The train strikes, however, have at least been organized with some transparency for travelers: Two days of strikes (during which SNCF train service is reduced by about 80%) are followed by three days of normal service. This “on again off again” strike schedule allows travelers the opportunity to avoid the strike days when booking, and even re-book their train tickets in advance without penalties.

I’m currently spending the week in Sète, a charming canal-lined city that hugs the Mediterranean in southwestern France. I had planned to travel with my family to Paris by TGV this Sunday, but because of the strikes, re-booked to leave on Saturday instead. (Sunday is a scheduled “strike day”, while Saturday is in the clear.) Fortunately, we hadn’t yet booked our hotel and had some flexibility with our schedule!

So what should you do if you’re wondering how your upcoming trip to France will be impacted by the rail strikes? Read on…

French train strike calendar

This calendar, from the SNCF website, illustrates the strike days in red. Note that the strike is scheduled to run from April 3 through June 28, 2018 (although it may be called off at any time).

If your travel days fall outside these scheduled strike days, you’re fine and don’t need to change your tickets. (You should, however, plan for a full train).

Travelers wait to change their tickets at the Gare de Sète.

What to do if you booked a train on a strike day

If you have already purchased SNCF train tickets on a day marked as a “strike day”, you should change your ticket as soon as possible to a non-strike day, when trains will be running normally. Note that trains on non-strike days are filling up quickly, so you’re encouraged to re-book as soon as possible.

As we mention in more detail below, all train tickets for April travel are currently fully changeable at no cost. However, the SNCF will not automatically change all tickets for May and June travel, and changing tickets may incur extra charges if the fare has increased since you made the original booking. This is because the strike may be called off at any time.

However, that’s hardly reassuring for travelers to France who need to know their itinerary in advance, especially as hotel reservations will need to be made ahead of time. Therefore, we would advise all travelers with tickets that fall on strike days to change them, if possible, to avoid any potential travel disruption. You don’t want to be stuck in the train station wondering where to go for the night.

How to re-book train tickets

If you’re already in France, you can re-book by heading into any train station. Ticketing machines are able to re-book tickets, but you may also head to a ticket counter to re-book with a ticketing agent.

You can also change your ticket online, by heading to the official France national rail service website, oui.sncf. From the railway’s website:

TGV around France and Europe and INTERCITÉS

You can exchange your tickets or request a refund at no extra cost, including non-exchangeable / non-refundable rates.

More info on our OUI.sncf website or app:

1. See more on « my bookings » on the website or « my journeys » on the app.
2. Enter your booking reference and the name used for the order.
3. Proceed to the exchange or cancellation of your ticket

For more information about Eurostar, Lyria, Thalys, and other TGV trains, see this page on the Oui.sncf website.

Note that the above policy refers to train tickets for April. Changing tickets for May or June travel dates may incur an extra charge if the ticket price has increased since the time of booking.

A few more hiccups…

If you have built flexibility into your schedule and have refundable (or changeable) hotel reservations, you should be able to avoid too many travel disruptions by simply bumping train travel dates to non-strike days. That’s the best case scenario.

However, travel issues will arise for the rest of us. For example:

• The SNCF’s website is currently allowing travelers to book trains on strike days without warning them that the trains will likely be cancelled. For example, a strike day is scheduled for June 13, yet a search for Paris-Avignon TGV trips brings up a long list of trains that are currently bookable — but scheduled to be cancelled.

• If you scored a cheap seat on the TGV for May or June and are now forced to change it to avoid a strike day, you’ll likely have to pay the fare difference. So much for early bird savings!

• If you’re forced to rework your travel itinerary because of the strikes but have non-refundable hotel rates, you’ll likely still have to pay for those nights.

• You might consider ditching the train altogether and opting for a rental car instead. That could work, but we forewarned that rental prices will increase because of the strikes, as will traffic. (This morning, for example, traffic into Paris was backed up for four hours…)

Stay up to date

For the latest on the rail strikes, check out this page on Oui.sncf, the official website of the SNCF. Eurostar customers can find more information specific to Eurostar service here.

