Today’s guest post comes from Lisa Shoreland. Lisa is currently a resident blogger at Go college, where she blogs about student life. She’s an avid traveler, having studied abroad in Italy and Vietnam and perfecting the art of being a frugal tourist. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing and hogging her boyfriend’s PlayStation 3. To keep her sanity, she enjoys practicing martial arts and bringing home abandon animals.
Traveling to Europe on a Budget — It Can Be Done!
Traveling to foreign countries and immersing ourselves in unfamiliar cultures often makes for delightful stories we never stop telling until we’re too old to remember them. In this economy, however, it’s hard to consider traveling anywhere, nevermind affording a plane flight. Once you make it over, though, there are small, well-planned decisions you can make to keep the spending at a low without compromising any of the fun that comes from a Eurotrip.
Before You Go:
- Plan, plan, plan. Where are you staying? What sites are on your bucket list? How do you plan to get there? What restaurants are cheapest in the area? While you don’t want to stick to your plan entirely once you’re there (some of the best adventures happen when you accidentally leave your map in the hostel room), planning ahead can help you save lots of money. If you don’t have a hostel in mind when you get to a city, you can end up settling for higher prices than if you’d planned ahead.
- Pack light — really light. Bring more shirts than pants and fewer shirts than you think you’ll need. Bring lots of underwear and socks and a single pair of good, versatile, and comfortable shoes. Although most international flights allow you one free checked bag, it’s a good idea to do so only on your way home (as you’ll probably be bringing back some souvenirs). You don’t want to cart around a heavy pack on any trains or through crowds. The more you look like a tourist, the bigger a target you’ll be for scammers, pickpockets, and worse.
- Plan, also, to go in the off-season, like autumn or spring. Although winter can have some of the lowest prices, some sites may be closed off and many establishments in smaller towns will be shut down. Plus, you’ll have to pack more for the cold.
- Choose countries with favorable exchange rates; check ahead with XE.com.
- If you’re trying to stay on a budget, stay at hostels. Sign up online for a Hostelling International Membership Card to gain access to over 4,000 hostels worldwide (including Europe), discounted phone calls, travel insurance, and other benefits for only $28 USD a year if you’re between 18-54.
While You’re There
- Rather than flying between cities, try taking trains, which are not only cheaper than airfare but also give you a view of the beautiful European countryside. My ride from Munich, Germany, to Bolzano, Italy, offered some spectacular sights — even a well-timed rainbow behind a mountaintop German castle!
- If you’re staying within one city or region, consider renting bicycles. They’ll be easier on your wallet than a car and easier on your feet than walking. You’ll get to see more in a day, too.
- If you’re going to be around for about three weeks and want to get farther than where a bike can take you, consider leasing a vehicle via Renault. Their short-term lease program includes a new car, full insurance coverage with no deductible and unlimited mileage, and is not subject to Value Added Tax. If you choose to lease a low-end car, it will only set you back about $56 a day, which is very competitive if you look at rental rates in Europe.
- Spend a night on the train, but make sure to get a compartment, which comprises of the only guaranteed seats on many overnight trains. I thought I had a seat on my ride from Rome to Naples, but I ended up sleeping on my backpack in the hall outside the compartments, squished between two Italian Army guys who insisted on cappuccinos the morning after (I insisted I was married).
- For food, try cooking on your own if your hostel has a kitchen. If you find yourself in the company of other travelers with whom you seem to get along, don’t be shy about asking if they want to pitch in on a group meal. Be sure to splurge once in a while, though — eating one meal a day (breakfasts and lunches tend to be cheaper) in a local family establishment should save you enough money without making you miss out on the flavors of a region.
- Don’t order drinks with your meal if you do go out (unless you’re willing to pay exorbitant prices). I found that even water costs money in Italy.
- Bargain at markets. Be brutal (with numbers, not manners); the vendors will be. Be sure, however, to carry small bills, since giving out larger bills after demanding for smaller numbers will get you a nasty look or two.
Even if you don’t cross off everything on your to-do list, remember this: you’re in Europe. Relish it, every minute of it. Find joy in the small things, like sunset over the canals of Venice or a good conversation among fellow hostellers.
Nice post! Europe can be done comfortably on a budget, even countries like Britain that have a reputation for being expensive. Plan in advance, be smart and you can have a great time travelling around Europe on a budget.
The Blighty Traveller recently posted..Merry Christmas To All The Blighty Travellers
Even more than a hosteling membership, I would recommend (if you can qualify) an ISIC Student ID card. There are lots of places in Europe that offer student discounts. Having the ISIC card means less fighting that your beat up college id swipe-card is valid id in Europe. Also look for the ISIC logo places.
