Before you pack # How to travel around in Europe on a budget!

in #travel6 years ago (edited)

Traveling can get very expensive if you're not careful. Sometimes people ask me how I do it, where I got the money from or if I won the lottery. However, I am just a regular guy with an average pay. It's just that I travel as cheap as possible. This summer I made it to Düsseldorf, Cologne, Paris, Barcelona, Pals, Rome, Florence, Siena, Milan, Ghent and Bruges. All these cities aren't known to be cheap like eastern Europe.

The major travel expenses can be categorized in 3 categories. Transportation, accommodation and food. So before you pack, these are my best tips on how to get around in Europe on a budget!

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1. Transportation

This section is about getting to your destinations and not in-city transportation (public transport, taxi, uber, ...)

Take the bus

Forget about the train! From my experience, traveling by bus is usually cheaper for longer distances inside the same country or going to a neighboring country. I'm sure there are exceptions where the train is actually cheaper, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

If you're following @liflorence you might have seen her trip by train in Switzerland. This train-trip allows you to get off at as many stops as you want. You can step back on the train on a later time at no extra cost. This allows you to explore way more cities. Sometimes the train can be more worth it.

A great website to check for bus prices is https://busbud.com. It compares prices from multiple bus companies, lets you easily book them and has an amazing trip-management feature. I have booked a night-bus from Rome to Milan before for only €20! You also save on accommodation, since you'll be sleeping on the bus. A trip from Brussels to Frankfurt will cost you about the same.

No return flights

Don't just settle with the return flight option you see while booking. It can be a lot cheaper to take your return flight in an other city or even a neighboring country! On my trip to Italy a return trip to Rome would've cost me €150. The flight to Rome was only €40 with Ryanair, it was the return-trip that was expensive! I didn't settle with this and started looking at alternatives. I found out that a flight from Milan to Brussels was only €35 and a night bus to Milan was only €20. Not only was the transportation cheaper, but I also saved on accommodation and I got to explore an extra city!

An amazing website to get the cheapest flight is https://skyscanner.net. Another website that's worth visiting is https://eu.paperflies.com. Please note that this website only looks at flights from Belgium or the Netherlands.

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Blablacar

Blablacar is a trusted carpooling app. It's as European as it can get. When you're driving between major cities inside Europe, you can rent out your empty car seats. It's really easy to do and the prices are pretty cheap. It's a good way for commuters to get something back for their gas, but you can't make a living out of it. This is what makes this service traveler-friendly, specially when you're on a budget. The prices are around the same as busbud, but you enjoy the comfort of a car. I haven't used this service yet, but I have met a couple of people that do. They have always been pleased with this service. https://www.blablacar.com.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking in Europe can be very fun, but also very challenging. Good thing it is free. I have hitchhiked before in Belgium, Norway and Spain. I have also picked up 2 hitchhikers in Belgium. My experience with hitchhiking has always been very good. The toughest one was in Spain. It took a very long time for a car to pull on the side. But we got greeted by a very nice lady. There will always be this horror story you hear about hitchhiking. But I have never encountered something weird and my experience has always been pleasant. This website offers outstanding information about hitchhiking http://hitchwiki.org/en/Europe.


2. Accommodation

Accommodation has arguably the biggest influence on your travel budget. Choosing your places to stay wisely can make a big difference. In return, you can stay longer or have money left for something extreme like paragliding or an off-road adventure.

Stay in hostels

Hostels are fun and cheap. It's easy to meet other travelers and you will definitely have a good time. The only downside is that you'll sleep in dorms - shared rooms with bunk beds. I have never had any troubles with sharing a room with 7 other people, but I can totally understand that it's not for everyone. When you're traveling solo, I would totally give it a go. It's very popular in Europe and it's an amazing experience. I always book my hostels on https://www.hostelworld.com.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing started out as a way to help travelers find a place to stay for free. It allows you to host other travelers in your house and you can find a host while traveling. Today, couchsurfing is way more than that. It’s a social platform. A year ago, couchsurfing introduced ‘hangout’. ‘Hangout’ allows you to meet up with other travelers in your area without having to stay at their place. It’s also possible to create and attend events. These events are filled with travelers. Couchsurfing hangouts and events are remarkably fun and you meet all these amazing people.

I have used couchsurfing before to meet up with travelers, locals and attend events. It's an amazing experience and it's very popular in Europe. I haven't stayed over before. But I did meet people that do and they always had an amazing experience. https://www.couchsurfing.com/

Camping

There are a ton of camping grounds in Europe. Most of them are paid, but they have a shop, showers, toilets, kitchen and you can even wash your clothes. In some countries it is allowed to go wild-camping, like in Norway. I have been on a camping trip in Norway before (incl. wild-camping) and it was an amazing experience. I have found an interesting site with all camping grounds, but I have never used it before. https://en.camping.info/campsites.


3. Food

We all have to eat right. The prices of food in touristic places can have a huge negative impact on your budget. Following these tips can help you maximize your travel budget.

Eat like a local

Move yourself and get out of that tourist trap. Most touristic places are way overpriced. It's best to get a bit outside of the center in a more local area. Find an area with no tourists and a restaurant where only locals are dining. These places are usually the best and cheap. It's also an amazing experience to be surrounded by locals and see the real culture.

Buy from the grocery store/local market

Going out eating is always way more expensive than just buying something from the grocery store or a local market. There's tons of food that is just ready to eat, like fruit. You can also buy some bread and some sandwich spread. If you do it right, it's also a lot more healthy than dining.

Cook your own food

Rather have a warm meal? Why not spend a little of your time and cook. You will save a ton of money doing this. Hostels and camping grounds usually have a cooking area so you can prepare your food. It's a bit harder when you stay in a hotel. Not all hotel rooms have a cooking area. Cooking can be very fun and sharing your leftovers with a fellow-traveler is much appreciated. I stayed in a hostel in Barcelona that offered free dinner three times a week. It was an amazing bonding experience. You get to talk to everyone and just end up going out or tour the city.


Thank you for reading! I hope this post was very helpful and I love to see you below in the comments :)


More of my before you pack series
Ghent, Belgium
https://steemit.com/travel/@beforeyoupack/before-you-pack-ghent-belgium-5-things-you-should-do-while-visiting-ghent

Florence (Firenze), Italy
https://steemit.com/travel/@beforeyoupack/before-you-pack-florence-italy-5-things-you-should-do-while-visitng-florence-firenze

Rome, Italy
https://steemit.com/travel/@beforeyoupack/before-you-pack-rome-5-things-you-should-do-while-visiting-rome

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Great post and some good advises, thank you!

Thank you :) Glad you liked it.

nice post- i vote for camping every time lol

This is great man I feel so identified with this post :D

Thank you for stopping by. Did you manage to find a ride in Spain?

Thanks for the tips! I would be trying the bus next time in europe..

You're welcome :)

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