Europe in April any budget advice?

[scrapbooksellman]

Not exactly a budget trip but, we are going to Europe in April. There are 2 kids and 2 adults going to London, Paris, Rome and Malta. We saved after receiving an inheritance(?).
Has anyone been there and have any advice on must dos, ways to save etc....

 

[lucyvp]

rent an apartment... eat in breakfast and dinner. Eat out for lunch as you are touring. (honestly, though, many of the better choices for this April are already booked, but still cheaper than hotel rooms).

Many museums are free in London. Take advantage of those.

Map out your plan. Walk a lot - avoid taxis. Many of the metro or tube stations are close together.

How long are you going? For four destinations so far away, I hope you have at least 2 weeks. You will generally lose at least 1/2 a day (or longer) by moving cities. While the Eurostar from London to Paris is only 2 hours, by the time you factor in checking out, getting to the train station, allowing time for error and getting to the next destination after you've arrived, it is at least a 4-5 hour trip. Paris and London make 2 great destinations for 7-10 days total. You will have to fly for Rome and Malta.

Buy those Eurostar tickets now. Like plane travel, the prices go up as the seats fill up and the closer you get to travel date.

Travel light. We took 4 carryon sized suitcases to Italy for 10 days for 5 people (did not include electronics). If you have that apartment, do laundry. It will make transfers much easier.

go to fodors.com and read trip reports with families or kids to those same places - it is a great source of information.

 

[Janepod]

What are your dates and price ranges? I am happy to recommend hotels and restaurants. (Everywhere but Malta.)

 

[jedijill]

That's a lot of places...how long are you going to be gone? I normally would focus on only one or two of those cities for a 2 week trip. I love Rick Steves...his books really helped me save money. He has great walking tours. In Paris, buy the Museum Pass. Saves you money and time by not waiting in lines.

HTH

Jill in CO

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

Why Malta? Kind of an interesting choice (and a pain to get to somewhat).

Best tip I got from a friend. Eat where the locals eat. It will be the best food and most affordable. Paris has tons of street food vendors. We could pretty much walk everywhere there. I loved just sitting in the parks and relaxing. The museums are expensive, if you're going to do a few get the museum pass.I filled up a lot on crepes and sandwiches and also went to a market early in my stay (we were there a week).

Same with Rome. If you go to the Vatican, try to eat a few blocks away. The food right outside is not very good at all and its more expensive. I loved the Rick Steve's walking tour of Rome. We did the night time one and it was awesome. Also some of the buses are a great way to see a lot of sights and get an idea of the city. Be careful for pickpocketers... Rome was the worst of any European city I've visited.

London. Expensive almost no matter how you do it. We stayed outside the city (about 30 minutes) and had a full kitchen which helped. We packed lunches. There are some free walking tours (tip only) that I really enjoyed.

Have fun on your trip.

 

[Mkebound]

Eat where the locals eat and visit a grocery store to buy "picnic meals"

 

[Bonnie151]

In London, if you're planning on going to Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon or the London Eye, lots of places here (newspapers, supermarkets etc) will soon start to offer 2 for 1 vouchers. If you want me to keep an eye out for any to post to you, drop me a PM.

 

[scra]

London and Paris (particularly London) are not very budget-friendly places to visit. Eating breakfast in can help some, but transportation, lodging, food, and attractions in both cities are very, very expensive.

Be aware that many buildings in London and Paris are old, and older hotels (which tend to be less expensive) may not have the same amenities you are used to in the United States. Rooms will be smaller and some of the little luxuries you are accustomed to in the US (like air conditioning, a desk and chair in the room, etc.) are not always available unless you're willing to pay.

Not to miss (and not terribly expensive) for London are a picnic in Kensington Garden, Westminster Abbey, and the ancient Greece wings of the British Museum. I would skip the London Eye. It is an overpriced Ferris wheel and yes, the view is nice, but it's not at all worth what you pay for it plus the time you spend standing in line for it.

