International Vacations, Inc. is owned and operated by John Przywara, former founder and president of D-FW Tours. The company is creating new employment opportunities in the travel industry with the pledge to never outsource those jobs to other countries.

PERENNIAL PLOYS FOR SAVING $ IN EUROPE

Do your homework first. Have a clear idea of where you want to go, what you want to do and how much it will cost to avoid wasting time and money during the trip. Tourist offices and web sites often yield money-savers like free museum days, city tourist cards with freebies and discounts on tourist sites, transport, restaurants, etc.

Fly open jaws, i.e., into one city and out of another so you don’t have to return to a roundtrip gateway for the flight home. For intra-European trips, weigh the pros and cons of travel by rental car, budget airline and train. Go to www.eurail.com to see if a Eurail Pass might be a good choice for your itinerary.

Use credit cards for purchases, ATMs for currency. Check your card’s policies with regard to foreign conversion commissions, or go to www.bankrate.com where card fees are posted. ATMs are widely available in Europe, usually with English-language instructions and withdrawals dispensed in local currency. Cut down on fees by making infrequent, large withdrawals.

Try alternative lodgings. Hotels are so 20th century; now apartments and villas are all the rage, as well as hostels and even camping. Apartments and villas can cut down the per person/per night lodging budget considerably, and cooking your own food cuts food costs down to grocery bill size.

Hostels are no longer the sole province of the young and the fearless. Perfectly solvent seniors and other adults are taking advantage of basic but budget-saving hostels, to spend more freely on shopping and dining, for example. You can even book online at sites like www.hostels.com.

Who knew that camping in Europe doesn’t have to mean roughing it in the woods? Most cities have strategically located campgrounds, equipped with laundry facilities, mini-markets, cafes, bars and restaurants. Cheap, and you’ll get to know Europeans and other travelers, making you that much more a traveler and less a tourist. Check it out at www.karmabum.com.

Dine at tavernas, pubs, bistros, tascas and trattorias—eat at neighborhood restaurants patronized by local citizens, for the best food of the region at the most reasonable prices. Avoid over tipping; a service charge is usually factored into the bill. Avoid hotel breakfasts unless it’s included in the room rate.

Seek out free concerts in churches rather than high-ticket concert halls. Check local listings for art gallery openings, where you can check out the contemporary art scene and mingle with arty Europeans while filling up on free wine and nibbles.

Finally, walk or use public transportation while sightseeing. For airport transfers, most cities have affordable fast train service. And don’t forget as you’re leaving that VAT refunds are available on most purchases (www.globalrefund.com).

SAMPLER OF FREE AND INEXPENSIVE THINGS TO DO IN EUROPE

Austria

Austrian Airlines guests can use their boarding card to enjoy massively reduced or free entrance to Viennese attractions and cultural institutions like the Kunsthistoriches Museum, Leopold Museum, Mozarthaus Wien, the U4 Discotheque and more. They’ve also added free entry to the Wine Museum Burgenland. For details, log onto www.aua.com and click on “All about the flight.”

Croatia

Staying in private accommodation along the Croatian coast affords excellent value for money in rooms or apartments, which can be a great deal for families and small groups. Many families along the coast have been welcoming guests for decades and offer home cooking and special private excursions. Also available are self-catering authentic accommodations like stone houses and farmhouses. Check out sites like www.adriagate.com for more information.

Great Britain

Admission to more than 250 National Museums and Galleries in Britain is free. From the Picassos in London’s National Gallery to the Elton John suit in Scotland’s Royal Museum, the national museum system is easily the best deal in Britain.

The Great British Heritage Pass enables visitors to explore Britain’s historic sites with unlimited entry to nearly 600 castles, stately homes and gardens in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The pass is available for four, seven, fifthteen and thirty days, provides exceptional savings and can be purchased online at www.visitbritain.com/onlineshop.

Finland

Helsinki Card Perks—In addition to familiar sights such as the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, the Olympic Stadium, Linnanmäki Amusement Park and Helsinki Zoo the card offers free entry to most museums, complimentary use of the city’s trams, shopping discounts and more (www.helsinkiexpert.fi).

Finnish Sauna—Sauna is revered by every Finn. In Helsinki, most hotels have a sauna, but for public saunas try the wood-heated Kotiharjun sauna, the Finnish Sauna Society or Café Tin Tin (where you can also dine). Rates are usually under €15.

France

Budget-minded travelers leave big cities behind for rural areas where costs are lower. In the French countryside, affordable accommodations that also offer authentic regional heritage are found in the Logis de France (www.logisdefrance.com). With more than 3,000 independent establishments, they combine modern facilities in authentic settings with regionally inspired cuisine prepared from fresh, local produce. Prices include breakfast, and the half-board option allows an additional choice of lunch or dinner. The site organizes properties by activity themes and a recent spa search turned up a three day/two-night stay in the Pyrénées with half-board and daily spa treatments at €172 per person.

The Gîtes de France (www.gites-de-france.com) are a collection of low-cost self-catering rural house rental properties, bed and breakfasts, campsites and chalet villages. France’s largest guesthouse network, the Gîtes de France is a leading force in sustainable development for rural tourism.

Germany

Budget minded families should consider Bavaria for an affordable vacation with medieval castles, small towns and unspoiled natural beauty. The regions of Gamisch-Partenkirchen, Chiemsee, Ruhpolding and Berchtesgaden offer special family packages that include free entrance to the region’s greatest attractions. Family-friendly and great-value hotels are plentiful and offer special deals as low as €35 per night per person (www.berchtesgadener-land.com, www.ruhpolding.de, www.garmisch-partenkirchen.de).

