But what about the train-ferry combination, the one many may recall fondly from their childhoods? It is still feasible, but these days it is not a streamlined option. You’ll need to purchase train and ferry tickets separately and finesse train station-port transportation on your own. The journey will also take 10 hours, so it’s best to leave that option to your memories. Instead, here are some more affordable ways to get from London to Paris and back again.

Related: 

• 50 Ways to save in Paris
• 21 Simple tips to save in London

Affordable Travel From London To Paris

Here are the most viable and cheapest ways to get between these two European centers.

Air: Fast but not so efficient

Though flying between London and Paris is by no means our recommended mode of transportation — the distance is simply too short to warrant the hassle, not to mention the carbon expenditure — there are a few ways to get between these two dynamic capital cities by air. These days the Paris-London route is used disproportionately for passengers connecting on to a long-haul destination, with the exception of business travelers flying in and out of London City Airport. That said, we did find one-way fares starting at $38 searching a few months in advance, but of course that doesn’t include all of the rail or taxi fares in between the airports and the city center.

• easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

• From London Luton, easyJet flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. You can find one-way fares three months in advance for as low as £30 (about $38).

• From London Heathrow, Air France flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle with fares as low at £77 ($99), while British Airways flies to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly for as low as £47 ($60).

Rail: Comfortable and quick

The only direct train linkage from London to Paris these days is the Eurostar, which travels between London’s St. Pancras International and the Gare du Nord in Paris 15-17 times per weekday. The trip usually takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, with maximum speeds of up to 186 mph. However, Eurostar started rolling out brand new trains in late 2015 that can make the journey in only 2 hours at speeds of up to 200 mph.

The experience feels a bit like air travel, with its security checks and passport control in both directions. Because the UK is not part of the Schengen Area, passengers go through passport control prior to boarding their trains. Traveling from Paris to London, passengers first exit France through French passport control and then enter the UK via British passport control. In London, passengers will officially enter France in the station, submitting passports to French passport control before boarding their train to Paris.

From London, return Eurostar London to Paris fares begin at a very reasonable £41 round trip ($52) (between midday and midnight on a Monday; anytime on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; and between midday and midnight on a Saturday). Booking nonrefundable tickets as far as possible in advance (up to 120 days) is your best bet for finding this low-cost fare. The cheapest tickets sell out first, so the earlier you book, the more you save.

Bus: Long but super cheap

The bus is usually the least expensive way to travel between Paris and London. It also takes much longer than a flight or the train. BlaBlaCar Bus and FlixBus are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. French BlaBlaCar Bus takes between 7.5 and 9 hours. The FlixBus journey takes between 9 and 10 hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets.

One-way FlixBus (formerly Eurolines) fares begin at £25 ($32). The FlixBus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the Paris terminal is Bercy Seine.

BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly OUIBUS, and before that, iDBUS), a subsidiary of French train company SNCF, is a more comfortable option, with good legroom. Fares begin at around £25 for a one-way journey — promotional one-way fares and overnight trips can dip even lower. The BlaBlaCar Bus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the BlaBlaCar Bus Paris terminal is Paris-Bercy.

What’s your preference?

How do you prefer to travel from London to Paris? Have any tips on ways to save on any of the transport options listed above? Share your tips with us in the comments section!

The post The cheapest way from London to Paris: Planes, trains & buses from £25 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

However, there are a few key ways that flying low-cost carrier differ from your legacy airlines. To avoid “first time” shock, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Navigating the extra fees when booking

Be ready to click through a number of “no thanks” extras before finally checking out. Websites will try to hook you on phone plans, car rentals, priority booking and just about anything else you can think of. Additional costs can add up fast. On some sites you must click on the “no” button to change it from a “yes” default. If your ticket is more than advertised at the end, go through the boxes again to make sure you didn’t buy something extra. And don’t forget to print out your PDF-ready ticket after you purchase it.

