How to plan a Europe trip on a budget!
Taking up a low-travel desk job and not settling abroad was a conscious decision that my husband and I took so that we could live close to our parents. However, I’d be lying if I say that I never envied the friends working abroad posting #wanderlust photos of Grand Canyon and Niagara falls every other week while we couldn’t even make time for Goa. We travel a lot on weekends but the Europe trip was our first real vacation together, outside India. It was also the first 2-week-long paid leave we both took not to visit our parents in Kolkata but to go and see the world.
We planned our Euro-trip for almost a year and finally came up with a fully packed 15-day itinerary covering 6 cities with a complete estimate of what the middle-class me was most worried about – Budget! Here’s an account of our planning a European vacation for the first time.
Step1 – WHEN AND WHERE TO GO IN EUROPE
When to visit Europe?
Winters in Europe is cheaper and less crowded, but you need to be prepared for the sub-zero temperatures. As first-timers, we thought to play it safe and visit in spring.
Where to visit in Europe? Draft a 15-day itinerary of Western Europe
Always book air tickets well in advance and make sure you compare several sites on Aviasales
The second question is “where else?”. The answer to this question depends on the first question we answered – When? It also depends on your budget, your travel intent (slow travel, backpacking, tourist-ing, or a mix of both) and the number of places you want to visit.
Covering like 10 cities in 15 days can be a tempting idea, but it’s silly. It just makes the tour more expensive and gives you no time to explore anything properly. Now when you have just 15 days there are two ways to go about planning- get your bucket list and tick the top places you always wanted to see, or just choose the one indispensable place and then find the places that can be covered in succession from there. Going by the second method this is what we planned :
Amsterdam –> Antwerp–>De Haan –>Paris–> Barcelona –> Madrid
Other awesome Europe itinerary ideas
Well, that was my dream trip so I would call it the best plan in the world😉, but here are some other ideas for Europe itinerary planner for you.
If you want (or dare) to visit in the colder months of October to March, you would not want to miss the sighting of Northern lights, in which case you should include Norway or Iceland in your plan although they are quite expensive.
If you go by the cost of living, the cities we selected are just below the creamy layer of Nordic countries and Switzerland (which is another itinerary if you are willing to splurge – an all Scandinavian trip, or just insert Switzerland somewhere in your itinerary).
If you are on a slightly tighter budget than ours (Rs.3 lakhs for two), I’d suggest replacing some of the cities above with Vienna (Austria), Prague or Salzburg (Czech Republic), Warsaw (Poland), Budapest (Hungary).
Quick fact- Budapest also hosts a beautiful Tulip festival in Spring, a cheaper alternative to Keukenhof.
STEP 2- HOW LONG IN EACH CITY IN EUROPE?
The choice of 1 day each at Antwerp and De Haan may surprise many. Most of you may have heard of the world’s diamond capital Antwerp but may have never heard of this place called De Haan in Belgium. We decided to stay 1 night at Antwerp because it would be on our way to Bruges and the arrival time at the stop would be ideal. Hence the slightly off-beat stopover at Antwerp, a historically significant city where we did a self-guided walking tour. The next stop was supposed to be Bruges – Europe’s cultural capital as it is known to be; but how we ended up spending a night at the countryside of De Haan instead, is a story better saved for another day.
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STEP 3 – ACCOMMODATION IN EUROPE
Hotels versus Hostels versus Airbnb
- lack of privacy and peaceful sleep, with people going out or coming into the room throughout the day (and night);
- accessibility of common restrooms
Browse hostels around the world on Hostelworld.com. For friends traveling in groups Airbnb is a great option to explore apart from the hostels, but for couples or family, budget hotels come at the same price with more convenience.
Few important tips about booking accommodation in Europe
- Do your due diligence while booking hotels. Compare prices on Booking.com and also check on individual hotel websites for better information. We have tried several aggregator sites like Trivago but have always found the best prices on Booking.com followed by MakeMyTrip.com. For Indian hotels or hotels in Asia, Agoda is a great website to check prices.
