Budget Travel in Europe – Food

 

   

You’re in a beautiful new country full of exciting culture and you’re surrounded by delicious looking food at every corner.  European countries have some of the worlds most spectacular cuisine. Everything from French, Italian, Spanish, Swiss, German, etc. You can’t go wrong no matter where you go to eat! Here are a few tips to keep your wallet heavy, and your stomach full.

1. In most tourist zones, restaurants often have a meal deal which includes service, a drink, and usually a combination of  an appetizer, entree and dessert. They are usually fairly limited menus, however can be awesome if you are on a tight budget!

 I remember doing this often in Ibiza. A glass of wine, salad to start,  pasta or chicken dish, and ice cream for  dessert all for 6Euro…YESS PLEASE!

2. So you’re standing on the main street in Barcelona, La Rambla, and are looking for a place to eat… here’s where you NEED to go… Off a side road adjacent to La Rambla walk about 1 block down, and turn the corner. Always walk one block down off the main street and look for restaurants there, no matter where you are! There food will be equally as good, if not better than the main places on the strip, and the prices will be half of what you’re paying elsewhere.

3. Stop thinking that you need to eat out for every meal. Guess what, there are real people, in these real cities that you are visiting, and they need to buy groceries too! Head to a grocery store and load up on sandwich supplies for lunch, and granola bars and fruit to keep you going through the day. This is also a great option for do it yourself dinner picnics. There’s nothing like putting together your own charcuterie board, and grabbing a cheap bottle of wine and having a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, or Sacré–Coeur. Food in general in Europe is fairly inexpensive (this depends on where you are…) however in mainland Europe – Germany, France, Spain, Italy etc. you’ll be surprised at the prices compared to North America! Also note that food is priced by the Kilo (that’s 2.2 pounds). 

4. Grocery stores are also the BEST place to buy water... in small convenience stores they’ll run you up to a Euro per bottled water… In grocery stores you’ll get 2l of water for 20-60 Cents. Share it with a friend and you’re good to go.

5. One of the best things in Europe are the markets. Depending on your location ask around for when and where the best markets are being held. They are often on Saturday or Sunday mornings, and in the main squares, or a busy street of the city. You’ll find everything here from cheese, meets, cultural delicatessen, cultural snacks. They are usually priced extremely well and are a great way to see some local culture!

6. Hostels frown upon this… but we all do it… Grab an extra apple or something small at your free breakfast in the hostel. It’s always nice to have a snack in your bag when you’ve been walking for 8 hours in blistering heat.  I’m not saying make yourself 3 sandwiches and cut yourself a fruit salad and more for dessert… but grab a little something just to keep you going… and be discreet about it.

7. Hit up a University Cafeteria. Most large cities have university campuses that are accessible to the public. Take a walk around and visit the university, and stop in for a meal. Since they are catering to students, prices are low, and there are usually pretty decent portions.  I had a giant, delicious, make your own salad in Germany for 1.89€. 

8. Try some local Street Food. Get out and try some local food. There is street food everywhere, and it’s much cheaper than sitting down at a restaurant.

9. Going to a restaurant – remember the following: 

• Depending on where you are, that “Complementary bread” that they place on the table for you they actually charge for.. Ask if its complementary if you’re not sure. If you don’t touch it, you won’t be charged for it.
• In Europe they don’t tip the standard 15-20%. Depending on the type of restaurant round up to the nearest $5 or $10. For exceptional service everyone loves a little extra, however know that it’s not expected of you.

10.  I get it, you’re on a budget, but visiting somewhere so rich in culture with amazing cuisines, try to treat yourself here or there. I can’t stress enough that part of experiencing a new culture, includes experiencing their food. Have a night out where you can enjoy a great meal at a great restaurant.

I totally cheaped out in Oslo when I was there and because I was couchsurfing it was easy to make our own meals, it was fantastic!  But  on our last night there there’s was nothing better than going to a traditional Scandinavian Michelin star restaurant and enjoying a night out of fantastic local cuisine.  A lasting memory and experience is worth that extra $50 that you can easily make up for next month at work. 🙂  

Guten Appetit! Bon appétit! ¡Buen provecho! Buon appetito! Smaklig måltid! Приятного аппетита! 食福,   いただきます, 

Budget Travel in Europe – Activities

 

      

Museums, tours, excursions, historical sites, it all gets expensive… BUT there is a ton of different ways to save on activities! Here are some ways to save money and have a great time!

