Countries Visited

    Australia
    Austria
    Bahamas
    Belgium
    Belize
    Bermuda
    Cambodia
    Canada
    Cayman Islands
    Costa Rica
    Czech Republic
    England
    Greece
    Guatemala
    Italy
    Japan
    Laos
    Malaysia
    Mexico
    The Netherlands
    Norway
    Singapore
    Spain
    Thailand
    United States
    The Holy See
    Vietnam

    Travel Goals

    1. Climb to Everest Base Camp.
    2. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
    3. Learn to Scuba Dive.
    4. Visit every continent.
    5. See the Galapagos Islands.
    6. Sail down the Amazon River.
    7. Climb Ayer's Rock.
    8. Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
    9. Go into space.
    10. Throw tomatos at La Tomintina in Spain.
    11. See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji.
    12. Try to figure out the Buddhist messages at Borobudor in Indonesia.
    13. Visit the Pyramids
    14. Safari in East Africa for 3 months.
    15. Go to the World Cup!
    16. See Macchu Picchu.
    17. Join the Century Club. (100 countries visited)
    18. Join the Mile High Club. (Hey why not?)
    19. Do development work in a 3rd world country.
    20. See Petra Jordan.
    21. Backpack the Eastern Block.
    22. Go back to Alaska and see the Northern Lights.
    23. Vegas Baby! Vegas!
    24. Greek Island hop.
    25. Cycle Tuscany.
    26. Visit India.
    27. Lounge forever in the Seychelles.
    28. See Morocco.
    29. Oktoberfest!
    30. Caravan across the Sahara.
    31. Visit Tibet.
    32. Go to the Cannes Film Festival.
    33. Go to the Sundance Film Festival.
    34. Eat a sushi meal at NOBU
    35. Pacific Island hop.
    36. Spend a night in the Ice Hotel in Sweden.
    37. Go to Israel.
    38. Carnival!!!!
    39. and it's slightly less cool cousin, Mardi Gras!
    40. See Glacier National Park before the glaciers melt.
    41. Fly first class on some long international flight!
    No Service Fees! Promo Code: NOFEE

Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe

August 4, 2008

EurotrainEurope is not always the cheapest place to travel around. Transportation costs can cause havoc on any budget, especially if you are going long distances. It’s most ridiculous in England where the pricing method is similar to the airlines (book early). If you need to hop on a train, it can be as (or more) expensive as hoping on a flight. (I’m not joking. It cost me more for a 2 hr train ride than it did to fly to Amsterdam from London.) However, there are still a few cheap ways to travel around Europe:

Megabus- A cheap way to travel get across the United Kingdom, fares can cost as little as one pound. Even if you don’t scoop up these amazingly cheap deals, you can still travel for a fraction of the cost you can on the National Rail system. Fares rarely top fifteen pounds. Most Megatrains and buses leave from London but you can also get intercity links from many of the country’s main destinations. (As well as major destinations in Wales and Scotland.) It’s simply the best deal around. Travel in the UK is ridiculously expensive and even if you change your plans, you are only losing a pound. This should be your first option for UK travel.

Busabout- A hop on/hop off again service similar to the OZ or Kiwi Experience. You can get on and off whenever you like and, once you buy the ticket, you don’t have to worry about transportation the whole way. There is an onboard guide that can help you with accommodation. They’ll help plan events and tours for you too. Busabout is not the cheapest option on the list but for those looking for something different, it is a good way to get around hassle free while knowing you’ll be around other backpackers. What you are really paying for is a scaled down tour and for the first time traveler, this can be a good option if they don’t feel comfortable traveling on their own.

Low Cost Carriers- By far the cheapest option for traveling Europe, these airlines are so prolific that it helps keeps fares cheap. You can often find tickets where the fare is just the taxes. Companies like SkyEurope, Transavia, EasyJet, and RyanAir offer flights throughout the continent for dirt cheap. It cost me 20 pounds to fly from London to Amsterdam, 25 euros to fly from Paris to Germany, and 60 euros to go from Stockholm to Amsterdam. Book early and you can get tickets for mere pennies.

EuroRail Pass- Getting a rail pass is a good option if you are going to be traveling across vast distances. The European rail system is very good and very cheap over short distances. However, when you start boarding night trains across multiple countries, the rail system becomes a bit more expensive. Rail Passes are a great way to save quite a few euros and are a must for anyone looking to take the trains over long distances.

Use these options and you are bound to save money while you travel around Europe! Europe is expensive but there are still cheap ways to get around!

Posted by NomadicMatt | Filed Under Travel Tips | 12 Comments