How to Travel to Europe ... Cheaply?

[Walter]

Well, of course it won't be too cheap, but anyone have any ideas on how to save money in Europe? I want to go this summer for several many weeks, but it's looking to be way outside my budget.

Hostels are like $20-$50 a night, and that'll add up fast if I stay for 40 nights. Airfare's going to be around $500-$600 (hopefully!) and I looked at train passes and they're around $500 and that doesn't even include two of the countries I want to go to! :tired:

Ideas, anyone?

[kat]

See if you can go with friends and get bulk discounts. Low fare airlines like easyjet. See if you can find people to stay with. Camping! Lots of campsites, always cheap. Live in jobs. Travelling with sort of charity. Do you have any skills you could show to people in different areas you travel too? I guess it depends on what sort of holiday you're after. I'm staying at a hostel when I go to Rome. I'm not sure how much it is, but shouldn't be so bad as it's a hostel.

Kat

[IamJen]

First, you meet a wealthy, single gentleman and then... :)

You could try wqoofiing it: www.wwoof.org

You might also try housesitting:
www.housesitworld.com

Check craigslist for more house sit jobs, cheap stays, etc.

You might even find someone willing to trade your room in SF for one in Europe for all/part of the time. Students especially, are travelling cross-continents often during the summer.

We should have a Euro-VB meetup!

[808veggie]

I was in B&N this weeknd and you can go to Hungary and stay and eat and everything for like $30/day(US dollars). I can't wait to go! The summers are great but the winters are freezing!

[Bankruptor]

Mikie, the correct answer is - ENLIST IN THE US MILITARY.

It won't cost you a dime - you'll actually get PAID, though you may not get your first choice of locations . . . . :D

Seriously, my brother has been virtually EVERYWHERE, all over the world. He says Paraguay is his kind of place, and that's after living in Germany, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, etc.

[MollyCat]

You can try Europe Through the Back Door by Rick Steves and also Lonely Planet guidebooks. Lonely Planet will tell you what beaches are safe to sleep on and how to eat for next to nothing and Rick Steves' guidebook is great for figuring out the cheapest airfares and train passes. Unfortunately, with most of Europe now using the Euro, it's not as cheap as it once was.

You can also try www.eurocheapo.com

I found my hotel in Amsterdam at this site.

[zoebird]

first, it's best to go in an off-season. most things are less expensive then. summer is actually not a great time to travel cheaply--as everyone travels most of the summer (particularly in august). of course, on the plus side, some hotels actually convert large dining rooms and such into large dormitories, where you could get a bed for $2 or so.

second, stay in youth hostels whenever possible. they're very cheap most of the time--and most of them are also very clean. youth hostels can cost as little as $5 a nite. they aren't always secure, so you can basicly put your main pack in a locker at the train station/bus station, and get a smaller pack with a few things that you need (your hostel linens, change of clothes, money and ID, toiletries). In fact, if you can avoid a large back pack, do. in denmark, you put a 20 kroner (coin) in the locker, and when you return the key, you get the kroner back!

third, markets are your friend. Stock up on fruit and veggies at the various little farmers markets around town. go to a bakery for bread. get sandwiches at a local small deli to carry with you--basicly, avoid eating at restaurants as much as possible. Here was our daily meal plan in denmark (a rather expensive country, too):

breakfast: some sort of baked good and juice; bought bread, had left over cheese, fruit, and veggies from previous day.
snack: fruit from day before
lunch: bread, cheese, fruit, veggies
mid afternoon: hit another produce stand and stock up; perhaps buy more cheese--eat a few veggies raw (yummy!)
dinner: splurge and eat out to dinner--usually spending about $10 for both of us
evening snack: fruit

it really wasn't that hard to just eat so much raw and one cooked meal a day. as you can see, i was vegetarian rather than vegan, but it worked out well.

another thing that we did was we met some locals. One woman let us stay at her apartment for a whole week. Another man, from whom we rented a room our second nite there, rented us a room at his ex-partner's home for 1/2 the price (because we didn't go through the service, which is a great reference, but costs him money too). it cost more than a hostel but less than a hotel. it was clean, safe, and private (which is nice for a honeymoon).

to save money on travelling between countries, take buses rather than trains. they're less expensive, even though they take longer. If you meet other travellers, consider renting a car/van together--and splitting the cost--depending upon where you're going. sometimes, you can hitch a ride to different places.

to save money on air fare, consider being a courier. usually, you get paid to make the trip, you just have to drop off a package. it's all legal too. private courier services are a good plce to look for this sort of work.

want to know what to pack? let me know. i have ryan and i down to a science. we each carry one "book bag" instead of big back packs. it's carry on, light weight, and has all of the essentials a boy or girl needs. :) very easy.

