UK/Europe Travel Tips

Date: June 2024

Location written: London hostel using a small book case as a desk. Mild upgrade from the suitcase desk.

This page does include affiliate links for things that I have used and loved and want to recommend to you guys! This means when you use the link such as to buy a product, I get affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Some of these are for Amazon as I am an Amazon Associate and I earn commission if you use the link to buy a product. This allows me to continue to write this blog and deliver helpful content for you all. Thank you :)

I have picked up some tips and tricks while travelling around the UK and Europe. These have enabled me to save money and have better travel experiences. I was fortunate to live in a shared living situation when I first got to London. Many were also here to travel, so I learnt lots of tips and tricks quickly. I hope you enjoy and find these helpful! :)

Useful apps/services

Sky scanner

Sky scanner is a great way to look for cheap flights across lots of airlines. I use this to find the cheapest times/locations when booking my trips.

Trainline

I use trainline for booking trains and buses. I find it a good way to find the cheapest locations and times, but also to compare whether taking a bus or train is a better way to go.

Rail card

If you are living in the UK or travelling in the UK for a while then it's worth looking into getting a railcard. This is valid for a year and it gets you ⅓ off most train tickets in the UK. I very quickly made my money back and it saves me alot. I live in London and do a fair bit of travel in the UK. With this one you need to weigh up if it's worth it for you depending on your situation. It's definitely worth it for people travelling in the UK for a while!

National Heritage and English Heritage card

You can get a National Heritage and an English Heritage card to get into over 400 historic and/or natural landmarks across the UK for free or at a discounted rate. They are different providers so you get access to different sites with them. English Heritage is historical sites, where National Heritage is a mix of historical and nature filled spots. It's best to look at what you are most interested in and see which one aligns with you best. They both give you access to incredible places around the UK and worth getting if you are travelling the UK often over a year. I purchased an English Heritage card (not knowing about the National Heritage card at the time) and made my money back in a month. I’ve seen many stunning historical sites and learnt lots about UK history which I've been very grateful to have experienced as a person new to the UK.

Wise

A Wise debit card is sooo handy when travelling. You can use the one card to spend money in 40 different currencies. You can easily exchange money online into the currency you are spending in. If you forget to change the money over, it will automatically exchange the money to the currency you are spending when you use the card. It makes paying while travelling a breeze. To learn more about wise you can click here. I alway travel with my Wise card plus another back up card such as my home bank card, and store it in a different place just in case one gets lost/stolen. This means I always have access to money. And I always have cash on me too just in case. You can get both a digital and physical card with Wise. It's great for receiving international transfers also. I really like the transparency with the fees when doing transactions/conversions. I would have been lost without my wise card with moving overseas and travelling.

Fever

Fever is a great app to find different experiences wherever you are travelling. I have only really used it in London so far, and I love it! It is a great way to find different activities to do, from concerts to live shows to boat cruises. They have a large range of experiences and ability to filter your preferences. I like using this when I want to try something different. It's also good at showing you what days/times are cheaper. I saw a cool comedy show on the Thames that was 3 hours for only £10 one day. Good score I thought !

Todays tix

Again I have only used this in London, but see it can be used in other cities. They offer theatre and cultural events. This is a great way to find discounted shows! I hadn't been to a theatre show before and was blown away when I saw my first show in London. I highly recommend it if you are in London and haven't been before!

Google maps - pre download destination

I pre download the area I am travelling to on google maps, before I travel there. This means I can navigate the destination without any data. This is great if you don't have data or the reception is unreliable, which happens more often than I thought in cities. It enables you to still navigate your way around. I would be lost without google maps on my trips. It does take up some storage on your phone. I just delete it when I come back to make room for the next trip!

City mapper

City mapper is my go to for the fastest or cheapest way to catch public transport. It saves me so much time and helps navigating a new city so easy. People told me navigating London transport was going to be a nightmare to start with. City mapper made navigating cities a breeze, which is pretty incredible coming from a country bumpkin like me.

Google translate

Google translate is very handy for translating when talking to someone in a foreign language, but also for taking pictures of things to translate for you. I use this all the time in the supermarkets, menus at restaurants or when trying to read historical information. It is a great app to have pre downloaded for travelling. You can save the language translation so can use it offline also.

Booking Accommodation

Hostel world

Is great to find cheaper/better suited hostels by having lots of different options on one site. You can easily filter with your preferences to save time when searching.

Airbnb

I was surprised when it was often cheaper to book an Airbnb (even when travelling with 2 or 3 of us) than booking a hostel. So I always compare prices of hostels to Airbnb now. Because if I can get my own private room when travelling with my friends, and it be even cheaper than sharing a room in a hostel, I don't want to be missing that travel opportunity! Also it feels more like a local experience when you stay in a house when travelling. It's a win win really!

I hope you found some of these tips helpful. More will be shared when I discover them!

Hope you have a great day and thank you for being here :)