Park carefully . Thieves recognize and target tourist cars. Judge the safety of a lot by how it twinkles. Broken glass means thieves like this spot. Paying to park in a garage with an attendant can be a good investment. In many northern countries, train-ticket holders get discounts on bikes rented at the station. And in many cases you can rent a bike in one town and drop it at another for no extra charge. Pay with cash, not credit cards . While credit cards get you a good exchange rate, many places offering Europe's best deals — from craft shops to bed & breakfasts — accept only cash. When changing cash, avoid exchange bureaus that don't show both the buying and selling rate. By seeing both rates you can derive the profit margin — which should be within 5 percent. Places showing only the selling rate are hiding something... an obscene profit margin. Wear a money belt. You'll save money by not losing it. Thieves target Americans not because they'r
How can I travel on my budget ? The economy may be wobbly, but our travel dreams are still strong — for good reason. Europe is every bit as magical as ever, and no recession can change that. What matters is how well you manage your travel budget, and how you use those skills to create a better trip. Playing your cards right, and spending less will lower the barrier that separates you and the culture you've traveled so far to experience. To help you keep your dream trip affordable, here are 50 thrifty ways to stretch your travel dollar in Europe...