Share your experience

Have you been impacted by the rail strike or do you have advice for those who might be impacted? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

The post France Train Strikes: How to know if you’re affected and how to change tickets appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Planning to take the journey this summer? Book it now through the SNCF to get this sale fare. But don’t delay, as the sale fare has been limited to 100,000 passengers.

Related: See all flash deals on European travel

Details:

• Eurostar is offering 100,000 round-trips at the sale fare.
• Tickets must be purchased by May 25, 2016
• Travel dates: Between May – November 2016
• Must purchase round-trip journey to get the sale fare.

Is this a good deal?

• Yes! The normal one-way ticket price starts at €55.

How can I book this?

• Through the SNCF website (French)
• Through the UK SNCF website (in English): Note that these sale fares are £29 each way.

More help

Need more help booking your train tickets? Read our article on how to book tickets directly through the SNCF.

The post FLASH: €39 Eurostar sale, London/Paris for summer 2016 travel appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But first, a quick reminder: Book your tickets in advance through the official site of the French railway, the SNCF.

Why book through the SNCF?

As we’ve mentioned in several previous posts, the cheapest way to buy train tickets in France (and throughout Europe) is to purchase them directly through the official railway websites and not through a third-party agency. It’s just not necessary — the official websites have English-language versions and they take foreign credit cards. You can do it!

Once you’ve purchased your tickets, you can simply print them off at home (or, in certain circumstances, pick them up at the station in France, showing the credit card you used to purchase them). There is no need for another company to mail you anything.

However, take note: When you arrive on the SNCF’s English-language site, you’ll be given a choice between continuing with Voyages-SNCF.com or being sent to Rail Europe, the US-based train travel agency. We recommend continuing with the SNCF, as this will allow you to see the same offers available to French customers, including all the discounts and sales. Many of these special offers will not be promoted on the Rail Europe site.

To be fair, there are certainly some good reasons American travelers might want to book through Rail Europe. Customers wishing to talk to someone on the phone or wishing to have US-based customer support will certainly appreciate these things. Also, anyone interested in purchasing Eurail passes should go through the agency.

However, in terms of booking the best deals for point-to-point train travel in France, you’re best bet is to go directly to (and stay on!) the official website: Voyages.sncf.com.

The SNCF Best Price calendar makes it easy to find the cheapest tickets for your dates.

Best Price Calendar

Once on the site, click on the SNCF’s Best Price Calendar, where you can enter your departure and destination cities and travel dates. The website will show you the best ticket prices for a five-week period, highlighting the best deals.

The screenshot above shows a search we did this morning for high-speed train travel between Paris and Avignon six weeks from now. Look at those prices! As low as €25 for the three-hour TGV journey! This is truly a bargain.

Note that these results show tickets for both the normal high-speed TGV trains and for the iDTGV, the TGV’s hip spin-off that travels just as fast, but offers cheaper tickets and limited internet-only customer service. However, they use the same train stations and offer quite similar experiences.

Once you’ve selected your journey, you can choose your seat, pay, and download and print your ticket.

Bon voyage, Cheapos!

The post French Train Tip: How to find cheap TGV tickets appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Starting on December 15, the TGV is kicking off a brand new Paris to Barcelona bullet train route, meaning in a little over six hours you’ll be whisked from Paris’ Gare de Lyon to the heart of one of Spain’s most vibrant cities. It’s such a big deal, French president François Hollande and Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy held a joint press conference (in Madrid ironically) to celebrate this new milestone of Franco-Spanish relations.

Board with a chocolate croissant in the morning and arrive just in time for tapas and cava at your favorite bar before you even finish flipping through your guidebook. Even better, gone are the train changes or other inconveniences when crossing the border between France and Spain. The journey will be hassle-free with no need to move from your seat until you pull into the station (unless like us, you may need to get up for another glass of wine). The route will also use duplex trains, so travelers will get excellent views of the gorgeous countryside from the top level ensuring a perfect Instagram moment.

So, what about the price? This is where Cheapos will get really excited. Tickets are starting at only €59 for one-way fares! When you factor in free carry-on luggage, no airport transportation costs, and an easy arrival in the center city, it’s an easy choice when it comes to the “train versus plane” argument.