• Some museums have a certain day or night of the week or month when admission is free. Sometimes this even includes a free tour!
• There are a ton of free things to do everywhere you go!  You don’t need any money to go for a walk and get lost through the canals of Venice. Don’t like walking? Rent a bike for a day! You’ll randomly run into some of the most beautiful interesting places. *Take a map so you can find your way out again, or be prepared to ask for help. That’s part of the fun though 😉
• City Pass – Consider getting a city pass that gives you access to transportation within the city and entrance into museums). I would recommend only getting a 1 or 2 day city pass and doing a heavy 2 day museum trek. They are pretty expensive if you only use them for 1 museum a day. If you can get out a visit a bunch of things in one day, you will definitely save some cash doing this route!
• Look up free city tours in the city you are visiting. In every single major European city, there are people that provide tours by donation. They are awesome and will show you the ins and outs of the city core.  They often have a recommended donation of 5-10 euro, however this is still much cheaper that 20 – 50€ that you would be paying for major tour companies.  They often meet in many areas such as in Berlin they congregate in front of the Brandenburger tor (with a large sign saying free tour). This is also a great way of meeting people from around the world, and meeting someone local. They are often students just looking for a little extra cash.
• Discount Websites –  For example in London, I always use the Days out guide for 2for1 discounts anywhere I go. For activities, restaurants, transportation, everything! I got to see musical Billy Elliot in London for 20£!!  Check out the site for more info, it’s great! Many cities have very similar discount sights, just Google away.
• Discount Vacations – If you are already in Europe or the UK, take a look at Holiday Pirates. They have some of the most amazing sales I have ever seen on transportation and accommodations.  They specialize from travel originating in Europe. But if you are already there and want a nice relaxing week in Turkey, or a romantic weekend in Paris. Some of their deals are so so amazing. For example) as I am writing this you can travel from Leeds to Malta and stay for a long 4 day weekend in a 4 star hotel for 83£/per person. You can’t really beat that if you trained/boated/hosteled that trip…. Definitely worth a look!
• Groupon – Sure you might use them in your home country, but why not using them somewhere else! Just search up the city and Groupon in Google. Most major European cities now offer various Groupons on activities and dining. 
• Coupon Books – these are often at travel information desks, and in hotels or hostels. Check with the front desk of wherever you are staying and they should be able to help you get your hands on one.
• Student discounts – bring that student ID card with you! Most major museum or historical site will have student discounts.
• Get an ISIC Card – this card identifies you as a student, and gives you access to a ton of deals!
• Do small independent tours of things such as wineries: See pic above – had a great time wine tasting along the Rhine river in Germany!

Budget Travel in Europe – Accommodations

            

European cities are full of amazing opportunities to save on your accommodations.

I’ll break down some of the best options for you to save money while having an enjoyable stay.

Couchsurfing

•  Couchsurfing is an online community where members can request to stay at others homes, or accept to host a fellow traveler.
• Accommodations can very from a spot on the couch, mattress on the floor of a living room, or a spare bedroom.
• Couchsurfing is not just a free place to stay. Most hosts enjoy guests who are interested in the cultural aspect of travelling, and will make an effort to get to know the host and the cultural community in that city/country.  If you are willing to get to know someone on your trip (I promise it will make your trip much more interesting), this is a great opportunity for you.
• Be prepared to spend some serious time building a profile and contacting hosts.  Just as you would want to see what the person is like who may be staying in your own house, they want to see the same. Get verified, and have friends endorse you positively.
• You may want to attend monthly meet ups in your city before you embark on a couchsurfing trip. It will give you a feel for it, and others will surely give you hints on how to make your travels more enjoyable.
• ALWAYS have a backup accommodation in mind in case plans change or you do not feel comfortable in the hosts home.
• Try to thank the host with a small gift. Most will kindly decline if you offer it in advance (since it isn’t for a monetary gain, instead the experience of getting to know people from around the world), however even making dinner for them, or a nice bottle of wine is a nice gesture.
• I traveled throughout Europe Couchsurfing and LOVED it. It took a little extra organization and planning before, however we met amazing people and I only have great things to say.