Paris is 90% atmosphere. Some of my favorite memories of that city are of simple, inexpensive things, like strolling the streets and people watching at a cafe. If you are planning to do the Louvre, really make a day of it - don't just do a drive-by glance at the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo! If your kids like history, they would love to take a walk through the underground tour of the original medieval foundation of the Louvre itself. I also recommend the display of Napoleon's apartment.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

April 12 is the 20th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris.

 

[LSUDis]

The train systems in Europe are awesome, but can be expensive. Buy your tickets over here and it might be less expensive (especially the Eurostar.)

For London, there are Tube tickets for under 10 (didn't mention ages)--from Oyster website--"Children aged 10 years or under can travel free on buses and trams whether or not they are accompanied by an adult. They can also travel free on Tube, DLR and London Overground services at any time as long as they are accompanied by an adult using a Visitor Oyster card or a valid ticket."

There are lots of Visitors' Passes available--first, check to see if they include what you want.

Many European hotels have "family rooms," but not many per hotel. With four, you need to book soon.

There are familiar hotels there--Comfort Suites, Holiday Inn, Best Western, etc. that may be less expensive. Also, for my kids at least, McDonald's was a welcome site after several days of unfamiliar foods (and cheaper than a lot of other places????)

Let us know how much time in each place. That will determine whether hotels, B&Bs, or vacation rentals are your best bet.

Read a lot--tripadvisor.com is great as is Rick Steve's books and websites.

**Second the post about visiting grocery stores and buying your meals. This became one of our favorite things to do--you get a taste of how the locals live, a peek into the types of foods and prices of another country (bread just lying out fascinated us!), overhear interesting conversations, pick up inexpensive souvenirs, see new products/makeup, etc., and get less expensive meals. London also has a fast food Indian-type self services that are supposed to be really good.

 

[scrapbooksellman]

Wow I appreciate all the information. We are going 3/30- 4/16 starting in London, Paris, Rome then Malta. Malta because myhubby was born there, father in the Navy. We plan 3-4 days in each. I know it is hetic but a one time trip!

I see the savings passes like London Pass and Paris pass. Are these really a time/money saver? I think we will do some of the items listed in each city.
My kids are 8 and 11 at trip time.
Thanks again for any and all info!

 

[eliza61]

London and Paris (particularly London) are not very budget-friendly places to visit. Eating breakfast in can help some, but transportation, lodging, food, and attractions in both cities are very, very expensive.

Be aware that many buildings in London and Paris are old, and older hotels (which tend to be less expensive) may not have the same amenities you are used to in the United States. Rooms will be smaller and some of the little luxuries you are accustomed to in the US (like air conditioning, a desk and chair in the room, etc.) are not always available unless you're willing to pay.

Paris is 90% atmosphere. Some of my favorite memories of that city are of simple, inexpensive things, like strolling the streets and people watching at a cafe. If you are planning to do the Louvre, really make a day of it - don't just do a drive-by glance at the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo! If your kids like history, they would love to take a walk through the underground tour of the original medieval foundation of the Louvre itself. I also recommend the display of Napoleon's apartment.

You know I still sort of shake my head at this. My trips to Paris are usually cheaper or on par to what I spend at disney excluding the airfare of course.

1) When we dine in Paris we always go for the Prix Fix meals. They are a great value. Usually you get a choice of appertizer and entree or a entree and dessert for an excellent price. We were there in may and most of our Prix fix meals were ~ 21 bucks per head. That is lower than the cost of the dinner at any ts onsite and believe me the food was waaaay better.

2) Cheaper rooms. So we found tons of hotels in Paris that were in the price range of a disney moderate. especially if you leave the 1st arrondisment. We stayed in the 8th the room was 175/night and very very pretty. You're right that we had no air but it was in a beautiful 200 year old building ( I remember mentioning to the front desk that the building was almost as old as my country). beautiful big windows that opened and deep tub (that Igot stuck in) and such detail.