If prices stay this low, we expect many Cheapos will be reporting back to us about this exciting new route.

The post New Paris to Barcelona high-speed train launches with €59 fares appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

At just €10 (ten, dix, diez, X – just to be clear, it’s not a typo!) for a ticket that would cost €60, €70, or even €80 on a normal TGV, well, yes, “oui” will go indeed!

How Ouigo works

The SNCF said there will be 62 different TGV (“train à grande vitesse,” or high speed trains) each week serving various destinations. Trains are the same as the standard TGVs and the stops are mostly familiar, running between the Paris region, Lyon, Montpellier, and Marseille, among other cities.

Ouigo’s routes are initially limited to the southeast and Paris region.

Ouigo will launch with service only to the southeast of France, which accounts for 35% of all TGV traffic in the nation. A successful run, however, could mean spin-offs to Bordeaux, Rennes, or Strasbourg in the future, if we’re lucky!

Oui-know that you’re ready to book a ticket now, but first be aware of some of the differences between Ouigo and standard TGV service. Here’s a quick overview:

1. Ouigo doesn’t stop in Paris.

The train actually departs and arrives from Marne-la-Vallée, right by Disneyland Paris. This is also a stop on the Eurostar line from London, in case any Brits were looking for a cheaper shot down to the south of France.

For Parisians, however, sure, it’s only a 30-40 minute RER ride from Paris, not to mention the Metro to get to the RER to get to the Ouigo train. Sounds like a hoot, right?

Center-city Parisians aren’t the main audience, however, and the SNCF is targeting suburbanites who would usually travel by car, offering the low-cost train as an alternative. But no one is writing off a direct train from Paris one day in the future…

€15 for Marne-la-Vallée to Aix-en-Provence. Pas mal!

2. Keep an eye out for extra charges.

Anyone who has ever taken Ryanair will understand the hidden costs of budget travel. While the Ouigo extra charges aren’t as extreme as the Irish airline, there are supplementary charges possible, like €2 for an electrical plug if you want to charge something. And if you’re not traveling light, extra baggage beyond the one suitcase and one handbag allowance will cost you €5 when reserving a ticket or €10 afterwards, so plan accordingly.

So far, trips to the bathrooms are free…

3. Act fast to book a €10 tickets.

Prices will go up after the first 400,000 seats are sold at €10. Then the next million or so tickets skyrocket, relatively, to €25. The prices continue to rise with demand.

Tickets can only be bought online, so don’t bother heading to a train station expecting inexpensive tickets. A color-coded calendar on the website will indicate when the most low-cost tickets are available (think pink!) and when cheap tickets are dwindling (white or, worse, blue).

4. Choose your tickets wisely.

Tickets are not reimbursable, but you can change the name on it or switch it for another date. If you are going to change a cheaper ticket for a more expensive one, you’ll have to pay the difference. If you’re getting a cheaper ticket, you won’t be reimbursed the extra that you paid. Such is low-cost.

5. Say goodbye to the café car.

If you’re interested in low-cost travel, you’re not expecting the Four Seasons. Ouigo is no exception. There’s no First Class aboard this train. Gone are the days of the dining car, so bring your own pastry and coffee if you’re an obsessive traveling eater. (Although, really, the ride is only 3 hours and 15 minutes from Ile-de-France to Marseille, so you’ll survive!)

No onboard café means more seats though, with each train holding about 20% more seating than standard high-speed TGV trains. Otherwise, the trains are perfectly comfortable.

The post Introducing Ouigo, France’s new budget TGV appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here’s what I found…

1. Start with the national rail Web sites.

As we’ve covered in several posts, first check out the Web sites of the national railways. In this case, it means going to SNCF (for France) and Trenitalia (for Italy).

Note: As mentioned elsewhere, you have to continue browsing the SNCF site in French, as clicking on the British flag to switch languages will take you to RailEurope, which may not show the same fares. We have this article on how to book tickets in French for non-French speakers.

The voyages-sncf.com Web site proposes fast trains from Avignon-Lyon-Turin-Florence for €183.

