10 Steps for Traveling Europe Cheap

Chances are you've searched for airline tickets on at least one occasion and you thought I guess it will still be there when I'm 65 and retired. Don't get discouraged! I will explain how you can travel to your dream country in Europe for less than you can imagine.

Step 1. Forget your exact travel plans

The quickest way to make your trip as expensive as possible is to narrow your search down to something incredibly specific.

For example, just because you have a four-day weekend at Easter doesn't mean it's a good time to travel. Open up to be flexible on the dates you travel, where you travel, and what kind of places. The more flexible you are, the cheaper the trip will be.

Step 2. Determine where you really want to visit.

I know I just said I was flexible, but that doesn't mean you can't choose where you want to visit, it means you have to be open to getting there in ways you didn't anticipate. If you want to visit Dublin more than anything else, don't just look for flights from the United States to Dublin. Chances are you can find a plane ticket from the United States to another European city at a much lower price. So you can book another short flight to Dublin for less than $ 80 return. It's also a great way to see a bonus country!

Step 3. Determine which city you will fly from

Flights to Europe vary enormously in price depending on the airport you are flying to, with departure and travel dates. So a good first step would be to determine which airport you will fly from. If you live in a big city like New York, Boston or Los Angeles, you're in luck! You will find the cheapest flights to Europe from these cities. If you don't live in these cities, chances are you'll end up going through them to get to Europe. So if you can drive in one of those cities, it could be a cheap option. Otherwise, consider booking a flight to one of those cities from your city. Although it seems strange, you can get cheaper flights by booking each route individually instead of booking a ticket from your home to your destination.

Step 4. Determine the cheapest European city to fly to

The easiest way to do this is to check the websites that aggregate all the cheapest airfares so you don't have to search hundreds of flights yourself. Some sites allow you to type in the United States or the city from which you know you will start in the "from" field. In the "a" field, try choosing "everywhere". Then scroll through the resulting list in search of the first / cheapest country in Europe to fly to. For example, if Norway comes in at $ 340 and France comes in at $ 380, then it is probably worth choosing France if this is the desired destination; however, if the difference is greater than $ 100, I would choose the cheapest airport first. The annoying thing about Skyscanner is that the offers are often no longer active and sometimes you also have to search on many dates to find the cheapest one to travel on. But patience is the key and the way you find the cheapest flights. Another tip is that flights are sometimes made through travel agents, and it's probably worth looking for reviews on the agency before booking your ticket, keeping in mind that happy customers rarely write reviews. But if the agency has one in five stars, it could be a clue to pass.

Step 5. Find an inter-European flight to take you to your dream destination in Europe

One thing that most people don't understand is that flying from one country to another in Europe is cheap dirt.

I flew across Europe for $ 14 one way. No joke. I have never paid more than $ 60 for a flight to Europe. Use Kayak.com to find a flight to your actual destination from any country you have ended up booking the cheapest flight to Europe.

Step 6. Now that you have arrived, find a cheap or free place to stay

Everyone has their own idea of ​​a dream vacation. If yours is staying in the Ritz, I am surprised that you have read this article completely. For most of us, we just want to stay in a decent place enjoying all that Europe has to offer. I have never been to a landfill in Europe. I don't want and I'm not so desperate. The accommodations are divided into four options: hotel, rental, hostel or Couchsurf.

