Practical Info – EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog

The EuroCheapo guide to getting a U.K. ETA ‘visa’

Paige Bennett — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 12:09:00 +0000

Starting Jan. 8, 2025, the U.K. now requires for American tourists (as well as tourists from 47 other countries) who do not need a standard visa to apply for a U.K. Electronic Travel Authorisation, or U.K. ETA.

While it’s often referred to as a visa, this registration is actually a type of visa waiver, so those traveling to the U.K. who don’t need a visa will need to have this waiver completed to enter the country.

Although this registration is a new requirement, it can be completed digitally. Just make sure you do so in advance of your trip to avoid any delays.

Need help navigating the process? Here’s everything you need to know about the new U.K. ETA.

How to apply for the U.K. ETA

There are two primary ways to apply for the new ETA. The easiest option is to download the U.K. ETA app, which is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. According to the U.K. government, applying by the app takes about 10 minutes and leads to quicker processing.

However, if you are unable to download the app, you can also apply online. Application and processing times may take slightly longer using this method.

What you need in order to apply for the U.K. ETA

Before applying, make sure to have your passport and a digital payment, such as a credit card, debit card, or digital wallet, close by. You can apply on behalf of someone else, but that person must be with you when applying, because the application includes taking a photo and, for people over age 9, scanning the face.

To sum all that up, here’s a list of what to have with you before applying:

Anyone you will be applying for should be with you during the application process
Valid passport
Form of payment: credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay

Cost of a U.K. ETA

Yes, you will have to pay to apply for the ETA. Currently, the U.K. ETA costs £10 (around $13).

U.K. ETA processing time

It’s particularly important to know how long it takes for the ETA to be approved, because you’ll want approval before entering the U.K. If your ETA isn’t completed and processed in time, you will not be allowed out of the passport control area upon arrival.

The U.K. ETA processing may take as little as one day or up to three working days. With this in mind, be sure to apply before it’s time to head out on your trip so you aren’t delayed at the airport waiting for the application to be approved.

How long is a U.K. ETA valid?

Fortunately, if you plan to do multiple trips to the U.K., one ETA is valid for two years or until the passport used during application expires, whichever comes first. The ETA is valid for visits under 6 months in length.

Because the ETA is digitally connected to your passport, if the passport used during the application process expires, you will need to apply for a new ETA. Make sure to check those expiration dates well in advance of your trip to avoid some inconvenient surprises!

Who needs a U.K. ETA?

Every person traveling into the U.K. for less than 6 months, even if it’s a quick pass through the country to another destination, will need the ETA. Each person traveling to the U.K. will require their own ETA, including infants and children. However, one individual can apply for the ETA on behalf of another person, and children ages 9 and under will not have to complete the face-scanning requirement.

The U.K. government website includes a list of countries from which people can apply for their ETAs now, as well as another list of countries from which people can apply for ETAs beginning on March 5, 2025.

What other documentation will I need to travel to the U.K. or Europe?

Travelers from the U.S. will need their passport along with the ETA or a visa (if you plan to work in the country or will visit for longer than 6 months) to travel to the U.K.

Starting later in 2025, anyone from the U.S. (and select other countries) traveling to Europe will also need an ETIAS, another type of visa waiver. You can learn more about the requirements on the official ETIAS website.

More information on the ETA

Be sure to explore the U.K. government website and the U.S. Embassy website for more information on ETA and other travel requirements, then explore our U.K. blog posts for more travel tips!

The post The EuroCheapo guide to getting a U.K. ETA ‘visa’ appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

How to set up your American iPhone when traveling in Europe to avoid a billing “surprise”

Tom Meyers — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 12:48:40 +0000

So, you’re planning to use your smartphone during your upcoming trip to Europe. Great. But how can you ensure that you’re not going to accidentally blow through all of your data when using your iPhone in Europe and come home to an $800 bill from your carrier?

For starters — read through our guide!

Using data? Get a plan.

If you’re an AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile/Sprint iPhone customer and are planning, at any point during your trip, to use a data network to access the web or use emails, you are strongly advised to get some sort of plan (unless you plan to buy a SIM card in Europe for your phone). Otherwise, it will cost you. (AT&T, for example, charges a hefty $2.05 per MB without a plan. Sure, that sounds like pennies, but it gets ugly quickly!)

Click through to read more about international data and phone plans for AT&T customers and for Verizon customers.