When I checked on SNCF, the proposed train from Avignon to Florence is a high-speed TGV train running to Lyon, then another TGV to Turin, and finally one last train to Florence. Total time: 11 hr 58 min. Cost €183.

This was deemed a bit too expensive, and also struck me as a bit out of the way.

Furthermore, I wanted to experience smaller trains, not necessarily jetting up to Lyon and down to Turin on a TGV. (Read hidden europe’s excellent piece on opting for the slow train.) I also wanted to hug the Mediterranean for as much of the journey as possible.

But how can you find those slower, more direct, and cheaper trains? You could look at a map and plot it out, but what if you don’t know the route?

On the Bahn.de site, uncheck the “prefer fast connections” to see more route options.

2. Find the route on Bahn.de

The German railway, Deutsche Bahn, provides a great service (in English, too!) on their Web site. Do the same search (Avignon – Florence on January 6) and you’ll see that the first result is the same as the SNCF’s, via Lyon. The next results, however, are much more interesting.

Note: In order to see slower and less-direct routes, un-tick the “Prefer fast connections” box before searching.

In the third result, Die Bahn shows a TGV to Nice, then a regional to Ventimiglia (the Italian border town), an Intercity train to Milan and finally a EuroStar Italia train to Florence. Total trains have increased (four), but the time is actually faster (10 hr., 44 min). Only problem, this still heads north to Milan. I want to see Genoa — and trace the Ligurian Sea.

The route for Avignon – Florence, via Nice, Ventimiglia, Genoa and Pisa, shown on the Bahn.de site.

And there it is, the final option: From Ventimiglia I can take a train up to Genoa, and then follow the sea all the way around to Pisa, then Florence.

The only problem: They don’t show fares for these routes and you can’t book them here. Now what?

3. Head back to the national railway sites.

To book this journey, I’ll need to book on two sites: the SNCF and Trenitalia.

Booking the first half of the trip on voyages-sncf.com.

Back on the SNCF, I search for Avignon – Ventimiglia. Et voila! There’s a 9:30 TGV from Avignon to Nice, then a slower TER train to Ventimiglia, arriving at 13:43. Total price: €32, when booked in advance. (Note that the Bahn site shows a 10:11 a.m. TGV from Avignon, but I book a 9:30 a.m. train instead, as it will give me an extra hour in Ventimiglia for a little break.)

Then I head over to Trenitalia, switch to English, and do the Ventimiglia – Florence search. And there’s my train: Ventimiglia (14:58) – Genoa – Pisa – Florence. The total ticket price can be as low as €34.80, booked in advance.

4. Booking issues

Now, at this point I’m feeling pretty smart. I go ahead and book the seats on the SNCF site, never switching from French to English.

The Trenitalia site shows the trains from Ventimiglia to Florence.

But when I go to book the tickets on the Italian site, I get booking errors. Something has gone wrong. I have to create an account, but then it won’t let me pay. We’ve hit a snag.

The site tells me:

“Error code : 998    Dear customer, due to some malfunction of the system transaction is unsuccessful. No charges made. Please try again later.”

Solution

Not to panic, the base fares for the ticket are still pretty low. If I simply wait to buy the same tickets in Ventimiglia during my one-hour transfer, it will still be €43.80, in lieu of the €34.80 discounted price on the site.

I guess some things can still be booked the old-fashioned way, by waiting in a line.

Even with this little snag, I’ll be able to get from Avignon to Florence for €32 + €43.80 = €75.80, a savings of more than €100.

And yes, even though it will require several more stops and transfers, the trip will mostly be spent hugging the Mediterranean. It just took a little research.

The post How to find and book slower trains in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

New schedules from December 9

But they are not — at least in many cases. We are in the season when the standard three month advance booking horizon is often curtailed. That’s because many rail operators launch new schedules on December 9 and, until such time as those new timetables are finalized and opened for booking, trains beyond the changeover date remain veiled in secrecy. Imagine all those empty seats, entire empty trains, hidden away in the recesses of reservation systems, but not yet available to book.

When can I book?