2. Keep small and carry on

All low-cost airlines have a one cabin luggage limit, and the staff are very strict on keeping within the size dimensions of around 20in x 15in x 8in (and 20 pounds). Passengers might even go through a “does your bag fit into this basket” test before boarding. Being sneaky rarely works, so if your luggage is too big, then get ready to pay about as much as the flight ticket to check it. Here’s a guide

3. Get ready to land in the boonies

Not all destinations land in the city advertised. Many budget airlines can only afford to land in smaller towns just on the outskirts, like El Prat instead of Barcelona, and Beauvais instead of Paris. So when you walk off the plane and find yourself in the boonies, don’t panic. Public buses and private coaches offer direct connections to the closest major city. It could cost as much as the flight in the end to get there, but chances are it’s still less than a train ticket.

4. BYOB everything

Forget complimentary anything (except toilets), on board it’s a “Sell! Sell! Sell!” attitude. From tax-free shopping to “two-for-one” cocktails, scratch cards, raffle tickets and cigarettes–it’s like a casino flying through the sky. The good news is you can bring on board any drinks and snacks purchased after airport security, although the in-flight deals can be a better buy sometimes.

5. Welcome to general admission seating

Love a window seat? So do I, and so does the guy waiting to board in front of you. It’s general admission on these flights. If you’re picky about seating, either show up early to be among the first to board, or be ready to fight for a good spot. Solo travelers can easily mosey in and sit alone, but couples and families might want to plan an early arrival at the gate (or pay extra for priority boarding).

6. Prepare for ungodly hours

The cheapest flights that go for practically nothing are known for departing as early as 6 AM and as late as 11 PM. It might not seem so bad at first, but an early flight can mean waking up as early as 3 AM, or even sleeping at the airport the night before due to a lack of public transport. When picking out-of-the-ordinary departure times, research your options first about getting there. And make sure you’re an early bird that catches its worm before it wiggles off the tarmac!

Share your tips with fellow flyers
Are you an experienced low-cost airline traveler and have your own tips or secrets to share with Cheapos that are new to flying the budget skies? Feel free to post away in our comments section. You can also check out our “Pros and cons of budget airlines” and our “Tips to finding cheap flights around Europe” for more information.

The post New to Europe’s budget airlines? Here are 6 tips for taking off appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

That said, the emergence of a different breed of cheap no-frills accommodation in Europe cannot be ignored, as these properties offer the ideal combination for Cheapos looking to rest their heads in a central location while spending as little as possible.

In Europe, London has seen the biggest surge in this kind of accommodation, where you pay for a private room with a bed, and any other amenity (including a window), is a costly add-on.

But would these super cheapo sleeps work for your trip? Below we explore two of the cheapest hotel chains in London. We’ll let you decide for yourself!

Orange you glad you paid less than £40 for your windowless room? Photo: Tom Meyers

easyHotel: A window will cost you

easyHotel opened its first hotel in 2005 in London and since then has opened six more properties across the capital, as well as 13 properties in Europe and beyond, from Edinburgh, Berlin, Zurich and Porto, to Budapest, Dubai and Johannesburg. Owned by self-professed “serial entrepreneur” Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the brains behind low-cost airline easyJet, the hotels follow a similar business model.

The cheapest properties are based a short drive to Luton and Heathrow airports, with room rates starting from £26 and £27 respectively, making them a good option for early morning or late evening flights, where transport to and from the city centre could be expensive and slow. The Old Street property starts at £29 per night, while rates at Paddington, South Kensington (read our review) and Earl’s Court start from £34 or £35 a night, and a night at the Victoria station hotel starts from £39 per night.

The rooms are small (between 6-15 square meters) and they all have en-suite bathrooms. Anything additional, such as using the TV or wi-fi, changing the linen in the room, extra towels etc. will incur additional charges, except at the airport hotels, where a few more amenities are included in the price. A room with a window will cost around £5 more than one without.

“Fine Tune” your stay with these extra charges from Tune Hotels. Photo: LondonHotelsInsights

Enter: Tune Hotels

The easyHotel’s monopoly on this “no frills” accommodation concept has begun to be rivaled over the last couple of years with the launch of Tune Hotels. This Asian brand has the same investors behind it as low-cost airline, AirAsia, and while it is booming in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, in Europe the group has just four properties in London and one in Edinburgh.

