Europe on a budget, I've got your back! Use this tips to make Europe a pocket friendly continent!

Hi Steemians, I regularly see people calling Europe an expensive continent for visitors and without a doubt it is, but, is it really that expensive if you're willing to get out of your comfort zone?

Since I am a budget traveler {Not by choice, LOL} and have traveled Europe several times on a shoestring budget comfortably, I am sharing some tips which might help fellow travelers!

Okay! So what is the biggest expense whenever you travel to any country in Europe?
Accommodation right? Now, look at these 3 images, which one you do like the most?

All these images are from different accommodations in Paris, but what was the cost of them?
1st - 60 Euros - A hotel
2nd - 20 Euros - An Airbnb
3rd - Free - Couchsurfing

Who doesn't know about couchsurfing or Airbnb? but people refrain from using it thinking they will surely get a room full of bugs or the host will rape them. I don't hink so.
And guess where I got free dinner and a big smile? in the AIrbnb
And guess where I got a free tour guide/friend/and lifetime free accommodation in Paris? in couchsurfing
And guess who didn't give me free breakfast although the charges were included in the rate? The hotel {I was a little late for breakfast}
I am not saying Airbnb and couchsurfing is the best way to travel but my wallet sure does! And anyway when I am traveling I do not spend more than 7 hours in the accommodation be it a 5-star hotel or a free couch. If I had interest in staying at luxurious hotels I would do that in Indonesia or Thailand. I am not saying hotels are bad, they're great, book them if you can't leave your comfort zone, but if you can just CONSIDER the alternatives.

Let's come to the next big expense, Food!

If you go inside a fancy restaurant in Europe, you will probably spend more than what you're paying for your accommodation. Is it worth it? Yes, that's what my tounge says, but somehow my wallet doesn't agree!

I generally stay at Airbnb/hostels or I couchsurf, as they let me use their kitchens if I wanted to cook a meal but hotels have no kitchens, that's why I hate them more. I also try to pack some food from my home when I travel to save some money at the beginning but it doesn't last more. For long trips, I can not afford to eat in restaurants so I buy stuff from supermarkets and try to make at least one meal a day for me and my hosts and for the rest of the meals I rely on delicious street food or extremely budget-friendly restaurants suggested by locals {Do you really think locals eat at those touristy and overpriced restaurants? No, they've got hidden gems, which Google can't find for you}. However, I splurge a little everywhere to try the most famous dishes at the famous restaurants.

Up next is transportation inside the city for sightseeing,

If you ask me what is the one thing that you haven't done in Europe which most tourists do, I will say "being in a taxi". I've never been in a taxi in Europe. Let alone hopping from one attraction to another in a taxi, I don't even take taxis from airports. All the European cities have great public transport and I use them like a local {Thanks to google maps}. Even cheaper would be buying transportation passes for the duration of your trip, it really makes sense {A one-way public transport in Prague costs around a euro but a 1-day pass is 5 euros, a one-way metro ride costs 1.80 euros in Paris while a 1-day pass is around 11 euros ).

The last big expense, how do I travel from one city {or a country} to another inside Europe?

Hmmmmm, this is good and fast and comfortable and convinient BUT, it's not budget friendly
And this takes me to most nearby cities in 10 Euros
From my experience buses are cheapest in Europe, check out megabus, flixbus, eurolines, polskibus, ecolines. I compare all the modes of transportation on www.goeuro.com and book the cheapest. Trains are sometimes even more expensive than flights in Europe, book what suits your budget. Blabla car is a bliss, try it if you haven't already.

So this is it, the suspense behind my really cheap Euro trips. It's not rocket science but people generally do not believe when I tell them I travel a month in Europe at less than 30 Euros/ day!
What do you think, share your thoughts!