Budget-Friendly Travel in Europe

"Budgeting isn't about limiting yourself- it's about making the things that excite you possible" - Unknown

Explore More While Paying Less

I know the biggest issue for people who want to travel but can’t is due to money. I agree traveling can be expensive and if you really want to live a lavish life you need to be prepared to spend some serious dough. For me traveling isn’t always about getting the most expensive thing on the menu or staying at the fanciest hotel. If you are like me, read along and I will share with you some budget-friendly travel in Europe trips to make the most out of your vacation.

Budget-Friendly Living Fresh Out of the USA

When I first moved abroad to Madrid, Spain, I was fresh out of college. I am extremely grateful to have a family to support me during my move there but once I was out there I was all on my own. I spent the summer before moving, babysitting multiple families and saving up as much money as I possibly could. The main reason I moved to Spain was to work by teaching English, so money wouldn’t become scarce. My monthly budget was 1,000 euros every month but unfortunately I had a very pricey apartment which took 575 euros out of my paycheck each month(not including utilities). I needed to find a way to have some extra cash because if I wanted to travel and really enjoy my time in Europe I needed a bit more money. Thankfully, within my school there were many parents who wanted their children to have extra English lessons outside of school. I was able to hold at least 3 lessons every day after school 4 days a week ( my work schedule was tuesday-friday) and each lesson ranged from 10-15 euros which definitely saved my ass more times than I can count.

The Right Transportation Can Take You A Long Way

Google Flights has a wonderful feature where you can check to see which dates are cheapest to travel, as well as giving you suggestions on destinations that are well priced during specific times. I took full advantage of these features and used them to help me plan my trips with my friends. Another great tool for finding flights is Sky Scanner, it has the same features as Google Flights and sometimes you find even cheaper flights! It’s an advantage being in Europe because flights are usually cheaper within that continent. Regardless of where you are, Google Flights and Sky Scanner are the best options for finding flights.

Taking buses or renting a blablacar makes for budget-friendly travel in Europe. The most popular bus system in Europe is Flixbus which can take you anywhere within Europe for a decent price. Blablacar is a new product that I recently discovered by my boyfriend (he’s a real advocate for this option). The best way to describe it is like Uber Pool, but for long-distance traveling. Many people offer carpool rides to a destination within the country you are in or even to another country. Since in Europe you can just drive wherever you want! The prices for these vary depending on where you want to go, but you can choose the driver based on their rates.

Budget-Friendly Accommodations Make the World Go Round

Now that we have the transportation covered, next is finding a place to sleep. If you are traveling on a budget, I would recommend staying away from hotels. I know, they are so comfortable and the hotel vibe is one that you cannot beat. Unless you can find one for a cheap price, I would try out a hostel. In Europe hostels are found everywhereeee, I think they are even more common than hotels. If you check out the website Hostelworld, you will find endless options of hostels in your desired area. You can find shared rooms, private rooms, unisex rooms and all of the above. If you do your research you are sure to find good ones. Every hostel I’ve been to has been an experience of its own. I think that just adds to the fun ;). Some of the perks of getting a bed in a hostel are meeting new and interesting people from around the world. They also have planned activities by the hostel, and it’s a budget-friendly place to stay!

I think the most important part of budgeting for your trip is deciding how much you really want to spend while traveling. It’s best to research beforehand what the prices would be like for food and activities you plan to do. Set aside a specific amount of money you would like to spend for the day whether it be on food or on gifts or just miscellaneous things. Once you have a good plan for yourself, I believe you will be all set on your budget-friendly travel in Europe.