5 Apps That Will Save You Tons Of Money On Your Trip To Europe This Summer

A European summer is a bucket list adventure for many travelers, and because of that, it comes with a few caveats. The biggest one is that vacationing in Europe in the summertime can get costly. Since tourism is at its peak in destinations like the Amalfi Coast, the Greek Islands, and Portugal's beaches, hotels, flights, trains, ferries, car rentals ... you name it ... tend to be inflated in price. Not to sweat, though; there's always a way to find budget hacks, even when traveling throughout popular destinations in their busiest seasons.

The hacks you'll need for traveling throughout Europe will vary from destination to destination and person to person, but there are some foolproof ways to cut costs, from luxury travelers to backpackers. These include, but are not limited to, ensuring you secure the best rates on hotels or hostels, using the wisest car order apps instead of overpriced taxis (something you'll particularly want to avoid in Greece), and traveling in a way that suits your needs both personally and financially, whether that be ferry, plane, train, or bus. How can you ensure you're getting the best deals? Well, you can certainly start by downloading these five free apps before your next European trip.

For one of the best apps on the market when traveling anytime of the year, Booking.com gets our vote. This one-stop-shop for all things travel is a convenient way to book hotels, car rentals, airport transfers, and even attractions or tour activities. Booking.com is especially ideal for those who want to embark on a road trip, which is particularly useful in off-the-beaten path destinations like Cyprus and Sardinia, thanks to its competitive car rental rates and flexible price match guarantee.

Speaking of competitive rates, Booking.com offers great perks for loyal users through its Genius Loyalty Program. The Genius Loyalty Program is full of exclusive perks, from discounted room rates to complimentary breakfast and room upgrades. Booking.com is also convenient for those traveling with particular needs. For example, there is a pet-friendly filter to ensure you can bring your pup along, and if you're a party of one traveling, Booking.com will show data on how much other likeminded solo travelers enjoyed particular hotel properties.

There are some apps that are foolish to not travel with, and then there are some apps that should be downright required when traveling through Europe, especially in busier months. Eurail is at the top of that list. Europe is widely praised for its efficient train travel, where traveling between countries is sometimes only a two hour jaunt, However, not knowing when to buy train tickets to get the best deal can effect how much you pay. A surefire way to guarantee taking full advantage of country- and city-hopping — and saving on dynamic pricing in the meantime — is by purchasing a Eurail pass prior to travel. You can then use the app to book your preferred trains, even at the last minute (though, note, during high season, it's highly recommended to reserve your preferred train ahead of time).

Eurail offers two different pass options: one for those who plan to travel to more than one country, promptly called the Eurail Global Pass, and one for those who prefer to stay within one nation, called the Eurail One Country Pass. For those who opt for the global pass, note that Eurail is available in 33 countries throughout the European continent, from popular nations like Italy and France to lesser-explored Latvia and Serbia.

If you don't plan to rent a car, are nervous about taking public transit, or simply just want the comfort of having someone else drive for you, Bolt is a must when traveling throughout Europe. Think of Bolt as the Uber of Europe, and while, yes, Uber does work in many places in Europe (particularly Western Europe), Bolt is the go-to car-order app of choice for ensuring you get the best deals on the continent. On the app, you can see the make and license of the car so you can ensure you're getting in the right vehicle, along with the estimated time of arrival for both pick-up and drop-off. 

Far beyond just ordering a car to get to the pub or back to your hotel, Bolt also offers users to rent a Bolt scooter. You simply find a location to "unlock" your reserved scooter, and you can explore whichever European city you're in at your own pace. While you likely want to dine out for most of your meals when traveling, if you find yourself wanting a night in, Bolt also offers food and grocery delivery.

Whether it's planes, trains, or automobiles, determining how to get from Point A to Point B in Europe often comes with several options. If you need a quick way to compare all of them (for both price and convenience), then Omio has got you covered. What's especially great about Omio is its inclusion of ferry services, which is helpful when seeking out some of the best under-the-radar beaches in Europe.

How it works is, you simply enter your destination of departure with your destination of arrival, similar to how you would if you were booking a flight or a train. Then, Omio will give you a list of all of the viable ways to travel between those two destinations, along with the price and time. These options often include train, flight, bus, and ferry options. This is especially ideal for those who care about their carbon footprint and want to consider a different way to travel other than flying, should their schedules allow them to do so.

Perhaps most importantly, you won't really understand if you're saving money if you don't have an accurate grasp on the currency exchange rate between your home country and where you're visiting. If you're headed to Europe this summer, you'll likely need to convert euros. But you also might find yourself dealing with British pounds, Swiss francs, or maybe even Hungarian forints or Polish złotys. Regardless of what it is, you'll need a reliable app to ensure you're getting a fair exchange rate and not getting ripped off. With so many currency conversion apps out there, XE Currency Converter is frequently regarded as one of the best. So much so, that we even put it to the test and determined it was our favorite.

Not only does XE Currency Converter act as a quick calculator for up-to-date conversion rates, but it provides charts so you can keep track of currency values and trends while traveling. XE Currency Converter also offers the option to send and transfer money to over 200 countries in 100 different currencies.