Marwan Farouk's Tips When In Europe

Welcome to the Marwan Farouk blog. Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t want a trip to Europe? We’ve all dreamed once in our lives of visiting the Eiffel Tower and medieval churches. European attractions are filled with so much history, not to mention, the culture, food and the spectacular views make experiencing Europe a must. But a trip to Europe can be daunting to some given the popular awareness of how expensive it can be. Here are my top budget travel hacks for traveling in Europe.

• Save money on booking your flight to Europe. Let’s start off with booking your flight to Europe, as this would take a huge chunk of your budget. Start hunting for flights at least 6 months before you take the trip. The same rule applies to all international flights. The reason for this is that international flights are few and prices are more influenced by availability. As the seats fill up, the ticket prices increase.

*Top tip: Never book a round-trip ticket if you’re visiting several countries.

•  Exchange currency beforehand. The biggest mistake that many travelers make is to exchange money at the airport. Even though it is enticing to see on the signage, “No Commission!”, just ignore it. They offer unbelievably low rates. The best place to exchange money is at your local bank. If you do forget to exchange euros before boarding your flight, your best bet is to withdraw money at a bank within Europe or at a currency converter outside the airport. 
• Avoid the red bus! That’s right.. This bus is mainly for convenience if you want to go sightseeing. But it comes with a hefty price. If your goal is budget travel, the best option available to explore a new city is local transportation.

• Skip the taxi at the airport. For budget travel, an obvious step to take is skipping the taxi at the airport. But it could be tempting to take this option if you arrive at the airport late at night, and especially if you know that your hotel would require some lengthy walking to get to.
• Grab some snacks before the flight. Just like other places in the world, Europe can be pretty expensive when it comes to airplane snacks. 
• Avoid traveling in the summer if you can avoid it. Traveling to Europe (and generally to most other places) during the summer will not only be less satisfying—locals go abroad, everywhere is booked up and crowded, etc.—but will also be more expensive. If you’re able to, traveling to Europe during the winter can save you enormous amounts of money, and especially with hotel bookings. You should also try to avoid traveling in December if you can.
• Be open to ride-sharing.Sharing a long distance ride with a complete stranger has become quite a common thing within Europe now. This is a great way to save money on travel within Europe if you’re comfortable with the idea.
• Consider Airbnb when visiting Europe. I am a huge fan of Airbnb because they have a fantastic range of places to stay and always offer great value. As much as I love staying in hostels, I love sometimes to have the comfort and privacy of a flat.

Marwan Farouk is a retired surgeon and a traveler. Learn more about Marwan Farouk online here. Marwan Farouk also provide tips so others won’t have to waste hard-earned money when traveling and avoid the mistakes that he did on the Marwan Farouk Twitter page. You can also read Marwan Farouk's news here.