The First-Timer’s Guide To Europe On A Shoestring
_
Flight Centre cares about delivering amazing travel experiences, with the earlybird deals to Europe's hottest spots now on offer.
Thinking of striking out on your first European adventure? Mazeltof! If you yearn to bask in European grandeur but you’re on a tight budget, we can help. From getting the best deals to eating cheap, here’s your basic guide to Europe on a shoestring.
Research
This sounds obvious, but it’s crucial. The best way to save money on your first European trip is to do a tonne of research before you travel. Compare prices, look at different routes, look at where you want to stay and what you might like to do, and investigate how much it will cost and how you might do it cheaper.
When do off-peak trains run in Italy? When can you get discounted entry to the Musee D’Orsay? What’s the cheapest bed and breakfast in Bratislava?
Research your trip before you go to avoid costly mistakes and reduce the stress of figuring it all out on the fly. Of course, you can always change your plans, but to cut costs, it helps to have a plan in the first place.
Book A Tour
If you’re really not the research type, let someone else do the work for you. Join a tour group and hop on a bus for an easy, breezy, all-inclusive kind of European experience. You’ll miss things, but it’s a zero-stress option. You can go it alone next time, once you’ve got the lay of the land.
Go East
If you’re heading to Europe for the first time, it’s likely that a cluster of big-name cities is at the top of your to-do list. Rome, London and Paris are awesome, but also very expensive, and there are many other European gems lying just under the radar.
Lisbon is one of the coolest cities in Western Europe, and also one of the cheapest, where a few dollars equals a feast of pastéis de nata. For a whole network of cities where your dollar goes further, head east.
In places like Krakow, Budapest, Ljubljana and Bucharest you’ll find medieval castles, cobblestone streets, picturesque bridges and proud battlements, plus dirt-cheap accommodation, food and beer — European romance on a budget.
Get A Cash Card
You can use your Australian debit card in most European ATMs, but you’ll get slammed with international withdrawal fees and unfavourable exchange rates when you do.
To avoid these unnecessary costs, get a travel debit card before you set out. You can buy whatever currency you need at a fixed rate and store it on the card, which works like a normal ATM card in Europe, minus the nasty fees.
Get A Local SIM Card
Most Australian telco providers offer international roaming packs, but the prices are brutal and the data limits are tiny. Data is your lifeline on any holiday, for research and navigation (not to mention Instagram) and pay-as-you-go data packs are very affordable in Europe.
Compare €20 for a three-gig data pack with a local network to a $300 roaming pack from Australia that offers 2.2 gigs of data; it makes sense to grab a local SIM from a newsagency or supermarket. New agreements between EU networks mean you can use the same SIM in multiple countries now. Easy.
Travel Cheap
If you dream of seeing Europe by train, the Eurail pass is your best friend, starting at roughly €200 for a five-stop, two-week trip and heading northwards from there.
If you’re not that fussed about trains, companies like FlixBus and BusAbout offer discounted rates on intercity routes, as low as €5 on a lucky day.
And for truly intrepid travellers, rideshare services like BlaBlaCar are always an option, and a good way to get off the beaten track.
No matter what your method, it’s better to book your inter-city travel advance and avoid travelling on the weekend, when prices go up.
Eat Smart
If you’re a budget traveller staying in hostels, avail yourself of the free breakfast. And when it comes to lunch and dinner, remember that peasant food in many European countries is a delicacy to our Australian tongues.
The cheese you can buy for €2 at a French supermarket could bring tears to your eyes and a €5 bottle of wine would be restaurant-quality back home. In the UK, the pre-packed salads from Waitrose and biscuits from Marks & Spencer are worthy of a standing ovation. The cicchetti in Venice and the tapas in Madrid are delightful, and occasionally come free with beer.
Visit delis, bakeries and fresh food markets wherever you go, and make every park in Europe your personal outdoor restaurant.
Move Your Feet
Walking is not only the cheapest but also the best way to get around many European cities.
On foot, you can see and smell the city streets, explore whole neighbourhoods as they come to life, and (best of all) stumble across gems you’d never discover if you just stuck to a tour bus. Break out Google Maps and get moving; there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Get In Free
Most major museums and public galleries in Europe offer free entry on certain days, once a month or sometimes once a week. Major cities have a host of free events happening at any given time if you know where to look, and free walking tours are sometimes on offer to help you navigate the city.
When it comes to the museums, planning is key — you need to be in the city on the right day and arrive early to beat long queues. Check their websites for details.
To find free events and walks, search online for city guides and magazines with useful listings, such as Time Out London, Ask Helmut in Berlin or I Amsterdam. Failing that, ask a local student: they always know what’s up.
—
Ready to set off on a European adventure? Book your trip through Flight Centre here. Bon voyage!