12 Europe Travel Hacks That Will Save You BIG Money

Travelling is an expensive hobby, especially when travelling tourist hotspots in Europe.

But there is hope!

Whether you’re headed on a romantic trip to Paris, a meander along the canals of Amsterdam or on a discovery of the castles and estates of Britain’s countryside, this is a must-read guide on how to save – BIG time.

Make a list

Here we start a list with making a list, in true traveller fashion.

The first list you should make is of the places you want to visit, this allows correct planning of your holiday to optimise travel from east, to west and north to south. This also allows you to research which method of travel will be most effective: train (and if so can you buy a five- or 10-trip train pass?), coach or plane?

The second list should consist of all the things you want to do in each place. In Paris, you may want to see the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, take a bike tour and go out for a French degustation. Planning your to-do list means that you are less likely to get stuck in the trap of filling your holiday with touristy (and expensive) activities. This doesn’t mean you can’t live in the moment while overseas but gives you the option to stay traveller-savvy.

Free museum admission

Do your research on entry to Europe’s most famous museums, as most offer free or reduced entry on specific days.

The Louvre offers free entry to the museum on the first Saturday of every month from 6 pm to 9:45 pm, and free admission to under 26s on Friday evenings from 6 pm until close. At €17 euros a ticket, this is a saving of close to $30 per person. The Prado Museum in Madrid also offers free entry to its collections from 6 pm to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and on Sundays from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Other museums including the Berlin Wall Memorial and the National Gallery in London always have free entry and are well worth your time.

Skip the hotel

Hotels, although delightfully convenient and reminiscent of luxury holidays, can cost you the earth in a main city in Europe. Other alternatives, such as Airbnb, youth hostels and campervans can save you a motza, and can even offer a more authentic European experience.

Airbnbs to look out for are the ones with rave reviews, close to the main amenities. Try and stick to places that have a ‘superhost’ status; this means that the host is not only experienced in the game, but they also have been really well rated by their previous guests. If you pick a humble, but well-kept place, you are bound to save $$$.

Hostels, with both shared and private rooms, can cost just a fraction of the price of a good hotel. Try Hostel One Camden in London, The Yellow Hostel in Rome and Coco Mama in Amsterdam.

Campervans, although not ideal when city hopping, are the best way to visit the countryside, especially in places like the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. Spaceships’ compact and easy-to-drive campervans are an ideal place to start, with a bed, fridge and cooking gear all in the back. Only setting you back around $100 a day, these are the best combination of bedroom and transport.

Pack a picnic. Every. Damn. Day.

Eating, perhaps the best part of any European holiday, is very expensive.

Most meals out cost an excess of $30 per person at a restaurant, and when you think about the fact that eating is necessary more than once in a day, the money mounts quickly.

The best practice to exercise is packing a picnic lunch, with a collection of items purchased at the local grocery store.

In France, pack some fromage and jambon to put on a baguette, in Spain pack some chorizo and cheese or in Malta just grab a few 60c pastizzi, and sit yourself in a glorious park.

This not only saves money but allows you to soak in the ambience of your locale.

Join the National Trust

Picnics are best had in the gardens of historic estates, whilst you admire outdoor fountains in the foreground of period homes.

These estates can be found all over Europe, particularly in England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and the Netherlands. To enter these estates costs between $20 and $40 per entry, and can add up to be an expensive experience.

Joining the National Trust in Australia, however, means that you can pay a one-off fee (of $110 for adults, and $90 for concession) for a yearly membership. With reciprocal visiting arrangements with heritage organisations in other countries, membership allows access to 800 heritage sites outside of Australia.

An added bonus is that these estates are also a great place for learning about the history and culture of the country, as well as an excellent photo op.

Free activities

Every single city or town in Europe has a range of things to do that are absolutely FREE.

These are often activities in the natural environment: go for a hike in the Black Forest in south-west Germany, float down the fast-flowing, turquoise waters of the river Aare in Bern or go for a swim on the pebbled beach of Nice.

Nice, France. — Promenade des anglais in Nice

Hire a bike

Not only reserved for the streets of Amsterdam, bike riding is a great way to both see a city and get around it.

Hiring a bike, at around $20 a day, is a great way to avoid paying for buses, cabs, trains or trams.

Also, let’s cut to the chase: while travelling in Europe the exercise certainly wouldn’t go astray.

You can usually hire bikes from local bike shops, or from mobile, dockless bike hiring platforms such as Santander bicycles in London.

bike travel basel transport — Use a bike to travel around cobblestoned town squares

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Check out Airbnb Experiences

Not always the cheapest (although sometimes they are!) Airbnb Experiences offer authentic, locally run and reasonably priced experiences. Ranging from equestrian tours through Tuscany to cooking classes in a home kitchen in Paris, there is something for everyone on this app.

These experiences are usually far superior to the heavily tourist-centred activities found in main cities, and for the same price often offer a lot more.

Research passes in each city

Passes, be it for a collection of museums or for travel around a city, can be a great way to save money.

Some notable passes are: the I Amsterdam card, which you can buy in iterations of 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours from between $95 to $180, offers free access to 60 museums including the Rijks and Van Gogh museums, a free canal cruise and free public transport; the Eurail pass (for international travel between European countries via train); and the London Pass, which allows access to 80 famous attractions across the city with iterations ranging from one day for $123 to 10 days with travel included for $429.

Make sure that you are only purchasing passes to places you actually want to visit (remember your list!). These passes are not ideal if you were only looking at visiting the Rijks museum on your trip, but got roped into all the others because they seemed like good value.