Worry not! If you cannot book those Christmas and New Year trains, nobody else can either. It is just a question of patience, and before long all will be revealed. In fact this next week or two will see bookings open in some major markets.

France: For example, bookings for most French domestic services (for travel from December 9) will open next week. October 11 is the start date — bookings open in the early hours of the morning (European time).

Germany: Then just a few days later, Germany follows suit. Bookings for German domestic routes (as well as for many DB international daytime services and all City Night Line overnight trains to, from, or through Germany) will kick off on October 16, again in the wee small hours of the morning.

Spain, Italy, Switzerland and more: Expect bookings for other major European rail operators (such as RENFE, Trenitalia, ÖBB, SBB / CFF and PKP Inter City) to open sometime between mid-October and mid-November. Of course you can already book tickets and seats as normal for journeys up to and including December 8. It is merely those itineraries covered by the new schedules from December 9 that are not yet available for booking.

European Rail News last week published an overview of likely start dates for bookings for journeys on and after December 9.

Already available

There are always a handful of operators who beat the main pack away from the starting gate. Tickets are already on sale for the new timetable period for selected train companies (and that includes the full Christmas and the New Year period). Some services already available for booking include:

– All direct Eurostar services (viz. from London to Brussels, Paris and other destinations in France — including of course Eurostar’s popular ski trains)

– Eurostar tickets to “any Belgian station” (ie. routed via Brussels then onward with SNCB domestic services)

– All Thalys services (for example from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne and Essen)

– Domestic NSB services in Norway

– Domestic SJ services in Sweden

– International services on the route from Sweden to Narvik in northern Norway

– Direct ski trains operated under the Schnee Express or Alpen Expres brands from the Netherlands and northern Germany to Austria

– Daytime services operated by private operator HKX on the Cologne to Hamburg route

The post Christmas and New Year Train Trips: When to book your tickets 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.

Sure, everyday small charges like cafe cremes in Paris (€2-4) and vaporetto rides in Venice (€6.50) do add up and can make a Cheapo panic. However, these are relatively minor charges when compared to the big-ticket items in your budget: flights, hotels, car rentals and train tickets.

Luckily, there are simple steps you can take right now to minimize these big expenses. Some of these tips may be old news to you, bien sur. But even if one tip comes in handy, it could save you a whole wad of euros.

Kayak’s price alert

1. Set up airfare alerts

Haven’t booked your airline tickets yet? Set up airfare alerts to find a flight deal on Web sites like Kayak.com and Airfarewatchdog.com.

On Kayak, do a search for your desired travel dates and then click “Get a price alert” on the left side of the page. Once you register, they’ll email you with daily or weekly airfare deals for your route.

On Airfarewatchdog, “Deal Hounds” sniff out the lowest ticket prices for your route and send similar email updates. On both sites, you stand a much better chance of scoring a deal if your travel dates are flexible.

2. Pack lightly

As we mentioned last week, most transatlantic airlines have introduced ridiculous baggage fees for checking a second, third or overweight bag. For flights from the US to Europe, these fees can be as high as $200 per bag (one way!).

Check out our roundup of airline baggage fees and only check one bag.

The RoissyBus taks passengers from Paris to Charles de Gaulle.

3. Take public transportation to and from the airport

Alas, how many people have we dissuaded from taking a taxi from Charles de Gaulle to their hotel in Paris! Every one of the major European cities we cover on EuroCheapo offers public transportation from the airport to the center of town, and the majority offer both train and bus options.

Whether you’re getting from Charles de Gaulle to Paris or Schiphol to Amsterdam, there’s a budget-friendly (and usually quite efficient) way into town that doesn’t involve an expensive taxi. Check out our city guides for more information.

4. Think twice before booking a rail pass

For Americans, the lure of the Eurail Pass is strong. Just reading the descriptions of the passes on their Web site can get you excited and ready to hop on board!

It’s easy to forget that these rail passes are not always a good deal. Sure, they offer some convenience and peace of mind, but they don’t always save you money over simply buying individual point-to-point rail tickets (like the millions of Europeans who take trains daily).

Aboard the Renfe train between Cordoba and Granada. No need for a rail pass.