The London properties are all very centrally located close to major train stations in Paddington, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street and Waterloo. Windows are a bit more of a common feature and the room sizes are a bit larger than the easyHotels, between 10-15 square meters on average, all with private bathrooms.

That said, prices are also a little bit higher, with windowless rooms starting from £35 per room per night, and rooms with windows from £55 per room per night. Tune Hotels will also charge you for any extras, be it wi-fi and TV, towels and toiletries, or room cleaning – but the price is still a steal for such a central location.

Do these work for your trip?

While these no-frills options undoubtedly strip the glamour out of travel, with so much to do in a city like London, do you really plan to spend much time in your room anyway? For travelers on a budget this is a fool-proof way to get your own private room and bathroom slap bang in the heart of the action leaving some cash left over for a special meal or shopping trip.

What do you think? Would you rather opt for a “cheap as chips” no-frills hotel or pay a bit more for a family-run B&B?

Related: Also see our list of favorite budget hotels in London, many of which have a healthy dose of charm (not to mention windows).

The post London: The rise of the extreme cheapo hotel appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here, for your edification, are the luggage rules and prices (as of mid-September 2013) for a number of Europe’s largest discount airlines. This information is provided as-is, pulled from each airline’s website. For each carrier, we’ve included a link to their full rules—be sure to double check their policies to make sure they haven’t changed in the meantime.  (If you discover such a change, please leave us a note in the comments so we can correct the chart.)

And away we go!

The post Carry-on and Checked Bag Allowances on Low-Cost Carriers appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here’s a quick overview of how the program works:

Deutsche Bahn has signed agreements with numerous airlines, allowing them to sell flat-rate tickets from any German city with a major airport to any destination within Germany of your choosing and vice versa. The full list of partner airlines is available on their website.

Rail & Fly tickets may be used for train travel the day of or day after arrival in Germany, and similarly the day before or day of departure.

The price – €29 one-way, €58 round-trip – is the lowest sale price offered by Deutsche Bahn and therefore nearly unbeatable. While the tickets must be booked in advance, they are easily added either at the time of booking or after purchase through a separate link on the airline’s website.

When should you use it?

The relative flexibility of the travel conditions combined with the robust German train network means even transatlantic visitors (flying partner airlines) should consider purchasing discounted airfares to alternative airports in the country and connecting over land.

And for some an additional perk: This option offers the opportunity to visit another city or region for nearly two days before traveling to your next (or final) port of call.

Low-cost no-go

Unfortunately, few low-cost airlines participate in this program. Those taking discount flights in Europe may want to consider this advantage when comparing fares from non-participants Ryanair and easyJet with airlines offering the Rail & Fly option, including airberlin, Germanwings, Condor, and TUIFly.

Do note that certain airlines restrict Rail & Fly bookings in connection with ultra short-haul flights between Germany and Amsterdam, Basel, Paris, Salzburg, Vienna, and Zurich.

Crossing the Atlantic, travelers will want to consider this option on fares from airberlin, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Icelandair, and US Airways, among others (check the full list above).

The post Is Germany’s "Rail & Fly" a Good Deal? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

That’s super cheapo, and not even unusual for Europe’s budget airlines, which have been known to offer tickets for as low as £1… or even free. How is this possible? And how can you score one of these tickets?

Know where to search

From the US, airfare on carriers such as easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Germanwings and others are not always easy to find, as they’re often not included (or at least highlighted) in the search results of the big airfare websites.

To find fares, go directly to the airline’s own websites. We do include them on our flights search on EuroCheapo, and we compare them to legacy carriers (such as Lufthansa and Air France) which sometimes offer tickets at comparable prices to the budget carriers.

Pay attention to the airport

To keep ticket prices low, budget airlines often use less-central airports that can take more time (and money) to get to. For example, in my London to Berlin example, easyJet’s flight takes off from London Southend Airport, which is 40 miles from London (farther than Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted or Luton). Ryanair’s flight, meanwhile, departs from Stansted. So in this case, you might want to spent a few euros more for the Ryanair flight.

For another example, consider many of Ryanair’s flights from London to Barcelona. They actually arrive into Girona-Costa Brava airport, 57 miles away from Barcelona. Although regular bus service between the airport and Barcelona is offered according to arriving and departing flights, mishaps (and unintended overnights) do happen.