Hostels (Hostels.com , Hostelworld, HostelBookers)

• Check out the above sites for the most popular used hostel search and booking sites.
• Hostels can vary depending on location, however they usually range from 2 person rooms – 20 person rooms and cooed, female only or male only dorms.
• Hostels are a great choice if you are travelling alone or looking to meet people. ***Keep contact with them.  Make plans to stay with them when you are in their area!!!***
• Prices range anywhere from 10Euro/night-100Euro depending on the location and date, however on average are MUCH more cost effective than a hotel.
• Be aware that hostels have varying services. Some include bed linens, some not. Some include breakfast, some not. Some require a membership for all hostels in that organization – if you don’t have this membership which is usually a one time fee, they will charge you an extra charge per night. Please make sure to look at the small print when booking on hostel sites as they last minute charges are added on once you arrive.
• I highly suggest bringing a long or renting a locker for your stay in hostels. Not everyone is as always honest as we would hope they would be… 😦

AirBnB

• Online community that helps people rent out their homes to people looking for accommodations.  Nightly-long term.
• Rentals of both private rooms, and entire houses/apartments.
• Often same price or a little more expensive than hostels. However I did have an experience where I was in Amsterdam for Queensday long weekend, and hostels were hitting 50+Euro a night for 20 person mixed dorms -> I was able to share an Airbnb apartment with a friends for a total of 70Euro/night (so 35Euro each and we had our very own place!!)
• If renting a private room, hopefully you can meet some awesome people!
• Fairly safe – peer reviewed, insurable.
• Very nice to be able to keep your stuff there and have it safe.

Bed & Breakfast (https://www.bedandbreakfast.eu/,     http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/)

• Bed and Breakfasts offer you a great way to visit a location and have a feeling of “home”.
• Varying in price, however on average more expensive than hostels, and cheaper than hotels.
• Great option for couples!
• Prices are usually all inclusive. No hidden fees for  linens, food, etc.

Hotels (Booking, Venere,  Eurobooking. or any major hotel booking site). 

• On average, hotels are your most expensive bet when it comes to accommodation options.
• This being said, their are some great budget hotels that offer beautiful accommodations for very good prices.
• This is a great option if you are travelling with a couple and prefer more privacy.
• Many hotels in Europe offer breakfast included!

 

My recommendations:

• Couchsurf – Best experience of my life, saved a ton of money, learnt a ton about the culture and lifestyles of various countries than any other possible alternative. It was also great on the budget!!!!
• Have a backup hostel just in case.
• Want a relaxing stay somewhere, Airbnb or a cheap beach hotel should the trick.
• When our travelling, talk to everyone! You never know where they live, and they might even offer to host you when you’re around there next!
• Unless you plan on spending a ton of time in your room, choose places based on cleanliness, safety, and location. When you are out travelling everyday the time you spend in your actual room is very minimal.  As long as you have somewhere where you can head back to at night which is clean, safe, and easy to get to, you’ll be rested for the next day of adventure.

 

Budget Travel in Europe – Transportation

           

Europe: One of the easiest places to get around, with so many diverse things to see around every corner.

I know, I know: flights can get expensive, and trains and buses are time consuming, BUT here are a few things to consider when planning your trip that will cut these costs in half!

Your initial flight:  

• Book at least 6 months in advance.
• Shop around… along with your national airlines try www.skyscanner.com , www.hipmunk.com , or www.flighthub.com. They compare all airlines and find you the best deals.
• Fly into major hubs. Where? Heathrow (London, England), Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris, France), Frankfurt Airport (Frankfurt, Germany), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Istanbul Atatürk Airport (Istanbul, Turkey), Barajas Airport (Madrid, Spain), Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (Rome, Italy).

• Do try to fly mid-week.
• Do fly in low season (Spring or Autumn).
• Do fly early in the morning or late at night.
• Do book on a sale.
• Don’t book your ticket less than two weeks in advance.
• Don’t fly on public holidays.
• Opt for return tickets for your initial flight, but keep in mind, in most cases airlines will charge extra fees for changes of date or time so dont book unless you are sure

Flights within Europe:

• Positives with air travel in Europe:
  • MUCH quicker than train/bus.
  • MUCH MUCH quicker than train/bus.
  • Fairly cheap
• Negatives with air travel in Europe:
  • The airports that the budget airlines use are often secondary airports built outside of the main cities.  You will require an additional bus/train ticket once you are there into the city from the airport. They sell these on the flights as well as in the airport. They arent expensive (anywhere from 5-20Euro), however it does sometimes take up to an hour to get into the city after your flight.
  • Very strict on deadlines, and baggage regulations.
  • You need to check in online (It is an additional 70Euro at the airport…)
  • Try to sell you add ons, priority boarding, infant fee, child equipment fee, baggage fee.

