Is Europe expensive to visit? JA. At the very least, the greater part of it is, especially by Southeast Asian standards. but it doesn’t mean that there are no ways to reduce travel costs.
When most people think of Europe travel, they picture full-service flights, pricey hotels, restaurant stops for every meal, and pre-arranged packaged tours. For the longest time, I used to think that way, too. but the truth is, the travel landscape has changed so much over the past few decades that generally expensive destinations like Europe can be enjoyed even by budget travelers.
Backpacking has been around for ages, but thanks to social media, more and more are becoming familiar with it. A shoe-string traveler can easily book a hostel dorm bed, prepare their own meals, join a free walking tour, and still have a full experience.
As of this writing, we have visited 28 countries in Europe. and whenever we’re backpacking across the subcontinent, we always get countless questions from our pals and followers about how we manage maximizing our stay while keeping our expenses low. We’ll try to answer all these questions. It’s going to be a pretty lengthy post, so without further ado, here we go.
WHAT’S covered IN THIS GUIDE?
BEFORE YOUR TRIP1. What countries in Europe are optimal for budget travelers?
2. When is the best time to travel to Europe?
3. how to apply for a visa?
4. Where to book low-cost flights to Europe?
WHERE TO STAY5. What are budget-friendly lodging options in Europe?
6. Which is the best: hotel, hostel or apartment (AirBnB)?
7. Where do you book low-cost hotels, hostels or apartments in Europe?
8. how do you choose where to stay in Europe?
FOOD EXPENSES9. how much is your food budget?
10. how do you keep food expenses low?
GETTING AROUND11. how to travel from one European city to another on a budget?
12. how to find low-cost flights around Europe?
13. are there activities you can enjoy for FREE?
14. Are free walking tours in Europe really free?
ALL about THE MONEY15. how do you get Euro?
17. Is it safe to exchange money in Europe?
16. Is it safe to withdraw cash from ATMs in Europe?
17. Is it better to pay cash or with a credit card?
18. Is tipping mandatory in Europe?
OTHER practical TIPS19. Internet connection in Europe
20. how much clothes do you pack when traveling to Europe?
21. beware of pickpockets!
22. beware of scams!
23. Timing is everything.
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BEFORE YOUR TRIP
1. What countries in Europe are optimal for budget travelers?
Not all countries in Europe are equal. It is incredibly diverse in terms of culture, socio-politics, and most especially, cost of living. Tourists moving from one country to another can feel it right away. Some are more expensive than others.
Nordic countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark are generally considered expensive. Switzerland, too. many in the central and eastern regions, including Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Czechia, and Poland, are very affordable. Western and southern states like France and Italy are in the middle of the price spectrum.
To give you a better grasp of it, let’s use something that many consider a reputable tool in comparing costs — McDonald’s big Mac. The world’s most expensive big Mac can be found in Switzerland, where it costs roughly US$6.70. compare that to the Ukraine, where you need to shell out only US$1.70 for the same burger. That’s almost 4x cheaper.
If you’re on a tight budget, limit your stay or try to avoid expensive countries and fill your itinerary with cheaper destinations. What I usually do when planning a long multi-country trip is to mix them all up. When I plot my route and I want to check out an expensive country, I try to balance things out by adding more pocket-friendly destinations.
2. When is the best time to travel to Europe?
So far, we have experienced traveling around Europe in summer, winter, and autumn.
Høst. For us, the most optimal time to travel is the shoulder months of September-November. The prices are not that high and it’s not as crowded, but the weather is still relatively pleasant.
Sommer. The summer months of June-August are considered high season (peak season) in most parts of Europe. because of the sunshiny skies, it is the most touristy time of the year. Hence, prices go up!
Vinter. winter is when prices significantly drop. but it can get biting cold in the northern and mountainous parts of the continent. It is also important to note that tours and public transportation options are also limited in less populated areas like Iceland and the Greek Isles.
But the weather isn’t the only thing you need to take into account. Is there any event you would like to experience but can only be enjoyed at certain times of the year? If you would like to experience Oktoberfest, go to Munich in mid-September (but expect the hotel and tour rates to skyrocket)! If you want to see the nOrturn Lights i Norden, utsjekking mellom midten av september til midten av mars.
3. Hvordan søke om visum?
De mest populære landene i Europa er en del av Schengen-avtalen, noe som betyr at du trenger et Schengen-visum for å komme inn.
