Europe enjoys the somewhat dubious notoriety of being unabashedly overpriced. For travelers planning a vacation here, it is easy to expect the worst – from fancy room-rents to pricey air tickets, costly meals to expensive sightseeing. Yet, and this is the scoop – traveling around Europe need not cost an arm and a leg. Once you land up at your chosen destination in the continent, there are ways to get around which are pocket-friendly. Inexpensive train passes are available. Rooms booked online ahead of time and a carefully planned itinerary go a long way to ensure that you have the vacation of a lifetime without burning a hole in your pocket. Read on to find out more about how you can plan a vacation in Europe on a shoestring budget.
- Fly cheap Reaching your chosen destination in Europe in comfort and on time is not a difficult thing to do. There are many budget airlines like Jet Airways and Air India which offer cheap air tickets to European destinations. Visit online travel portals and create alerts. You will thereafter receive notifications in your inbox whenever there is a price-drop in your chosen sector. Choose off-season dates to attract cheap airfares. Try to keep your travel dates flexible, if possible, to pick up the cheapest air tickets.
- Cheap stays It is alright to land up at your destination, but where do you spend the night after a day of hectic sightseeing? Find bed and breakfast solutions in the city of your choice. There are many options which can help you find a place to spend the night. Depending upon your preferences (the locality you wish to stay out of in the city and the kind of amenities you are looking for) arrive at a bed and breakfast of your choice. Local hosts are often very helpful and guide you on how to spend the day sightseeing. You can also check into youth hostels if you are on a shoestring budget. Remember to travel light.
- Plan your Day Turning up in Europe is vastly different from, say, a beach vacation where you can laze around all day. To make the most of your travel experience, read up on your destination – there are museums to visit, concerts to catch, parks to explore and cuisines to savour. In Europe, there are many museums and churches like the Tate Modern in London (where you can get acquainted with the works of Picasso and Braque) and Basilique du Sacre Coeur in Paris (with stained glass windows and a panoramic view of the city) which offer visitors free entry. Make a list of the likely sites you would like to cover before you arrive.
- Eat like the Locals Pick up baguettes (local bread) and some camembert (French cheese). Head to Jardin de Luxembourg, a park in Paris near Saint Michel. Make a picnic lunch out of it. Sample the local food during your travel in Europe. Meals do not have to be too expensive.
- Getting Around in Europe To travel around the city and move from one European city to the next, pick up travel passes. The Swiss Travel Pass not only allows you to use trains to travel internally, you will also be able to avail of buses and ferries to get around Swiss cities. Rail passes are helpful to move from one country to the next.
With each component of your travel sorted out, plan your vacation in Europe today. Bon voyage!
