Most travelers are keen to mingle with locals while taking in the sights. Do both and save money by hiking along the fjords and fjells of Scandinavia and/or the soaring majesty of the Alps.

Don't like the idea of lugging your gear over the mountains? No worries. Join one of the following hiking clubs that maintain hut-to-hut hiking trails and get discounts on accommodations. This lets you can pack light and spend each night in the company of local hiking enthusiasts:

• www.aacuk.org.uk (Austria),
• www.ffcam.fr (France),
• www.dav-huettensuche.de (Germany),
  
• http://www.cai.it/index.php?id=1&L=1 (Italy),
  
• http://turistforeningen.no/english/ (Norway),
  
• http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.se/en/About-Us/ (Sweden),
• http://www.sac-cas.ch/index.php?id=1&L=3 (Switzerland).