Saving Money On The 3 Biggest Expenses While Traveling Europe

I have been traveling Europe for a few months now, every weekend has been packed. I have learned how to cut costs in the biggest ways possible. There are so many options to travel and see the beautiful things the world has to offer. Honestly, the way you travel, and the choices you make all depend on what kind of experiences fill you with gratitude and joy, so choose accordingly to what you think your travel style is, and that style will evolve anyhow. Be flexible and open-minded.

You have tons of options for the big three costs of travel: accommodation, transport, and food. You can make travel expensive if you pick the expensive option, and it will be a luxurious trip, you’ll have a great time, but your savings account might cry. So here are all of your options for traveling through Europe on whatever budget you’ve got. 

Accommodation: 

Things to consider while picking accommodation:

• How many people are traveling with you? Meaning, how will you split the price? 

• How far is it from public transport? Meaning, how hard is it to get to the things you want to do?

• How far is it from where you are arriving (the airport, main train station, etc.)?

• Will you have to pay for a taxi/Uber/Airport transfer to get there?

• Is there free breakfast/dinner?

• Is there free wifi?

• Is there a 24 hour reception, does that matter on this trip?

• How much will it cost overall? Are there city taxes?

Hotel: sometimes its actually okay to stay in a hotel because if you have the perfect travel group of four people, you book a double bed room, and everyone is okay sleeping together (you really need to be okay sleeping together…) then it can be cheaper to be in a hotel. And sometimes you just need a night with privacy, so it could be worth it. 

Bed & Breakfast: I love B&Bs because they always feel homey, and there is breakfast included! Usually these places are more out of the center, which means a quieter neighborhood, but some people find it annoying to have to travel the extra mile. Depends what you want.

Hostel: I love hostels because of the cool community vibe, and how many awesome people you end up meeting. Sometimes you even end up seeing those people again. Like I met a girl in Gèneve and then we ended up in the same city two months later in Italy so we grabbed coffee and caught up. Super dope. 

Air BNB: To me, these places are great for unique housing options. I stayed in a darling camper in Charleston, South Carolina once and it taught me something about tiny living. In Castellamarre, Italy, my friends and I stayed in a mountain top Italian style villa, with a great view of Mt. Vesuvius and we were living life to the fullest. Sometimes there is pressure, though, because you tell your host you will be there at 18h00 and then your bus breaks down, so you’re an hour late and you feel terrible even though it’s not your fault…

Couch surfing: This app is great because you pay a one time membership fee and you can use it forever and wherever. You essentially send out requests to people who have their couches / extra beds open and ask to stay with them. It’s essentially free, but of course, as any good guest should, you would want to do something in return for them. Bringing a gift of wine, or promising to cook dinner for the family you’re staying with is something you can do in order to repay your debt of having a free place to stay. 

Tent / Eno Camping: You should only do this if you’re an experienced camper and you know that the country / city is safe / okay with it. Check camping laws before you pitch a tent in a field in the countryside of Austria. But it’s free, and the ultimate way to rough it. BUT, it can be HELLA fun!

Transport: 

Transport is another huge cost while traveling, but if you plan ahead of time (or sometimes, don't plan at all), you can cut costs fairly easily. 

Train: I love trains because it’s such a cool way to see the countryside, and typically they’re pretty fast, specially if you take a bullet train. Honestly, sometimes they’re faster than flying to some places if you consider the travel time it takes to get to the airport, get tickets, check bags, get through security, get on and off the plane, etc. 

Plane: In Europe, flights are cheap as hell if you book at least two weeks in advance (with the exception of holidays). Its a great way to get to far away places, you can even save money sometimes if you book two, one-way tickets. 

Ferry: Ferries are a super dope way to travel, and the opportunity doesn’t always arise, so if you have the chance, totally do it. These ferries can even be super luxurious, and the views are amazing. Hope you don’t get seasick.

Rental Car: Another great way to travel is by car, but you have to be comfortable on these roads if you drive, and drive manual. You can do whatever you want with a car, though. Give it a shot. It can be such a cool experience to be able to drive in a foreign country with the windows down and music blasting. Beware of online insurance add-ons, though, sometimes they are unnecessary. Wait until you get to the store front to purchase extra insurance for the car you are driving.  

Hitchhiking: It’s actually really fun guys, don’t knock it till you try it. It can take a lot longer to places, but if you have time to kill and want to see things from the POV of a car, it’s the way to go.

BlaBlaCar: This is basically a long-haul carpool app / “safe” hitchhiking app. You tell the app where you want to go, and if someone is going to that destination, you can join them, pay a really small fee for a seat, and you’re on your way. 

Bus: FlixBus is where its at with the prices you guys, but they’re not always reliable. Usually busses take longer than cars, but they are sooooooo cheap. So depending on where you are going, it may be worth it.

Biking / Walking: Yeah I guess people do this too, I’ve definitely seen it. Whatever is enjoyable for you… right? I wouldn't diss it till I try it, though. I would definitely bike around Europe, maybe not walk, though. 

Food:

It's nice to have a fresh hot meal, but you have to balance it out with eating stuff you find in the grocery store in a city square. My go-to stuff to buy while traveling or taking a day trip is this: 

Breakfast: Chocolate croissant, and coffee.

Lunch: Pickles, bread, apple or banana, chocolate, and water.

Dinner: Usually a hot meal, because I’m starving at the end of the day, but sometimes I don’t have that luxury… so carrots with hummus, celery with peanut butter, a beer, and bread.

Yeah, I know, I have a wholesome diet. 

• Eating out is a good option for some countries because the street food and hole in the wall places can be cheaper / less effort than cooking.

• In some countries, like Switzerland, it will kill your bank account/

• You can eat a great meal of bread and pickles on the side of the road, it won’t kill you. Stop feeling ashamed of eating straight out of a jar and drinking beer in the sun.

• Hostels, B&Bs, couch-surfers, etc, usually have kitchens provided for you to cook. In Italy? Buy pasta, it’s probably 50 cents a bag. In Spain? You need to eat oranges. Check out whats local and cook local. Learn from other people around you. 

• Couch surfers will sometimes provide a meal.

• Hostels and B&Bs will sometimes provide free breakfast, snacks, and even dinner.

• Take advantage of free breakfast by taking extra croissants for take-away for lunch later ;) 
• Side note: PLEASE drink enough water 

So now that you’ve got the three biggest expenses out of the way, you decide how to spend the rest of your money. It really is up to you. But I suggest going with the free activities that each city or village has to offer. Here are a list of free things you can do while traveling.