Global Resorts Network Travel Source

A vacation to Europe can be affordable or expensive, and it all depends on your travel preferences.

Transportation

     One of the best things about Europe is that you can go country-hopping by car. As long as you’re proficient with right-hand driving, you’ll have greater – possibly cheaper as well – means of exploring the best Europe has to offer. Fuel could be a huge drain on your money, but not if you choose the ideal car for travel; another thing you should keep in mind is that diesel costs less than gas in Europe. Lastly, take your time shopping for car rental rates to save on insurance and other rental-related fees.

     If you don’t feel like driving, you can opt for train or rail passes. Train rides in UK can be quite costly, but they’re very cheap when you find yourself in Italy. Finally, there’s always the alternative of walking. It’s tiring but costs you nothing and when you find yourself in the beautiful cities of Venice, Rome, Paris, Cornwall, and Heidelberg, you may think that walking is the best option after all.

Accommodations

     The cost of lodgings will, again, depend on your preferences. Summer in the Mediterranean regions like Italy and Greece can be especially hot and this might prompt you to pay more for air-conditioned rooms, lobbies, and restaurants.

     Studios, condo units, cottages, cabins, and the likes are also available for transients, but you’d do better to book them in advance. It could be hard to negotiate when you’re an American in Holland and you’ll have to overcome huge language barriers.

     Naturally, you can expect to pay less if you’re willing to rough it out and enjoy the quaint charm of traditional living in the European countryside. Authentic traditions, however, can be quite expensive, too, if you insist on renting out a room in an honest-to-goodness castle in Scotland or maybe a chateau in England and France.

Food and Dining

     First-time travelers, beware: restaurants located in less popular and populated areas are actually more expensive than those in tourist-friendly areas like Brussels, Milan, and Madrid. Nevertheless, if you’re worried about draining your pockets too much, there are always tapas, snack bars, and the likes scattered all over Europe. They may not offer air-conditioned rooms to relieve you from the heat outside, but at least they’ll allow you to extend your vacation a day or two.

     Vegetarians might have difficulties looking for restaurants catering to their preferences in Spain. Wine, overall, costs cheaper than what you’d expect to pay here in the US and, you can definitely expect to pay less and enjoy more if you’re willing to try out traditional cuisine or local dishes and the likes.

How to Lower Expenses for Your European Vacation

      To end this with a perfect note, we’ll let you on a couple of secrets to keep your vacation expenses low while exploring Europe.

• Be multilingual. Take the time and effort to know simple words and phrases of the local language. It’s hard to get advice about the best places to shop or dine when you can’t understand each other.

• Don’t convert your money. Rather, just obtain cash from ATMs or pay by credit card. It saves you from paying conversion fees.

• Use prepaid phone cards. It costs less than maintaining your postpaid subscription while you go around backpacking in Europe.

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If you wish to avoid the crowds on your first European vacation, the cities and islands listed below will allow you to pretend you have Europe all to yourself.

Meteora, Greece

Walk around this wonderful part of Greece and you’ll behold breathtaking sights of ancient monasteries and the most gorgeous vistas of Europe. Photographers will find endless inspiration in Meteora so, if you want to take home some photos, make sure you have enough film – or memory space – for the task. Nearby is Metsovo, a woodcarving community, and if you go there early enough, you can have purchase some of their works or even have something commissioned.

Cathar Country, France

A jewel amidst many other jewels, Cathar Country isn’t one of the most famous places in France. Consider that a good thing, though, as it means you can explore the beauty Cathar Country has to offer without having to jostle with thousands of other tourists.

In Cathar Country, you’ll find the magnificent walled city of Carcassonne. There, you’ll be able to enjoy a number of wonderful walking trails and affordable and abundant choices for lodgings while uncovering the secrets of Rennes le Chateau, exploring hilltop castles, and savoring the taste of Blanquette de Limoux, a sparkling wine produced from this region.

Asturias, Spain

This is the perfect place for travelers wishing to reacquaint themselves with the quiet but enchanting beauty of nature and the old way of living. Although the usual accommodations are available, your vacation in Asturias will become richer if you try to emulate the locals’ simple lifestyle and stay in casa rurales (rural houses) or posadas (historical inns). Stay away from those multiple-star hotels and resorts!