Watch those baggage policies…

Many budget carriers try to recoup losses on very low ticket prices through sky-high charges for checked and carry-on luggage. Take special note of the baggage policies when booking, and consider your options. And be aware that some carriers charge less if you pre-pay for your checked bags.

Ryanair, for example, charges between €15-45 for checking luggage (up to 20 kg) when the bags are paid for in advance. If you forget and pay at the airport, you’ll be charged an outrageous €60-140 for the first bag and €105-160 for the second bag! There’s nothing sadder than watching last-minute luggage catastrophes at the Ryanair bag-drop.

…and those hidden fees

As my colleague Hilary Bown wrote last week on the blog, budget carriers famously tack on additional fees, including administrative fees, check-in charges, and credit card surcharges.

For example, Ryanair charges a €7 “administrative fee” per flight, while easyJet charges €12.50 per order (regardless of number of tickets). And they both add a surcharge for tickets purchases by credit card (Ryanair charges 2%; easyJet 2.5%).

Don’t forget to compare trains as an option

Europe’s high-speed trains often offer a compelling alternative to flying, especially shorter distances. For these routes (such as London to Paris, Paris to Brussels and Amsterdam, Barcelona to Madrid) the train might actually be faster once you add the time that it takes to get to the airports, checked in and through security.

And once you consider baggage fees and extra charges, a high-speed train could easily be cheaper, too.

Book in advance and snag a great deal

All caveats and hidden fees aside, Europe’s budget airlines can offer some incredibly good deals. If you book in advance, limit your luggage and follow the rules, very cheap flights are possible.

To read more about Europe’s budget carriers, visit EuroCheapo’s new budget flights search, which includes ticket prices on low-cost carriers like Ryanair and easyJet, and compares them to high-speed trains when they offer an attractive alternative.

The post Tips for finding cheap flights around Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Our new search tool, which is powered by Momondo.com, quickly shows you the cheapest short- and long-haul flights between major European cities, and between North America and Europe.

What’s new?

EuroCheapo’s new flights channel has several new features that we’re excited about:

• Ticket prices for low-cost carriers: We’re now able to show prices and times for flights from carriers such as Ryanair, easyJet and others.

Our new flights search also includes Eurostar trains, when they compare favorably to flights. In this example, the Eurostar costs almost the same as the Air France and easyJet flights.

• Easy booking: Once you’ve found the carrier that works for your trip, we’ll pass you off to make your booking directly with the carrier (such as Ryanair, easyJet and Vueling) or with one of our reservation partners, including cheapOair, Bravofly and others.

• Flights vs trains: EuroCheapo’s new flights search also includes Eurostar train results alongside flights, when the train offers an affordable and convenient option. For example, when you search for London to Paris, results for the Eurostar high-speed trains appear next to flights from Air France, easyJet, British Airways, and others.

Check out our budget flights search for yourself!

Keep up in the air

In addition to launching our new flight search tool, we’re happy to be bringing on Hilary Bown, a Berlin-based travel writer, to regularly cover European budget airline news for us. Hilary will be posting weekly about the latest trends and developments with Europe’s discount airlines and most important airports.

Last week, for example, Hilary covered easyJet’s carry-on baggage guarantee (if you can call it a “guarantee,” that is!), and this week she examined the often overlooked and “hidden” costs of certain budget airlines.

Thanks, as always, for reading and using EuroCheapo. Together, we can afford to go anywhere!

The post EuroCheapo’s new budget flights search takes off! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

First, the good — yes, you really can book flights regularly for less than €30 each way, if you pay attention to sales (even just two weeks before your flight) or book a couple months in advance. And if you carry on your luggage, obey the weight restrictions, and are flying between major airports, you will most likely feel that you have scored an unbelievable bargain.

Low-cost carriers are shaking up the airline industry for good reason — they deliver virtually the same product as the big players at a fraction of the price. EuroCheapo’s new and improved flight search makes these tickets even easier to find.

Yet as this video (warning: they use grown-up language) makes hilariously clear, there are plenty of opportunities to make expensive missteps when flying with a low-cost carrier.

