We recently sat down with Matt to discuss the book and talk about budget travel.

What advice do you have for people who say they can’t afford to travel to Europe?

There’s this false idea that Europe is expensive, but Europe is a big place with a lot of variation in prices. It’s not uniform. While Zurich, London, Oslo, or Paris might be expensive, there are always cheaper alternatives and countless other options.

Most people never see past Western Europe, but when you do, your options open up! And now, with the fall of the euro, it’s never been a cheaper time to visit the continent. Go. It’s not as expensive as you believe.

Okay, so which destinations in Eastern Europe do you find to be the best value?

I think Bulgaria, Romania, and countries in the Balkans are really good value countries. Hungary is another one. Your dollar goes very far there.

Outside of Eastern Europe, another great country that not a lot of people think about is Greece. It’s always been a very cheap country and the depressed economy has only made it cheaper. Now, with the fall of the euro, it’s become an even better bargain.

Despite a strong dollar, flights to Europe remain really expensive. How do you fly cheaply to Europe?

Airlines aren’t going to lower their fares because they are finally making money. However, the last few years has seen the rise of a lot of Transatlantic budget airlines so that is the best way to get across the pond on a budget. Fly Aer Lingus, Wow! Air, or Norwegian. Those are the best options as airlines aren’t going to really lower their high fuel surcharges.

Moreover, try to use a search engine like Google Flights to see which airports in Europe have the cheapest flights and fly into them. You can then hop a cheap flight to your final destination as Europe is filled with budget airlines.

In your book, you suggest that rail passes are a great option for Americans traveling abroad, but we usually feel otherwise. Do you actually find that they can save you money?

Rail passes aren’t as amazing of a deal as they were five or ten years ago. They have a lot of new rules with them and it requires you to really work out the math ahead of time. I think rail passes are really good if you are taking long, high speed trains and want to leave your schedule open (there is value in that). But if you are just going to one or just a couple of countries, I don’t think they are a good idea.

As a nomadic traveler, you probably spend a lot of time traveling on the road alone. Do you ever get lonely? How do you deal with that?

I don’t ever really get lonely. In fact, most of the time, I enjoy being by myself. You meet a lot of people on the road and make a lot of new friends, so you are always doing things and going out. I think the idea that solo travelers are lonely travelers is overblown. It’s a topic I’ve written about before.

You are hardly ever alone. There’s just too many other people out there.

The post Cheapo Interview: 5 questions for Nomadic Matt appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Matthew Kepnes, author of the Nomadic Matt travel blog, has recently published a new ebook, The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking, in which he demonstrates ways to “hack” your way to free or discounted international airline tickets.

We sat down with him recently to discuss his new book and glean some tips on finding cheaper tickets.

So, what, exactly is “travel hacking”?

A travel hacker is a person who uses loyalty rewards systems to gain hundreds of thousands of miles per year without traveling. It’s the art of using the airline or hotel programs to your favor by taking advantage of the loopholes and cracks in their program.

Travel hacking has saved me a ton of money from free hotel rooms to free flights. I’ve stayed at W hotels around the country for free, Hilton hotels, a week at a Courtyard Marriott in Hong Kong for free. With flights, I’ve flown first class to London, Hong Kong, and more with them. I have a lot of examples of using points for free travel.

When did you realize you were a travel hacker?

When I started spending Friday nights looking for flight deals and points.

Right… that’s pretty hardcore. You say you can remove money from the equation by using points. But don’t you really need money to rack up points?

Yes, but no more than you normally spend anyways. I use my everyday spending to meet the minimum spending requirements for the credit card bonuses. I time my sign-ups with big purchases. But there are a lot of ways to “fake” spending from using Amazon payments to Vanilla Reload cards. I explain it in detail in my book, but you can use these methods to fake the spending requirements.

Plus, airlines always have contest, promotions, and deals that allow you to earn miles.

This all sounds great, but won’t taking out more credit cards affect your credit score?

There is always a temporary ding in your credit whenever someone makes an inquiry, but the ding is only temporary and is gone after a few months. Having a lot of credit cards can help your credit score because it increases your debt to credit ratio. So, if you have $100,000 in available credit, but are only using 5% of that, that increases your score. I have a credit score of 791 despite constantly opening new cards.

I wouldn’t go open a bunch of new cards right before you apply for a mortgage, but if you aren’t doing that, why not use your credit score to your advantage?

