The cheapest way to travel to Europe is to plan ahead. Now is the best time to start researching the cheapest cities in Europe; cheap flights to Europe; and budget transport in Europe. Of course, the cheapest way would be to travel to Europe off-season and not in summer – but we all have commitments at home that often make July and August the only time we can go to Europe. If your dates are flexible then try to fly to Europe slightly before the schools break for the summer or return a few days after everyone goes back to school in September.
Cheapest Way to Travel to Europe by Air
Where to book cheap flights to Europe
Get the cheapest flights to Europe by using Skyscanner.com; low-cost airlines and checking the airlines based in your home country and destination country. Try Ryan Air, WizzAir, Easy Jet, Flybe, and TUI but always take into account the added extras like luggage costs, and flexible tickets. Alternatively, if you’re willing to make stop-overs this is almost always the cheapest way to travel to Europe. If you’re looking for flights with stop-overs the choices are endless – but well worth it if you are looking for cheap flights to Europe.
Look out for airline tickets that don’t include luggage
On most flights these days you will need to pay extra for luggage and some airlines will even charge you extra to check-in! For this reason, you need to spend plenty of time researching and comparing prices. If you’re flying with luggage on some airlines it can be cheaper to get a more expensive ticket that includes luggage than a cheaper ticket where you have to add a fee for luggage. Unfortunately because of the airline luggage fees, many “low-cost” airlines are not the cheapest way to travel to Europe.
Search incognito so your search history can’t be traced
You know how you search something and suddenly adverts start showing up on your Facebook feed for that exact same product? Well the same goes for booking flights. If you’re seen to be searching for flights the prices might even go up. Do all your flight research in an “incognito” Google window.
Book cheap flights mid-week and about 2-3 months in advance
There are many theories about when to book the cheapest flights. In my experience last-minute flights are expensive so it is best to start looking around as soon as you know you are flying. Search from different computers, search at different times of the day and use different sites. It’s not science but there is some truth in the fact that booking on certain days and flying on certain days is cheaper. to figure this out for your particular route use sites where they show you a calendar displaying the cost of flights on different days like Skyscanner.
Fly light and don’t expect comfort
If you want the cheapest way to travel to Europe this summer then fly only with hand luggage; be prepared to fly at inconvenient hours and make as many stop-overs as you need to to get the cheapest flight.
Cheap Transport in Europe
Getting Around in Europe on a Budget
Check out the public transportation system of your destination
Do your homework before leaving for Europe. Some of the mistakes I’ve made in the past include miscalculating how often I would use public transport and buying single tickets instead of a “10-ride” ticket, tourist ticket or day ticket. See if there are any of these options in your European destination. Discounts are usually offered to a wide range of people including tourists, seniors, children, youths, students and members of certain organizations.
Sometimes traveling at certain times of the day is cheaper (rush hour is often more expensive). Check if you’ll have to pay extra if you change trains; how long can you use the same ticket for and within that time how many times can you change trains/buses. Check out if you are allowed to make a return journey on the same ticket within a certain time. i.e. buy a single ticket that is good for 90 minutes in all directions and pop to see a particular attraction, take a selfie and use the same ticket to get back to where you started. You must make sure return journeys on the same route and on the same ticket are allowed.
Remember ticket prices on European buses usually depend on the distance you travel from the city center. So if you buy a day-ticket that limits you to transportation within the center then plan your day for inner-city sightseeing and on a different day buy a single ticket to outlying attractions.
Cheapest Way to Get from the Airport to City Center
Bus from the airport to the city center – Almost without exception the cheapest way to get from the airport to the city center is by bus. However there are public buses and airport buses – public buses are cheaper, less comfortable and slower. Buses have different schedules for weekends and nights – so check when your plane lands and if a bus will be an option. In some European cities you can buy your “10-ride” or “day-ride” bus/metro ticket online or at the airport and use the same ticket for the airport bus.
Almost as cheap as a bus is the metro (if there is a metro to your airport) or train. Very convenient, fast, usually cheap and frequent. BUT – and a big but, the thing that usually stops me from taking a bus or train is the price and inconvenience of getting from the city center metro/train station to the hotel/hostel. Add in the price of a taxi from the inner-city metro station to your hotel and you might as well look at other options. The second biggest thing that usually stops me using public transport from the airport is that the cheapest flights often land at night when buses/metro/trains are not frequent. Of course this all depends on your destination airport.
Airport Transfers – Many times airport transportation is the one thing I splurge on when traveling on a budget. I just want to get to my hotel safely after a long flight. If you opt for the quickest, easiest and unfortunately the most expensive way to get from the airport to your hotel it will be by taxi. Here you have two choices – catch a taxi on arrival or book an airport transfer online.
