When it comes to traveling across Europe, many people assume that such an adventure is beyond their modest means. However, the legions of college students and others on shoestring budgets that descend on Europe every summer undermine this assumption. If these budget travelers can make Europe affordable, there is no reason you cannot get
budget travel to Europe as well.
Europe is actually quite a travel bargain in many ways, and if you choose your lodging, meals and transportation carefully a vacation in Europe can actually cost much less than a week in some of the most expensive cities in the United States.
One of the primary considerations of enjoying Europe on a budget is how to get around. When it comes to getting around, there are basically three choices – the bus, the train and air travel. Renting a car is often impractical in Europe, with the different types of roads, different laws and road signs in a myriad of unfamiliar languages.
Europe’s intercity bus lines offer passes, similar to rail passes, that can be purchased for various lengths of time and which provide for unlimited travel during those times. Single city to city bus tickets are often quite reasonable as well.
The main disadvantage of the bus system in Europe is that it is slow compared to rail travel and air travel. In addition, there is limited legroom on most buses, few opportunities to stand up and stretch, and some buses lack on board toilet facilities.
For many people, the extra convenience of the train more than justifies the difference in price, and train passes are still quite affordable for students and others on a budget. In addition to being faster, trains provide such amenities as toilets, and also sleeping quarters on overnight trains. Be aware, however, that there is often an extra charge for sleeping cars and other first class accommodations, even for rail pass holders.
One option that is overlooked by many budget travelers is that of city to city air travel. In Europe, however, air travel is actually quite a cost effective alternative to train and even bus travel. There are a number of excellent low cost air carriers all around Europe, and the fares they charge are often comparable to, and in some cases even lower than, train tickets between the same cities.
No matter how you get around, you will need a clean and safe place to stay once you reach your destination. There are a number of excellent low cost lodging options in Europe, ranging from hostels to hotels to bed and breakfasts. In most cases, hostels will be the least expensive option, but for groups of two, three or more it may be just as cheap, or even cheaper, to rent a small room at a budget hotel instead.
For those who arrive at their destination without reservations, there are hotel booking services available at most major train stations and airports. These booking services can usually find you a place to stay, even if the city is very crowded. For this service, they usually charge a small fee, either a set fee or a percentage of the room charge.
Photo by Paul Rezendes
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