To find out if a rail pass offers “rail” savings, compare the pass price to the point-to-point ticket prices found on the railways’ official Web site (and not the Web site of a rail pass re-seller).

For much more information on this, read these posts: Read this before you buy a European rail passes; Extra charges for rail pass holders; Deutsche Bahn fares better than rail agents; How to book French rail tickets (in French)

5. Book major train tickets in advance

If booking rail journeys directly with the European railways, like the SNCF (France), Deutsche Bahn (Germany) and Renfe (Spain), book those seats in advance. For long-distance train travel, ticket prices climb as the travel date approaches, so advance booking is essential to getting a deal. Most of these railways release tickets three or four months in advance. (Local trains for small jaunts, however, do not need to be booked in advance.)

For more information, read our post on the “three-month rule.”

The EuroCheapo gang rented this car in Berlin. We weren’t smiling two weeks later when we paid the bill.

6. Know the real cost of renting a car

How much will that rental car really cost you? When you do a quick rental car search online, the rates you see will most likely not include taxes or insurance, and certainly won’t include the price of gasoline or the tolls you’ll pay on major highways.

Read our quick guide to calculating the real cost of renting a car in Europe. Then weigh those costs against other options, like trains or budget flights.

Then, use EuroCheapo to search and compare car rental quotes from competing agencies.

While you’re at it, know whether or not to buy extra insurance for your car. (And for that matter, know if you should buy travel insurance for your entire trip!)

7. Choose your hotel wisely

Your hotel expenditure will probably be the most expensive part of your trip. Here at EuroCheapo, we’re obsessed with hotel values. That’s why our editors spend so much time snooping around hotels, taking photos and writing reviews. We can tell you that two hotels sitting side-by-side can charge radically different rates for remarkably similar rooms.

The Hotel Tiquetonne in Paris is central, clean and cheap.

When choosing a hotel, consider “losing a star,” downgrading perhaps from a three-star to a two-star hotel. Decide which amenities you require in a room: Do you need a minibar? cable TV? elevator? If you’re open to a simpler hotel, you can save a bundle and you might find the hotel to be more charming, as well.

Also, give careful consideration to the hotel’s location. If you decide upon a hotel located outside the city center in order to save money, will there be an easy and affordable way home at night? We usually opt for simpler hotels near the center, within walking distance of nighttime activities, if possible.

Read our reviews of budget hotels all over Europe and take our advice–we’ve been there!

8. Know what’s for breakfast

This may sound minor, but breakfast is a big business for hotels. Whether or not breakfast is included in your room rate can add a jarring amount to the bill or save you in the end. It’s a tad confusing, too, as breakfast offerings tend to change by city.

These water bottles in Venice are cheaper at the supermarket.

In Paris, for example, most hotels do not include breakfast in the room rate. When you pay for breakfast, you’ll often be disappointed by what’s set down in front of you: a croissant or piece of baguette, butter and jelly, coffee and juice–for about €10. You’d pay about half that if you headed to a neighborhood cafe, stood at the bar and enjoyed breakfast with the locals.

In London, meanwhile, hotels and B&B’s pride themselves in their included breakfasts, which often come with eggs, bacon, sausage, beans and toast. It’s not necessarily healthy, but it’s good for your budget! (It also helps you eat a lighter and cheaper lunch.)

In many cities, hotels sometimes include breakfast in the room rate, depending upon conditions when booking. The only way to really know if it’s included is to check when reserving your room.

There’s another easy way to eat a healthy breakfast and pay a fraction of the price: Head to a neighborhood supermarket after checking into your hotel to pick up the essentials (bottles of water, oranges, bananas, etc.). If your room has a mini-fridge, you could store yogurt, milk or juice. Bon appetit!

9. Be careful with American iPhones

Americans heading to Europe should be careful before powering up their iPhones abroad. AT&T offers various European travel plans, and almost all of them are too expensive to be a serious option for budget travelers.

We recommend leaving your iPhone set to “Airplane Mode” throughout your trip, and only using it when connected to a Wi-Fi network. Read more in our guide to “Using an American iPhone in Europe… without going broke.”

