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Europe Travel Tips

One of the great rites of passages is the backpacking trip through Europe. For young people, especially college aged Americans, the summer backpacking trip through Europe is one of the most memorable experiences people have in their life time. From beautiful Paris, to smoke filled coffeeshops in Amsterdam, from Oktoberfest, to the beaches of Greece- there’s so much to see in Europe I couldn’t name it all if I tried.

Europe is most busy during the summer. It’s hard to make sweeping generalizations about a whole continent as diverse as Europe. Every country is incredible different than the next and eastern Europe is world away from western Europe. Scandinavia is something totally different too. I’ve backpacked Europe three times. Here’s some general tips that can make your life easier when planning Europe trips

Typical Costs in Europe

• Accommodation: In most Western European countries, expect to pay between 20-30 Euros per night for a dorm room. In Scandinavia, expect to pay around 30-35 Euros per night. In England, prices are usually around 150-20 pounds per night. In Eastern Europe, you can find dorm rooms for between 10-15 Euros per night, maybe even less.
• Food: Food costs vary as wildly as accommodation costs. Cheap fast food meals cost 6-8 Euros while restaurants meals cost around 15-20 Euros. Nicer establishments will cost 30 Euros or more. In eastern Europe, you can find prices for roughly 50% less, though major cities will be a lot more. You can cook your food for a week at around 40-50 euros.
• Transportation: The easiest way to get around Europe is by train. Trains connect every major part of Europe and they are often very cheap. However, the rise of cheap airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet, and Transavia, have all made flying around Europe in a hurry really cheap. You can see below for typical train costs. For flights, expect to pay around 50 Euros if you book in advance. Transportation around most cities is only 1-2 Euros.
• Activities: Most museums and tours start at around 10 Euros. It’s cheaper of course in eastern Europe. Full day tours cost between 30-50 Euros. Prices vary drastically per country so it’s hard to give a good general cost. See country information for more detail.

Money Saving Tips for Europe

• Picnic. Europe has a lot of little tiny shops where you can be pre-made sandwiches or ingredients to make your own. Buy some food, eat outside, and watch the city go by. It’s a much more enjoyable and cheaper way to eat.
• Eat Local and Cheap. Not into picnicking? That’s OK, there are other ways to save money on food. Eat a local sandwich shops, pizza parlors, Maoz, Wok to Walks, outdoor street vendors, and the like. Avoiding restaurants and eating at a lot of the local “grab n’ go” places will give you a taste of the local cuisine at a much cheaper price.
• Plan Accordingly.Transportation in Europe can eat into your budget. Traveling costs money. A good way to save money is to avoid moving in weird directions. Move in a straight line and avoid doubling back and avoid paying too much for transportation.
• Couchsurf. Hostels can add up really quick in Europe. If you don’t have any friends you can stay with, consider using the service Couchsurfing, which lets you connect with locals who will let you stay with them for free.
• Fly Cheap. If you know where you are going and a train won’t do, try to book flights early. You can often get one euro fares from many of the discount airlines like Transavia, Easyjet, Air Berlin, and Ryanair. Watch out for fees though.
• Drink Less. Those 5 Euro beers really add up. Hit happy hour or pick and choose when you party. Hostel bars are a good place to get cheap drinks or buy your alcohol at the supermarket. Partying your way across the continent will destroy your bank balance in no time.
• Take the Free Tours. One of the great things about Europe is that you can find free walking tours in all the major cities. They can be a great way to see the city attractions, get history, and learn your bearings without spending any money.

Should You Get a Eurail Pass?
A Eurail pass is great value if a) you use ALL your segments and b) you are traveling great distances. To begin, here is a breakdown of costs with and without a Eurail pass for all my trips:

Note: All these prices are in Euros. I convert them into dollars based on the average exchange rate of $1= €0.67. The first column is the reservation fee I paid. Moreover, these train prices are based on what was told me at the time I booked a ticket. Different trains might be a little more or a little less. All trains are roughly in the same price range, though. Prices change frequently, and you might not get the prices as I did.

