Welcome to European travel at its most popular—and most frustrating.  And these most popular attractions only seem to get busier with each passing year, filling up with tourists even during the slower seasons.

But before you head back to your hotel to sip a bottle of wine in misery, take a deep breath and relax. Despite millions of other tourists descending upon the same museum, church or ruin every year, there are still ways to beat the crowds and save time in Europe.

Here are 10 insider tips to let you spend more time experiencing these sights—and less time experiencing the line.

9 tips to help you save time in Europe

Beat the crowds and get this incredible view when you visit the Eiffel Tower in the evening. Photo: Miguel Mendez

1. Eiffel Tower: Book in advance, and head up around dinner time

The Eiffel Tower sure is pretty to look at from a distance. During peak summer season, save time waiting in a ticket line by booking your Tower tickets in advance through the official Eiffel Tower website. (Careful — lots of ticket agencies would like to sell you more expensive versions of the same ticket. Buy yours directly from the Eiffel Tower website.)

To avoid the biggest crowds in high season, plan on an early or late dinner and schedule your Tower visit for 8 or 9 pm. Not only will you catch the sunset, but you’ll miss most of the other Paris lovers who will be out to dinner.

Related: Our favorite budget hotels near the Eiffel Tower

2. Louvre: Stay up late on Wednesdays & Fridays

On Wednesday and Friday the Louvre is open until 9:45 pm. We know it’s tempting to visit Mona early in the day when everyone’s fresh, but coming after dark means that you’ll miss the herds of school groups, extended families and tour groups that arrive around 10 a.m.

And no matter what time you come, enter through the Carrousel du Louvre entrance. Waiting to pass through security under the main pyramid is an unnecessary time waster.

Related: Read more Louvre tips | Favorite budget hotels near the Louvre

3. Anne Frank House: Get your tickets way in advance

There’s no way around it. If you just show up on a Saturday afternoon in summer expecting to saunter right into the Anne Frank House, you’re going to be disappointed. So many tourists in Amsterdam are shocked that you have to get tickets in advance. It is the only way to see the museum now. It’s too bad if you don’t get in as this is one of Europe’s most powerful experiences.

Just plan ahead and get your tickets in advance either two months in advance or the day of (if you’re lucky!). Check out our full guide to getting Anne Frank House tickets for all of the details.

Related: 32 recommended budget hotels in Amsterdam

Tourists mingling and waiting outside of St. Mark’s Basilica. Photo: Dennis Jarvis

4. St. Mark’s Basilica: Skip ahead with online booking

There’s almost always a line to get into this stunning church—no matter what time of year you visit. Entry can easily take 45 minutes or longer during high season. And since this ancient basilica is still used for services, avoid Sunday mornings during mass and major Christian holidays, unless you’re planning to attend the service.

You can book entry tickets directly online to save time during the busier months. Total cost: only €2! This service is available from 1st of April to 2nd November and is a small price to pay for saving so much time.

Related: More tips for visiting Venice’s attractions. | Our 23 best budget hotels in Venice

5. Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s basilica: Visit Tuesdays through Fridays

St. Peter’s basilica has been a destination for pilgrims for centuries, and Pope Francis’ new-found popularity is bringing in even bigger crowds. With so many attractions to see in one place, from the stunning basilica to the fascinating museums that draws up to 25,000 people a day, visiting the Vatican area can be a little overwhelming.

You can book museum tickets online, but the key here is coming mid-week. The weekends (especially Sundays of course!) and Mondays are the busiest, so try to plan your schedule around them. Then go first thing in the morning or after lunch around 3 pm. Late morning usually sees the biggest number of visitors.

Check out 9 other tips on beating the crowds at the Vatican (including our tip for the secret entry between the Vatican museum and St. Peter’s).

Related: More ways to save in Rome | 37 recommended budget hotels in Rome

Tour buses, lines and oh so many tourists are a common site at the Colosseum. Photo: Dzhingarova

6. Colosseum: Get up very early

The Colosseum can only hold 3,000 people at a time, so you can imagine the backups that can ensue on the busiest days. If you can actually pull yourself out of bed and be in line by 8:15 a.m., you will be in good shape to be one of the first to get through the doors when they open at 8:30 a.m. You can also book online, if you prefer to sleep in

Bonus Tip: Another way to save a couple of euros (and some time, too) is to avoid all of the costumed Roman soldiers and gladiators looking to separate you from a few of your euros for a cheesy photo op. (Unless, of course, you want an epic holiday card to send to Uncle Jack this year.)