Don’t frequently withdraw money abroad

Avoid costly ATM withdrawal fees on your travel money card by nabbing your cash while still in Aus.

Carrying wads of notes abroad can be daunting, so if you do have to withdraw cash, make sure you do a week’s worth at a time. Or alternatively, try to shop and eat at places that deal only in Eftpos transactions.

Also investigate cards that offer money back on ATM fees, even overseas. ING offers money back on ATM fees globally, if you meet the minimum requirements of the card ($1000 deposited and five transactions made each month).

Make sure you claim your GST refund!

If you’re an avid shopper, make sure you keep all your receipts – you can claim the tax back at the airport on your way home!

Make sure you have your forms and receipts stamped by each country’s officials before departing, and when heading home ensure that all mentioned products are accessible in case the officials need to see them.

Claim for delayed or cancelled flights

When scooting around the Continent on one of its countless budget airlines, don’t tolerate any delayed or cancelled flights or transfers without checking to see if you can get your money back; the EU’s EC 261 regulation means that you’re entitled to compensation if you’re delayed or experience a cancellation (see below).

It’s a little-known fact that you can claim a sizeable chunk of your flight costs back (1500km and less €250; 1500km – 3500km €400; more than 3500km €600) in Europe or even when travelling with a European airline from an airport outside the EU. Even if you are aware of this nifty bit of EU legislation you may think it’s not worth the effort, but filing a claim takes as little as two minutes using AirHelp.

Plug in your dates into the online compensation checker, and if you’re eligible the team at AirHelp will set to work sorting out your claim and you’ll receive the Euros posthaste. It’ll the stress out of waiting around an airport for a delayed flight; you could even splash out on a Champagne lunch safe in the knowledge that you’re due an unexpected windfall.

You’re entitled to compensation if:

In case of a cancellation, you were notified of it less than 14 days before the flight.
You have a confirmed flight reservation.
The disruption occurred in the last 3 years.
The reason for the flight disruption was within the airline’s control.
If you took a replacement flight, your new arrival time was significantly different to your original flight.

Temperatures are soaring this summer, breaking records across Europe and the UK.

Euro summer is a feeling like no other. But when a heatwave hits? The dream trip quickly turns into a sweaty mess. Extreme heat is sweeping Europe and the UK this week, with record-high temperatures impacting travel plans across the continent.

And while Australian summers are typically hotter in absolute temperature, many European cities aren’t equipped for high temperatures, resulting in unbearable weather.

Why is it so hot in Europe?

Signs of a hot summer loomed in May, when the mercury hit unprecedented spring highs. Now, extreme high temperature warning alerts have been issued in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, England, the Netherlands and Germany.

France saw its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with an average temperature of 30°C across the day and night. This surpasses the average temperature for June, which is 15°C to 25°C. Dozens of people have died, including 40 from drowning.

In Spain, 212 deaths have been linked to the heatwave.

The UK recorded its hottest June day ever on Wednesday with temperatures soaring to 36.1°C. In an article published by the Met Office – the UK’s national meteorological service – Professor Stephen Belcher CBE, Met Office Chief Scientist, shared his concerns about June’s heat. “To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply,” he said.

Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common in Europe and the UK, neither of which is prepared for such extremes. The World Meteorological Organization reported that in 2025, at least 95% of Europe experienced above-average annual temperatures and that the continent was heating up twice as fast as the global average.

How travel is impacted

A pharmacy sign displaying 40 degrees Celcius — A pharmacy broadcasting local weather data. (Credit: Getty/Dragoncello)

During a heatwave, power grids, water systems and transport networks can be affected, resulting in disrupted itineraries for travellers. In France, power outages have left thousands without electricity and early closures have been implemented for two of Paris’s biggest attractions, the Eiffel Tower (early afternoon rather than late at night) and the Louvre (two hours early). Eurostar cancelled its London to Paris and Paris to London services from the 22nd to the 25th, and major UK rail companies have been advising travellers to avoid using trains where possible, or to travel during early hours.

If a heatwave is predicted, being flexible with your itinerary and having fully refundable/changeable tickets is key, as extreme heat can force the cancellation of outdoor activities, impact rail and flight services and change the opening hours of sites and eateries.

Why does summer in Europe often feel hotter than summer in Australia?

people swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris — People swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris to cool off. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)

With some of the highest UV levels in the world, Australians are no strangers to the heat, adapting well to intense weather. But our infrastructure is largely equipped to withstand soaring temperatures with climate-responsive passive design, refrigerated air conditioning or evaporative coolers, as well as swimming spots aplenty.

Buildings in Northern and Western Europe and the UK, however, are constructed to retain heat and handle frosty winters. The lack of universal air conditioning means it generally feels hotter even though the temperature on your app might not look it. During a heatwave, it can feel like you’re in a sauna as cities act like heat traps.

How to stay cool and prepare for another heatwave

Relief is expected across Europe and the UK later this week, but more heatwaves are still possible in the coming months. Summer heat typically peaks in July and August.

Public transport often doesn’t have air conditioning, and buses in particular can be swelteringly hot. If you’re heading outside or your accommodation has no air conditioning, it’s worth buying a spray bottle and a handheld fan from a pharmacy or tourist stand. Check ahead of time if restaurants and cafes have air conditioning and make a booking in advance. The highest temperatures typically hit between 3pm and 6pm, so aim to head outdoors outside of these hours.

Rising temperatures invite travellers to enter a more intentional era of seeing the world. Now more than ever is the time to embrace lower-impact “coolcations” and off-season getaways.

12 Europe travel hacks that will save you BIG money