Here are some of the additional costs you need to consider when weighing your travel options:

Ryanair charges €7 for “Web check in” and another €7 as an “Administration fee.”

1. Cost (in money and time) of traveling to/from the airport

Do not assume that your ticket to “Paris” lands you at well-connected Charles de Gaulle. Many smaller airports used by low-cost carriers name themselves after major metropolitan areas that can be over 90 minutes away. Your options may be limited to charter buses to/from your actual destination, and, if you book a very early departure or very late arrival, you may be looking at a hotel stay and taxi ride to/from somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

A little due diligence here is necessary to make sure you will not be stuck literally or financially.

2. Additional baggage fees

Every low-cost carrier allows you one carry-on bag at no additional cost. If you can fit all of your things into their space/weight constraints (be sure to check your airline’s website for exact specifications!), you can take it on board and save yourself quite a bit of money. (Although, as I mentioned in my last column, some airlines might push you to check your carry-on at the gate.)

If you must check a bag, book the option in advance online. You can generally add this to an existing booking later at no additional cost, but it will often cost double to add the same suitcase at the airport. If you’re traveling with a partner, consider checking just one bag for the two of you and splitting the cost.

Note that you are regularly limited to no more than 20 kg total in checked luggage per person, no matter how many bags you have paid to check. If you exceed this limit, you can expect it to cost you dearly on a per-kilo basis.

3. Online check-in

Do not show up to the airport without checking in online and printing your boarding passes beforehand. At the time of publication, easyJet will allow reprints of boarding cards from its machines at the airport no later than 40 minutes before the flight at no additional cost, while Ryanair charges €70 for this privilege. And despite the fact that it’s their standard, Ryanair’s non-sale flights also regularly include a €7 charge for web check-in.

4. Booking fees, including credit card fees

Low-cost airlines pass these costs of business directly onto the customer.

• Ryanair charges a €7 administrative fee per flight, plus 2% of the total if booked using a credit card
• easyJet charges €12.50 per order, regardless of the number of tickets, and an additional 2.5% of the entire purchase on cards

On both airlines, you can forgo the additional credit card fee if you use a debit card (or, in Germany only, ELV bank transfers), though travelers should note that debit cards may not grant the same protections as credit cards in the case of airline bankruptcy.

Now what’s cheaper?

Carefully examining these very real additional costs may make it clear that the major carrier who doesn’t charge through the nose for luggage isn’t actually more expensive after all, or that taking the train isn’t any longer door-to-door and in fact a better option for your trip given the pleasant scenery, variety of departure options, and lack of airport security hassles.

The real magic of frugal travel is in finding the option that is truly best for you, and for that, the only “special powers” needed are a little knowledge and the application of reason.

The post How much does that budget airline ticket really cost? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

I could take a €50 budget flight on easyJet and be there in about two hours. Or I could take the TGV to Germany, and then board an ICE train to Berlin (with a one-hour break in Frankfurt for lunch). The trip would take about ten hours and cost about €120. Which way should I go?

Many budget travelers wouldn’t think twice, of course. The flight was faster and cheaper, right?

I chose the train. First of all, I prefer the experience. I like boarding in the center of Paris, hopping on board with only minutes to spare, and rolling off toward my destination. I like moving down the aisles, grabbing a bite or coffee in the snack car, and watching the world zip by.

Aboard an Ave train from Cordoba to Grenada.

But, romantic details aside, I priced it out and the plane and train journeys weren’t that far apart. But wait, I hear you say, wasn’t that flight ticket only €50? Yes, but when I calculated the “real costs” of the flight, the ticket had become €89.

Now that the difference between the train and plane was only about €30, I could focus on my own travel preferences. I wanted to see the French and German countryside. I wanted to have time to read and daydream. I wanted to disembark in Frankfurt and have lunch. I considered the train a highlight of my trip—and didn’t look forward to the prospect of adding extra airports to my vacation.

Choosing between trains and flights

Of course, everyone’s trip is different. My decision was based on my own travel preferences, and I also happened to find a deal on the train tickets. Ticket prices for both rail and flights fluctuate quite a bit, and they both offer great deals, especially on advance bookings.

