8 Best Ways to Save Money While Travelling Across Europe
Traveling is among the most expensive activities for tourists all over the world especially in Europe and despite this fact, it is not very hard to go for a trip within Europe with a very low budget.
More specifically, hiking through the European cities and countryside can prove to be a cost efficient and culturally engaging trip. Here I will share some valuable pieces of advice for those tourists, who think about their budget while traveling in Europe.
This article is an attempt to assess the impact of the research costs and the exchange rates on the Kenyan economy.
The first and perhaps most important consideration for those seeking to travel cheaply in Europe is the cost and exchange rate differentials. Living costs such as accommodation, food and transport may also differ significantly depending on the country; whether it is in the western part of Europe or the eastern part of Europe.
Look for other countries to visit at cheaper costs and monitor the exchange rates. The younger generation and those who are planning for a budget restrained traveling would prefer Places like Portugal, Greece, Croatia and Central/ Eastern Europe.
1. Leverage Public Transportation
Public transportation in Europe is very developed and most of the time, they do not cost a lot of money. There are buses, trains and metro systems available for most of the cities and towns in the country.
Depending on your travel plans, you may opt for a rail pass to make your travel more flexible. For travelers who have the luxury of time they may consider taking an overnight sleeper train or bus in order to cut on the cost of accommodation.
For shorter distances like most of the regional or intra-city travel, then regional buses and ride sharing can move around at a relatively cheap cost.
2. Choose Budget Accommodations
Accommodation in hotels and with Airbnbs can be relatively expensive in Europe. Hostels, which provide accommodation in shared rooms, allow stretching to save money and are more interesting in terms of communication.
House sitting, CouchSurfing, camping or work exchanges are also some of the options that allow you to lodge in for free or for a symbolic price.
Avoiding the use of ensuite bathrooms also cuts accommodation costs to do with opting for private rooms.
3. Cook Your Own Meals
Eating out is probably the worst thing one can do if they want to stick to a shoestring budget. It can be advised to avoid buying groceries from restaurants, shop at local markets whenever you can prepare your own meals.
This still enables an attempt at testing out local produce and foodstuff. Bakeries, street food and other takeaway foods as well as restaurants occasionally also contribute in cutting down the costs as compared to depending on the dining facilities.
4. Do your laundry before the trip, keep the luggage light.
Taking only necessary clothes for the trip and washing clothes also helps in avoiding using up too many days on shopping for more clothes. Small items should be washed in sinks everyday and for the large ones find places like laundromats.
This is because it is wise to dress as conservatively as possible and avoid clothes that look old or have been used severally. Carrying around heavy luggage is both more expensive because of check in fees for baggage, costs incurred for storage, and replacement costs for items that may be bought on a trip.
5. Step It Up, Get the Freebies
Compact cities abound in Europe and this makes walking a viable mode of transport in exploring the cities or towns. Free walking tours also offer an affordable way to explore unfamiliar cities and neighborhoods for a first impression.
Usually, when visiting museums and attractions, people are offered a number of free hours or days to do this. But aimless wandering can also turn out to be an adventure, maybe even a pleasant one.
6. Seek Out Free Entertainment
There is always great cultural performances, dancing, singing, music and shows for free in Europe streets and town squares.
From buskers, festivals, public celebrations, theater, musical performances, and street artists, the promotion and support of local talent can encourage an even greater understanding of new grounds without incurring further expenses.
Public parks can also be used for carrying out picnics, watching people and other social events or even engaging in an impromptu sports game.
7. Visiting cheaper places over Packages
Consuming all-inclusive touring packages is counterintuitive to the principles of budgeting. Arrange and find your own side trips by riding the regional buses, trains or shuttle services.
This means that it offers the possibilities of personalizing thus skipping on unnecessary costs, and of course, the pace and activities can be done according to the time of the interest and financial muscle.
8. Reduce Speed and Avoid Large Metropolitan Areas
It would not be possible to visit three spectacular cities; London, Paris and Rome within the stipulated period without feeling a pinch financially.
Another approach could be to limit the expensive capital cities for any given company in order to reduce overall expenses. Instead, include smaller towns where possible, and spend more time in one place to avoid additional costs related to traveling.
By taking time and focusing on one location, slow travel does not necessarily mean spending more money on food and lodging while getting an immersion experience.
Conclusion
Something in Europe is certain to interest every travel enthusiast, regardless of how tight his/her pocket is.
What it means is that one can still look for some flexibility, ingenuity and apply the above budget backpacking tips to cram as many days with fantastic happenings instead of cramming wallets.
Thus, by relying on efficient transportation, low-cost accommodations or hostels, cooking your own meals and looking for free attractions, Europe can be a real paradise for even the most frugal tourist.