[spud]

I've got a tent you can borrow if you want to do rural Europe. Staying with people is fun and you get to see the real town not just the touristy stuff. I used to get around Europe staying with friends of friends, and they stayed with us in return. Sleeping on the carpet half the time, but who cares?

[ForestGlade34]

Sleeping on the carpet half the time, but who cares?I do, I want to sleep in "your bed" instead of on the carpet,
I know my rites and it is to sleep with you :D (J/K obviously) :trick: Eta: :p :D

ps, I need a tent, what sort is it ? > Big/Small ?.. > Long.. Rectangle/Square/Dome ?

I would share with Mikie but cannot for "straight" [that which I am] reasons. :p no offence.

[Jessica]

Yes, camping's a good idea.
Or offer sexual favours to European VBers or something, lol!

[delicious]

My parents have been to Europe a few times, but not on the cheap. However, I have a friend who flew to Mexico and slept on the beach with a group of friends for 2 weeks. They spent very little, buying food from produce stands mostly...
Go to Europe when it's warm and camping could be fun.

[spud]

I do, I want to sleep in "your bed" instead of on the carpet,
I know my rites and it is to sleep with you :D (J/K obviously) :trick: Eta: :p :D

ps, I need a tent, what sort is it ? > Big/Small ?.. > Long.. Rectangle/Square/Dome ?

I would share with Mikie but cannot for "straight" [that which I am] reasons. :p no offence.

er, actually I've got a few spare beds! Seriously, the tent is a small dome tent, supposedly 4 person but more for 2, we only used it a couple of nights because it was a free replacement for a previous one which fell to bits. I mention it because the weight restrictions on air flights seem to be ridiculous - went to Portugal the other week and it was 15 kilos, and my suitcase must weigh 4 kilos! (got some lightweight bags now) then all my vegan food supplies... There are some absurdly cheap air fares around at the moment - the airport 40 mins away from us is offering Amsterdam for £7 (EU Jet at Kent International) I am so tempted some days to just take off. :devil:

[IamJen]

Mikie, the correct answer is - ENLIST IN THE US MILITARY.

It won't cost you a dime - you'll actually get PAID, though you may not get your first choice of locations . . . . :D

Seriously, my brother has been virtually EVERYWHERE, all over the world. He says Paraguay is his kind of place, and that's after living in Germany, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, etc.

Okay...I gotta say it: a gay vegan with pacifist tendencies, joining the Army. Yeah, this is a good plan. :rolleyes: heh

[bethanie]

Mikie, the correct answer is - ENLIST IN THE US MILITARY.

It won't cost you a dime - you'll actually get PAID, though you may not get your first choice of locations . . . . :D

Seriously, my brother has been virtually EVERYWHERE, all over the world. He says Paraguay is his kind of place, and that's after living in Germany, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, etc.


This is a VERY VERY BAD IDEA at the moment! It was never that good of an idea, even in it's hey-day...hey, got me out of my small town, but currently as a way to see Europe cheaply, it sucks!

B

[bethanie]

http://www.backpackeurope.com/

Found this site the other day while looking up exactly this sort of information. BTW, during my time in the us military, all I saw of the world was a rice paddy or two (Korea was lovely though) ;) just in case you need more convincing. I'm hoping to do some sort of hiking/camping/hosteling adventure with my daughter in the next few years.

B

[Bankruptor]

Okay...I gotta say it: a gay vegan with pacifist tendencies, joining the Army. Yeah, this is a good plan. :rolleyes: heh

Hey, Bill Clinton said, "Don't ask, don't tell". So don't tell, and they won't ask. ;)

Bethanie, you sound like an enlisted soldier with shattered recruiter syndrome. Mikie's got a college degree, right? He could go into OCS . . . :lol:

[bethanie]

Oh...I got a sweet deal...language school. but as I scored really HIGH on their language entry exams...I got put in a really DIFFICULT language, Korean. That IS the secret they didn't tell us...if I had been stupider/or more clever at testing, I'd have easily gotten French, Spanish, German or Russian and may have ended up in some much nicer places, like some of my less brainy palls from basic training.

