How to Travel Europe on a Budget | 13 Tips to Save Money While Traveling

1. Travel during shoulder season

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2. Research your hotel

A lot of my research when planning a trip is spent on the hotel. More than I'd like to admit.

It’s not because I have to stay in the best of the best or the latest and greatest. Those hotels are easy to find...and expensive.

It takes time and effort to find the sweet spot of a great hotel at a mid to low price. I've found some hidden gems on the 10th+ page of TripAdvisor. New hotels that have only a handful of ratings and therefore go overlooked and undervalued.

Take the time to dig through search results...it usually pays off.

Think about your criteria before you begin your hotel search. Decide what you are willing to pay for and what you aren't.

My criteria: a good location, clean, and comfortable. I don't need it to be extra spacious, have laundry service, a gym, a concierge, or in-room dining.

Also, remember that a hotel with a 5-star rating doesn't necessarily mean it's better than a 3-star. You'd be surprised what earns a hotel 5 stars...things that personally don't matter to me, like having slippers and name-brand shampoo.

The hotels I  typically book in Europe are 3-star, and they're great!

Consider your priorities and then search thoroughly. I utilize booking sites such as TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Google Maps, among others.

I book most of my hotels through Expedia. I often find they have the lowest price, and I earn rewards through their OneKey Rewards program. 

Spending a few more hours researching hotels and saving an average of $50 a night for a 10-day trip can really add up.

3. Travel with points and take advantage of travel credit cards

4. Don't go crazy with paid tourist attractions

5. Walk everywhere

Part with the idea that you'll be walking the streets of Paris in your most fashionable shoes. Instead, pack your comfortable walking shoes and get ready to hit the streets. 

Walking saves a considerable chunk of your travel budget and burns calories (go ahead and have that extra gelato). It's also one of the best ways to get a feel for the city and the overall layout. 

Unlike many cities in the United States and elsewhere around the world, most cities in Europe are a joy to wander and walk.  

I rarely walk to places in Dallas. It's quite miserable to be honest, between the blazing heat, crazy car traffic, and streets that are NOT pedestrian-friendly. It's also not very pretty, not to mention I'll look like a lone duck since walking just isn't a popular way to get around.

Not so in Europe! Europe is VERY pedestrian-friendly with many car-free zones. Streets are usually clean, safe, and well-lit. It's also fun because everyone else is walking. It's great people watching.

Between enjoying the sights and architecture, watching the locals go about their day, and window shopping...that 20-minute walk between sights will seem like nothing.

AWA Tip: just look at my Instagram feed (and the pictures below) and you'll see that the Cole Haan Zerogrands are my go-to travel shoes. They're comfortable, lightweight, you can smush them together in your suitcase, are washable, and look good enough that you can wear them with jeans, skirts, dresses, etc.

I also like these APL tennis shoes because they can double as a running shoe.

6. Take public transportation

7. Eat at food markets

One of my favorite things when traveling around Europe is hitting up the local food markets. Trendy, posh, basic, simple, indoor, outdoors...most cities have a variety of markets. Some are geared towards tourists (like TimeOut Market) and some towards locals.

Not only is it a great opportunity to try a variety of regional dishes in one place, but makes traveling on a budget in Europe a breeze with cheap prices. 

8. Learn the art of grab-and-go picnics

9. Do as the locals do

10. Pack like a pro

Continuing on the thought of skipping fancy restaurants and therefore bypassing the need to pack chic outfits, let’s talk about packing. Overpacking is a pain in the you know what.

Have you tried dragging a heavy suitcase over cobblestones? It's not fun. How about the train stations that don't have elevators or escalators...I guess you'll get a workout by heaving that bag up two flights of stairs.

In the end, you'll probably end up paying for more taxis and Ubers than planned because dragging your luggage around isn't an option.

And don't forget about those pesky luggage fees. They add up quickly and can really put a damper on your day each time you hit the airport. Budget airlines like RyanAir, Volotea, and EasyJet love to charge excessive baggage fees.

