🎶 Gig tripping! Money-saving travel tips if you're off to see Taylor Swift's tour this summer

Travelling for a gig can be both -- super exciting and stressful at the same time. We're here to help.

There's currently a trend where people are buying concert tickets abroad and make it more than just a concert.

We've looked at Taylor Swift's Eras tour this summer to give some more insight on where to stay on a budget and what to do for free or for little money, since you're probably spending big bucks on the tickets.

Where's she touring?

Dates & locations

Paris, France (May 9-12)

• Sleep: Try Generator Hostel where you can stay from £138 for three nights. It's got a central location and affordable price, especially if you are travelling with friends in a group.

• Insider tip: Paris can be expensive in may ways, but there are also quite a few FREE things you can do. Stroll along the Seine, many museums are free entry to see the permanent collections. Visit the famous Sacré-Cœur church for free.

Stockholm, Sweden (May 17-19)

• Sleep: Scandinavia has a reputation to be expensive. Add a special event into the mix and boom, there's your hotel prices from £300-£400 per night for a central stay. If you don't mind travelling after the concert, there are cheaper places to stay. We've focussed on central accommodation so you can enjoy the concert and not worry about getting to your bed. Feeling like a hostel -- check out Nomad Gardet (a bed in a dormitory) from 135 per night. Or, if you don't mind travelling outside of Stockholm, check out well-rated Welcome Hotel Barkaby with rooftop pool from £191 per night. Scandic hotels are a good choice if you wanted to be more central, prices start from around £230.

• Insider tip: Make sure you hop on some tubes and admire the amazing tube stations! Stop by Skinnarviksparken for an amazing panorama. Plus, bring your own drinks if you can -- food and beverages are expensive! 😅

Lisbon, Portugal (May 24-25)

• Sleep: Don't mind a hostel? Check out Castilho 63 Hostel where we've found a limited-time deal with rates from £16 per night for a bed in dorm. OR, check out this central 4-star hotel from £146.

• Insider tip: Check out the LX factory for cool independent shops and bars, head to one of the miradouros (signposted viewpoints across the city) for spectacular views at sunset. Make sure you have comfortable footwear, it’s very hilly! Look at flying into or out of Porto as it can be cheaper, and easy to get between the two places.

Madrid, Spain (May 30)

• Sleep: Try Hotel Travelodge Madrid Torrelaguna -- it's got a four out of five rating on Tripadvisor and a Traveller's Choice Award, plus a easy to reach location. We've found prices to stay there on the night of the concert from £149 per night.

• Insider tip: Make sure you visit Templo Debod, Sabatini Gardens, El Retiro park and San Miguel market when you're there. Bus number 360 is free and goes from Moncloa to Atocha.

Lyon, France (June 2-3)

• Sleep: Transport links are so good, it’s easy to get around and the city center is perfect if you like to walk, so consider staying near by the subways or tramway lines. Try the boutique-style Le Lacassagne for under £100 per night.

• Insider tip: Visit Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière and walk down through the Jardin des Curiosités.Cruise along the Saône (go on the Vaporetto, it’s a local public transport and much cheaper). Don’t miss out the traboules (mainly in Vieux Lyon) - free. Use the Velo’v to move around the city.

Edinburgh, Scotland (June 7-9)

• Sleep: There is no getting around Edinburgh’s high accommodation prices when there is an event on. If you hear whispers of a special date before the tour announcement, book a hotel with no prepayment and free cancellation options. We suggest jumping on public transport and staying elsewhere when there are no affordable options. Even getting the train to Glasgow after the gig, and staying there instead, can save you a small fortune.

• Insider tip: Book everything in advance, Edinburgh is always busy with tourists, so if you know what you want to do and where you want to eat, book it ASAP. Head to the restaurant/bar of the Mercurè Princes Street Hotel for stunning views.

Liverpool, UK (June 13-15)

• Sleep: Don't mind a hostel? A bed in a shared room costs from £35. Hotel prices on the dates of the concerts cost £200+. Or, check out this well-rated and central 4-star hotel from £193 per night.