Take your time exploring and enjoying the solitude of the region’s plentiful prehistoric caves. Altamira, one of its most famous caves, is aptly referred to as the Sistine Chapel of Prehistoric Art.

After your bout of artistic spelunking, you should pass through Ribadesella, a port town, by taking the pilgrimage route. Be sure to prep yourself up with a nice cup of cider and cabrales, a native variety of blue cheese.

Sardinia

Sardinia is the island for tourists looking for some peace and quiet amidst vivid and beautiful surroundings. Its culture is rich, old, and untouched and the various works of arts you’ll see here are refreshing and something you’ll wish to take home.

Go to Orgosolo to view political murals, head to Tiscali and explore an ancient village, and take a dip in Fordongianus’ various (still running) Roman baths. Make time to appreciate the precise craftsmanship and beauty of Santa Christina, a sacred well, and any of the island’s Nuraghe or bronze tower.

Dining is another unique experience in the island so remember to try out Sardinia’s roast meats, seafoods, and myrtleberry liquor called mirto. Festivals in the island are plentiful and extremely traditional; if you happen to visit the island on July, check out l’ardia di San Constantino, a horse race that will get your heart galloping in excitement.

Malta

The best time to visit the island is between mid-November and mid-May. Spring enriches Malta with plants in full bloom and a boat tour around the island will let you appreciate its lush and green color.

In Malta, the most important places to visit are the areas where battles fought by the Knights of St. John took place, the islands of St. Paul and Gozo, and of course, the Neolithic Temples, ancient structures that predate even the pyramids.

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Planning a vacation to Aruba? You’ll love Aruba’s perfect climate with a fairly steady temperature in the low 80’s. 

Aruba also has amazing white sand beaches and turquoise water that you will love swimming and diving in. Aruba has a lot of natural attractions like the biggest natural coral bridge in the world and a wonderful national forest but there are lots of other activities that you’ll find in Aruba to keep you busy.

If you’re going to Aruba during the high season, or the most popular travel season which is from December to April you’ll be mingling with a lot of different tourists from a lot of different places.

Here are some travel tips that you can use to make the most of your trip to Aruba.  The first thing that you should do when you get to Aruba is change about half of your money to local currency. The currency of Aruba is the florin.  Leave some money in US dollars in case of emergencies and have your credit cards with you just in case but when it comes to leaving gratuities, buying food in markets, or shopping for keep-sakes you will get better deals and you will be less likely to get cheated if you are using local currency instead of US dollars. 

Not all merchants will accept US dollars so if you are planning on using US dollars to pay for something ask the merchant in advance if he or she accepts US dollars for payment.  Another way to make your trip more enjoyable is to get off the beaten tourist paths.  Strike out on your own and explore some of the wild country of the island on horseback or find a sheltered beach to picnic on. 

If you’re shopping or eating out don’t just go to the shops at the hotel or near the hotel. Venture out into the cities and try some local cuisine so that you can pick up some local flavors. 

Most people in the cities are very friendly and love to talk to tourists so strike up a conversation with a local over a cool drink and learn about the history of the island and what it’s like to live in Aruba from a local. 

Support local businesses by buying souvenirs at local arts and crafts shows instead of buying mass produced trinkets in the hotel gift shops. 

When you go home from vacation you’ll be glad you have memories of seeing what the island was really like and talking to local people to pick up bits of local culture.  You’ll have great stories to tell about your vacation and you’ll have a much better sense of what Aruba is really like.

You might even find that you like Aruba so much you want to travel there again or even buy a vacation rental in Aruba so that you can visit every year.  If you want to spend some time in a tropical paradise without having to spend your whole life’s savings to do it then Aruba is the perfect vacation destination for you.

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Molly Dalbec is an Affiliate for Global Resorts Network.  If you would like to learn how you can save up to 75% on your vacations and/or begin generating from $500 to $1000 per sale, as an Affiliate, visit her website for more information at My Global Resorts Network Site.