7. British Museum: Research and come prepared

The Elgin Marbles, Rosetta Stone, Lewis Chessmen, Parthenon Sculptures… it’s like Humanity’s Greatest Hits, and it’s free to visit! Just know that it’s on every other tourist’s list, too. While you can choose to zip through the biggies in under 60 minutes (there really is a guide for that!), we prefer to take our time and soak it all in.

However, do a little prep work or you’ll be wandering around all day. To get a head start, spend some time in the museum’s online collection or listen to a great series of BBC podcasts “A History of the World in 100 Objects.” Figure out what sounds good, and make a plan. Research has never been so fun!

Related: Read all of our tips for the British Museum | Best budget hotels in London

8. Buckingham Palace: Book ahead in summer, guard yourself otherwise

There are royal palaces. And then there’s Buckingham Palace, which boasts 775 rooms that stretch over a football (that’s American football) field long. Not to mention the posh royal ceremonies or the official Throne Room. This is the real deal.

Buckingham Palace opens its doors to tourists every summer from late July through the end of September. You should book those tickets online well in advance.

Visiting around the holidays? Travelers can splurge for one of the palace’s exclusive private tours, available to small groups from December 11, 2015 – January 31, 2016. Ticket prices are a hefty £75 per person.

Looking for a touch of the Prince but the price of a pauper? Swing by to experience the changing of the Guard for free. It takes place at 11:30 a.m. — daily during the summer and alternating days off-season. (Check out this schedule for more info.)

Prepare to be awestruck at La Sagrada Familia. If you get up early and beat the crowds. Photo: Antonio Tajuelo

9. La Sagrada Familia: Arrive early or go to mass

Barcelona is a feast for fans of architecture and Gaudí, with Park Güell, several residences like Casa Batlló and La Sagrada Familia, all easily accessible within the city’s boundaries. But if you only have time to see one of his master creations, La Sagrad Familia is probably the best bet—as long as you hit the sack early the night before.

The church opens at 9 a.m. every day of the year (including Christmas and New Year’s), so early arrivals can get a jump on the crowds no matter what season they come. Admission will cost you more than a handful of euros, but even on our cheapo budget, we think it’s well worth it. You should also consider attending mass at the Sagrada Familia — it’s not just free, it’s a moving experience.

Related: Read all of our tips for La Sagrada Familia | Recommended budget hotels in Barcelona

Your tips

Have some additional ways to save time and money at any of these tops attractions? Did we overlook something big? Share with us in the comments section below!

The post Secrets to saving time at Europe’s top attractions appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

I’m here to encourage you not to skip this enchanting city, and to offer you five easy ways to save money in Venice as an incentive.

1. Book a visit to St. Mark’s Basilica in advance

After wandering aimlessly through the maze of Venice (which, incidentally, is totally free), the next thing on any must-do list should be St. Mark’s Basilica. This striking cathedral with its onion domes, brilliant golden mosaics, and undulating floor anchors its namesake piazza and, in some ways, the whole city. The basilica itself is free to enter, which makes it not only a general must-see but a delight for Cheapos.

During the high season, however, the basilica’s popularity is evident the second you walk into St. Mark’s Square – the lines can stretch nearly as far as the Grand Canal, especially once the cruise ships pull into port for the day. To avoid the long wait in line, you can certainly set your alarm and queue up early – but if you’d rather sleep in, you can book an entry to the basilica in advance online.

Now, the booking service charges €1, so you might be wondering why a free attraction is made cheaper by paying €1 for it – and that’s a fair question. What that €1 saves you is time, which is an incredibly precious commodity when you’re on vacation. If I can pay €1 to avoid waiting an hour in line, that gives me an extra hour to use elsewhere in Venice – and that’s a pretty big deal. If your time is worth less than €1/hour, then we need to talk.

(Note that the reservation service is only available April-October – the rest of the year, the lines aren’t usually long enough to justify booking ahead.)

2. Get a Venice Discount Card for transportation

Venice, like many popular tourist cities around the world, has a few discount cards available that offer cheaper or free entry to attractions. Those cards often feel like they’re not a deal because it’s a chunk of money up front, but in many cities they can save you a bundle. In Venice, it’s the transportation-only cards that are likely to be the best deal.