- Hotels near the airport are cheap but avoid them since these are mostly far away from the city center and the transport to and from the hotel is often not covered under the travel cards
- Check accommodations on Booking.com, MakeMyTrip and Hotellook
- Search cheapest flights on Make My Trip and Aviasales
- Book guided tours through GetYourGuide or Viator
- Book Hostels everywhere on Hostelworld
- Book cheapest transfers on your choice of transport via GetTransfer
- Get insured for your international travels on Insubuy
STEP 4 – GETTING VISA TO EUROPE
I found the visa process for Europe fairly simple and hassle-free. You can get your visas from any embassy of any country in Europe, provided the country is included in your itinerary. We got our visa from the French Embassy in Bangalore with no assistance at all. Just go to the website, fill in the form carefully, book an appointment, have your documents ready and appear at the office on time for verification! If you make any mistake in the form, you will not be able to edit it once confirmed and will have to fill in a new form all over again. No money is deducted for refilling, but just a small hiccup in the process.
On weekdays if you don’t book a priority slot with extra money, you’d need to take a leave, because, from the crowd that I saw, it would easily take 4-5 hours. We booked a slot on Saturday morning (after we returned from the weekday slot) and the entire process took 30-40 minutes. We got the visa within five days.
There’s an even simpler way to get your visas. Visit ivisa.com to apply for tourist visa to any country you want to.
STEP 5 –TRAVEL & SIGHTSEEING
Travel cards as tools for saving in Europe trip
Commuting within European cities
Take comfortable shoes and be ready to walk an average of 10 km a day!
If you love cycling Europe is the place to be. All the cities we visited had special lanes for cyclists, including the small coastal town of DeHaan. You can rent bikes (that’s what they call bicycles) at low cost and explore the cities and countryside of Europe. I am not sure if the same is true for Eastern Europe, so if you have visited any of those countries please educate me in the comments section. I just wish, we had such cycle lanes in Indian cities, and we could see more of those “bikes” than the motorbikes here.
How to plan transport between European cities
- Flix bus
- Eurorail train
- Economy flights
We booked the Flix bus from Amsterdam to Antwerp, and from Bruges station to Paris. This private bus transport network is amazing in terms of comfortable seating, large leg space, timeliness, and speed. We flew from Paris to Barcelona on economy flight Air France. You can call it the French Indigo 😜 except that they offered one complimentary soft drink. If you have time and love to see the countryside you can take the Euro rail pass, but using flight we saved at least six hours. We got our first class Euro rail experience when we traveled from Barcelona to Madrid.
Plan and book intercity transport in advance, online. It will save you your precious time and the stress of booking last minute tickets at the kiosk. If lucky, it can save you a lot of money as well. We got our first class ticket at a price lower than the normal second class 😁
FINAL STAGE – PACKING FOR YOUR EUROPE TRIP
Packing Checklist for Europe Trip – the must-haves
Well, you have bought all the tickets online, booked hotels and created a rough itinerary now. The only thing left now in planning your Europe trip is packing! Don’t forget to pin this list and check it all off before you leave. You can find all of these in any European city, but it would cost more.
- Europe universal travel adapter which must be compatible with EU (read product description) for charging. This is a MUST!
- Make sure you have at least a 64 GB Memory card to bring back all the pictures your family demands to see 😀
- Raincoat/umbrella/hooded windcheater
- Light woolens, thermals, stockings, and scarf for the cold
- A good Moisturizer or cold cream to combat the dry weather
- Comfortable walking shoes. This one is non-negotiable as the best way to explore European cities is on foot. Our top recommendation is Nike Air Zoom range – Pegasus 33,34 or 35. You can check our simple guide on how to select the best travel shoes in India. Some of these tips are universal.
- A sim-card with sufficient internet for GPS on the go. All hotels and hostels, even major stations and city centers have free wifi. However, when traveling on your own, using public transport in foreign countries, it is imprudent to depend entirely on WiFi.
- A small writing pad and a pen, since it is so much more convenient to carry than a laptop. Also, I find writing on paper much easier than typing on a touch-based tablet.
- Melinda listed some great apps that can be your best friend during Euro-trip. But you definitely need that sim-card with internet for accessing all that.
The weather in April-May is very erratic with alternating sunny and overcast days, with the wind being a constant companion. While the sunshine is most welcome you must be prepared with a sunscreen lotion to not return home charred. Europeans have a great dressing sense, so even the fashion unconscious girl like me wanted to look a tad-bit fashionable.
Download your free Packing Checklist for Europe!
ALMOST THERE – CASH vs CARD
We exchanged €600 for cash before we left for the vacation. Do get sufficient cash through online booking, instead of waiting till the airport. The cash card usually has a lower exchange rate but we were afraid of its acceptance. We rarely used credit cards on our trip, but when we did, the interchange fee was higher than the cash exchange rate.