• Insider tip: There are loads of free museums and art galleries including The Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool’s World Museum and Tate Liverpool. Head to the famous Cavern Club, which hosts music nights with £5 admission.

Cardiff, Wales (June 18)

• Sleep: Cardiff hotel prices are sky-rocketing on the night of the concert with prices of over £400 for a lot of central 3- and 4-star hotel stays. We have seen relatively central airbnb rooms for under £100. A well-rated 4-star stay can be the Mercure Cardiff Holland House with spa from £240. It's worth checking Cardiff's surroundings if you have a car. The 4-star Miskin Manor comes in at £89 per night and is a 25-minute' drive from central Cardiff.

• Insider tip: Cardiff’s nightlife resembles a trip abroad, you will be offered deals on drinks to get you to go inside the bars. There are a lot of free things you can do in Cardiff! Take a walk around Bute Park, head to the National Museum, St Fagans National Museum of History or Museum of Cardiff for free entry.

London, UK (June 21-23 & August 15-20)

• Sleep: London is so big it doesn’t affect hotel prices when there is an event, unless you try to book a hotel right on the doorstep of the venue. Transport links are so good, it’s super easy to get around, even if your hotel isn’t close by. Any of the Hub by Premier Inns are a good choice. With these, you've got many locations to choose from, reasonable prices, and they are great for female/solo travellers.

• Insider tip: Check out the Sky Garden -- free tickets are available a week in advance. Don’t pay for viewing platforms such as ‘View from the Shard’ head to the many rooftops in London for free views, including CloudM bar (in CitizenM Hotel Tower of London). Sign up to any email lists of places you want to visit, many offer discounts or cool offers for you to use in restaurants and bars. Check your phone reward scheme, you can get freebies.

Dublin, Ireland (June 28-30)

• Sleep: Central Dublin hotel prices have soared over the last few years. Especially with special events going on, it'll be hard to find a hotel bargain. Expect to pay around £200-£300 for a hotel night in central Dublin during those dates. Hostels start from around £50 for a bed in a dorm. But, if you're prepared to travel a little, half an hour from Dublin, you'd find the well-rated 4-star spa hotel, Glenroyal Hotel & Leisure Club from £182 for the night.

• Insider tip: Get the tram is good to get around -- tickets are reasonable and it's a nice way to see the city. Don't bother with the airport bus from airport, fetch a local bus and save some money.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (July 4-6)

• Sleep: Try 3-star The Bedstee Boutique Capsule Hotel. It's super central and beats similar hotels by miles when it comes to the pricing. Rooms are pod-like, some don't have windows. Prices for the concert dates start from £125 per night. If you don't mind travelling a bit further, there are plenty of options under £100 per night, especially close to the airport.

• Insider tip: Since the center of Amsterdam is quite compact, it’s easy to stroll for hours along the charming canals. Looking for a splendid view without paying an entrance fee? Pay a visit to the NEMO Science Museum, where you'll discover the so-called highest city square in the Netherlands. Right next to the central station, you'll find the blue-and-white ferries that will take you to the burgeoning neighborhood of Noord completely free of charge! Here, you can explore several museums and the NDSM, a cultural center.

Zurich, Switzerland (July 9-10)

• Sleep: If you don't mind to share a dorm, try MEININGER Hotel Zürich Greencity where a bed goes from £76 per night. Hotel prices around the city start from £200 usually. We've spotted one that beats the rest, but it's a bit further out: a room at the 4-star Hotel UTO KULM starts from £246 per night.

• Insider tip: Enjoy the beautiful Lake Zurich by hiring a pedalo (bike), which costs around £15 for an hour. Join a free walking tour to discover the city’s hidden gems. Buy a Zürich Card Bike for £30 to enjoy unlimited travel on all forms of public transport (including to/from the airport), free museum admission and bike/e-bike rental for 24 hours.