• They aren’t comfy. They aren’t fancy. But they get you where you need to go… cheap.
• Flights typically range from $30-$250 depending on the stretch.
• Try skyscanner to search all sights however individually the most popular ones are: RyanAir, EasyJet, AirBerlin, Vueling.
• Remember: These flights are often non-refundable, non-transferable (if yours happens to be, it will probably cost more to change it then to just buy a new one),  deadlines are strictly enforced, luggage is extra  and usually a minimum of 15Euro, however this rises in peak season and only includes  up to 20Kilo, after this is it an additional 10-30Euro PER KILO! So pack lightly. They are also very strict with carry on baggage (weight and size) and will often charge people for a second piece of checked luggage if they go over the weight or size allowances.

Trains within Europe

• Good news, the train system within Europe is remarkable. You can go almost anywhere by train, however it will cost you.
• Think about a EuroRail Pass. Check out the link to find out more information. If you want to do Europe by train, getting a EuroRailPass is your BEST and cheapest bet. Tickets range from $56-$700.
  • Pros: Will take you right into a city, flexible.
  • Cons: Takes a long time to get from place to place, fairly expensive, restrictive (times of travel, types of trains – no use of high speed trains. Only regional trains – these take 1.5-2x longer than a high speed train).
• Trains can get very expensive. Look for discount tickets such as in Germany they have a “Schones wochenende ticket” which will cost you 44Euro for use of up to 5 people for an unlimited travel in one day across Germany in 2nd class on all regional trains. Different countries have variuos offers like this. If ever in doubt, ask someone in information at a train station for the cheapest way to get to “……….” They are very helpful!
• Always print out your tickets ahead of time if buying online. It’s impossible to find printers in or around train stations when you’re in a hurry.

Driving across Europe

• Cars can be expensive to rent, HOWEVER depending on where you are I highly recommend it!
• I spent a week in Corfu (Greece), and a week in Ibiza (Spain) and on both occassions we had access to a car for the week.  We were able to head to local beaches, events, and activities that would have taken us hours to get to via bus. On these occasions they were also cheaper as for example in Corfu we were staying in a smaller beach village – a bus to the main city was 5Euro and a 1 hour bus ride, from there we had to find our next bus which took us another hour and another 5Euro to get to the beach where we wanted to go. Instead the 3 of us pitched in 20Euro a day to rent a car, and it took us a 40min round trip instead of 2+hours. HIGHLY worth it!
• Highly recommend opting for a navigation system. It’s really hard to read signs in other languages…eek!
• There is a large carpooling community across Europe called Carpooling.co.uk or Mitfahrgelegenheit in Germany. In both cases, people post where they are travelling to, how many people they can take, and the cost to take you. This cost is usually fairly cheap and just covers the drivers gas costs. Drivers are rated so that you can see who you are travelling with and that safety is important to the company and that person. It’s a good option if you just want to head to a neighboring city in the same country.

This all  seems like a hassle right? Here’s my two cents. 

• Plan ahead of time. (Write down the countries/cities you MUST see, write a secondary list of WANT to see’s.)
• Decide on a starting location. See where the cheapest flights are to one of your Must see locations, doesn’t matter if its the farthest or nearest place, start with that. Make a basic itinerary going from cheapest location to the next. Your schedule might look a little crazy going from North to south to west to east and back again multiple times, but you’re flying so the max flight length will be 4 hours (much much better than on a train), and you’ll be saving a ton of money.
• I literally sat down with my best friend, opened up the Ryan air website, and said “where can we go from Frankfurt that’s awesome and cheap – great Paris”. “Now where can we go from Paris that’s awesome and cheap – great Barcelona!” and so on. It was a ton of fun to plan.
• Not a planner? Go on the website a few days before, book, print out your boarding pass and fly.
• Take day trips out of main hubs with trains to get to outlining areas. Return to that or another larger hub to fly out of again. (Can still use a smaller euro rail for this portion!).

