Top Ten Tips for Traveling Smart in Europe

1. Fly "open-jaw" (into one city and out of another): Save time and money by avoiding a costly return to your starting point. Try to start your itinerary in "mild" countries and work into the places with greater culture shock  to minimize stress.
2.Plan everything: If you want to keep your costs down while traveling in Europe, leave nothing to chance. Build an itinerary to follow, noting how many nights you plan to stay in each place. This schedule will help you book your travel arrangements and accommodations in advance. Develop your itinerary carefully, however, as once it is in place, you will need to stick to it to keep your costs low. 
3. Use ATMs rather than travelers checks: You will get your cash cheaper and faster using an ATM. Just keep in mind that while ATMs give the best possible rates, they do come with transaction fees.
4. Shop cheap and interesting: Do most of your shopping and gift buying in the cheaper countries where gifts are more interesting and your shopping dollar stretches the farthest.
5. Consider driving as a group: Four people sharing a car travel cheaper than four individuals buying four railpasses. Even at $6 a gallon, cars get great mileage and distances between sights are short. A single two-hour train ticket can cost you the price of a full tank of gas.
6. Pay with local cash: While credit cards get you a good exchange rate, many places offering Europe's best deals from craft shops to bed and breakfasts  accept only cash.
7. Explore no-frills flights: Europe's highly competitive no-frills airlines can get you from one city to another faster and cheaper than the train. You generally book the flights yourself by phone or Web.
8. Don't over-tip: Only Americans tip 15 to 20 percent in Europe, even tipping when it is already included or not expected. Ask locals (who are customers rather than employees of a restaurant) for advice. Generally, 5 to 10 percent is typical if service is not included.
9. Buy museum passes: Passes save time and money. The Paris Museum pass, for example, pays for itself in four visits and saves you hours by letting you skip long lines. With a pass you can also pop painlessly into sights that might otherwise not be worth the expense.
10.Couchsurf: Couchsurfing is a website that connects travelers with locals who are willing to offer free accommodation for a day or two. It’s great site that isn’t just for young solo travelers. There are many families, couples, and older people on the site who offer rooms to travelers and many couples and families who use the site.  Free accommodation is the best kind of accommodation.