Plan Your Trip
Big Adventures, Small Budgets
Travelling Europe on a limited budget? Yes, it can be done! Despite the fearsome costs of some places, there are many locations and experiences that are light on your wallet or simply free. Advance planning and thinking outside the box are the keys to a great Euro adventure.
Planning & Costs
Planning Timeline
12 months before Calculate a trip budget and start saving.
Six months Pick which countries to visit and book a flight. Take out travel insurance and make sure your passport is up to date.
Six to four weeks Get any necessary visas and vaccinations. Book tickets for any special events and festivals.
Four to two weeks Reserve high-season transport and accommodation in popular destinations, as well as any specialist activities such as cooking courses.
One week Download travel apps and music playlist. Test out full backpack and repack leaving half out – you can get by with much less than you think.
Online Resources
Budget Traveller (http://budgettraveller.org) Tons of tips from an award-winning travel blogger.
Eurocheapo (www.eurocheapo.com) More budget-stretching advice on travelling Europe.
The Savvy Backpacker (http://thesavvybackpacker.com) Trip planning and useful city price guides.
Budget Guide
Some of the many different elements to take into account:
Getting there This could cost anything from nothing, if you already live in Europe, to, say, NZ$1500 (€960) for a return air ticket from Auckland, New Zealand to London.
Travel Gear & Protection A good backpack is a worthwhile investment. An unlocked smart phone is also very handy, enabling you to combine staying in touch, surfing the internet and photography. Don't skimp on travel insurance and be sure your policy covers theft or damage to your equipment. The cost of the policy will also depend on how long you plan to travel, as well as the countries covered.
On the Road Our breakdown of daily costs is a useful starting point. Some countries are going to be much more expensive than others. According to Eurostat (http://ec.europa.eu) in 2014 the top five most costly European nations for a bundle of goods and services were Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, while the cheapest were Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania and Bulgaria. That said, if you stay away from the booze, then the Scandinavian countries, where alcohol is pricey, become much more affordable.
Time of Year Avoid high season (June to August, and over Christmas & New Year and winter school holidays in ski resorts areas) and you will also find prices to be lower, particularly for accommodation and transport. Even for the busy times, booking transport well in advance or using some kind of travel pass can cut your costs considerably.
All this said, you could assume a rock-bottom budget of €50/37/30 a day for an expensive/mid-range/cheap country. This would entail a pretty spartan standard of accommodation and eating with little more than the occasional beer. Add at least €20 more to each of these daily amounts to account for more comfort and fun during your travels.
Accommodation
Hostels and camping are among the cheapest forms of accommodation. Also consider sites that link travellers with thousands of global residents who’ll let you occupy their couch, spare room, even their garden in your own tent – and sometimes show you around town – for free. These include the following:
ACouchsurfing (www.couchsurfing.com)
ACamp in My Garden (http://campinmygarden.com)
AGlobal Freeloaders (www.globalfreeloaders.com)
AHospitality Club (www.hospitalityclub.org)
A5W (www.womenwelcomewomen.org.uk)
Check the rules of each organisation. And always let friends and family know where you’re staying.
Discount Cards
Camping Cards
The Camping Card International (CCI; http://campingcardinternational.com) is an ID that can be used instead of a passport when checking into a camping ground. Many camping grounds offer a small discount if you sign in with one and it includes third-party insurance.
Transport Passes
If you plan to visit more than a few countries, or one or two countries in-depth, you might save money with a rail or bus pass.
Student Cards
The International Student Identity Card (www.isic.org), available for students, teachers and under-26s, offers thousands of worldwide discounts on transport, museum entry, youth hostels and even some restaurants. Apply for the cards online or via issuing offices, which include STA Travel (www.statravel.com).
For under-26s, there’s also the European Youth Carde (www.eyca.org). Many countries have raised the age limit for this card to under 30.
City Passes
Enquire at tourist offices about passes that provide free and/or discounted entry to many key local attractions, experiences and services. These can work out to be good value but do your sums before you buy.
FESTIVALS & ACTIVITIES
Fancy going to Glastonbury, one of Europe's top festivals? You should know then that in 2016 a ticket cost £228. Attendance at Europe's biggest musical parties doesn't come cheap, but there are scores of smaller, less costly festivals that you could check out particularly over the summer. See Must Love Festivals (http://mustlovefestivals.com) to get some ideas.
Likewise if you have particular activities in mind – say, a cooking course, or skiing – look into where you might get the best value. A cooking course in Istanbul is likely to be far cheaper than one in Paris. Head to Eastern Europe’s ski slopes for wallet-friendly prices, with Bosnia and Bulgaria your best bets.
Best Budget Experiences
The following are our author picks for the best locations, sights and experiences across Europe for budget travellers:
Great Britain Entry to London's amazing selection of museums and galleries usually costs nothing, and it's free entry to Glasgow and Edinburgh's premier cultural storehouses, too. The inspiring landscapes of the Lake District or along Hadrian's Wall can be appreciated gratis.
Ireland Dublin's Trinity College and the National Gallery are a couple of the city's free attractions. In Northern Ireland, Derry's City Walls and the People's Gallery Murals are both no-charge highlights.
Denmark Copenhagen's National Museum and National Gallery are both free. So is a wander in the intriguing alternative 'republic' of Christiania or a peek at the underwhelming Little Mermaid. Plus, free walking tours can show you around town.
Sweden Some major state-run museums in Stockholm, such as the excellent Historiska Museet, are free. Major cathedrals at Uppsala and Lund will also cost you nothing to enter.
Finland It's a cheap ferry ride from Helsinki to the fortress islands of Suomenlinna, with a fascinating view of the harbour on the way. Once there, you can wander the fortifications to your heart's content.