Schengen Visa er et reisedokument som gjør at innehaveren kan komme inn i noen av de 26 stater som er en del av Schengen-avtalen. Tenk på det som et nesten all-access pass til mange land i Europa. Når du er innenfor sonen, er det ingen harde grenser mellom landene (unntatt i få steder), og eliminerer bryet med å måtte søke om visum for hvert enkelt land. Dette er landene som er en del av Schengen-sonen:
Østerrike
Belgia
Tsjekkisk Republikk
Danmark.
Estland
Finland.
Frankrike
Tyskland.
Hellas
Ungarn
Island
Italia.
Latvia.
Liechtenstein
Litauen
Luxembourg.
Malta.
Nederland
Norge
Polen
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia.
Spania
Sverige
Sveits
Men hold hestene dine. Du kan ikke søke bare hvor som helst. Du må finne ut hvilken ambassade for å legge inn søknaden din, og det vil avhenge av formålet med turen eller din generelle europeiske reiserute. Regelen er, du bør søke på ambassaden i landet der du vil forbli lengst.
Men ikke alle ambassader er de samme. De spanske og italienske ambassader er allment ansett som de strengeste av dem alle, mens de nederlandske og østerrikske ambassadene mest hensynsfull og tilgivende.
Vi har opplevd søknad om et Schengen-visum på følgende ambassader:
via fransk ambassade
via tysk ambassade
via gresk ambassade
via italiensk ambassade
Hvis du besøker land utenfor Schengen-sonen, må du sørge for at du har det tilsvarende visumet. Land som krever et eget visum inkluderer (men er ikke begrenset til) Ukraina, Russland, Hviterussland, Irland og Storbritannia.
Noen ikke-Schengen-land vil akseptere Schengen-visumet så lenge det fortsatt er gyldig og gir deg flere oppføring. Disse inkluderer Kroatia, Montenegro, Andorra, Serbia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Albania, Nord-Makedonia, Bulgaria og Romania. Sjekk alltid med ambassaden i det landet for å være trygt.
4. Hvor å bestille lavprisfly til Europa?
Direkte flyreiser er vanligvis dyre. De fleste flyselskaper gjør et stopp andre steder. Qatar Airways har vanligvis et stopp i Doha, Emirates i Dubai, Tyrkiske flyselskaper i Istanbul.
Noen av de billigste flyreisene til Europa finner du tilbys av Scooot, et Singapore-basert budsjettflyselskap. De har direktefly fra Singapore til Athen og Berlin.
Hvis du kommer fra Filippinene eller andre deler av Sørøst-Asia, kan du bestille med Value Alliance, en allianse av billige transportører i regionen, inkludert Cebu Pacific Air, Jeju Air, NOK luft, Nokscoot og Scoot!
✅ Søk etter lavprisflyvninger til Athen her!
Denne delen blir brakt til deg av Value Alliance, men selv om det ikke var, tilbyr de fortsatt de billigste flyene til Europa, så vurder å ta en titt.
Hvor å bo.
5. Hva er budsjettvennlige overnattingsmuligheter i Europa?
Når det gjelder hvor du skal bo, tenker de fleste turister på full service hoteller. Men det er mange andre typer overnattingssteder tilgjengelig. Det er ikke-frills hoteller, vandrerhjem, sovesaler og Airbnb-alternativer!
Vi betalte bare 37 Euro per natt for dette rommet. og det kan huse opptil 4 pax.
På dette punktet bør du allerede vite om du reiser alene eller en del av en gruppe. Dette vil påvirke dine utgifter og overnatting valg betydelig.
Hvis du reiser alene og du er bekymret for budsjettet, bør du vurdere å bestille sovesofaer. Det er waaay billigere enn å bestille et privat rom. (Selv enkeltrom kan være kostbar.) Det er også en fantastisk måte å møte andre reisende og få nye venner. Vi pleide å bestille dorm senger mye, men vi snakker nå scandalously (lol) så vi bor i et privat rom.
Hvis du er et par, kan du vurdere å bestille to sovesofaer eller et privat rom, avhenger av situasjonen. Hvis du er en duo som ønsker å møte mennesker, er dorm fortsatt et godt valg. Hvis du er et par på en romantisk ferie eller en bryllupsreise, min Gud, vennligst få et privat rom (haha!). Vær imidlertid oppmerksom på at i mange herberger kan soverommene være private, men toalettet og badet deles noen ganger. Sjekk arrangementet før du reserverer.