The all-inclusive cost of this 15-day western Europe trip was little over Rs.3 lakhs for two, which is Rs.1.5 lakhs (€1850) per person. Apart from all basic stuff like flights hotels and sightseeing it also includes special experiences. These are the Tulip festival in Amsterdam, Barcelona Football Club stadium and a Flamenco show. The ticket Barcelona Football Club stadium was the most expensive of all special experiences. You can do this trip at a cheaper cost if you follow the tips in this article. Read what we did on our Europe trip for a more detailed cost-benefit analysis so you can make an informed decision on what you want to do and where you want to cut your expenses.
Check Laura’s tips on saving money for traveling the world.
So here’s my Europe travel planning story – was it any helpful? Anything I missed or could have done better? What was your travel story? If you have any questions, or suggestions for improving the blog please write in the comment section. I hope that this helps you plan a budget European tour with ease and serves as a solid Euro-trip guide.
In the next part, we discuss free tips on how to make the best use of your travel card. You will also find a detailed review of the hotel’s transport options and a food guide. Bookmark it for your Europe Trip.
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Great tips! Warm layers are always important in Europe! In some places, it gets chilly quick once the sun goes down!
So awesome that you made it and experienced the best out of Europe. I would do a trip sometime in future I just dunno when. I will certainly take tips from your blog.
Inspiring post, this would definitely be a one stop destinstion for people planning to Europe. Informative one.
I've never been to the cities you went to on your trip – but I love your advice and appreciate you explaining why you chose to stay in Antwerp for just a day.
I'm returning to India after two years in the US for pretty much the same reasons except that I've to find a job once I'm home. Thanks for the guide! We'll possibly plan a Eurotrip in the near future and I'll bookmark this post. What was your budget for the trip?
Those are amazing tips to plan a trip to Europe. There is so much to see and all the tips you have shared about being budget friendly will definitely help us. Thanks.
That's amazing. These are great tips I can use this for my trip next year!
Your story seems to be relatable. We are also longing to explore Europe. Your post will help us in our exploration for sure. Thanks for sharing your story.
Great budget tips for Europe trip. Hope we get to enjoy like you, within the budget.
You have such amazing tips! And since I anyway want to visit Budapest and Austria, hopefully it should be a tad cheaper for me.
You will surely enjoy your trip.Glad to be of help
True. Both the places are fascinating and cheaper than the ones I visited this time
I love these budgeting tips. I know its something I wanted to get better at. Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks Monidipa! Hope it helps everyone
I must say you have really had it well planned. Everything step by step. A great guide for indian traveller planning to explore europe.
This is such a detailed post. I have been to Europe twice and can concur with all the advice given. Very helpful for first time travelers.
Planning a trip have got to be the hardest part of a trip.
It takes so much mental effort to get everything done.
You have a wonderful outline here for those planning on a trip to Europe.
I remember my first Interail trip around Europe, which was on a very tight budget but on a very ambitious itinerary. I have visited Norway and Sweden. Because of the Interail, the transport was almost free, but because I was on a budget the supermarket was my friend. I used to cook pasta in the hostel kitchen almost every night in the Nordic countries.
Great trips and tips as well, it was well planned. thanks for sharing.
European girl here! These are all useful and important tips.
I have never been to Europe, but I'd love to visit someday. Thank you for sharing these wonderful, budget-friendly tips!
Thanks for sharing your experience. First trips are always so memorable
Thank you so much for your kind words
Thanks 🙂
Thanks. Hope this helps. Check our part 2 also and feel free to reach out to me for any questions
Amazing tips! My husband and I want to make a trip to Europe before we start to have kids but have been worried about being able to afford it! 🙂
Great tips for those who are not only beginning to travel in Europe but also the world. Sadly, I don't have any plans to travel to Europe in the future (Just have no desire to travel right now). But if I would, I would plan lightly as I let my feet lead the exploration of a place.
But congrats on achieving your goals and being able to fulfill your dreams of visiting big places in Europe.
This is a great guide for first timers to Europe. I can see that you spend lots of time doing research. Personally, I would never carry that much cash. I've traveled in Asia and Europe solo for the past 20 years, and my bank card and the airport ATM is my best friend. I've also used bank ATMs throughout Asia and Europe without any issues. My choice for accommodation is Airbnb. I spend a lot of time checking out the listings before I make a booking.