T-Mobile (and former Sprint) customers who have signed up for one of the carrier’s “Go5G” plans are in much better shape, as the carrier offers free text messaging and data use throughout Europe and phone calls for $0.25 per minute. Note that T-Mobile does not have individual plans for international use. Instead, its usual “Go5G”, “Go5G Next”, or “Go5G Plus” plans are suitable for using abroad for data, texts, and calls and are already set for international roaming.

If you are a T-Mobile customer with a Go5G plan, congrats. You don’t really need to follow the rest of this article or change the way that your phone is set up. Just know that those phone calls will be billed at an additional $0.25 per minute.

How much data do you need?

Let’s imagine that you’ve signed up a plan that comes with 1 GB of data, unlimited texting, and phone calls at $0.35 per minute. What exactly does 1 GB represent?

As I mention in this post, here are some data use estimates:

• Sending or receiving an email (without attachment): Approx. 20 KB per email; (with attachment) Approx. 300 KB per email

• Loading 1 webpage: 1 MB per page

• Streaming music: 500 KB / minute (30 MB / hour)

• Streaming video (standard quality): 2 MB / minute

I’m going to assume that we’re all steering clear of streaming music and video while traveling (when not connected to Wi-Fi), and that your data use primarily consists of checking emails, using Google Maps and pulling up an occasional web page.

If you just stick to emails (and don’t open any large attachments), you could download or send thousands of normal-sized emails with the 1 GB plan! That’s, um, quite enough for me (especially while on vacation!).

But hey, everyone’s data needs are different. Check out AT&Ts handy data calculator to estimate how much data you require. This is especially handy if you plan to browse the web or (heaven forbid!) fire up your apps.

How to set up your iPhone for international travel

Okay, you’re ready to configure your phone. The following is how I set up an older iPhone for travel. Note that new phone models may have different locations for some of the settings listed below. We’ve included instructions for older and newer models.

Also, please note: Buying a European SIM card for your phone or an unlocked phone you purchase for travel is a relatively simple and cheaper alternative to all of this. Be sure to read our guide to this option, as well.

1. Turn off data roaming.

First things first. Turn off your data roaming to stop your phone from hooking up with a data network while traveling.

Chances are your carrier doesn’t operate cell towers in the country you’re visiting. Thus, if you need to access a data network, your phone will need to roam around and find a network with which it can work. By turning this off, you’re effectively blocking your phone from joining these partner networks.

Note: When you do want to use your data plan and access these data networks, you’ll flip this button back on. But remember, as a default, it’s best to keep this off.

Older iPhones

Go to: Settings > Cellular > Data Roaming. Turn off.

(To make it easy, the iPhone even says “Turn data roaming off when traveling to avoid charges when web browsing and using email and other data services.”)

Newer iPhones

For newer models, go to: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Roaming. Turn off.

2. Turn off Cellular Data.

When I’m traveling in Europe, I usually turn off my cellular data, as well. Even if I’ve been assured many times by AT&T that I only need to turn off Data Roaming, I still turn off cellular data, just to make sure that my phone is blocked from using data until I want it to use data. (Apple also suggests turning both off when traveling abroad.)

By turning off your cellular data, you effectively block your phone from accessing all data networks, restricting its use to placing calls and sending SMS text messages, although you can use all of your other features (apps, email, Internet, iMessage) when you connect it to a Wi-Fi network.

Note that if you flip the order of #1 and #2 here, turning off your cellular data first, your data roaming will also turn off. You can’t roam for data if you’ve already turned off your phone’s access to data.

As with data roaming, if you want to use your data package, you’ll need to turn cellular data back on, then turn on data roaming.

For both old and new iPhone models, go to: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data. Turn off. (Note that “Enable LTE” will also disappear as soon as you turn off Cellular Data.)

3. Cut off your apps’ cellular data connection.

Your apps can’t work without a data connection or a Wi-Fi network. Even so, you should go in through your cellular settings and manually turn your apps off to prevent them from hogging your data plan.

But wait, if you’re planning to already turn off your cellular data (by following the two previous steps), isn’t this a bit redundant? Not necessarily.

Don’t forget that many of us allow our apps to send us push notifications and to run on their own in the background. If you keep all of them activated, the moment that you turn on your data roaming in Paris to check your emails, they could kick into gear, tearing through your data allotment.

To prevent this, take a moment to scroll through your list of apps and turn off their data connection, one by one. (Note that you’ll need to do this prior to turning off your cellular data, as turning off your cellular data makes these buttons inaccessible.)