Don't get me started on airlines losing checked baggage.

Jake and I rarely check bags. In rarely, I mean MAYBE once a year for winter trips. So the fact that we have had four instances in the last six years where our bag was lost for several days (the entire 2-week trip for Jake's recent experience) says something.

If your bag gets lost, you now have to spend time and money to buy whatever you need until the airline finds and delivers your bag (if ever). Maybe your credit card or airline will cover your costs. Maybe not. In summary, it's seldom worth it to check your bag.

Why fellow travelers feel the need to wear an outfit only once when they travel, I will never understand. I plan on wearing every outfit at least 3 times. Guess how much space 4 outfits take vs. 12...it's a considerable difference.

Don’t pack 14 pairs of socks, underwear, etc. for a two-week trip. Utilize your hotel sink, pack a few laundry detergent sheets (game-changer product), and voila - you just saved some precious luggage space without having to sacrifice one outfit.

I could go on and on...which is why I dedicated two blog posts on how to pack light: How to Carry On for a 2 Week Trip and How to Size Down your Beauty Bag. These tips and tricks are a lifesaver and make traveling Europe on a budget possible.

If you prefer videos, head to my Instagram profile page and click on the "Packing Tips" highlights reel or visit my YouTube channel. I go through everything I'm packing and how I'm packing for several different trips of varying lengths and weather conditions.

AWA Tip: research luggage policies if you're taking a budget airline between destinations. Your carry-on suitcase may have been allowed on American Airlines, but European budget airlines often have smaller limits and are very strict.

If you think there's a chance you'll have to check your carry-on-sized suitcase, just add a checked back to your ticket when you book. The price is considerably lower than paying at the airport.

11. Researching tipping

Europeans equate Americans with heavy/over-tipping. Why? Because we don't take the time to research tipping etiquette of the country we are visiting.

One time in Greece, I watched a restaurant owner chase a couple out of the restaurant, saying, "you tipped too much". The couple insisted it was fine and they wanted him to have it. As they left, the owner shook his head, almost like the hefty tip was wasteful or an insult.

Now, this isn't often the case, and restaurant staff will gladly take your money. I mention this as food for thought. 

In the US, it's customary to tip 15%, 20%, 25%, 28% (the percentage seems to be getting higher and higher these days).

Whereas in Europe, you really only tip at a sit-down restaurant. 10% is very generous and is for outstanding service.

Research tipping policies for the countries you are visiting. You may be surprised to learn that tips are a rarity and extremely low in some places.

12. Phone plans and data usage

If you travel overseas often, it may make sense to have a phone plan, like Google Fi, that doesn't charge international roaming fees. Otherwise, research your plan and see what the rates are. Some plans charge a flat $10 per day for roaming, while others charge per GB.

Those traveling with a buddy should pick one person in their party to use data (when it's a flat rate), and then you can split the cost.

I try to save my data as much as possible (since I'm on a low-cost plan that isn't unlimited). I pre-download as much as possible over WiFi. Things like my favorite Spotify playlists and offline Google Maps (a must).

When I land overseas, I'll often put the majority of my apps in WiFi only mode. If I'm not traveling solo and with someone else, I'll put my phone on airplane mode.

Many cities in Europe offer free WiFi. If you're worried about security, invest in a VPN like Nord VPN.

If you think you'll need to make phone calls while abroad, look into Viber "out" plans via the Viber app. I always buy the USA Unlimited Viber Out plan ($2.99 for a month).

This allows me to make phone calls to the USA through Viber (the person on the other end needs to have Viber to receive the call). WhatsApp is another option, but you need to be connected to WiFi. With Viber Out, you don't need a WiFi connection.

AWA Tip #1: international e-SIMs are a game-changer for those without an international phone plan. I started using Saily and have LOVED it. 

