tour and then pay the tour guide an amount which he or she thinks is an appropriate amount. As well, there is a belief that this system is an incentive for tour guides to work harder and provide the best tour possible, because their pay directly corresponds to how good the tour is. Finally, there is a business aspect to free walking tours. Free walking tours bring in more tourists than many standard paid tours, and since most of the money that tour guides make is in tips, a good tour guide has higher earning potential with a free walking tour group. How much should you give? I would say the price of a movie ticket per person.
From my experience, the tour guides are typically locals or people who have lived in the city for many years. I love going on these tours and to build my understanding of the history and culture of the city. As well, this is usually a good jumping off point for the rest of my stay. Once I have the big picture, then I can choose how I would like to spend the rest of my time in the city. Also, the guides are good people to ask for advice about what to do and see in the city.
Take Public Transportation
I love public transportation. I think it is great equalizer; on the metro I am in the presence of millionaires as well as beggars. I love to look at the people next to me and try to guess their stories. I love (trying) to read the advertisements and envisioning what daily life is like for the average person in the city. Apart from people watching, public transportation tends to be the least expensive way to get around a major city.
Like most America cities, public transportation is less than a taxi and sometimes more reliable. As a small woman in an unfamiliar city, I am also nervous getting into a stranger’s taxi and feel more comfortable on the subway or bus, where I am with other people. In addition, I like public transportation because I know the cost of the fare before getting on the bus or metro. In many cities, taxi drivers try to overcharge foreigners or might take foreigners on a longer route to collect a higher fare. I know that the metro will take me where I need to go and charge me a fair price.
Once in a Lifetime Experience
Don’t fall for the “once in a lifetime experience” trick. Every new city I have visited, people tell me I must do some expensive activity because it is a “once in a lifetime experience”. Personally, I think some activities are couched in the language of being, “once in a lifetime”, and so you, “cannot miss the opportunity,” in order to increase hype around the event and charge more money for the exclusive event. Don’t fall for it!
For example, in Budapest there was a spa party which had a 60 € cover. John really wanted to go, but I thought it sounded silly. Why would I pay 60 € to stand in a hot tub with hundreds of other people? Also, we were running out of money, so it was between the spa party and eating.
In Milan, Mary said she wanted to go to a club because it was a “once in a lifetime experience”. Again, we figured that it would be 50 € to go out in Milan and we could have just as much fun exploring the canals for free!
The moral of the story is that I learned that “once in a lifetime experiences” are rarely once in a lifetime opportunities and others will come around in the future. For example, there are amazing spas and clubs around the world, and when I am older and have more money saved, then I can go and pursue these unnecessary but fun experiences.
Go to Free Museums and Clubs
In every city there are some free activities and some which have a hefty price tag.
I try to avoid the activities which cost too much money and typically the opportunity cost is very low. For example, going inside the Hungarian Parliament cost 15 €. Instead, we decided to go to Saint Stephen’s Basilica, which was free to the public. In Brussels, entrance to the European Parliament and the museum was entirely free and open to the public, thus I spent a whole day in the Parliament buildings learning all about the EU at no cost!
The same logic applies to clubs. While in Budapest we did not go to the spa party and instead opted for a massive club called Fogas Ház és Kert. This club had no entrance fee, 5 dance floors and skilled DJs. I think going to Fogas was the correct move, because we had a great night, enjoyed many talented DJs, and spent very little money.
Do Not Drink or Do Drugs
This is sounds very silly, but I think it is very important advice and very pragmatic.
Buying drugs and alcohol can be very expensive and so not a “cheap thrill.” In Paris, it is common for simple mixed drinks to cost 10-16 €; this adds up fast. Even in Hungary, where drinks were only 5 €, the bill could still add up.
As well, I want to address the dangers of drugs and alcohol as they relate to safety. Being intoxicated in a foreign place can be dangerous. In Paris, I know many female exchange students who were walking home drunk and were robbed. In Budapest John got pickpocketed at a club, and even worse, someone at the same hostel was drugged and woke up in the morning without his passport, wallet, phone, and had lost 3 hours of memory. I need not explain the many other situations which an intoxicated man or woman could find him or herself.
Do not do drugs. In a foreign country, there is a strong chance that the person selling you drugs knows that you are not local and will sell you something which is different than what he or she claims to have. Moreover, drug crimes are treated differently between countries and it is best not to break drug laws in general. For example, in the Czech Republic the policy is much more lenient than a country like Hungary, where there is a two year minimum sentence for drug offenses. I would recommend steering clear of legal troubles while abroad.
Steer Clear of Souvenirs
Buying little souvenirs can add up. Also, souvenirs take up precious weight and space in bags. For Winter Break, the last flight I took was via Ryanair, which only allotted me room for one backpack. If I bought souvenirs, then I would have needed a second bag which costs extra money. As well, chances are I can buy the same souvenir online for less money when I get back home, so there is no need for me to drag the little chachki around Europe with me.
When traveling, I prefer to take digital photos, because they are free and take up no space. Also, they are very easy to send to friends or family. Sometimes, when there is an event I really want to remember, I write about it in my computer journal. Wherever I go, I always have my little Dell XPS 13 — it is a powerful computer, which weighs in at 2.5 pounds and clocks in 11 hours of battery life. While in hotels or in transit, I can pull out my little computer and jot down notes about my day.
Have Fun
The last thing I want to mention is try to relax and not let money become overwhelming. I have to remind myself that I am on vacation and so some of my expenses will be higher than if I was at home. I try to make a budget before the trip (e.g. I would like to spend no more than 20 € on food and 30 € on entertainment) and then I use this as a guideline to my spending on the trip. There are always some days where I go over budget, but I try not to dwell on the fact and start the next day with a fresh slate and try to not compensate for the over spending of yesterday.
Editor’s Note:
This article is targeted towards other upper-middle class college students like myself. I want to stop and “check my privilege.” I am aware that going on vacation is a luxury, which my socioeconomic class affords me. In this article, I discuss “cheap thrill” and take for granted the general expense of going on a vacation (i.e. time off from work, airfare etc). Even though I am an advocate for cheap thrills, my vacation cost roughly 700 €, which is more than many Americans can spend on a week long trip. I do not mean to undermine the significant financial hardships which some people face.