• Hotel. Staying in a hotel is a safe way to go and if it is your first time in Europe or you are not a big risk, then this is probably the path you want to take. Hotels depending on where you are visiting range from $ 20 to $ 200 a night, so we recommend keeping this in mind when choosing a destination. I wouldn't recommend staying in Monaco unless your oil company is seeing record profits in the first quarter, but staying in nearby Nice could be an option. In other words, keep your options open.
• rental. Booking a room, apartment, villa or house for rent is also a safe bet, but it can be a bit more complicated than simply checking in at a hotel. Sites like Homeaway and Airbnb offer some truly unique places and I must say that some of my favorite places I've been to in Europe were rentals. From a villa in a winery in Tuscany to an isolated mother-in-law in a quiet neighborhood outside London, I really enjoyed staying in the rents and the price is often much lower than that of a hotel if there is a group of you who can share the cost.
• Hostel. The word hostel evokes thoughts of scary films, but the reality is that the difference between a hostel and a hotel is sometimes indiscernible in Europe. There are certainly hostels where you can find a bunk bed in a room with five other travelers and for some people this is exciting and interesting! But just because bunk beds aren't your thing, it doesn't mean you should rule out everything the word hostel has in the title. I have stayed in some "hostels" that were as nice as a hotel.
• CouchSurf. If you really have a limited budget or if meeting local people is really important for you, there is no better way than Couchsurf. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, visit the Couchsurfing website. Basically, the site allows you to request to be with someone who wants to host travelers for free in their home and vice versa. People leave reviews about travelers and hosts so they can be sure they are reliable. This obviously entails risks and safety precautions that should be taken. Also, you should always have a backup plan in case the situation doesn't clear up.

Step 7. Eat cheap.

I am focusing on the needs of visiting Europe: travel, accommodation and food. Of course there are many other ways to spend money, but these are the things you need to spend money on, food is one.

The food is fantastic. I love food and the first two times I went to Europe I was disappointed because I went haphazardly in restaurants and most of it was poor. Everything changed when I started checking out the reviews of TripAdvisor restaurants, it was enough to make every meal incredible. This was not so much a tip for saving money as a general tip. However, TripAdvisor allows you to search by general restaurant price, so $ is cheap $$ is moderate $$$ is getting expensive etc.

Here is a tip for saving money: buying food in Europe is usually very cheap. So if you have booked an apartment with a kitchen, take advantage of it! Go shopping in a local market and buy some strange new foods for cooking! If you're traveling, get sandwiches to save some money.

Step 8. Understand that there are even more expenses

Even if travel, accommodation and food are your main expenses, there will obviously be others. Things to think about include, transportation once you arrive, fees for attractions and souvenirs.

Transportation options include public transportation. Most European cities have fantastic and inexpensive public transportation which can be purchased using a local currency or a debit card in a kiosk. Note that American credit cards often don't work as a chip and pin number is required.

Renting a car is a great option if you plan to travel outside the city, it is usually quite convenient and offers you maximum freedom of mobility. Trains, although fascinating, are usually not an inexpensive way to travel through Europe. Flights are much cheaper and faster. But if you're in love with the idea of ​​seeing the countryside by train, it's worth a try. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the paid Eurorail website. Or, if you are more flexible and feel that it is worth the risk, you can buy them in person at the train station, usually a little less.

Step 9. Travel light

Although you may not think that traveling light will save you money, believe me, it will. First of all, each airline will charge baggage fees. So each leg of your flight will cost you from $ 25 to $ 100 per bag. This adds up quickly. Secondly, if you have two suitcases, you will fill two suitcases full of things that you probably won't need. Third, taking an inexpensive form of transportation like the subway becomes frustrating and impractical when dragging two bulky bags. Fourth, the bags must always be with you or in a hotel, so if you plan to check out in the morning and go to another city, you won't be able to do anything until you get to your hotel and check your bags. All in all, it's just a nuisance to bring a lot of things around Europe. My advice, and I can't emphasize it enough, is to put everything in a backpack. I have a 50 liter backpack and had everything I needed for a month and a half in Europe. Yes, there are places to do laundry in Europe too. If you're saying, well, you don't understand why you're a boy. I traveled with two young women and they both put everything in a backpack. If you're saying you don't understand why you're young, I traveled with my mother to Europe and put it all in a standard size school backpack! You can do it too!

Step 10. Always plan the worst and hope for the best

Every time I travel to Europe, I plan my planned expenses and round up everything. I also have at least $ 200 in unexpected expenses planned. In the end, my expenses are always well below this number, but I never want to end up in the situation where I am overwhelmed by the cost.

Conclusion

In 2,000 words I gave you the condensed guide on Europe with a limited budget. Obviously there are many other things to think about when booking your trip to Europe, but the most important thing is to do it! Find those cheap airline tickets to Europe and book them. You can fill in all the blanks later, don't try to plan everything before getting tickets and don't try to plan every second of the day. Leave time to be spontaneous and immerse yourself in European life.