10. Understand bank fees before using your credit cards or an ATM

How much will your bank charge you to use your credit or debit card abroad? How about withdrawing money from an ATM? When’s the last time you checked?

American banks have “adjusted” their fee structures during the past few years, so we’d recommend checking in with your banks before heading to Europe. If you have multiple cards at your disposal, chances are that they’ll charge different foreign transaction fees. Knowing who charges what will save you money in the end.

Read our quick overview to ATM, Debit and Credit Card charges abroad.

Your tips for saving on European travel

What tips do you have for saving on your “big ticket” items when traveling in Europe? Have a question about any of the tips mentioned above? Share your thoughts in our comments section.

The post Cheapo Basics: 10 ways to save on the “big items” in your travel budget appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

However, something about going to a real train station and hopping aboard just oozes excitement. Fortunately for Cheapos there are some great options.

Cheapo day trip options

While the TGV, the high speed train, does tend to get pricey (especially if you don’t book cheapo fares in advance), the slower regional and inter-city trains can get you out of the city on a delightful day trip without worrying about how to pay for your next meal.

Check the SNCF Web site for fares and times for your dates. If you have a French train pass or if you are under 26 years old or over 60, you will also benefit from reduced fares.

Related: 8 Day trips from Paris under an hour by train

1. Giverny

You don’t have to go far, either, to feel like you’ve escaped to the countryside. Especially in the springtime, visitors love heading to Giverny, a quaint little town just west of Paris that was the home and inspiration of the great impressionist painter Claude Monet.

He constructed his own little Japanese garden here that wows crowds with its blossoms in April. Why only admire the water lilies in the Musée d’Orsay when you can see the real thing? Visits of the iconic gardens start April 1 and cost between €4-8 (depending on your age). The town itself, sleepy as it may be, will make you feel like you’ve headed to some provincial getaway far from the urban bustle of Paris.

Paris-Giverny, 45 minutes, normal round-trip adult fare €25, Gare Saint-Lazare. Note that the station is the town of “Vernon,” not in Giverny. To reach the gardens, you will take a short bus ride from the station, or you can walk (about an hour) to the town and gardens.

2. Rouen

Keeping with the Monet theme, the town of Rouen features a glimpse into Medieval France with its stunning Gothic cathedral rendered several times by the painter. The town is the historic capital of Normandy, just to the northwest of Paris.

A stroll around the city will reveal many half-timbered houses and even a 16th-century astrological clock, so history buffs take note. Paris certainly isn’t lacking in any history, but Rouen will transport you back to the middle ages to get a taste of daily life. Poor Joan of Arc’s life was cut short when she was burnt at the stake here.

Paris-Rouen, 1 hour 15 minutes, normal adult round-trip fare €42, Gare Saint-Lazare.

3. Chartres

Southwest of Paris, the Medieval town of Chartres is known for its Gothic cathedral which, curiously, has one Romanesque spire and one Gothic spire. The town is a fantastic respite from the crowds, lines, and scam artists surrounding Notre Dame in Paris.

The famed cathedral’s spires dominate the town, set in the middle of a large stretch of grain fields, so the train ride should be a welcome change of scene. Wander the streets around the cathedral but don’t hesitate to get lost in the town’s charming neighborhoods–you can always find your way back to the church with ease.

Paris-Chartres, 1 hour, normal adult round-trip fare €28, Gare Montparnasse.

4. Reims

Many tourists visiting Reims in the Champagne region head straight for the cathedral, the coronation site of all of the kings of France.

But wait, there’s more! You should also visit one of the town’s many Champagne cellars, usually followed by a sampling of their wares. A visit to the Mumm Champagne cellar, for example, will cost €10 for an hour-long visit (call ahead to reserve, when possible). Between churches and Champagne visits, Reims is the perfect breath of fresh air after a long Parisian sojourn.

Paris-Reims, 45 minutes, adult round-trip fare from €30, Gare de l’Est.

Your favorite Paris escapes?

Do you have any other suggestions for good day trips from Paris? Tell us about  it in the comments section.

The post Paris: Cheapo day trips to Giverny, Rouen, Chartres and Reims appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.