Milan, Italy (July 13-14)

• Sleep: Don't mind staying in a hostel? Check out quirky Madama Hostel & Bistro situated in a trendy area in Milan. Beds go from £58 per night per adult for the dates of the concert. More of a hotel person? Check out these cheaper-than-usual rates at the 4-star Doria Grand Hotel from £179 per night with breakfast.

• Insider tip: Visit the MUDEC (museum of art and culture) or Pirelli HangarBicocca, which both have excellent free exhibitions. For something a bit more unusual, head to San Bernardino alle Ossa Milan which is close to the Duomo cathedral and has free admission. The Duomo cathedral isn’t free to enter, but you can buy tickets online in advance for as little as six euros.

Gelsenkirchen, Germany (July 17-19)

• Sleep: Gelsenkirchen is one of those places where Taylor's concert dates have either let to hotels already being fully booked or to prices being crazy high. We've spotted hostel prices from £85, but there's not much choice out there. Hotel prices are getting cheaper outside of Gelsenkirchen. It's a densely populated area with easy public transport links to cities like Essen and Bochum. Checking nearby cities can save you a fortune on hotel costs.

• Insider tip: Take a stroll through Nordsternpark, near the South entry and near the graffiti wall there are free barbecue spaces you can use, just bring your own BBQ stuff and there's your summer eve sorted. Another free thing to do is to check out the Kunstmuseum (art museum). Not quite free, but a cool thing to do could be a visit to Alma Park, one of Europe's biggest indoor theme parks. Think paint ball, laser tag, trampolines and more. Prices start from around 15 euros.

Hamburg, Germany (July 23-24)

• Sleep: Try Generator Hamburg from £69 for a bed in a dorm if you don't mind sharing accommodation. It's located in a mega central location, so great for sightseeing before or after the concert. More of a hotel kinda person? Try Intercityhotel Hamburg-Barmbek, the 4-star hotel has reduced rates available on when checking on Trivago from £106 per night.

• Insider tip: Go for a walk through "Alter Elbtunnel" to the other side for a nice view; instead of a Hafenrundfahrt, take the normal ferry for nice sights of the harbour.

Munich, Germany (July 27-28)

• Sleep: The concert date falls on a weekend date in Munich, so hotel prices will be high. Check hotels around Ostbahnhof, that location is usually better priced than other spots in the city. We've seen Ibis rates at around £150 and there's a Moxy there, too, which you can check. If you don't mind travelling, look at Landshut for cheaper rates. There's a good public transport connection.

• Insider tip: Make sure you visit one of the beer gardens! The one behind Odeonsplatz, around the Chinese Tower is pretty, but also very touristy. Personally, we love Hirschgarten Biergarten for an authentic Munich experience. Best thing, you can bring your own food, just buy a beverage and have a picnic under the big conker trees.

Warsaw, Poland (August 1-3)

• Sleep: Hotel prices are skyrocketing at the moment for the concert dates. The hostel we wanted to recommend is already booked out. Check out this central 4-star hotel for prices from £154 for the night. You can snap up cheaper prices in apartments on bookingcom, for example, although we couldn't find reviews for most. If that doesn't bother you, we recommend having a look. Airport hotels seem pretty competitive compared to those central rates, we've seen prices from around £150. Or, check even further out with rates going from around £50.

• Insider tip: Take a walk around Warsaw Old Town, check out pretty Łazienki Park or check out the university of Warsaw Libary with a rooftop garden (free entrance) where you'll have panoramic views.

Vienna, Austria (August 8-10)

• Sleep: Citadines South Vienna is an aparthotel with good reviews and a central location. Prices start from £136 per night, which is very competitive if you compare it to accommodation options of a similar calibre.

• Insider tip: There's a lot to see for free in Vienna. If you're into architecture, check all things Hundertwasser! There's amazing parks and Schloss Schoenbrunn, plus Donauinsel is good fun in the summer! On Zentralfriedhof you can Mozart's grave! Check out Volxkino for free summer open-air cinema sessions.