Are there ways to be a travel hacker without using credit cards?

There are a few things you can do besides signing up for lots of credit cards: airlines have online shopping portals where you can earn up to 20 miles per dollar spent (on average, it’s 3-4) instead of just one when shopping in person; sign up for airline newsletters to watch for special promotions; and take part in every survey or contest, since companies give away miles a lot.

Have you ever taken a crazy mileage run?

I was going to take an overnight flight to Hawaii and then come right back, but Hurricane Sandy happened and cancelled that plan. I fly enough each year I don’t really need a “top up” for miles. I usually plan it out so I’m right over the wire for the highest level I need.

Can non-Americans “hack” their trip?

Yes, but it’s a lot harder. Canada is a good market and the UK is starting to have some really good deals and bonuses, but outside those two, there’s not a lot for people. What makes these countries good are the huge sign-up bonuses the credit cards offer, but you don’t get that in other countries because of tighter credit laws.

What’s the single most important piece of advice you’d offer to a reader in the process of booking a flight for an upcoming trip to Europe?

When it comes to booking flights to Europe on miles, I’d travel off-peak, because you can get rewards for as little as 40,000 miles. Plus, when you travel in the off season, every move on the ground is cheaper. It’s win-win.

Thanks for the tips, Matt.

Readers, what do you think? Is “travel hacking” for you? Do you use these methods to regularly score free or discounted flights to Europe? Do you recommend a particular loyalty program? Please leave a comment below.

The post Tips for hacking your way to free airline tickets from Nomadic Matt appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Matt stopped by to talk about his new book, “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day”, which is published by Penguin and hits bookstores this week.

Obviously, our Cheapo interest was piqued by his title. Can you really travel on $50 a day? Matt sat down for four Cheapo questions:

1. When did you decide to quit your job and start traveling the world? Did you have a plan for how long you’d travel?

I decided to quit my job in health care administration in 2005 when I met some backpackers while in Thailand. They inspired me to take time off from work and and see the world. After that trip, I came back home and quit my full-time job.

A year later, I finished my MBA and left to do my round-the-world trip. It was supposed to only be for one year but I came back 18 months later and knew I didn’t want to stop. I headed back out on the road and I’ve been going ever since.

2. How long do you typically stay in one place when you’re on the road? Do you have any favorite European destinations?

There’s no rhyme or reason to how long I stay in a place. It varies a lot depending on if I like a place, how expensive it is, and what I have to do next. I might stay in one city for two weeks and the next one two days. It all depends on how much fun I’m having.

Lately, my schedule has become a bit more rigid as I work in my travel around conferences. But for the most part, everything is done on a whim.

One spot that is a very underrated in Europe is Romania. That’s a beautiful country filled with nice people, few tourists, cheap prices, and wonderful countryside. Too few people visit it.

3. In your new book, “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day,” you mention several ways to save on travel. Could you share some of your best tips?

A few things you can do that can have a big impact on your budget are:

First, be flexible. The difference of a few days can mean the difference of hundreds of dollars on flights, cruises, hotels, etc.. The more rigid you are about where and when you have to travel, the less likely you are to find a good deal.

Secondly, try to avoid the “main attractions” of the world during high season. Paris is wonderful, but in the summertime, it’s crowded and expensive. Consider visiting Eastern Europe, which is cheaper and less busy and coming back to Paris at a later date. For every hot spot in the world, there is a place equally as good that is half the price.

Lastly, consider signing up for branded travel credit cards. These cards offer large sign up bonuses that will give you tens of thousands of free miles – often enough for a free round-trip ticket to Europe. If you aren’t using one of these cards, you’re leaving a lot of free money on the table.

4. What are the three most important items you pack, aside from clothing, a passport, money and a smartphone or computer?

A lock, deodorant, and a good book.

That’s some sweet-smelling and practical advice, Matt. Thanks for stopping by!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions for Nomadic Matt appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

For the last five years, I’ve spent every summer traveling around Europe. My first summer riding the train through the European countryside enamored me with the continent and I couldn’t resist coming back….repeatedly.

But Europe isn’t the cheapest of continents to visit. The airline ticket prices have increased substantially over the last few years and despite financial problems in Greece, the Euro is still stronger than the dollar. Travelers often get sticker shock when they travel there, and the collective cultural impression that “Europe is expensive” keeps too many people away.