Which mode of transportation makes the most sense for your trip? It gets down to time, price and preference. Here are a few things to keep in mind when making the decision:

1. Is your trip really open to both planes and trains?

First, and most obviously: Are you really open to either mode of transportation?

If you need to get between two distant cities and you’re pressed for time, flying probably makes the most sense. (Thanks for reading!) Check out our guide to Europe’s budget airlines and book well in advance. If, however, you need to get between two distant cities and you’re not pressed for time, either method could work for you.

If you’re traveling between two cities that aren’t a great distance apart (for example, Madrid and Barcelona), either mode could work. However, you should still ask yourself the following questions:

2. What’s the real travel time of the trip?

How long will it really take you to fly or ride between the cities?

When calculating the time spent flying, add up the time to get to the airport, time for check-in and security, flight time, time for bag retrieval and customs (if applicable), and time to get into your arrival city.

The flight from Paris to Berlin might only last two hours, but you’ll need to be at the airport an hour early, and it will take about an hour to get to and from both airports. Thus, the flight’s total travel time will be about five hours, minimum. Flight delays can easily make this much longer.

Calculating time for a train trip is a bit easier: How long does it take to get to the station and how far in advance would you like to arrive? Do you need to be extra early to pick up tickets, or do you already have them? In most cases, the train stations will be located in the center of both departure and arrival cities.

My train trip, including an hour for lunch in Frankfurt, was ten hours. I arrived at the Gare de l’Est 30 minutes before departure, and it took me about 30 minutes to get to the station. A friend picked me up at Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof. Total travel time: about 11 hours.

3. What’s the real cost of the flight?

Europe’s budget airlines are notorious for tacking on extra charges to compensate for their bargain-bin rates.

The €50 Paris-Berlin ticket I found on easyJet was just the base charge. However, a bag costs €14 to check in online (which is cheaper than checking the bag at the airport!), and the airline charges a fee to pay by credit card (a whopping €16 in the Paris – Berlin example). Add the Orlybus (bus to Orly: €6.90) and the Airport Express bus from Schonefeld to Berlin (€2.10). And voila! That ticket had become €89.

Let’s take another example: A Ryanair flight between London to Madrid on January 17, 2012.

• Ticket price: £11.99 ($19)
• One checked bag (up to 20 kilos): £25 ($38)
• Paying by credit card: Add £6 ($9)
• Bus to London Stansted: £9 ($14)
• Metro from Madrid’s airport into town: €2 ($3)
• TOTAL: £54 ($83)

(Read a full list of Ryanair’s extra charges.)

Even after adding in the extra charges, however, these flights are still cheap: $89 for Paris to Berlin, and  $83 for London to Madrid.

4. What’s the best deal you can find on the train trip?

Finding the best deal on the train trip can be tricky.

If you’re American, you can always consider one of the Eurail passes geared toward American travelers. These sometimes offer savings, although this is usually only the case for travelers who are spending lots of time traveling by train (for example, cramming in as many rail journeys as possible to make the pass “worth it”).

We also know travelers who purchase rail passes because they offer some peace of mind—their tickets are taken care of (although, in truth, passes still require seat reservations on high-speed trains).

We recommend searching directly on the official Web sites for the rail companies, most of which allow advance booking. These include:

• Austria: OBB
• Belgium: SNCB
• Czech Republic: Czech Railways
• France: SNCF
• Germany: Die Bahn
• Ireland: Irish Rail
• Italy: Trenitalia
• Netherlands: NS.nl
• Poland: Polrail
• Spain: Renfe
• Sweden: SJ
• Switzerland: SBB
• United Kingdom: National Rail

A few notes:

Check multiple countries: For international trips, check on sites for both departure and arrival countries for availability or to try to find a deal. For example, for a trip from Paris to Madrid, check ticket prices on both the SNCF (French) site and the Renfe (Spanish) site. The ticket prices may not be the same.

International trip note: Be aware that some railway Web sites don’t offer booking for international trips. For a Paris – Prague trip, for example, you can buy tickets from the SNCF, while the Czech Railways site doesn’t offer online booking for international trips.

