Reading Time: 4 minutes
(Last Updated On: 11/04/2022)

Traveling in Europe on a budget is a challenge! However, it’s possible as long as you do your research to arrange your trip wisely. It may surprise you how much you can save by taking the right mode of transportation or choosing cheaper destinations. Trust us; there are budget-friendly alternatives for everything along your trip – from attractions to transportation to food to accommodations.

Remember, travelers on a budget aren’t “poor:” they’re savvy! So before you go feeling sorry for yourself, think about all the money you will save while still making amazing memories. Your budget is limited and precious; therefore, you should handle it with care. Here are our top tips for traveling in Europe on a budget:

 

Plot Your Route

Build your itinerary before anything else. No doubt, you’ve got a list of must-visit European destinations. Realistically, you can’t visit them all when traveling in Europe on a budget, especially if your time is as limited as your budget. So instead of pushing to see them all, pick your top two or three. Now check the map to see if the cities you’re considering are easy to connect to, and what other towns are along that route.

For example, you may be interested in visiting Paris and Amsterdam. Check the route, and you’ll see that Brussels is a city located between the two! By choosing cities that connect, or ones that are between two dream destinations, you can get more bang for your buck.

Amsterdam to Paris Trains

Paris to Amsterdam Trains

Paris to Brussels Trains

Brussels to Paris Trains

 

Choose Accommodations Wisely when traveling in Europe on a budget

You get the best rates when you reserve your hotel or hostel rooms in advance. The earlier, the better. Choose your accommodations wisely.

While suites at 5-star hotels mean complete comfort and luxury, they’re not the smart choice when dealing with a tight budget. Furthermore, staying in an expensive hotel room would be a waste of your money, mainly if your itinerary involves sightseeing and exploring the city. It means you’ll only be using the room to crash in and spend most of your days out and about.

If you want to save, you may stay with a local for free by visiting hospitality exchanges. Other cheap accommodations include hostels that offer dormitory-style facilities. Room rentals on online marketplaces such as Airbnb are also ideal for traveling in Europe on a budget.

 

Eat Like a Local when traveling in Europe on a budget

think like a local when traveling in Europe on a budget

 

Gastronomic delights are everywhere in Europe. But if you’re traveling in Europe on a budget, the smart thing to do is to avoid eating at expensive tourist places. Don’t let restaurant bills break your food budget.

Instead, eat like a local and get a real cultural experience. Food stalls and street food are all over European cities, and they’re the perfect hotspots to buy authentic cuisine. And the best part is that they will only cost a few euros. If you want to save on meals, hit the grocery store. If you’re staying in a room that has the means to cook, buy ingredients for a dish you can easily make.

Paris to Lille Trains

Rome to Milan Trains

Hamburg to Berlin Trains

Geneva to Paris Trains

 

 

Sleep on the Train

Sleeping on the train between destinations is perhaps one of our favorite tips for people traveling in Europe on a budget. Instead of wasting valuable daylight hours in transit, choose to go on an overnight train. It may surprise you how much cheaper it is than booking a hotel for the night. Sure, you’ll miss the scenery, but you’ll wake up well-rested in a new city!

 

Ready to start traveling in Europe on a budget and book a train? Book train tickets early and get the best deals on seats!

 

Do you want to embed our blog post onto your site, you can either take our photos and text and just give us a credit with a link to this blog post, or you click here: https://iframely.com/embed/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.saveatrain.com%2Fblog%2Ftraveling-europe-budget%2F%3Flang%3Den – (Scroll down to see the Embed Code)