Top Money-Saving Ways to Travel Europe on a Budget

How Students and Anyone Can Save Money on Trips to Europe.

Everyone dreams of touring Europe because it has the most incredible sights and cities within a relatively short distance from each other. From the Eiffel Tower to the Colosseum, touring Europe is something everyone must do at least once in their lifetime.  But often, when you have the time, you may not have a robust budget.  We’ll share our top money-saving tips for traveling through Europe on a budget.

If you’re a college student, your holidays or semester breaks are a great time to set off and have the time of your life touring European cities. Any research papers and essays you’ve got to do over the holidays can be handed over to professional essay writers for hire from a reliable writing service while you go off and have the time of your life.

We’ve been able to harness our considerable amount of experience and compiled this list to show you how to travel to Europe while on a budget.  Let’s get right to it.

Avoid Major Holidays

As a rule, you should avoid traveling to Europe during major holidays periods as almost everything is more expensive during holidays, from flights to hotel rooms to restaurants and tourist sites.

The period from June to August is usually the high season of travel for Europe when prices are high as well, so try and make sure your travel during the shoulder or off-season.

Focus on a Region

When traveling to Europe, try to make a list of what you want to see on a trip, and stick to it. If you’re going to Italy, trying to visit all the major cities like Milan, Rome, Venice, and Florence will eat a big hole into your wallet.  Instead, choose a particular city and stick to touring that city and its nearby towns. You’ll end up having twice as much fun for half the cost of touring the whole country.

Buy a City Pass

A city pass is a ticket that gives you a discount admission on all the museums and tourist attractions in a particular city. If you’re planning on visiting many sites, then buying a city pass is your best bet when on a budget.  Most passes also allow you to go around the entrance ticket line and get priority admittance without waiting in line.

If you’re planning on visiting just one or two tourist attractions, then you might not need a city pass. Check the ticket prices and see if you’d be better off paying a la carte rather than buying the pass.

Look for Freebies

There are certain days of the month where museums and tourist sites open their doors free to everyone in every city.  If you can find out what day it is for the city you’re trying to visit and plan your visit around it, you’ll end up saving up a bit on entrance fees.

It might also be a great idea to keep an eye out for cheap or free or outdoor concerts going on at the time of your visit. That’d make your time there a bit more interesting if you’re into that kind of thing.

Walk Everywhere

It may be tempting to take a cab or Uber to your destination. It’s very convenient, isn’t it? But if you take a moment to think about it, the best way to experience a foreign city entirely is to walk through the city and see how locals interact with the city.

Try to walk to dinner, walk to your destination, walk everywhere. You’d be saving a lot of money and getting the best experience.

Use Public Transit

If your destination is too far for you to walk to, the next best option for you is using buses, trams, metros and other public transportation rather than booking cabs. They’re cheaper, and you’ll get to interact more with locals.

Metro services in most European services are efficient and will get you within 200m to your desired destination. If you’re going to stay in a city for a couple of days, investing in a multi-day pass will save you an insane amount of money.  Most cities sell discount passes for travel on multiple days.  You may be able to combine a city pass with a metro pass at greatly discounted prices.

Use Google

The smartest thing you can do when touring a city is to Google and search “free and fun things to do in (insert city).” Thousands of travelers have probably visited these locations before you. So read their reviews and choose the best spots for you.  You should also visit the local tourism website for up-to-date information and current offers.

Also, try and see what locals do for fun. Since they live there, they’d most likely have very cost-efficient ways of having fun that you’d find interesting.

Find Where Students Eat

Food is one of the things that’ll drain your pockets when visiting Europe, but there’s an easy way around it. Since most students live on a budget, they’re more likely to know the cheapest places to get good food.  Find fellow students who live in the city you’re visiting, and try to find out where they eat.  Alternatively, if there are city colleges, visit the area they are in and you’ll be sure to find affordable cafes, pubs and restaurants.  Look for street food vendors and consider shopping at a street market to gather ingredients for a picnic.

Also keep an eye out for early dining deals, prix fixe menu boards with daily specials, and cafes that serve tapas-style snacks.

Use ATMs

Finding an ATM should be among your first course of action when you get to your destination.  Download an app to your phone or use Google maps to easily locate a nearby ATM. If you try to exchange cash for local currency from airport or city money exchangers, you’ll end up getting ripped off.  ATMs or banks will give you the best exchange rate you can get in Europe, and you should take advantage of their services.

Join Group Tours

Taking a group tour is a great way to get massive discounts that’d save you a lot of money. You’ll get discounts on accommodations, tourist attractions, and even transportation since you’ll all travel together.  Traveling in a group, especially with friends, is generally the best way to travel to Europe. You’ll be creating a lot of good memories with friends or family for half the price.  There are many group tour choices so be sure to do your research well in advance.

Conclusion

Touring Europe is not cheap, but then again, few good things in life come cheap. The truth is, you don’t need to be rich to tour Europe; you can do it on a minimal budget if you plan ahead.

The above tips and tricks have been put together by some of the most widely traveled people globally, from different parts of the globe. It’s not all-encompassing, of course, but if you follow the tips in this article, you’ll be able to travel through Europe successfully while on a budget.