Once these apps have had their cellular data access turned off, they will still be usable over a Wi-Fi network. If you wish to use cellular data for these apps (for example, using Google Maps over cellular data, which I do all the time from abroad), simply turn them back on when you need them!

Older iPhones

Go to: Settings > Cellular > Use Cellular Data For. Turn off apps, one by one.

Newer iPhones

Go to: Settings > Cellular. Scroll down past the “Add eSim” section to the apps. Turn off apps, one by one.

4. Reset your statistics and monitor your data usage.

This one is fun and essential. At the very bottom of the “Cellular” page is a simple little link that states, “Reset Statistics”. Once you’ve arrived abroad, click this link and start tracking your international data usage. You’ll see your total data usage and your telephone usage at the top of the “Cellular” page (under “Cellular Data Usage”).

Keep track of your usage here and you shouldn’t come home to any unpleasant billing surprises, especially if you’ve purchased the right data package for your trip.

The only hiccup with this, unfortunately, is that the stats aren’t always totally up-to-date. It turns out that AT&T can have delays in reporting international data usage (as international carriers are actually providing you with the network and then, later, reporting it back to AT&T). I’d suggest erring on the side of caution here.

For both older and newer iPhone models, go to: Settings > Cellular > Reset Statistics. Click it.

5. Turn “Fetch New Data” to “Manual” to stop automatic email downloads.

When I’m traveling, I also turn off my phone’s ability to automatically check and download emails. Even if my data roaming is almost always set to “off” (preventing me from accessing emails), I still don’t like my phone automatically fetching anything the moment I turn the data roaming to “on”.

Older iPhones

Go to: Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data. Switch “Push” to “Off” and click “Manually” at the bottom of the screen under “Fetch”.

Newer iPhones

Go to: Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data. Switch “Push” to “Off” and click “Manually” at the bottom of the screen under “Fetch”.

Once switched to “Manually”, you’ll be able to check and send emails by turning on your data roaming and cellular data, then opening your mail program. Simple.

6. Turn off iMessage.

This one drives me crazy. iMessage has made it quick and easy to send messages to other iMessage users on Apple devices over a Wi-Fi network without being charged for sending a text. That’s great, but iMessage uses a Wi-Fi network to send and receive your messages, so if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, it won’t work. Your message will just sit out there, and not get delivered until you connect to Wi-Fi.

The solution? I choose to send old fashioned text messages (through SMS) when traveling. AT&T’s International Pass includes unlimited SMS texting, so these texts don’t cost me anything extra to send.

To force your phone (any model) to turn off iMessage, go to: Settings > Messages > iMessage. Turn off.

Note that you might still encounter iMessage problems, even with it turned off. Others might send you an iMessage, but it won’t be delivered until you connect to a Wi-Fi network. When I’m traveling and expecting a text from a friend and suspect that iMessage is to blame, I sometimes send them a text to say, “If you’re trying to text me, make sure your iMessage is turned off!”

Call home for pennies (or free) with the Skype iPhone app.

7. Paranoid? Put your phone in airplane mode.

If you’ve followed the steps above, you’ve now turned off your data roaming, cellular data, apps and email from running in the background. What’s still working?

Well, for starters, your phone! You will now still be able to make and receive telephone calls (provided that you’ve called your carrier and have activated your phone for international use). You will also be able to send and receive regular old SMS text messages (if you’ve turned off iMessage).

However, this might still make you uncomfortable. Perhaps you don’t want people to be able to get in touch with you. (Don’t forget that you’ll be charged for incoming calls and for listening to your voicemail.)

If this is you (and it was me for many years, so there’s no shame), you can place your phone in “airplane mode” and simply rely upon Wi-Fi networks to use the web, send emails, and use apps. This is a great solution if you want to place calls through your Skype app, for example, and never want to pay for a call.

Traveling through Europe on airplane mode does offer peace of mind, as it takes away any insecurity that your phone is secretly drinking up your data plan. However, it can also feel quite limiting, as you won’t be able to send and receive text messages in real time (except through iMessage or Facebook Messenger when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network), or place standard phone calls.

If this is for you, go to: Settings > Airplane Mode. Turn on.

If using your phone in Airplane Mode, note that you’ll need to then switch “Wi-Fi” to “On” and choose a Wi-Fi network.

Also in our Guide to using an American iPhone in Europe

Using an American iPhone in Europe… without Going Broke

Tips for AT&T Customers

Tips for Windows and Android Customers

Tips for Verizon Customers

AT&T vs Verizon: A comparison of international plans

Note: This article was updated in December 2024 with extensive new information.

