If you are on a tight budget here are some ideas that may help and some other travel resources:

ACCOMODATION
- consider camping (you can save almost half your accommodation costs)
- if you are aiming to stay somewhere for a few days ask for a discount or offer to work in lieu of your accommodation
- aim to stay in places that provide breakfast as part of the cost. Make sandwiches for lunch and only eat out at night.
- try to keep night time activities and particularly alcoholic drinks to a minimum, as these burn a hole in your pocket
- use the travel network (word of mouth) for cheap options in the places you visit.
- booking ahead through our online reservation system costs no more than if you walked off the street.
- try a house sitting option instead of paying everywhere. There are also organizations you can join where you join a register so you can stay with people abroad and return the favour in your own house.

 

LITERATURE AND RESOURCES
For Travel in Spain we recommend a guidebook like Lonely Planet, Rough Guide or Footprints. If you want more architectural and historical information you may want to try the Eyewitness Guides, for special places to stay look through the Alastair Sawday range and for adventure travelling consider Hunter Publishing’s Adventure Series.
- Use our online city guides as an option to carrying heavy guidebooks. They are also free!
- Search through the fantastic Amazon.com store for books about travelling cheap.
- We also have a comprehensive guidebook review on our site.

Lonely Planet
www.amazon.co.uk

Rough Guides
www.amazon.co.uk

Footprints
www.amazon.co.uk

Eyewitness Guides
www.amazon.co.uk

Alastair Sawdays
www.amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com
www.amazon.co.uk

Hunter Publishing
www.amazon.co.uk
 
 

TRAVEL
- consider staying just outside town for cheaper options or in the old historical centre.
- don’t move around so much. The longer you stay in a destination you actually save money.
- walk around town rather than pay for metros and buses. Or buy all day or three day passes that work out cheaper than individual tickets.
- avoid taxis and get the local bus or tram
- if you are game try hitch hiking (preferably with someone else).

 

ENTERTAINMENT
- all travel information centres will list free entertainment options which can be just as interesting
- spend a day visiting the free museums or try to schedule your big city visits on the days when museums are half price entry (in Europe this is usually once a month).
- For entertainment information to the big cities try the weekly Guia del Ocio. This is written in Spanish but still useful. It can be purchased at newsstands and is available online.

 

FOOD AND WATER
- day old bread is usually distributed freely from various bakeries or shops as is other food
- cheap meals are often available at social welfare centres.
- it is much cheaper and healthier to eat out of a supermarket than buy take away food.
- drink water instead of softdrinks and always drink the local water rather than buying it (unless it is not clean). If the water is not clean another option for water purification is a filter, iodine or purification tablets rather than buying bottled water.
- don’t buy your lunch or other food right outside main tourist sights, it will be far more expensive.
- when eating out at night avoid tourist areas or English menus, you will have a cheaper more authentic experience in a local haunt on a side street.

WEBSITE
We hope that you will consider our website your first port of call. Other useful websites include:

Europe for Visitors
http://europeforvisitors.com

Bug Europe
http://www.bugeurope.com

EuroTrip
http://www.eurotrip.com

Boots n' All
http://www.bootsnall.com

Backpacking Europe
http://www.backpackingeurope.com

Euro Destination
http://www.eurodestination.com

Trip Advice
http://www.tripadvice.com

Pick A Trail
http://www.pickatrail.com


PUBLICATIONS
For entertainment information to the big cities try the weekly Guia del Ocio. This is written in Spanish but still useful. It can be purchased at newsstands and is available online. Time Out is also another useful guide for entertainment in major Spanish cities.