How to travel europe on a limited budget!

To begin I would like to say that this editorial is not for the rich, or the people who have the money to fly first class and stay in five star hotel’s. No this is for people who aren’t rich and famous, for college students who want to travel the world, or perhaps you’re 30 and always wanted to see Europe but never thought you had enough money to, well now you can.

I personally have been to over 17 countries in Europe, and can say from experience that they are wonderful places and each country is unique in its own right. Following are different ways to travel through Europe.

1. For those of you who like travelling slowly and taking in a lot of the beautiful countryside, I would advise a Eurail pass. You can get one for a couple hundred euros and they differ in price and range of travel. I personally have used one on occasion, and it’s a wonderful way to take a nice relaxing journey, especially if you don’t like flying, the trains you ride in are top quality and you can even sleep in them, just pay a little amount before you get on the train and instead of having to pay for a expensive hotel you can travel and sleep all in one. For those of you who would like to purchase a pass, you may go onto www.eurail.com and enjoy the benefits of owning a Eurail pass.
2. Now say you’re a speedy person and like to get to places fast, then there are a number of airlines that are cheap and efficient to choose from, starting with Ryanair to Easyjet, and if you book in advance you can get a ticket costing anywhere from $20 to $50, of course while the amount of baggage your allowed to take is limited, its still worth it in the long run.
3. Ferry boats are also a good idea if you like the ocean and are travelling say from Italy to Greece, or the UK to France. I can’t name specific prices here cause they all differ greatly, but I’m sure if you look hard enough you’ll find good and reasonable prices.
4. Finally the last option, and this is if you want to save money. Is hitchhiking, I admit that I’ve done it more then once, and nothing bad has ever happened to me, but its really your decision and I cant make it for you. So if you have the guts and are willing to risk the chance of you meeting a deranged lunatic then go for it.

So now that I’ve shown you a few way’s of travelling, the next thing for you to do is work out a plan of where you want to go and what you want to do when you get there. You should look online and find out all the different things to do in the city your going to, different monument’s and attractions you’d like to see. If you cant get on the internet, well in that case most city’s have a information booth that you can find at most main train stations, and they have brochures and maps telling the best places to go and things to do.

Now we get to another problem where to stay, I will give you a brief list of the least expensive places to stay while giving you the best quality and comforts for your money.

1. Probably the cheapest while not the nicest are youth hostels, now don’t be fooled by the movie “Hostel”. Youth hostels in Europe are perfectly safe, and they provide you with a warm bed and clean bathroom facilities, which trust me is a lot nicer then sleeping in the train station, and I would know. Besides that you share the room with a few other travellers and you get clean sheets. Most hostels cost around 10 Euro a night, and depending on the status can charge more or less then that.
2. Cheap hotels are also an idea, if you know where to look you can go to very well priced hotel, the best thing to do is go to information in that city and ask them where you can find cheap hotel’s, they should give you a list and you can choose from that. You should also note that hotel’s closer to the heart of the city tend to cost a lot more then ones on the outskirts.
3. One of the best places to stay and where you get a good deal for your money are Bed and Breakfast’s. They have them situated all over Europe, the prices are decent and the owner’s are generally nice enough people. Once again the best way to find them is through information, or the internet.
4. One last idea and it might be very unconventional, is meeting a resident of the city and staying with them. I as a matter of fact have done that on numerous occasions. I get to a new city and don’t have a cent to my name, well I certainly don’t want to sleep on the street so I make friends with someone who lives there and after awhile I tell them that I don’t have anywhere to stay and ask them if they can put me up. I know its very strange and not a lot of people do it but it works, not all the time but if your desperate its worth a shot.

Well now that you have a roof over your head, let’s talk transport. In city’s there are different way to get around, I’ll tell you some of the easiest and cheapest.

1. Public transportation. Probably the cheapest way to get around besides walking is public transport which includes train’s, buses, and trams. For a minimum fee you can get a week pass on the trains in most countries in Europe, buses are the same and in a lot of places you can use the same ticket for the train with the tram. They get you to most areas of the city and if you have a map, you can get around easy enough.
2. Hitchhiking is always an option, though in most European city’s it’s not so easy, I would instead advise public transportation or walking.


Now that you got that down, there is still a few things you should know and one of them is about food. Unlike America, food in Europe is very expensive and to eat at a middle class restaurant may use up all of your savings. So Following is a list of the cheapest ways to eat in Europe.

1. Supermarkets are probably the cheapest way to eat in Europe. Say your in France and instead of going to a restaurant and spending a fortune, why not go down to the bakery and get a nice fresh baguette then go to a grocery and pick up some cheese, perhaps a tomato, and some salami, after that grab a cheap but delectable French wine, and go down to the park or if your in Paris, the Eiffel Tower and have yourself a feast. In every country food prices differ, in Switzerland meat costs a fortune but cheese is cheap and delicious. Every single country differs and that’s one of the great joys in travelling through Europe.
2. Fast food, while not as cheep as America it still is cheaper then restaurants, and If you hop over to Mc Donald’s or Burger King you can get a meal for 6 to 7 Euros.
3. Now If perhaps you have a girl with you and you want to take her out to dinner, then my advice is not to go look for some fancy restaurant but go to a small little place that isn’t well known or expensive, but where you can get a real taste of the culture. I have been to quite a few little restaurants that are on a side street and aren’t real famous, but their food tastes marvellous and by the end of the meal I am asking for each and everyone of their recipes.

So now that I covered all the basic aspects of travelling through Europe on a limited budget, I’ll give you some advice on what to wear and other practical steps to take when travelling in Europe.

1. Clothes, Europe has all kinds of weather from cold and snowy to warm and sunny, so my advice is to pack for the time when your going, if its in the summer then pack for a sunny trip, but its also good to take along a few winter clothes just in case what started off as a sunny day turns into a rainy and cold one. So I would suggest you pack for all types of weather cause it could be hot in Italy, but freezing in Sweden.
2. If you’re flying to Europe from America or any other country I would suggest you change your currency into Euros before you fly out. Not only do you get a better rate but it’s also easier to land in a new country and have some of the currency in case you need it for transport or other necessities.
3. Don’t worry about speaking the language. While most countries in Europe speak foreign languages, most people speak both English and the national language. Although it’s good to know a few words of the local language to help you get around and its also polite, don’t worry about speaking it fluently though.
4. Going through borders. For Americans I find that the world is growing a little unhappy with us and its getting harder and harder to go through the borders, probably the hardest in Europe is the UK border, they’ve often given me a tough time and kept me behind while everyone else goes through, they question each person and make you feel like a criminal. So my advice is keep calm, talk with them and tell them what your doing and exactly how long you’ll be there for, and above all stay sharp and look your best.


Well that’s all I can think of for now, if you have any other questions feel free to ask. I wish you the best with your travels, and hope you get to see all your hearts desires.

So until next time play safe, don’t get yourself arrested, and above all follow your dreams. Because the world is yours, just don’t end up like Tony Montana aka SCARFACE.