The post How to set up your American iPhone when traveling in Europe to avoid a billing “surprise” appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Venice: How to avoid the crowds at the city’s main attractions

Monica Cesarato — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:00:03 +0000

When people think of Venice, the first three things that usually come to mind are water, gondolas, and crowds! Venice is a year-round city, with tourists filling the streets 365 days a year (and particularly during the summer).

An obvious way to skip the crowds is to visit Venice during the winter when rain and fog deter most tourists. If you can’t plan your trip during the off-season, try to visit during the week.

A third — and particularly helpful — tip for avoiding the crowds in Venice is to visit the main sights during the off-peak times. As a general rule, it’s best to visit attractions when they open in the morning, during the lunch hour or right before closing. Read on for more specific information.

More tips for Venice:
• 5 Best budget hotels in Venice
• 10 Things to do in Venice on the cheap
• 5 Cheap hotels in Venice with canal views

How to avoid crowds at Venice attractions

Here are some of the city’s top attractions, along with the best times to visit them:

Palazzo Ducale (Doges Palace) and the Bridge of Sighs

St. Mark’s Square
Open: 9 am – 7 pm (9 am – 6 pm from November – March)
website

The Palazzo Ducale was the center of power during the times of the Republic of Venice. Every room is full of amazing frescoes. After feasting your eyes on the beautiful paintings and architecture, consider checking out the Secret Itineraries Tour. The tour takes you through the palace’s dungeon and torture chamber, which is connected to the palace by the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs).

Best Times To Visit: Stop by the Palazzo when it opens at 9 am, between 12:30-1:30 pm (when tourist groups are having lunch) or about an hour before closing time.

Hotel Picks: Accommodations near Palazzo Ducale

Museo Correr (Archaeological Museum)

San Marco 52, 30124 Venice
Open: 10 am – 6 pm (10 am – 5 pm from November – March)
website

The Museo Correr is Venice’s civic museum. Here you’ll find exhibits that offer a fascinating insight into the art and history of the city.

Best Times To Visit: When the museum opens at 10 am, between 12:30 – 1:30 pm, and about an hour before closing time.

Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica)

St. Mark’s Square
Open: 9:30 am – 5:15 pm (2 pm – 5:15 pm on Sundays and holidays)

The Basilica di San Marco, perhaps the city’s most famous sight, is an amazing monument made unique by both its wealth of history and the magnificence of its façade and interior. The basilica is famous for housing St. Mark’s relics.

Best Times To Visit: Avoid Sunday mornings and holidays since the Basilica will be used for mass service. There is always a big queue at the entrance, no matter what time, but now you can book your ticket in advance to skip the line.

Hotel Picks: Browse accommodations near St. Mark’s

Campanile di San Marco (St. Mark’s Tower)

St. Mark’s Square (opposite the Basilica)
Open: 9:30 am – 9:15 pm (closed during inclement weather)
website

A visit to this amazing church tower affords a great bird’s eye view of Venice.

Best Times To Visit: Avoid lunchtime, and get there very early in the morning or just before closing time.

The Rialto Bridge in Venice. Photo: Photo: Ekaterina

Rialto Bridge and its markets

The Rialto Bridge is located in the oldest (and most central) quarter of Venice, and it has been a bustling hub for centuries. The area is always packed with tourists, be it summertime or wintertime.

Best Times to Visit: Go early in the morning before 9 am. Not only will you see the local fish and vegetable market, but you can also enjoy a relatively peaceful scene at the bridge. You should also visit late at night after 10 pm, as the majority of tourists will be heading to bed or eating dinner.

Hotel Picks: Accommodations near Rialto Bridge

Gallerie dell’ Accademia (Academy Galleries)

Vaporetto stop Accademia, just off the Accademia Bridge
Open: Monday, 8:15 am – 2 pm; Tuesday – Sunday: 8:15 am – 7:15 pm
website

The Gallerie dell’ Accademia boasts a rich collection of Venetian paintings from the Byzantine and Gothic periods as well as work from Renaissance artists such as Bellini, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiziano and Gianbattista Tiepolo.

Best Times To Visit: I do not want to repeat myself, but as before, be there early (before 9 am) or go an hour before closing times (although this will obviously give you less time in the museum). Groups usually go during the day.

Hotel Picks: Affordable accommodations near Academy Galleries

Bonus Tip: Book online, and explore other areas

My final tip on avoiding crowds is to book your tickets online. For the majority of museums in Venice, you can do this on www.veneziaunica.com. Also, explore other areas of the city, away from the main sites. By treading off the tourist past, you will see my Venice.