B

[Loki]

it depends on where in europe you are staying, and what you are buying. Some areas are notoriously expensive, and other areas are cheap as chips.

[Walter]

Mikie, the correct answer is - ENLIST IN THE US MILITARY.
Without a shadow of a doubt, I can safely say that won't be happening. Bank, you remind me of my dad! :D

You can try Europe Through the Back Door by Rick Steves and also Lonely Planet guidebooks. Lonely Planet will tell you what beaches are safe to sleep on and how to eat for next to nothing and Rick Steves' guidebook is great for figuring out the cheapest airfares and train passes. Unfortunately, with most of Europe now using the Euro, it's not as cheap as it once was.

You can also try www.eurocheapo.com

I found my hotel in Amsterdam at this site.
Two good things - I bought the Lonely Planet: Europe yesterday at a small neighborhood bookstore, and secondly, I have friends in Amsterdam and that's the one place I won't have to worry about spending too much money. :wayne:

Ooh, Bethanie, that site looks really good. And Zoe-
1) I plan on going in May/early June (off season, yet good weather)
2) Definitely going to stay at youth hostels. Hotels are out of the question - I like the idea of sleeping on beaches. That would be awesome.
3) Markets are definitely my friend! :rockon:

I really like the idea of being a courier... I shall look into that further.

[Maricat]

Hey Mikie... I have travelled to Europe once a year for the past three years, and agree with everyone who said that shopping at the farmer's markets and having picnic breakfasts/lunches is the way to go. I have never stayed in a hostel. If you are travelling with friends or a group, sometimes it is just as cheap to get a double room at a 1 or 2 star hotel, with splitting the bill.

Anyway, this is a GREAT site for help in planning your trip, and to ask any questions that you might have about travelling in Europe... route planning, how long to stay in cities and what to see there, what to pack, where to stay in the countries you go to, trains v. flights vs. bus, money changing, etc... basically anything at all that you might want to know and the message board is full of really friendly, helpful folks.

www.guideforeurope.com

Good luck, and hope you have a blast!!

Mari

[Walter]

Thanks a lot for the site! I'll definitely check it out. :)

(Unfortunately I'll be traveling alone most of the way (unless I meet people, of course.))

[Maricat]

Thanks a lot for the site! I'll definitely check it out. :)

(Unfortunately I'll be traveling alone most of the way (unless I meet people, of course.))


YW! That site helped me A LOT in planning all three of my trips, and I am headed off to Greece in March or April I think, so perhaps I will see you over there on the msg board. You will definitely meet people along the way, which is half the fun of travelling. :) Do you know what countries you plan to visit yet? One thing to keep in mind when thinking frugal, is that the further south you go, the cheaper it is, and the further North you go is generally much more expensive. Italy & Spain will cost you MUCH less than Ireland, Germany, etc., especially with the way that the dollar is doing against the euro right now... and it doesn't look like it is going to get any better anytime soon unfortunately.

Mari

[Walter]

Well, I don't really plan on doing the South, unless my friend Mirella goes with me. She wants to go to Italy. I do want to spend time in Poland and Russia though, and they should be reasonable (I assume.)

[lazyjayn]

Mikie- Europe can be cheapish... depends on what you do. If you camp, some places (scotland, russia) allow camping just about everywhere. For Free even.

Place with bunches of europe info: http://www.eurotrip.com

Place where you can lurk and find out lots of stuff with cheap-travel minded folks, or get involved and probably find out even more http://www.bootsnall.com/ - This one is my current fave.

Also, though unwieldy, the lonely planet thorntree does have some useful information buried in it... somewhere.

About the train pass. Do you know which countries you want to visit? 40 days may sound like a lot, but once you're there, you might feel rushed. Many people make up an itinerary that has them in france one day, spain the next, and germany two days after that. If you're doing a "if it's tuesday this must be belgium" type of trip, you might want to get the pass. You can sleep on overnight trains, if you're the kind of person who can sleep on a train. You save a nights hostel charges, but do usually have to pay a suplement.

If you aren't going to be doing the headless chicken (carrot?) tour of europe you might find that point to point tickets are cheaper, and in some cases, even flying may be. I know Ryan Air does some crazy deals around europe. Like 2 or 3 dollars before taxes. As for tickets to get there in the first place (I am assuming nothing here) the cheapest places to fly to are london and... um.. one other. I'm going to say amsterdam(sp?)

Oh, yeah, and lots of museums have free days, check their web sites.

This is long, but I know I missed something. check out the pages, see what you find.

j.