The other thing about the HI membership is that sometimes even with the membership, they are not the cheapest in town. There are lots of independent hostels in Europe.
Trains are good. Eurorail passes will come up in any research about train passes. They CAN be good, but research all of your point to point passes too. You may get ahead just buying tickets. Especially if you can plan ahead a few days and see if there are any deals. Especially in Germany if you are traveling short distances or in groups, there are “Lander” (Individual State) and “Schöneswochende” (Nice Weekend) tickets that can be gotten for up to 5 people taking the “slow” regional trains.
Andrew recently posted..Elephants Need Trees
Thanks for the extra tips, Andrew!
I’m all for traveling frugally, but I think it’s important to save enough so that you can actually ENJOY yourself while you’re there. What’s the fun in visiting France and never having a glass of wine (often cheaper than water, by the way)? Or going to Italy and not stuffing yourself silly with spaghetti and gelato? I hate it when I see travelers eating the same cheap food from a grocery store that they could be eating at home–part of traveling is enjoying the local culture, and sometimes that means spending a bit of money!
Lots of great tips, though–it’s very possible to do Europe on a budget, as long as you realize it’s never going to be as cheap as the third world.
Christine recently posted..Postcard from Montmartre
Really good point, Christine, about making sure to take enough money for a few splurges here and there. A lot of that just comes down to the planning, though. You can do cheap and free activities and stay mostly in hostels, but maybe splurge on food or one night in a nice hotel or a more expensive tour. That’s how I like to travel — budget-concious, but not completely budget-limited. If that makes sense.
And you’re right — Europe is never going to be as cheap as, say, Thailand. But it shouldn’t be counted out just because it’s more expensive, either!
Nice tips! I definitely agree on getting an international student card if you are a student. There are discounts to be had all over the place with that card. Museums may also have free admission days so check which days and plan to go on that day instead of paying the fee.
Yup, apparently countries all over the world recognize that being a student usually means you are poor. Haha.
Some good tips. Did that rainbow cost you extra?
1Dad1Kid recently posted..Two Winter Solstices in 2010
Agree with all of the above. By the way, I don’t mind traveling in the winter which is what I’m doing at this very moment.. it has its disadvantages, but it’s also when the places are most touristless, and sometimes you can have some locations entirely or almost entirely to yourself – it’s fantastic.
Ira recently posted..Day 2-3- Second day in Milan- Italy arrival in Cologne- Germany
There are definitely advantages to traveling in the off-season, Ira. I don’t mind it, either, especially since most places wouldn’t have winters any worse than Ohio! (Unless I was going to like Russia or something… then that would probably be worse.)
Fabulous post…..Europe is an amazing continent to visit….I love this continent because of its diverseness abd beautiful destinations…Thanks for sharing how to travel Europe in a budget…
These are some great tips! I think the most important one I get out of budget lists is opting to bike through a city as opposed to cabbing around in it-not only is it less expensive, but you actually get to SMELL your surroundings and pick your own route! Drinks, as well, are a real killer. Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to kick the habit-some are just too delicious to pass up (but I’m learning!)
I also found these tips helpful in keeping spending to a minimum when traveling in the notoriously expensive cities of New York and London: http://diary.thepurplepassport.com/london/other-london-cities/luxury-travel-for-less-in-new-york-and-london. I guess the bike tip is universal!
Biking is definitely a great idea, especially in bigger cities where you really CAN bike everywhere you want to go. It’s really a win-win-win situation – you save money, can choose your own route, and you even help save the environment a little!
Traveling to Europe can be cheap if you know hot to save money. Avoid buying unnecessary things, going out for meals, beers, and the like. When we’re abroad we usually take with us Visa which can be used worldwide. However, we don’t like the idea of having a huge debt when we’re back. That’s why we try to save as much as possible. So we usually try to book travel tours that are really cheap and allow to discover the “must-see” places of a country in a few days and for the same price. Also, we make reservations in advance and get some hotel deals where you can surely get rooms at low cost and with great discounts. Hope my experience can be useful for any of you!
I been around europe for two months, just traveling and knowing people and places. and must say that I have been having meals outsides, and its not so expensive, Just do not go to very posh resturants. But still you can have a good meal for “normal” cash. I would recomend to try out the local food while you are visiting. Some food is so extraordinary and delicious that it would be shame not to try it. For exsample, in Ljubljana, Slovenia (near to Italy) I have a amazing meal with desert called “gibnica” – very local thing. It was haven.
Tina recently posted..Remote beauty that inspires