Budget Travel in Europe – How to save time and money

I’ve talked to a ton of travelers and they always mention how expensive Europe is. I hear about these four main money grabs:

• The Transportation – Flights, Trains, Busses, Cars
• The Accommodation –  Hostels, hotels, bed and breakfasts.
• The Activities –   Museums, tours, sporting events, nightlife.
• The Food – Restaurants, cafes, grocery stores.

Good news, I am going to break them down for you. The most cost AND time effective ways to get around Europe.

I have done a 6 week trip in Europe (twice) flying between country and country spending around $47/day including all travel, accommodation, food and my return flights to and from Canada. How you might ask?!

Check back to see the budget series I’m launching this week!  See you back soon!

Make sure to follow TheBlondeBeyond to get these and other posts sent directly to your email! 

Couchsurfing review. Our host in Oslo.

           

Meet Geir. 

Geir was the 4th host Stella and I contacted in our search for Couchsurfing hosts in Oslo, Norway.  We typically send out 2ish unique and specialized requests in the areas we are visiting, and have gotten very good response rates. How?! You need to read the hosts profile, and in your request try to connect with them on a  more personal level then “hey can I sleep on your couch for a weekend?”.

We ended up finding a host that would host us in Oslo (not Geir) about 2 months prior to us actually being there. I did all my safety checks (facebook friends,  other reviews) and he seemed like a dependable stand up guy. After our initial conversations, we didnt hear much.. well anything.. from our host. We needed an address of where we were staying (I would always notify friends and family of where I was staying in the event of anything ever happening to me), and more information on when and where we were meeting. After countless emails sent, and none returned, we realized we were ditched. Our warm comfy couch in the center of Oslo was probably out on the street, or had a new room mate that didn’t want 2 Canadians hanging out with them.  We realized this a week prior, and with our spotty greek WIFI managed to send out a few last ditch efforts to secure a couch for the week. Down through the rabbit hole came Geir.

Geir has hosted hundreds of surfers, in his 4 years with couchsurfing, and we were so blessed to have had this amazing weekend with him. He literally had an excel spreadsheet of when his surfers were coming, for how long, if they overlapped, where they were from just to keep it all organized.  Our bed was a European pull out couch in his living room, which fit the two of us gals perfectly! We had 2 other surfers come and go during our 5 day stay with him, Maria from Spain who was so amazing and nice – we really enjoyed meeting her, and a girl from London who just seemed like she was out to get a free nights stay somewhere -… yes unfortunately people don’t always respect the community aspect of the organization…. Nonetheless, Geir quickly set up his inflatable mattress and made sure all of us girls were taken care of.  His place was clean, centrally located, and safe, and not to mention he was by far the best host we have ever come across.  He cooked for us, brought us out with friends, recommended restaurants and museums, helped us get around with public transport, kept us safe at night by walking around with us after dark and/or insuring we knew where we should and shouldn’t walk at night, took us to a festival,  and he even drove us out to the airport at 4am on our last day.  We lucked out, big time.

We always try to do something for our lovely hosts as a thank you for hosting us, so we made him a traditional Italian dinner one night along with a bottle of Vino (which costs a TON in Norway).   Thanks Geir, you are truly the best, and the reason why this couchsurfing community continues to thrive. Stella and I had an amazing time with you, and still hope you come and visit us someday in Canada!

I cant stress enough how amazing the couchsurfing community is, and thanks to Geir and a few other of our hosts this summer in Europe, Stella and I feel as a happily contributing part of this community. You can make of it what you want, but I suggest:

• Getting started in your own city.
• Work on your profile. Make your profile interesting and unique.  Get verified and put up a few pictures.
• Attend meet ups, host people or if you cant host them at least meet up with them and show them around.  You will build great relationships, increase your friend count and positive reviews on the website, and have a blast while doing it.
•  When you are being hosted make sure to help around the house, clean, cook, keep your stuff tidy. They are letting you into their homes so be extremely respectful.
• Offer to take your host out for dinner, or make them dinner one night as a gift for hosting you. (Or buy them something small that you noticed they need – we bought glasses for a host once because he only had 5 plastic cups – Ikea in Scandinavia, hear we come!)
• Have a back up plan (hostels/hotels) in case any hosts back out last minute. It happens, and it sucks, but its not the end of the world.
• Always tell someone where you are. I left my family at home with a list of names and addresses of the places I was staying in case they needed to get in contact with me, or needed to find me for any odd reason.

Get out there and try it out. Please come back and let me know how it goes, and what your experiences were. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!