Hvis du er en gruppe på tre, vet du at trippelrom ikke er uvanlige i Europa. Du kan også sjekke deres policy på ekstra person på dobbeltrom / tomannsrom. Det er en fantastisk måte å spare på!
Kostnaden for et rom eller en seng varierer også sterkt fra byen til byen. For eksempel, i Praha, bodde vi i et sentralt beliggende hotell for bare € 37 per natt. Det er bare rundt € 18 per person. Men i Reykjavik er selv sovesofaer mye dyrere.
6. Hvilken er Best: Hotel, Hostel eller Apartment (Airbnb)?
Hva er best for deg, avhenger av din reise stil og preferanser.
Jeg personlig foretrekker herberger fordi vi nyter samfunnsånden og møter andre reisende. Men på slutten av dagen er våre primære hensyn pris, renslighet og beliggenhet mer enn typen overnatting. Hvis vi finner en velbestemt, budget-friendly, and centrally located property, we will book it regardless of whether it’s a hostel, hotel or apartment.
To demonstrate it, on our recent Euro trip, we stayed at a budget hotel in Nice, a hostel in Milan, an apartment in Bologna. On our previous trip, we stayed at a budget hotel in Paris, a hostel in Brussels, and an AirBnB in Iceland. the best for us is what’s in a terrific location and what amenities they have that fills our specific needs at the time, which I will discuss in the next section.
7. Where do you book low-cost hotels, hostels or apartments in Europe?
We book accommodations on Agoda or Booking.com.
Our reasons:
They offer all types of accommodations. They have hotels, hostels, inns, dorms and apartments. It’s just easier to search and compare.
They offer discounts and freebies. Sometimes, Booking.com also gifts loyal customers free airport transfers. We have been awarded free taxi from the airport four times. I don’t know what their criteria are, but hey, we’re just happy about it. Hahaha.
If you have yet to secure a visa, Booking.com offers free CANCELLATION with many properties.
We’re also part of their affiliate network! By booking with them through the following links, you’ll help keep this website free for all.
Book with Agoda
Book with Booking.com
8. how do you choose where to stay in Europe?
Aside from the price, our primary consideration is the location. We also take into consideration the amenities.
Great location. You’ll learn that most low-cost properties are situated outside the city center and they’re very tempting. but for us, if we can find a place that is in the old town or city center, we would pick that even if it’s a little bit pricier. staying in the center means you have easy access to the main attractions and transportation. If we know we’re going to take the train or bus a lot, we ensure our hostel is near a station. If you stay far from the center, you also have to consider the money and time it takes to get to the places you want to visit. These fares may be little but they can add up, and you might still end up paying more than if you stayed in the center.
Kitchen amenities. If you’re traveling long term, eating out at restaurants for every single meal will cost you loads of money. You’ll save a lot by preparing your own meal or joining forces with other travelers every now and then. We like eating out at local restaurants but not for every meal. We balance it out by hitting the kitchen sometimes. other hostels also share other ingredients left by previous guests and offer them for free.
Microwave and refrigerator. If you can’t find a place with an open kitchen, choose a room with a microwave and ref. This will allow you to buy low-cost cooked meals, store the some of them for later, and reheat them in your room.
Laundry amenities. If we’re traveling for weeks or months, we also make sure we stay at a hostel or apartment with a washing machine every other stop. This way, we don’t need to hit the laundromat or pay for laundry services. This also allows us to travel light.
FOOD EXPENSES
9. how much is your food budget?
We keep daily FOOD expenses below €20 per person.
We’re the type of travelers who enjoy eating out at restaurants to try local cuisine. You’ll be surprised to learn that there are a lot of low-cost restos in Europe, even in expensive cities. You just need to make an effort to find them.
This delicious cacio e pepe in Rome costs only 10 euro.
Stay away from restaurants in touristy areas. They are overpriced and cater mostly to tourists. eat where locals eat. sometimes all you need is walk for 2 minutes onto inner alleys and you’ll find a good resto that’s more pocket-friendly.
But we don’t eat out at restaurants for every single meal. We give ourselves a 20-euro budget per day and we’re very flexible with it. It’s all about balance. For example, if I spend €13 at a restaurant for lunch, I’m left with only €7.