3) Price of admissions: considering a 7 day park hopper in disney is about 45 bucks a day, you can see quite a few spots in Paris for that. Notre dame is free with a small charge to climb the stairs and you can buy a museum pass for just as many days for pretty much the same price. I think we got a 4 days paris pass for about 200 bucks. got us into many of the museums.

Everyone says how expensive Paris is but I didn't find it anymore expensive than my disney trips.

 

[jedijill]

Honestly, for only a 2 week trip I would cut it down to Malta and one other city. You are going to lose time traveling between locations and you really can't do justice with only a real couple of days in each location. I went to Malta on my Med cruise and it was nice but 1 day at the most but really far away from all the other cities you plan to visit. If you were going to combine I would do London/Paris and a day in Malta...no way would I personally add Rome in there...I did Venice, Florence and Rome in 10 days and I was exhausted.

Look into open jaw airline tickets...fly in one place and fly out another. I did this with Venice and Rome. Not really that much more expensive than R/T from one city.

Just my 2 cents.

Jill in CO

 

[Danibelle]

That seems like a lot of ground to cover in 2 weeks. DH and I did London and Paris in 2 weeks.

As for hotels, sometimes it is nearly impossible to get a room for 4. They may give you 2 small rooms. I do try to go to the markets for snacks and just to see what the locals are eating. I would plan for expensive meals in all the capitals you named. None are cheap. Also, it is hard to find a place to do laundry. Rick Steves has some great suggestions for saving money and still having a memorable trip. I also like the Michelin Green Guides for the cities because there are little area maps and also a lot of description/history of the sights.

I have never been to Malta so I can't suggest anything specific. For London my favorites are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and the British Museum. For Paris, the usual, plus I would recommend taking a boat ride. For Rome, the Vatican, Forum, and the usual recommendations.

 

[chimilady]

I've done london, paris and rome and I would strongly suggest overnight trains. That being said, not everyone can sleep on trains.

In paris, eating out isn't really that expensive. Picnics are easy to come by and quite cheap I think. And an omlette for dinner won't kill anyone. Pubs in London have a great food at affordable prices. As for rome, I also find it doesn't have to be that expensive. I would check out Rick Steves' guides, he's great for lots of suggestions on a budget. He has a website as well. He also includes a chapter on travelling to Europe with children.

 

[Daisy'sMama]

I have to agree with pp's that say to cut your trip down to 2 cities. I lived near Berlin for a year and we travelled a lot and still didn't see all of Europe. In order to truly appreciate the places you visit you really need more time there. I would at least remove Rome from this trip. I think Paris is doable in 3-4 full days - not including travel days. If you try to cram in too much, by Malta the kids will be so sick of churches and museums. My suggestions are similar to what you have gotten - look for markets and picnic a lot.

Also, if you are renting a car, I would encourage you to find a small town outside of Paris or London to visit. Many smaller towns and villages are jam packed with history and culture. and they are such an easier pace than the big cities. We always stay outside of cities and take the train or metro in to see the sights. They prices are often much better too.

In Paris, in addition to Metro passes, we get Batobus tickets. They are boats that go to many major sights along the Seine. The Boat give a whole different perspective and pace. Also, the Gare du Nord train station is not to be missed. All Parisian architecture is incredible, just enjoy.

One last thing, when we travel, we do a LOT of prep work. I spend at least 1 week planning each day in Europe. I like to know what I am looking at, who built it, was it ever conquered (we love castles) etc. I have required reading and movies for everyone - for the kids, Magic Treehouse has some great books. Everything tends to go smoother when I know what train from what platform at what time, etc.

Oh, TAKE A COMPASS! It really will help when looking at maps.

PM me if I can help any further.

 

[Bonnie151]

I got your PM (and will send you one back ), but I just wanted to quickly add that London most definitely does not need to be expensive for meals. There are tons of reasonably priced family restaurants like Cafe Rouge, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, ASK etc (their websites sometimes have discount offers as well). If you're wanting a more "local" experience, I'd hit a market like Leadenhall Market at lunchtime.