Norway Not known as a budget destination, but Oslo's iconic opera house is free to wander around, while Bergen's classic Bryggen district is the city's major highlight.
Iceland Grab a bike from ReykjavÌk and head out to explore the Golden Circle attractions, none of which charge admission. Many more of Iceland's natural wonders are free to visit.
Germany Two of the biggest Berlin attractions are free. The iconic Brandenburg Gate is a symbol of the city, while the nearby Reichstag offers marvellous city views from its glass dome. In Hamburg, see the harbour for a pittance by jumping on one of the regular ferry services.
Belgium Brussels' magnificent Grand Place is one of the world's most unforgettable city squares. Nearby, the cheeky Manneken Pis statue, a tiny statue of a boy urinating is a major drawcard.
Luxembourg City It's not a cheap town, but it's a beautiful one, and wandering its ramparts is its most spectacular attraction. Plus, for just €2, you can head out to explore anywhere in this small country by train or bus.
The Netherlands It costs nothing to spend a glorious afternoon in Amsterdam's Vondelpark, a slice of idyllic Dutch life on a sunny day.
France It doesn’t cost a cent to scamper up, cartwheel across or simply laze on the golden sands and gorge on extraordinary sea views of Dune du Pilat, Europe’s largest sand dune.
Austria There is no cheaper thrill in Austria than a hair-raising motor along the 36 hairpins of Grossglockner Road, with staggering views of snow-capped mountain peaks and plunging waterfalls guaranteed. Rub shoulders with 28 dwarfs, scale a staircase encrusted with angels and relive scenes from The Sound of Music - all for free at Salzburg's Schloss Mirabell.
Switzerland Let your hair down and boogie with the best of them at Europe’s largest street party, aka Zurich’s wild and wacky, larger-than-life Street Parade in August.
Spain Madrid's Museo del Prado is free in the late afternoon. The nearby Reina Sofia and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza are also free at certain times. Order a drink in Granada, León or some other cities and you'll get a free tapas portion to accompany it. Santiago de Compostela, one of Europe's most memorable cathedrals, is free to enter, as is Barcelona's Mercat de la Boqueria covered market.
Portugal Accommodation in Portugal offers the best value in Western Europe, and eating out certainly doesn't break the budget either. The extraordinary cathedrals in Braga and Coimbra, among other places, don't charge admission.
Italy Explore the Cinque Terre, an endless network of hiking trails linking five coastal medieval villages packed with pastel buildings, castles and burgeoning gardens.
Greece The Meteora Monasteries, perched atop towering rock pinnacles, make for an otherworldly setting. See the world from the viewpoint of 11th century hermit monks. With world famous climbing, once-secret hiking trails, stunning chapels and truly dramatic views, you’ll understand why they stayed so long.
Turkey Is there a more Turkish experience than visiting a grand, historic hamam? Head to Istanbul for a cultural soak.
Albania For just a handful of lek, ride the ferry down enormous Lake Koman on a three-hour voyage through a chain of spectacular mountain gorges stopping off at various tiny hamlets on the way. Some travellers enjoy the scenery so much they do the journey in both directions in one day: others continue to the Accursed Mountains for more stunning scenery.
Kosovo The Pristina Bear Sanctuary, a superb NGO-run project in the countryside around the Kosovan capital can be visited for free (though donations are accepted), and the journey here is part of the fun. The resident bears have all been rescued from restaurants where they were once kept as caged ‘mascots’, and it’s wonderful to see them finally enjoying good living conditions.
Belarus The centre of Minsk is surprisingly attractive: a uniform conurbation that features colourful 1950s architectural flourishes that are far grander than you might expect from Soviet-era style.
Czech Republic Kutná Hora’s Sedlec Ossuary (aka the ‘Bone Church’) is at the top of the list of every backpacker’s must-do list. It’s cheap to enter and relatively easy to get to from Prague by bus or train.
Georgia The best way to experience Georgia on a budget is simply to stroll through old Tbilisi, with its winding lanes, balconied houses, leafy squares and handsome churches.
Hungary No trip to Budapest is complete without a dip in the pool and hot tub, and the Széchenyi Baths are the most popular and accessible.
Moldova Try to make it over to the country’s separatist, Russian-speaking region of Transdniestr. It’s a time-warp kind of place, where the Soviet Union reigns supreme and busts of Lenin line the main boulevards.
Poland It’s free to enter the grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum to bear witness to one of history’s greatest crimes: the murder of more than a million Jews and many others by Nazi German occupiers in WWII.
Romania Bucharest’s enormous Palace of Parliament is the world’s second-largest building and a testament to the egos of dictators. Students pay half price for the guided tour.
Slovakia The High Tatras feature true Alpine peaks, arising seemingly in the middle of nowhere. There are miles of excellent hiking trails, and entry to the mountains is free.
Slovenia Lake Bled is lovely to behold from almost any vantage point, and makes a stunning backdrop for the 6km walk along the perimeter, which doesn’t cost a penny and is beautiful any time of year.
Ukraine Lviv’s Ploshcha Rynok, the city’s amazing market square, lies at the heart of the Unesco-protected heritage zone. It’s free to enjoy.
Russia Moscow's Red Square, Lenin's Tomb and Gorky Park are among its not-to-be-missed free attractions. Time your visit to St Petersburg's magnificent Hermitage Museum for the first Thursday of the month when it's free entry to all.
The Baltic States There's no charge for enjoying the beaches at Pärnu in Estonia, Jūrmala in Latvia and in the Curonian Spit National Park in Lithuania.