The pass clearly saved me money. But there are very important things to note: First, what type of pass you get will greatly affect how much you save. There are a lot of different passes, two main passes most travelers use are the 1st class and 2nd youth (for those under 26) global flexi passes. A two month 15 day 2nd class ticket costs $774, with a value of $51.60 per trip. A 1st class adult ticket costs $1,190.00, with a value of $79 per trip. These passes let you travel all over Europe and give 10 or 15 trips in a one or two month period. Consecutive day passes can be bought for up to 3 months, but aren’t really that good of a deal if you aren’t traveling every other day since everyday you don’t use them is a lost day.

The value of my travels would have cost $1,294 for the reservation fees and the pass. The cost without the Eurail pass would have been $1,767. For a second class ticket, assuming the same reservation fees, I would have spent $878, whereas the trip would have cost $1,157 without the pass. I saved money because I took long inter-country trains. I mentioned the value of each trip because looking back at my travels, some train rides cost below the value of a Eurail trip. Many trains I took cost a lot, and in these cases, the Eurail saved me money. But for short trips, using one of my Eurail trips would actually cost me money. The Brussels to Brugge ticket only cost €12, far below the $79 value of that segment. If you are just taking short trips around Europe, then getting a Eurail pass will cost you more. However, if you only take it across vast distances or on overnight trains, you’ll save money.

Top Things to See in Europe

• Paris. The city of light is everything people say it is. You’ll never be able to see the city in just one visit. There’s so much to do in the city it would take years. But you can get a good idea of the city over a few days.
• Amsterdam. There’s more to the city than just coffeeshops and red lights. Make sure to visit the museums and the canals but get out of the center into the Jordaan and Oost for a local a less touristy city.
• Greek Islands. These islands are the mecca of summer beach fun in Europe. The island of Ios is the center of the party but you’ll find all the islands filled with lots of people, beautiful beaches, great weather, and great food.
• Barcelona. Barcelona is Europe’s festive city. The city goes 24 hours. Be prepared for late night dinners and til dawn parties. Barcelona is a city that knows how to get down. Make sure you have some delicious seafood.
• London. Get a taste of English culture in diverse London. The museums here are some of the best in the world (and free), there is a lot of history here, and the pub culture is wonderful. Head to Brick Lane for some amazing Sunday food markets.
• Berlin. Europe’s nightlife capital, hip and trendy Berlin is a energetic destination. You can learn a lot about WW2 here and while the city is very bland looking, its energy more than makes up for it.
• Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is a much for anyone going through Germany at the end of September.
• Prague. Old Europe Prague is a beautiful city with amazing history. It’s a cheap destination and during the weekends heaves with people enjoying the night.
• Interlaken. Located in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland, relax here with some good spots, hot chocolate, and beer. This is a popular party destination for backpackers and other young travelers.
• Rome.This thriving historical city has amazing food, tiny little streets to wander through, a history buff’s dream, and a great nightlife. Visit the Trastevre area for a taste of “local” Rome and chill bars.
• Cinque Terre. This is my favorite part of Italy. These five beautiful cliff side towns are perched near warm waters and beautiful olive and grape groves. You’ll find some wondrous and strenuous hikes in these hills. For a real challenge, take trail #8.
• French Riviera. Have fun in the sun, hob nob with the rich and famous and sail (or gaze at) gigantic yachts.
• Krakow This up and coming Polish city is too beautiful. The city looks like it stepped out of a medieval post card. It also has a very nice coffeeshop culture and has some of the best nightlife in Eastern Europe. It’s a hip, trendy, and youthful city to relax in.
• Cornwall The best part of England is outside London and unfortunately not a lot of people leave London. Head west to the are of Cornwall for cheaper prices, friendlier locals, more natural beauty, great hiking, small towns, and overall what you think of “traditional England.”
• The Swiss Alps Whether you go skiing in the winter or hiking in the summer, the Alps hold some of the most breathtaking views in all of Europe.

Destination Guides for Europe