Spoil yourself, you’re landing in a foreign country, on a tight budget at least have the luxury of someone in a nice suite waiting for you with a sign displaying your name. then travel in comfort to your hotel doorstep. I’ve successfully used Sun Transfers several times and they operate throughout Europe and the world.
Tourist City Cards in Europe
It is a debatable question whether tourist visitor cards really save you money. It varies depending on the city. You might be interested in my article about why city tourist passes almost always don’t work. Look for city cards in your European destination and calculate if they will save you money:
- Does the card include inner-city transport and what are the limitations (not at night, not after a certain hour, not during rush hour, only within a certain radius – read the fine print).
- Does the tourist card include the airport bus?
- How many of the included attractions do I really want to see, really, not just because they’re included?
- How many attractions would I have to visit for the tourist card to save me money?
- Do I have enough time to fit in all the attractions I would need to see to make the card worthwhile?
- How long does the card last and when does it start working – some Europe tourist cards are from first use until midnight of the same day while others are 24 hours. this makes a big difference when planning your time and considering attraction open hours.
- Where will you have to pick up the tourist card? I’ve had horrible experiences of having to pick up the tourist city card at an office far from my hotel and to make it worth it I had to get up early and spend ages navigating public transport before my day even started. You have the option of having the card sent to you if you book early enough and other cards can be downloaded and printed instead of being picked up. If you do need to pick the tourist card up – CHECK WHERE THE PICK-UP POINT IS ON A MAP!
Low-Cost Accommodation in Europe
As with flights, it is best to start shopping around for hotel deals as soon as you know you are going to Europe. My favorite hotel booking site is Hotels Combined. This site searches through the entire net for the best deals and presents them to you. You have filter options that can help you pinpoint exactly what you are looking for. Hotels Combined also shows you bed and breakfasts, hostels, and holiday rentals in your destination as well as hotels.
Coming and Going
Start by looking at the time when your flight lands and when you depart. If you arrive in the middle of the night maybe pull the time in the airport and avoid having to pay for accommodation on that first night. The same goes for when you depart if departing in the evening don’t book accommodation for that night.
Sleeping on the go
If you are moving from city to city you can travel at night and sleep on the train so that one ticket covers transport and accommodation!
Stay in multiple hotels
There is no rule that says you have to stay in the same hotel for the entire trip. Why not stay in a cheap airport hotel on your night of arrival or departure. If traveling around rather change hotels every time you change locations rather than waste time and money traveling back to one hotel. You could also stay in low-cost accommodation most of the trip and spoil yourselves with a couple of nights in a good hotel.
Stay in alternative accommodation
There are more options than just hotels and hostels. Also, look into Homestay; room or house rental through AirB&B; 9flat for short-term rentals; Couchsurfing; religious stays in convents, ashrams, and monasteries; academic accommodation in student dorms during the uni holidays; camping and home exchanges. I’ve camped in Rome; slept in a convent dorm in Venice and stayed in a Hari Krishna ashram in Zurich so anything is possible!
Eating for Cheap in Europe
The best advice I can give you about eating for cheap in Europe is to shop for food in the local supermarket. You can buy ready-to-eat food in some supermarkets as well as ingredients to make your own meals. There are also great fresh produce markets. Of course you are on holiday so spoil yourself with the occasional meal in a restaurant. A good rule of thumb is to have book a hotel/hostel that includes breakfast; eat fast food for lunch (or skip it) and then supermarket food or a local neighborhood restaurant for dinner. That way you are not spending a fortune but can still enjoy yourself. If you’re on a short European break consider taking some food with you from home like tuna, sweetcorn and crackers. Each county has its low-cost street food that can fill you up for a few bucks like fish and chips in the UK and sausages in Germany. Another way to save money on food in Europe is to look for eateries near universities where prices are low for students. You can even find student canteens on campus where the food is subsidized.
Unusual, rural, neighborhood, and outdoor attractions are the cheapest!
Yes, you heard it here! Of course, you have to see the famous landmarks but after splurging on those look for off-the-beaten-track locations; sites of natural beauty; a quaint neighborhood; a market with loads of genuine “souvenirs”; weird coffee bars; interesting hike trails or walking routes you can download to your phone.
I love to see the changing of the guard ceremony, and famous street art and I prefer to do my shopping where the locals do or even in a thrift store. Take a look at these FAQs about budget travel. Just take to the streets and wander around – you’re sure to find something amazing and totally free!
I hope these tips will help you plan your low-cost trip to Europe. I’m sure there are more tips I haven’t listed here and I’d love to hear what you have to say. So please leave a comment below and tell me about your summer holiday plans.
Very interesting and well researched, I had no idea that flight prices varied so much. Thanks for the advice!
When something is worth knowing it is worth repeating, and when one is glad to receive it, it is ok to repeat that as well.
I thought this was excellent, so much valuable information all in one place, many thanks.