How to travel cheap?

The question is: are you in a hurry to arrive or for you the way it is already part of the trip? If so, do not spread the stop or carpooling. Type the last word on a search engine. Copy and paste your ad on the first 10 sites listed and wait ... No response on day of departure, exit ... your thumb. Otherwise, cramming 5 in the car of a friend is still a good solution.

> The train has become expensive ...

Unless you Provide with the Inter-Rail ticket that allows driving at leisure for one price (indexed on the number of travel days). You are under 26? This means that you are entitled to an additional discount! Then it will cost you € 169 in at least giving you access to 5 days of unlimited travel over a period of 10 days. Involve, as a summer time, InterRail and free hosting network (see "the most economical lodging") throughout Europe and superb meetings are open to you. This ticket is however not valid in the country of origin of the holder.

To travel to France cheaply you can fall back on ticket sales and trade sites between individuals as kelbillet.com (also works for airplane tickets) and trocdestrains.com zepass.com. Remember to take the train 12/25 card that offers real reductions and allows to accumulate smiles every purchase in order to receive free tickets. Otherwise, do not forget the alternative of the bus: Prague less than 40 €, it is worth thinking about, right? (Eurolines, among others ...). However, you better have plenty of time for the journey you've usually lasts long enough (15 hours for Paris-Prague).

> And the plane?

Basic rules: the more you reserve tickets in advance, unless you pay more you wait, the less you pay! Both are true. In advance (over a month), it is when we know where we want to go, knowing that staying more than 15 days on site qualifies for a further reduction, that flights of the weekend are overtaxed and those including a weekend, sub-taxed. The longer we wait, the famous coup sold off ticket purchased at the last second. But from where? Mystery since we then do with what is proposed.

As for the "dry" flights (without accommodation), first govoyages.com that offers one of the most powerful databases, while being one of the few sites to offer flight + hotel choices to choose from. But go see bourse-des-vols.com, 1vol.fr, vivacances.fr and ebookers.fr.

Be careful with websites that charge a booking fee, you better go directly to the companies' websites to get your tickets. Finally, a word of low cost airlines. Their trick: compress expenses (meals and services goodbye, hello campaign Airfield) to display unbeatable prices on Europe ... Flat: taxes, fees, and surcharges "hidden" are often double the advertised rate. Another downside: If you must cancel, concrete medical certificate is required.

Jerome Bourgine
Vianey Lorin