A Guide to Traveling Through Europe
Traveling through Europe comes with perks that make it the number one travel destination in the world. Getting to your next destination is a cinch with many low-cost airlines, trains, and buses at your fingertips where you can easily arrive from one country to another within just a few hours. Explore new languages, architecture, history, culture as well as a completely different party scene while paying a budget-friendly fee for as low as 1 euro.
If you're tight on budget but are flexible with destinations, make sure to look at your options. The same route (e.g. Paris to London) can easily cost between 9 and 100 euro depending on the mode of transportation and dates of travel. Eastern Europe's buses and trains are much more affordable in comparison to Western Europe transportation by land. However, it doesn't mean one can not travel cheap even in the West. It just takes a little bit more research and an open mind. Here is our guide to traveling through Europe on a budget.
Europe has 28 low-cost airlines offering plane tickets from 1 euro! They tend to get so cheap that it was even possible for a student to travel from Sheffield to Essex, the UK through Berlin, Germany, because the stopover was more affordable than taking a train home. So, if you plan on covering a lot of Europe (especially in a short time), don't exclude the idea of flying. Keep in mind the rules and regulations like how much hand luggage you can take or how much it costs to reserve your favourite window seat. Most budget airlines require some research so you don't get stumped with extra charges. Make sure you check-in in advance, print your boarding pass beforehand, and your luggage shouldn't be a centimetre larger or 100g heavier than allowed, otherwise the penalties could quadruple your ticket price.
Popular low-cost airlines include WizzAir, Ryanair, Easyjet, Eurowings, Pegasus Airlines. For the full list check here.
Fancy checking flights from a city or area to anywhere at the lowest price available? Our favourite flight databases are Google Flights and Kiwi.com
All countries in Europe have domestic and international bus lines, often at dirt cheap prices if you buy at the right time (international companies don't pay VAT that lowers the price by up to 27%).
The largest international coach company in Europe is Eurolines, connecting 33 countries and over 600 destinations. You can purchase single tickets at affordable prices, or, If you like to be on the road, the 15 days, 195 euro pass might be a great deal for you! Other well-established companies include Flixbus focusing mostly on Germany and neighbouring countries, Lux Express and Polski Bus across Poland and central Europe, as well as Orangeways covering Hungary and dozen other cities including Zagreb, Ljubljana, and Vienna. A simple google search (e.g. "Budapest Prague bus") will give you plenty of options. Even with more vague and unknown locations off the tourist paths, local buses will take you almost anywhere on the old continent.
Both major cities and small towns are well connected by one of the most extensive railway lines in the world. So taking a train between country to country or city to city is a no-brainer. You can find a lot of valuable info on Seat61 and a good start page for finding out connections anywhere in the German railway website. One way to keep your trip budget-friendly is by taking a sleeper train. This way you don't have to pay for accommodation or waste a day travelling to your next destination. If you're partial to hopping on a train versus bus or plane, your keywords are Eurail (for non-European residents) and InterRail (for European residents). These are passes offering unlimited rides from 8 days in one country all the way to 1-month continuous travel all over Europe.
Feel like trying something alternative and up-to-date? While the '70s are gone and hitch-hiking doesn't work as it used to (you can still try it though!), new methods of transportation have popped up more recently like Uber, an alternative to taxis or carpooling, an alternative to public transportation. Carpooling is an institutionalized form of hitch-hiking that's green, cheap, reliable, works cross-country and is a great way to meet new friends. The largest international network is Blablacar while most countries have their own networks (e.g. Oszkar in Hungary). Give it a try and you might get addicted!
Happy travels!
Daniel Draskoczy
If you're tight on budget but are flexible with destinations, make sure to look at your options. The same route (e.g. Paris to London) can easily cost between 9 and 100 euro depending on the mode of transportation and dates of travel. Eastern Europe's buses and trains are much more affordable in comparison to Western Europe transportation by land. However, it doesn't mean one can not travel cheap even in the West. It just takes a little bit more research and an open mind. Here is our guide to traveling through Europe on a budget.
Low-Cost Airlines
WizzAir - low-cost destinations in Europe and beyond
Europe has 28 low-cost airlines offering plane tickets from 1 euro! They tend to get so cheap that it was even possible for a student to travel from Sheffield to Essex, the UK through Berlin, Germany, because the stopover was more affordable than taking a train home. So, if you plan on covering a lot of Europe (especially in a short time), don't exclude the idea of flying. Keep in mind the rules and regulations like how much hand luggage you can take or how much it costs to reserve your favourite window seat. Most budget airlines require some research so you don't get stumped with extra charges. Make sure you check-in in advance, print your boarding pass beforehand, and your luggage shouldn't be a centimetre larger or 100g heavier than allowed, otherwise the penalties could quadruple your ticket price.
Popular low-cost airlines include WizzAir, Ryanair, Easyjet, Eurowings, Pegasus Airlines. For the full list check here.
Fancy checking flights from a city or area to anywhere at the lowest price available? Our favourite flight databases are Google Flights and Kiwi.com
Buses
Flixbus
All countries in Europe have domestic and international bus lines, often at dirt cheap prices if you buy at the right time (international companies don't pay VAT that lowers the price by up to 27%).
The largest international coach company in Europe is Eurolines, connecting 33 countries and over 600 destinations. You can purchase single tickets at affordable prices, or, If you like to be on the road, the 15 days, 195 euro pass might be a great deal for you! Other well-established companies include Flixbus focusing mostly on Germany and neighbouring countries, Lux Express and Polski Bus across Poland and central Europe, as well as Orangeways covering Hungary and dozen other cities including Zagreb, Ljubljana, and Vienna. A simple google search (e.g. "Budapest Prague bus") will give you plenty of options. Even with more vague and unknown locations off the tourist paths, local buses will take you almost anywhere on the old continent.
Trains
Lolking
Both major cities and small towns are well connected by one of the most extensive railway lines in the world. So taking a train between country to country or city to city is a no-brainer. You can find a lot of valuable info on Seat61 and a good start page for finding out connections anywhere in the German railway website. One way to keep your trip budget-friendly is by taking a sleeper train. This way you don't have to pay for accommodation or waste a day travelling to your next destination. If you're partial to hopping on a train versus bus or plane, your keywords are Eurail (for non-European residents) and InterRail (for European residents). These are passes offering unlimited rides from 8 days in one country all the way to 1-month continuous travel all over Europe.
Car Shares
groupool
Feel like trying something alternative and up-to-date? While the '70s are gone and hitch-hiking doesn't work as it used to (you can still try it though!), new methods of transportation have popped up more recently like Uber, an alternative to taxis or carpooling, an alternative to public transportation. Carpooling is an institutionalized form of hitch-hiking that's green, cheap, reliable, works cross-country and is a great way to meet new friends. The largest international network is Blablacar while most countries have their own networks (e.g. Oszkar in Hungary). Give it a try and you might get addicted!
Happy travels!
Daniel Draskoczy