Break it up: For international trips, also try breaking up the journey to find a deal. For example, for my Paris to Berlin trip, I found a €49 ticket from SNCF from Paris to Frankfurt, and a €71 ticket from Frankfurt to Berlin on the ICE. Added together, these tickets were less expensive than the direct Paris – Berlin tickets I found on the SNCF or Bahn Web sites.

Book in French: On the SNCF site, stick to French if you can. (Read our tutorial on how to book SNCF tickets in French.) If you switch to English, you’ll be redirected to RailEurope, which is a ticket agency geared to foreign visitors. RailEurope is a helpful site and sells the same train tickets as the SNCF, but they don’t always have the same sale rates.

Book in advance: As Hidden Europe previously explained in their post, you can normally book up to three months in advance for most high-speed trains in Europe. Searching in advance for high-speed rail will increase your chances of finding a sale fare. Ticket prices for slower regional trains do not normally fluctuate.

Make up your own mind

Once you know how long each method will take and how much they’ll really cost, make an informed decision.

In my case, I had to choose between a 5-hour flight experience that I wasn’t looking forward to, and a 11-hour train trip that excited me. The flight was €30 cheaper. I chose the train. Many others would choose the flight. That’s the beauty of travel—you can choose your own adventure.

Your advice?

What else do you consider when deciding between flying and taking a train? Do you have any advice to share with other budget travelers? Tell us in our comments section.

The post Should you fly or take the train around Europe? It depends… appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

This southern Spanish archipelago is a hotspot throughout the year, so here are some tips to help steer clear of the tourist traps.

Budget travel guide to Canary Islands

Fly right and fly light

Located just 60 miles west of Morocco, the Canary Islands are easy to fly to from the European mainland. Low-cost airlines like RyanAir, easyJet, Air Berlin, Monarch and TUIfly offer round-trip fares at very decent prices. London, Germany and Spain seem to provide the most departure destinations.

An island-hopping itinerary requires either more flying (see BinterCanaries.com) or ferry rides ranging from 20 minutes to a few hours. One-way tickets will costs between $40 and $80 USD, depending on time and season.

Regardless of where in the air you are, pack light for your flight to avoid extra luggage fees. Low-cost airlines charge big for checking suitcases, so leave your Euro-gear at home and come armed with nothing but a backpack. The rest can be purchased cheap at “one euro” shops on any island.

Choose your island wisely

Lanzarote is local: “You usually don’t see mass tourism in Lanzarote. It’s a sporty island with many younger travelers,” says Roberto Merli, manager and co-owner of Kalufa Surf School in La Santa. Lanzarote offers surf, hang gliding, and a lot of bicycling–perfect for the adventurous type.

Grand Canary Island is Spain’s Cancun, full of nightclubs and shops overflowing with tacky trinkets and touristy apparel. However, the island is also probably the most diverse, with beaches and family-friendly activities. It’s also easy to navigate if your Spanish is no bueno.

Tenerife is the most-visited island and packed with big-spender activities (think golf courses) and nightlife. Its sightseeing pull is the varied landscape, which ranges from green forests to volcanic craters and the islands’ highest mountain.

Fuerteventura has the longest beaches and a drier climate than the rest–a recipe for some serious sunbathing by the sea. Family activities range from water parks to zoos, and the island is a stone’s-throw away when going to or coming from Lanzarote.

Rent a car

The cheapest place to rent a car is usually at the airport. The best price will be around €10 per day for a four-person economy rental (one-week minimum). Taxis are a good deal for locals, but beware of “tourist prices.” Buses (“guagua” in Spanish) are around, but the route system is limited and more for hopping from town to town. Besides, gas prices are jaw-droppingly cheap.

Eat Out

A good way to decide whether a restaurant has a decently-priced menu is to compare prices with how much you’d pay for the ingredients at a supermarket. Surprisingly, the price for a home-cooked seafood meal is often about the same as in a local restaurant. The natives will say it’s due to the low-tax law, but either way this comparison is a good rule of thumb to follow.

Note: The special tax system on these islands also means vices are cheap: Alcohol and cigarettes come at a very low price.

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