Thanks Nancie for your insights. Well, we did use credit card to avoid queues in Amsterdam and the interchange came out to be a bomb. Maybe it varies from one country to another, and given the nosedive of Indian Rupee I feel lucky that I carried that much cash :D.. I am going to try Airbnb some time just for the experience
Hi Ashley. Thanks for your comments. You are the people I wrote this blog for in the first place. You see even in the peak season, we managed to do it in budget while staying in standard hotels. It is doable :). Use the travel cards wisely and you can save a lot.
Great tips! I always follow the budget during my trips especially the short ones, the trips we use to become refreshed in a flash. Your tips are very nice to follow
Thanks Lyosha!
I never really thought about going to Europe before, it looks beautiful though. May need to save money anp plan a trip on a budget 🙂
I have never been in Europe but I know how beautiful and how expensive to plan a trip in this place. You gave us a great tips that we can use not only in our future Europe trip but also in any possible trips that we can do.
Your photos are fabulous. your tips for the trip in budget are really helpful for everyone. Thanks for sharing here.
Booking in advance is very important. Also, I love Air B'n'Bs instead of hotels. They are awesome.
This was such an enjoyable and comprehensive post. I think you have just about thought of everything that someone would need to know when they are planning a European trip. I found this information very timely as my fiance's family live in Europe and they have arranged a family reunion to happen in Norway. So I am starting to do my own planning now as I have heard that Norway is quite expensive as a holiday destination – but at the same time offers some of the world's most beautiful nature. Thank you for the fabulous tips here to help start me on my way!
This is a great post Sinjana and definitely a very inspiring one for first-time travelers to Europe. I have almost always traveled to Europe on budget and it does makes sense to plan right as you has said. And ofcourse pack right. Europe can get really cold for us East Coast Indians. 😀
I can imagine how hard it is to see those photos from far flung friends who are settled around the world but I think you will never regret making your family a priority, and being close enough to spend quality time with them as often as you can. But I can also see how much you must have anticipated this first big trip. Great job on tips to adhere to a tight budget!
You have such amazing tips! This is a great and inspiring post for first-time travelers to Europe. I think you have just about thought of everything that someone would need to know when they are planning a European trip. Thank you for sharing
Great tips on budgeting and planning a Europe trip and condensing it in one spot. I was a little scared when I read “backpacking” trip near the beginning (I’m just not a fan) but I was glad to see that you had wheeled bags and just meant you weren’t renting a car. I always debate buying the city cards but you’ve used them really well on this trip. And I’m one of those that tries to see too many cities at once so this was a great reminder to enjoy the trip rather than move too quickly. Great tips!
I am yet to plan a trip to Europe.And, it has always been an issue with the budget and leave factor. I prefer slow travel hence will actually check with you when planning a trip..and this post is wonderful and helpful for first-timers to Europe and is being bookmarked 🙂
Wow what a great post and a must read for anyone looking to travel and doing it without spending a fortune. I personally travel within Europe a lot but do find it pocket pinching . The tips are very useful and the air tickets in advance is one of the greatest tips you can get for travelling. Travelling by train within Europe I find is very convenient and can save you a fortune. Thanks for this post
Hey thanks for this post we are planning to travel in New Year and chirstmas weeks to the Paris-Italy-greece-croatia-swiss & maybe Prague. I have a question where did you keep your baggaes while travelling intercity? Do buses or train allow or they have restriction of some sort?
Those are some great tips for planning a Europe trip on a budget. Thanks for also sharing some itinerary ideas. Think this covers all aspects well as ticket booking, accommodation, visa and packing too! Would be a great reference guide for anyone planning a Euro trip.
Very exhaustive and helpful blog. You have done a detailed planning and touched all important points. Thank you for writing this.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am glad to be of help
Amazing tips! And beautiful Images. Last year My Wife and I booked my visa for Germany and explore the amazing places. This year we’ll surely visit other places.
Wow, this post really shows how with careful planning and research, you can do a Europe trip on a strict budget. I love all the tips you included; this was really a comprehensive article. I agree that taking a fair amount of cash with you is a smart idea. Those foreign transaction fees can really add up on some credit cards, and ATMs can have hefty fees. I noticed that some smaller shops don’t take credit cards, and even if they do, using a card is often discouraged for smaller purchases.