Because so many people only stay in the city for a couple of days and most don’t have many “sights” on their must-see list, it’s more likely that you’ll spend money on vaporetto tickets than you will on museum entry fees. Those vaporetto tickets are way more expensive than they should be, if you ask me – €6.50 for a ticket? That’s ridiculous, even if each ticket lasts an hour. Wander too long and you’re stuck buying another ticket.

Rather than forking over €6.50 per ticket, you can get a 12-hour transportation card for €16 or a 24-hour card for just €18. If you’ll be flying in or out of Venice, you can even get a card that includes a one-way transfer to/from the airport for an additional €3. These cards are good for the trips out to nearby Murano, Burano, and Torcello, too. You can browse these cards (the prices vary a bit by the season) and book directly from the Venice Connected site.

3. Grab a group for that gondola ride

Taking a gondola ride seems like the thing to do in Venice – the kind of thing that, if you skip it, makes you feel like you haven’t really been to the city. (I’m all for skipping it entirely, but I’m in the minority on that one.) If you’ve got your heart set on a gondola ride but don’t think you can afford it, I’ve got two options for you.

First, you can take a quick gondola ride across the Grand Canal for a whopping €1-2 by hopping in a traghetto. These are gondolas that ferry passengers back and forth across the canal at points where there’s no nearby footbridge, and Venetians ride them all the time. This is a short ride – in fact, they’re so short that the Venetians don’t even bother to sit down – so it’s not at all the romantic gondola ride you’re imagining, but it’s certainly cheapo and very local.

Second, you can go with a group. Gondola rides are priced by the ride itself, not by the number of passengers in the gondola, so if you’ve got a group who’s willing to split the cost then it’s immediately much more budget-friendly. You can ask at gondola stations about joining a group, or you can book a spot on a group ride ahead of time (the latter is more expensive at €40/person, but if you’re traveling solo it’s worth considering).

Remember also to be aware of the gondola rates before you go, too. The current gondola fares are €80 for a 40-minute ride before 7 pm., with each additional 20 minutes costing €40 – knowing the official rates will help you avoid gondoliers who are trying to gouge you.

4. Go church-hopping

St. Mark’s Basilica is gorgeous and rightfully the most famous church in Venice – but glance around the city skyline and you’ll see plenty of other towers with crosses on top. Some of those churches charge a small entry fee, but many are completely free to enter – and free is a very good price.

San Giorgio Maggiore is a Palladio-designed church on its own island off the Giudecca, which you can see from the square in front of the Doge’s Palace. The church dates from the mid-16th century and has two Tintoretto paintings. Santa Maria della Salute lies almost opposite the Doge’s Palace across the Grand Canal, an octagonal white church with a dominant dome. The Salute dates from the mid-17th century and houses works by both Titian and Tintoretto. San Zaccaria may not have as impressive a location, but the crypt here dates from the 9th century and is home to the graves of eight doges.

Each of these churches mentioned offers a combination of art and history, plus an excuse to step inside if the weather’s not great, and none of them will cost you a thing except a few minutes of your time.

5. Don’t sit down for a snack in St. Mark’s Square

Venice is notorious for its mediocre and overpriced food, and it’s a well-deserved reputation. You can find good food in Venice, but it’s often still on the expensive side. Nowhere is getting a bite to eat more unnecessarily costly, however, than in the bars around St. Mark’s Square.

I’m all for paying for ambiance in some places, and when the cafe bands are in “dueling” mode St. Mark’s Square is a feast for the ears as well as the eyes – but the prices on simple things like coffee or a hot chocolate, let alone a cocktail, are beyond outrageous. Rather than paying a premium for a seat at one of those costly cafes, wander into the square from a nearby gelateria and enjoy a leisurely stroll around the grand piazza. The only thing you’ll miss out on is a seat, but you’ll have enough money leftover for a second (and third) gelato – and that’s always a good thing.

Oh, and don’t try sitting down in the piazza anywhere but on an official seat, either, as that’s strictly forbidden. There are even “decorum police” who sometimes patrol the square and hand out fines. Yes, really.

About the author: Portland-based travel writer Jessica Spiegel is the resident Italophile at BootsnAll, the indie travel resource. Venice is one of her favorite places on earth, so don’t try to tell her it’s overrated. She also loves Naples and New Orleans, so clearly she’s got a thing for cities with PR issues. You’ll find her regularly on Twitter as @italylogue.

The post Venice: 5 simple ways to save in Venice appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.