Last time we were in London we rented this flat which was so much better than trying to squash into a hotel room with 2 kids (it's probably a bit small for your family but to give you an idea as to what you can find on Trip Advisor...): http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Vacati...e_Tower_of_London-London_England.html#REVIEWS

If you want an inexpensive trip down the Thames, hop on one of the Thames Clippers - no narration, but a really nice way to get (for example) from Tower Bridge to Westminster at a fraction of the price of one of the boat tours.

 

[Bonnie151]

The website explaining the transport options in London is here: http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/

I know a lot of people like the hop on/hop off bus tours to introduce them to London - I'm not a fan (expensive and you'll see the same sights using your Oyster or Travelcard). I just bring this map with me: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/fms/MRSite/acad/lgri/summer-school/central_bus_map.pdf and then hop on/off the public buses.

I'm guessing you'll probbaly end up staying in central London, but if you do end up outside and need to get a train into town, you can take advantage of the 2 for 1 Days Out offers (unfortunately you need a train ticket not an underground ticket!) which covers places like the Tower of London, HMS Belfast etc: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/

If you're in Knighstbridge (Harrods etc) or around the big 3 museums and need somewhere to eat, skip all the overpriced cafes/tourist pubs in the area and head to the Science Museum (free admission). it has a fantastic cafe on the ground floor - last time we were there we had hot roast pork sandwiches on ciabattas and homemade tomato soup with crusty bread for around $10 each. It also has a make your own sandwich/salad bar and various hot dishes.

 

[Frikadela]

In my opinion the best parts of London are free...the science museum, natural history museum, Victoria and Albert, British museum.....all free to get in.

The first time I went to London we queued for hours for Madame tussauds paid the £20 entrance fee and soon realised it was a waste of money. Same for the London eye. London dungeons is quite fun but can get very busy during the school holidays. Don't be suckered in by the London card. For so few days it's just not worth it.

Be aware that Easter falls whilst you are in Europe and here in the uk the schools will be off for two weeks at the start of April so London will get pretty busy. Try to head out to attractions early, get there for opening time and get any guided tours done straight away then you can spend the rest of the day going at your own pace.

One place I would always pay to get into is the tower of London. It offers so much history, the beefeater tours are brilliant. There's performers doing live reanectments and you get to see the crown jewels which are way better than they look on tv. My kids absolutely loved it and they are hard to please.

 

[jessrose18]

We are doing london/paris in april as well! We booked a travelodge room for London, most affordable we could find, we chose travelodge waterloo. We booked a apartment in paris through vacationinparis . it is a us company that rents them out and mails you the keys before you leave town. Very good reviews, and budget friendly plus you get a kitchen! We booked in the Latin Quarter. I love this area it is filled with sandwhich shops and crepe stands and great bakeries for some good cheap food. In London, food is more pricey for sure.

As far as attractions go, we are planning on doing several 2for1 offers, to Hampton Court, London Eye, and Tower of London. Make sure to also go to free museums such as British and Imperial War Museum. In Paris we are headed out to Disneyland for 1 day, easy trip, we have done this before. Excited for the 20th anniversary celebration! We are also buying the 2 day musuem pass, worth it for us adn you get to cut the line at some attractions. We are going to St. Chappelle, Notre Dame, Lourve, Eiffel tower, Versailles, and doing a river boat site tour to name a few things. Using the metro is affordable and easy as well, we are doing the weekly passes for extended zones due to disneyland and versailles trip. Versailles is amazing, the chateau and the gardens, fun for kids too, take a picnic. We already booked our Eurostar tickets, as others mentioned the sooner the better! For train travel check out the man in seat 61 , great tips on how to save money. Also tripadvisor is so great! I love looking at "real" photos from people instead of guidebook stuff to get a real perspective of sites. Have a great trip!