’TIS THE SEASON OF TRAVELLING FAR AND WIDE

aximise the fun and minimise the bills with these tips for your next Europe trip, whether going alone or with your band of besties.

SCORE THE BEST STAY

Do what you like, stop anywhere for as long as you like — solo trips have a lot of advantages. The one big disadvantage is that you can’t split hotel room bills. There’s often a prohibitive single supplement (a charge for staying in a double room alone) that can make it hard to find a nice hotel room in a central location. The one obvious answer is to get a hostel dorm bed (approximately €20 per night per bed, or equivalent amount outside the euro zone), if you’re looking to spend most of the day being out and about, coming back to the room only to kip down.

It may sound tedious to stay in a six-bed dorm, but you’d be surprised at how peaceful these rooms can be. It’s an unwritten rule of hostel dorms, especially in Europe, that guests should be quiet while in the room, and most people respect this rule. At the same time, your roomies, if they speak English, would be open to a little friendly chitchat, if you show an interest in them.

Most major hostel chains, such as Meininger and Wombats in mainland Europe, or the YHA in the UK, have efficiently run, very well-located establishments, with affordable brekkies (about €6), so you can be all topped up in the morning when going out — but please do respect the hostel rule of not packing your lunch from the breakfast buffet.

The one thing you need to look out for when booking a hostel bed is whether there’s a locker in the dorm. If you only have a backpack, not a lockable suitcase, and are worried about valuables when you’re out of the room, then a locker would ensure

peace of mind. Good websites such as Hostelworld.com have filters and a detailed list of facilities for every establishment.

Not happy with a dorm bed? There are boutique hostels that have small but wellfurnished single rooms, which cost about 25% less than a hotel room at the same location. We found the pretty Hostal Girona in Barcelona (€78 for an en suite single room) that was bang in the middle of the cool L’Eixample district, a 10-minute walk from the city centre. In a similar range price was Blanc Guest House, within walking distance of the world-famous La Sagrada Familia. If you email such a small place directly, it’s possible to bag a

really good deal.

For travellers who’re in a group, finding a great place is easy. Four-bed family dorms or six-bed dorms with attached bathrooms mean both privacy and a great location at a highly affordable price. Two or three double rooms in a hotel at a similar location would cost way more.

If you prefer a place more like a home, try out serviced apartments and highly rated bed & breakfast places. Apartments don’t work out so well for single tourists, but for groups, they’re fantastic. For a visit to Prague, one of Europe’s most amazing cities, we loved the charming and very friendly B&B named Lida Guest House (from 2,200CZK / €85 for a triple room), about 4km from Charles Bridge. Closer to the Old Town are Prague 1918 Apartments, where the rooms are studios, each with a fully equipped kitchen (about 21,000 CZK / €825 for five adults for a four-night accommodation in the studio named Republic).

In London, we found a comfy two-bedroom house named Rosary Gardens at posh Kensington, and the price for four nights for four guests was about £880 in peak season, lower than good hotels in a comparable area.

SIZE UP THE SIGHTSEEING

If you’re visiting several countries within a short time, and can’t book everything separately, one perfect way to kill two birds — stay and transfers — with one stone is to buy a package from an operator like Cosmos, which has vacations in various price ranges, and then skip all the optional tours. That takes care of your hotel stay and intercity travel, maybe gives you a free half-day coach tour by the operator, and then leaves you free.

These optional tours are a bit of a scam; each tour costs about five times what it would if you were to use the perfectly good public transport available in most European cities and buy the entry ticket yourself. Unless someone is infirm or very easily confused, optional tours are unnecessary. While planning sightseeing, look at combo tickets such as the Frankfurt Card (€10.50 for one day, and €15.50 for two days) that give you unlimited city commute and entry fee discounts at several tourist attractions. The Paris Visite pass (€38.35 for five days) is particularly attractive.

LIVE IT UP!

Want a night out? Skip the overpriced downtown bars and pop into a youth hostel, even if you aren’t staying there. Check if outside guests are allowed at the hostel’s bar — most chain hostels have one, and the happy hours deals are great.