Amsterdam was the first ever place we also visited in Europe! And a great choice it was. I completely agree with, the best hotel prices I find are on booking.com for Europe/ Americas and Agoda in Asia. Also, completely agree with you that it is silly to cover too many cities in a short span of time as it doesn’t give you enough time in any of the cities ultimately.
Great tips especially for first time travellers. I love travelling through Europe, the architecture, the history, the food and the culture. Just getting lost and wandering down side streets is a fun way to really see a city. Your itinerary was perfect in timing, it would certainly be an itinerary that I would do.
Thanks a lot Jane. Good to know we did well as firt-timers
This is the most complete and detailed post I have read about a Europe Trip. Super appreciate you sharing all these valuable information. It is really helpful and timely for our upcoming family vacation. Thank you for this. Also your photos are beautiful. Love it.
Thanks a lot Clarice! Hope you have an amazing family trip.
Your blog is surely helpful for many Indians who have been planning to go for the Eurotrip since long… You have nice summarized all what one needs to do before making their Eurotrip plan.
Being European, it’s always interesting for me to read these kinds of posts. It looks like you planned well, and others from your country will be prepared. You have a good checklist too.
Thank you so much.I try to provide a perspective from an outsider
I can totally relate to this! Getting a God damn visa is such a pain. Getting all the documents right for the visa is a huge thing…
38k is really a very good deal. I’ve never seen one below 42k on a normal day!
Ibis budget is definitely a blessing for us. The price looks decent when you convert euro to inr!
Covering 6 cities in 15-days???? That would have been a lot of running around. I would usually spend all 15 days in max two cities. However, I do agree with your carrying cash tip. Especially, if you go into interiors of Europe. BTW Rs.3 lakhs for two is a damn good budget.
Thanks. I would also love to spend more time in each of the cities, but its not every day that you manage to get a 15-day vacation for travel.
All really great tips for traveling Europe on a budget! Being able to travel during the off season definitely helps, but like you said, if you’re not used to the cold, that might not be an option for you. Luckily being from Chicago, there aren’t many places in the world that feel too cold for me, so I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Iceland a couple of times in the winter! Flights from the US to Iceland in the winter months can be as low as $100 roundtrip. I love Ibis hotels too for budget + privacy. Great tips for a first timer to Europe!
This is a really informative post for visitors to Europe. I think the getting around part is especially useful, as many people think they have to fly. I took trains across Europe for 8 months last year and saved TONS.
I needed to thank you for this fantastic read!!
I definitely enjoyed every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to look at new stuff you post…
I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
I am quite certain I will learn many new stuff right here!
Good luck for the next!
I am genuinely thankful to the owner of this site who has shared this impressive piece of writing at at this place.|
such a nice blog your blog definitely helpful for travellers of India who wanted to travel in Europe….. In India there are also many beautiful places to see like lakshdweep and The Great Himalayan…
Thanks Amitava.
Wow! Thanks for all the great tips. Having spent a week in France and a week in Germany, I want to plan a year for my next trip to Europe. 🙂 Wouldn’t that be amazing? I pinned this post to refer back later. Thanks!
Interested in more information. How can I contact you?
Hi Asley, feel free to comment here with your question or mail me at backpacknxplore@gmail.com
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I live in Europe and avoid traveling to west Europe as much as I can! I find it expensive. Walking is actually the best way to see European cities in the right season, and I agree with you that taking guided walking tour sometimes is the right way to go. It’s cool to hang out with locals!
Amazing blog thanks!
Great tips, planning a trip to Europe is always hard because there are so many cities that people may want to visit, but you are right not to try to do too many!
Hi Sinjana! This is the most complete and detailed post I have ever read about a Europe Trip. I’d like to appreciate you sharing all these valuable information. It’s going to be very helpful for those who are planning their first trip to Europe. Are you going to write anything about Italy?
Thanks Arunabha.glad u found it useful. I haven’t visited Italy but my sister recently took a short 5 day trip -the classic Venice, Rome, Florence itinerary. Will try to get a detailed post from her on the same.
Wow that’s a very informative post and will be helpful in planning a Europe trip.thanks for sharing
These are some amazing tips for budget travelling in Europe! I visited Europe for the first time in November and definitely could have used some of these tips before going haha. Thanks for sharing!