Use code ABROADWITHASH for a 5% discount.

Pick the country you are traveling to and the number of GBs you think you'll need. That's it. Once you activate the e-SIM, your phone is ready to go. I've found my data speed using the e-SIM is faster than when I'm using international data with my phone carrier (Verizon, Spectrum, etc.).

AWA Tip #2: Google allows you to pre-download maps so you can use them later in offline mode. They will be saved as "Offline Maps" under your Google Maps profile. This saves considerable data since you can still get directions to places and see nearby restaurants/coffee shops/etc. Though, you won't be able to browse through reviews or pictures in offline mode.

I've had issues with walking directions not being available with "offline maps". So I'll turn data on to get the walking directions route (shown with the blue dots), then I'll immediately turn data off and just make sure my dot follows the path.

13. Water

This last budget travel tip is easy on the wallet and the planet.

Stop buying plastic water bottles! Bring a water bottle instead.

These are my favorites:

• S'well water bottle - keeps my drink hot (when I make tea) or cold for a full 24 hours. Another perk is that these bottles don't sweat, and therefore, your bag and everything in your bag stays dry. I prefer the 17 oz. size.
• Owala FreeSip - similar to S'well, but easier to drink out of.
• Brita water bottle - great option if you'd like a little extra security with a carbon filter in the straw. This is more for taste and particle removal than actual filtration (i.e., don't rely on this when the drinking water is unsafe).
• For actual water purification, you'll want something like the LARQ Bottle PureVis. This uses a combination of UV-C light inside the bottle and an advanced filter straw.
• The GRAYL GeoPress Water Purifier Bottle is a popular option for hikers and campers since you can purify pretty much any type of water.
  

Research safe drinking water before you leave. Did you know it's safe to drink the water out of Rome's ancient water fountains? The water is clear, cold, and delicious! There are fountains all over the city.

Venice even has a Google Map you can download with all the drinkable water fountains pinned. 

You can find ways around buying plastic water bottles, even if the city doesn't have safe/drinkable water. For example, I'll often fill my water bottles in the hotel gym since there's usually a water purifier there. More and more hotels throughout Europe are adding "water fill stations" on each floor (or at least somewhere in the hotel). This makes stocking up on filtered water a breeze.

Your wallet and the planet will thank you.

A few extra tips on how to travel Europe on a Budget

• when using a credit card, if the machine asks if you want to charge in the local currency, always say YES. You never want to select your home currency; the exchange rate is never in your favor. For example, if you're an American in Italy, you would select the charge to be in Euros, NOT USD.
• the same rule applies to ATM withdrawals: always select the currency of the country you are in.
• some ride share apps, like Uber, have an automatic payment setting where it opts to charge in your home currency. Check the settings in all your ride share apps to make sure "local currency" is selected.
• research your debit card fees for using ATMs abroad. Many banks have partnerships with European banks. For example, Bank of America is partnered with BNP Paribas in France. If you use one of the partner banks, you will not be charged an extra international withdrawal fee. If you travel often, it may be worth it to consider debit cards that reimburse all ATM fees, no matter which bank you use or what country you're in. 
• this should go without saying, but make sure you are using a credit card that does not charge international fees.

In summary

With these tips, it's not only possible, but easy, to travel Europe on a budget! Pretty soon, many of these habits will become second nature.

For some destinations, like the United States, it can be difficult to travel on a modest budget. Not so in Europe.

Walkable cities, easy public transportation, awesome hotels priced a fraction of what you would pay in the States, colorful and cheap food markets...if there's a place to stretch your budget (and have an incredible experience), Europe is one of them. 

A side perk of practicing the above tips is that you'll have a more authentic experience and a higher likelihood of mixing with the locals!

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Traveling on a Budget | 13 Ways to Save Money

Additional travel tips

Come back after your trip! Was traveling on a budget in Europe easier than you thought? Share your favorite tips and overall thoughts in the comments below.