But Europe’s prices are not monolithic; they are as diverse as the cultures on the continent. There are plenty of ways to save money and actually have a cheap vacation in Europe. After all, I couldn’t spend entire summers there if it was as expensive as people believe.

So if you’ve ever dreamed of seeing Europe but are worried about the costs, here are my top tips for making that dream become a reality:

Get a rail pass

If you plan to travel widely around the continent, purchasing a rail pass will save you hundreds of dollars. I have used a European rail pass twice and saved hundreds each time.

They make complete economic sense if you are going to be riding many high-speed, overnight, or long-distance trains. Passes can be bought for up to two months of travel and cover most of the countries in Europe. The leading sellers of these passes are Rail Europe and Interrail.

Book in advance

An alternative to getting a rail passes is to simply book your rail trips in advance. By booking online and at least two weeks before your trip directly through each country’s rail website, you can save upwards of 50% off what you would pay at the counter.

As an example: if you are traveling to Denmark, their advanced purchased “orange tickets” can save you up to 60% of the standard price. Rail passes work best when you travel long distance, so if you are planning a short-term holiday instead and aren’t planning on traveling far and wide, this option is best to save you money on trains.

Take the bus

Bus service throughout Europe is widespread and, in the eastern part of the continent, is much cheaper than taking the train. I don’t really like the bus because you don’t get to spread out like you do on the train, but if you are looking for a cheap method of transportation, bus fares are generally half the cost of a train ticket.

Europe’s major bus provider is Eurolines, which is the umbrella organization of inter-country travel in Europe. They go everywhere.

Obtain a tourist card

The best money saving device is also the least advertised. Tourist cards are cards that provide discounted or free entry into a city’s museums and activities as well as free public transportation and discounts at some restaurants and shops. They can be purchased through city tourism offices when you arrive at your destination.

I always get these passes if I plan on seeing many attractions. In Oslo, I saved $30 dollars using the pass. In Paris, the museum pass saved me over $80 USD. In London, I saved over $100. Even if these passes will save you a few dollars, get them! Every dollar counts.

Enjoy the free tours

One of my favorite things about Europe is that in every major city you can find free walking tours that provide an overview of the city’s history and culture as well as help you get your bearings on where things are and what to do.

Why pay for some fancy tour when you can do it for free? Many of these tours are filled with incredible information and the guides have deep knowledge of the city. Some of the big names are:

Athens – www.athensfreewalkingtour.com/

Belgrade – www.belgradewalkingtours.com/

Brasov – www.guided-brasov.com/

Bratislava – www.befreetours.com/

Bucharest – www.guided-bucharest.com/

Budapest – www.triptobudapest.hu/

Krakow – freewalkingtour.com/

Ljubljana – ljubljanafreetour.com/

New Europe Tours – www.neweuropetours.eu

Paris – www.parisiendunjour.fr/

Prague – www.newpraguetours.com and extravaganzafreetour.com/

Sarajevo – www.sarajevowalkingtours.com/

Tallinn – www.traveller.ee/tour/tallinn-free-tour

Explore the food markets

When I am traveling, I like to pretend high-priced restaurants don’t exist. Good food doesn’t have to be expensive and Europe has some amazing food markets where you can get delicious and affordable food. It’s what the locals do, so if you want to really experience the native cuisine, hit the markets.

There’s a cheese guy, a meat guy, a baker, a veggie guy, and so forth. Everyone specializes – it’s not like the mass supermarkets of the United States. Head to the outdoor market, grab some fresh food, and have yourself a picnic. The food markets of Europe have provided most of my meals and I’ve never felt I was missing out on anything.

Head east

When most Americans think of Europe, they think of Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, or London. In other words, the big western and expensive destinations. But more affordable alternatives lay to the east. Head to Eastern Europe and find hidden, cheaper, and less crowded treasures in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, or the Balkans.

You can enjoy just as much beautiful countryside and numerous historic cities without worrying about the overwhelming crowds or heart attack-inducing prices.

Just go!

So the next time you are planning on visiting Europe, don’t be so quick to dismiss it due to its prices! Europe may appear to be expensive on the surface — and the advertisements and packages we see just seem to reinforce that idea — but if you look just a little bit deeper, you’ll find a surprisingly affordable place to visit with a variety of ways to save your travel money, even in traditionally “expensive” destinations.

The post Nomadic Matt’s favorite tips for saving money in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.