Holland

The Amsterdam Card provides free public transportation, free entrance to most major attractions, a free canal ride and many discounts. See www.iamsterdamcard.com. Amsterdam is one of the less expensive capital cities in Europe. In Amsterdam you can get a lot for your money and sometimes for no money whatsoever! Consider these well-kept secrets:

• The Schuttersgallerij (Civic Guards Gallery): paintings on the street

• Begijnhof: peaceful medieval haven in the center of a cosmopolitan city

• ‘Spanish riding school’ in the Dutch Stables

• Rijksmuseum garden, with its curious architectural collection

• Free performances in the Vondelpark in summer

Hungary

The Hungary Card is a veritable tourism gold mine, giving huge discounts not only on transportation by land and water, museum entrance fees, restaurants and accommodations, but also on baths, spas and entertainment (www.hungarycard.hu).

Iceland

Shopping in Iceland is a real deal with easy VAT (or value added tax) recovery. Minimum purchase amount is only $65, with the tax refundable by credit card adjustment. Instant refunds are available when shopping at Smaralind Mall in Reykjavik as well as at all shops at Keflavik Airport. There is no tipping or tax on restaurant bills and most restaurants in Reykjavik happily offer seconds (www.icelandtouristboard.com).

Italy

Your secret weapon against high hotel prices in Italy is www.rentalo.com, an online directory of apartments and villas that makes it possible for couples, groups of friends and even large families to afford Italy. Rome apartments for $133 a night, Venice villas for $435 a night, a Tuscany farmhouse for $110 a night or an Umbria castle apartment for $144 a night—they’re all there, complete with all the fantasy views, historic charm and modern comforts you could desire.

Monaco

The quest for the best vacation bargain to the Principality of Monaco—at discounts of as much as 50%—begins with a bid and a click. The Monaco Government Tourist Office and Le Club Diamant Rouge’s www.MonacoAuction.com is the premiere online auction marketplace for luxury travel within the Principality. MonacoAuction.com creates US$ guaranteed packages for a fraction of the retail cost, most including service fees and taxes. These best-in-class deals often include VIP invitations, front row seats and round-trip air plus the exceptional benefits of Le Club Diamant Rouge (www.clubdiamantrouge.com) such as complimentary helicopter transfer to or from Nice Airport and free entry to Monaco’s Casino, museums and other attractions.

Portugal

Still undiscovered by mainstream tourists, Portugal is one Europe’s biggest bargains. The 65-year-old network of Portuguese pousadas, ranging from 18th-century manor houses to former convents, monasteries, castles and palaces, offers economical lodgings as well as immersion in Portugal’s cultural heritage. Significant savings over regular rates are built into the Pousada Passport offering four-night vouchers and car rental packages. Last-minute deals and Golden Age discounts for travelers over 55 are also available at www.pousadasofportugal.com/passport.html.

Slovenia

With the Ljubljana Tourist Card you can experience the sights and tastes and enjoy many special offers and privileges. Priced at €12.52 for three days (72 hours), the card includes: free travel on all city buses, admittance to museums and galleries and a city guidebook. Save up to 35% on accommodation (hotels, hostels), taxi and car rentals, guided city tours, city events, souvenirs, restaurants, bars and selected boutiques (www.ljubljana-tourism.si).

Sweden

Here’s a great deal: The Stockholm à la Carte hotel package offers bed, breakfast and the Stockholm à la Carte card with unlimited free transportation on buses, subway and commuter trains, seven free boat tours, free admission at 60 sights and attractions, a 156-page guidebook and more. Included with every reservation at no cost, the card is valid during the entire stay (www.destination-stockholm.com). Here’s a great secret: Malaysia Airlines flies Newark- Stockholm three times a week, with some truly amazing fares (www.MalaysiaAirlines.com).

Switzerland

One of the best deals in Switzerland is the SWISS Railway Pass, which gives free entry to about 400 museums and exhibitions and free travel to children under 15. Rail passes are valid on some outstanding but expensive private mountain railways like the Glacier Express and on lake steamers. In addition, pass holders get a 50% discount on the famous Jungfrau Railway and also on many mountain cable cars up the Schilthorn, Pilatus, Gornergrat or Klein Matterhorn, for example. There are more than 200 Swiss Budget Hotels, offering authentic, homey hospitality—traditional Switzerland at its very best (www.rooms.ch).

Turkey

One of the most magical experiences is surely a “Blue Cruise” exploring Turkey’s unspoiled coastline. Designed like traditional Aegean sailing boats, Turkish gulets provide comfortable accommodations, superb meals and personal service at surprisingly affordable rates, either as a cabin charter or private charter for friends or families. An idyllic mix of sun, sea, history and hikes, they are unforgettable interludes of relaxation, swimming and daily sailings to new adventures on clear blue waters. Sites typically include the private beach of Cleopatra, Mount Olympos and the remains of thousands of ancient civilizations. From some of the sheltered bays, mountain peaks are visible almost 10,000 feet above sea level. Private crewed yacht charters start at about $400 per day, a good value when divided among six or more guests. Standards are generally very high with a three-man crew consisting of captain, cook and sailor, who are also quite knowledgeable about locales on the itinerary. For more information, visit www.yachtingturkey.com.

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