The post Venice: How to avoid the crowds at the city’s main attractions appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Airline baggage fees for US to Europe carriers

Paige Bennett — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:00:47 +0000

When flying between the United States and Europe, you probably know that it’s best to pack light. After all, the less luggage you have to haul around town, the better.

Related: 10 tips for packing for a two-week European trip

For Cheapos, there’s one more obvious reason to keep the amount of luggage to a minimum: checked-baggage charges. They can add up fast!

More than a decade ago, many transatlantic carriers allowed you to check two bags for free on international flights. Those were the days… After years of financial turbulence in the airline industry, most airlines implemented new complicated baggage policies, which we’ve constantly monitored in the chart below since 2011.

As you can see, many airlines still permit one free checked-in bag in economy. However, that is often not the case if you’ve booked in a “basic economy” class on certain airlines.

The chart below has been updated to reflect baggage policies and charges as of April 2024.

US to Europe Flights: Baggage fees

Here’s a quick overview of baggage policies for the major airlines flying between the United States and Europe. Prices have gone up quite a bit since we last updated this list, and they keep increasing by the day, even with oil prices now dropping.

Some airlines have also made it come complicated to calculate baggage charges, so you might have to dig deep into their websites for the information. But we discovered that in some cases fees have doubled or more in just a couple of years!

Please note that the following charges are one-way.

Note that the prices below are for standard tickets purchased on the airline. Many of these airlines offer a checked bag for free for qualifying members of their frequent flyer programs, for tickets purchased with an airline-connected credit card, or those booking in a class higher than economy. See notes below, and check with your airline or credit card for details.

Click the airline names for more details about their policies.

Winners and losers

We’ve highlighted what we think are the airlines with the best “Cheapo-friendly” baggage policies. This is assuming that most US-based travelers to Europe will be checking in at least one suitcase. Policies that we feel are a good deal are highlighted in green, while those that aren’t budget-friendly are in red.

Most big-name and legacy carriers used to permit one free checked bag for US to Europe passengers with any Economy fare. However, those days are long gone. Although most fare types will give you one bag for free, the cheapest option on almost all airlines (usually called Light or Basic Economy, etc) now charge for checked baggage. Our advice: Read the fine print and check the baggage policy twice. Things can change at a moments notice.

Carrier	1st checked bag: to 50 lbs (23 kg)	2nd checked bag: to 50 lbs (23 kg)	3rd checked bag: to 50 lbs (23 kg)	Extra weight: 51-70 lbs (24-32 kg)
Aer Lingus	Free (except for Saver fare)	$100 / €75 / £65	$100 / €75 / £65	$100 / €75 / £65
Aeroflot	Free (except for Light fare)	$100 / €94	$200 / €188	$200 / €200
Air Canada	$75 CAD	$100 CAD	$225	$100
Air France	Free (except Light fare)	$100	$285	$100
American	Free in Main Cabin ($75 in Basic Economy)	$100	$200	$100
Austrian	Free (except Economy Light fare)	$90 online; $180 at the airport	$185 online; $240 at the airport	$140 to $370
British Airways	Free (except Basic fare)	$90-100	$170-200	$100
Delta	Free in Main Cabin ($75 in Basic Economy)	$100	$200	$100
Finnair	Free (except for Light fare)	€90/$100	€180/$200	€110/$121
Iberia	Free (except Basic fare)	$80-$90	$150-$180	€75/$100 or €12-€15/kilo
Icelandair	Free (except Economy Light)	$130	$130	$110/€85
ITA Airways	Free (except Light fare)	$85-$250 or €75-€230	$200-$280 or €180-€250	$75-$125 or €60-€100
KLM	Free (except Light fare)	€85/$100	€240/$285	€85-€250 or $100-$300
LOT Polish Airlines	Free	$55-$380	$55-$380	$120-$240
Lufthansa	Free (ski bag can count as a free item)	$90	$185-$285	$140-$505
Olympic Air	Free (except Economy Light, Flex & Family fares)	€20-€70	€20-€70	€20-€65
Swiss Airlines	Free (except Light fare)	€80-€90 online or €160-€170 at the airport	€160-170 online or €210-€220 at the airport	€120-€440
TAP Portugal	Free (except Discount fare)	$70-$225	$80-$300	$70-$440
United Airlines	Free (except Basic Economy)	$100	$200	$200
Virgin Atlantic	Free (except Economy Light)	$100 / £65	$200 / £140	$100-$300/£65-£200