Go to Europe cheap: 10 life hacking budget travel

I thought and thought how easy to state and come up with! For me – the owner of five Schengens – these secrets of saving in Europe are obvious, but for a newcomer to the travel business, most likely not.

Therefore, it was decided to take a friend, Dmitry, who is still abroad not seen, but really wants and seems to be even getting ready to find out about him algorithm of travel arrangements and, based on the result, send to right direction, along the way explaining the announced life hacks and you, reader.

And finally: we are here, of course, about Europe, but Suddenly you are interested in New York or Dubai? Look at us Telegram channel @howtrip! Europe also has

1. Decide how cheaper it is to rest on your own or by tour.

– So, the plan is to visit cheaply in Europe. You will go on tour or “do you make a trip yourself?” “Of course, myself. So 100% more profitable!

Explanation: Yes, not so. Most EU countries really wiser to visit on their own. But:

• if you plan to fly to one country,
• this is Spain, Greece, Cyprus or Bulgaria,
• and the goal is to rest on the sea

then the tour will come out cheaper. Truth proven me more than once! Even to see the very same Barcelona, cheaper Take a ticket, for example, in Pineda de Mar and several times to drive on An electric train to the city than to arrange a self-tour of the capital.

The Czech Republic stands apart. This is not a “sea” country does not fit in the mentioned rule, but the tour operators still set the amount fabulous – from 30,000 rubles for two for 7 days.

Budget countries for traveling in Europe

In all other cases, the cheapest Europe = independent trip + well-chosen direction. The other day there was published an article about 7 super budget countries of Europe, I recommend familiarize! For starters: these are Poland, Romania, Hungary and …

Street Barcelona – Sagrada Familia – Quay (Nudist beach)

2. Search for cheap tours

– Wait, have you seen the prices at travel agencies? Where will they find me such a cheap Czech Republic? – I saw it, that’s why I switched to online aggregators.

Explanation: Pro tourists catch cheap tours to Europe, and to any “package” country, with the help special services, such as:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

They are able to find an interesting option, because analyze bases more than 120 tour operators. Simple and convenient: put the “daws” on filters, asked the available offers, studied photo reviews, paid, received documents in the mail – and all this is not creeping out of the house?

Our trip to Italy (Milan, July 2016)

3. Bank cards for travel

– You can save abroad at the expense of the card. Considered any bank offers? – Honestly, not at all thought

Explanation: but in vain, budget travel, as To me, it starts with a cashback – from booking air tickets to spending in a cafe. Return of funds – real money – comes to 7-10% with each purchases (in particular, with the card Binbank). More details in a separate статье – лучшие карты для путешественника >>

The look-out point “Bunker” in Barcelona is high and is free

4. Low cost airlines (low cost airlines)

– You’re supposed to be going to Paris, right? How are the searches of tickets? – Monitor flights, three more months ahead .. but from Moscow fly is not so profitable.

Explanation: Inexpensive and comfortable – it happens very rarely, so you have to sacrifice something. You probably know that the cheapest flights are in Europe. True Backpackers gently like low cost airlines (low cost airlines) – Ryanair, Wizzair, Vueling, etc .: once you get into the eurozone, you can travel it all though.

How to get out of Russia without any losses? Main directions – Vilnius, Riga, Helsinki, Tallinn.

• From Moscow: Nesterovsky train (≈1200 rubles), buses Ecolines, Luxexpress (≈ 3500 rubles), for those who are harder – Blablacar (≈1500 rubles)
• From St. Petersburg: Ecolines, Luxexpress buses (≈ 1,500 rubles), shuttle bus to Helsinki (≈1000 rubles)
• From the regions: more difficult, but chip flights also happen, for example, Kazan-Munich for 6000 rubles

And another rule: buy tickets in advance – it always works. To roll up cheap to Europe in May, I grabbed a ticket back in September, and what! Moscow-Oslo for 3500 ?

Bergen Street, Norway – we walked 1.5 hours on observation deck (you can use expensive funicular)

The right services to find tickets

Everyone knows where to look for tickets – on the largest aggregators, but not everyone is making full use of their capabilities.

• Skyscanner – a cool feature of selecting directions depending from the departure point. I often use it and win (as with Norway). You type in the “from where” window the departure city, and in “where” – mysterious “everywhere”, and here they are – the most delicious options on your dates
• Aviasales – there is a calendar of low prices, and finds a little more. offers. Convenient for finding return tickets: cost lower than on skyscanner

Useful: Ticket aggregators – instructions for применению >>

Coffee and Croissant in Paris – our favorite cafe Eric Kayser

5. Traveling with hand luggage

– Okay, let’s say I will fly to Paris from Vilnius as a low-cost airline. But plus an extra charge for baggage? – Are you sure you need it?

Explanation: yes, low-cost airlines are allowed for free carry only hand luggage – such is the “payment” for low prices. But cheap travel is done not only with a backpack. behind the back. It can be a standard case 55 x 40 x 20 + not too full of a backpack (read the conditions of transportation) – isn’t it enough, even if you go for 2-3 weeks? Well, the question with liquids are easily solved with the help of travel-kits.

Lookout playground “Tibidabo”

6. Proper booking accommodation

– The next stage – accommodation. Your actions? – Here for sure Bucking, he’s on everyone’s lips.

Explanation: Bucking is good, especially when returns 1000 rubles from the booking, but the best search engine – RoomGuru, which monitors the base and Booking, and Agoda, and a dozen other systems. Hotels, motels, guesthouses – for all this here. Choosing cheap housing in Europe, pay attention to the hostels. AT some Asia should be avoided, and in the West they are quite decent.

Do you want authenticity and immersion in foreign life and culture? Rent an apartment / room / house on Airbnb! Service is very beneficial for long trips or company from 3 people. Here is a $ 32 promo code >> для первой брони, а вот – подробный отзыв-инструкция>>

Atlantic Ocean in Porto, Portugal

7. Schengen visa alone

– Will they give you a Schengen? The agency offered insurance against non-payment arrange. – Stop, what agency?

Explanation: if you live in Moscow / St. Petersburg, go to the mediator when there is a consulate next door – just blasphemy and violation of the budget code tourism! In the regions you should also contact not the agency, but authorized visa center. Pack documents Do not forget the photo yourself ↓

Schengen visa: How to make your own? >> (на примере Германии)

8. Cheap travel + hotel savings

– How else to travel cheap in Europe? You let slip that you can and “travel” …

Explanation: when the plane is not subject to the wallet, Blablacar is able to help out the aforementioned – most often drivers declare an adequate price. For example, 12 euros for the route Berlin Prague.

Another option – I warn you, for someone uncomfortable – night buses (Flixbus, etc.) and trains: you move to another country and save on the hotel.

9. Pay attention to the airport

– Okay, okay, then I take Vilnius-Paris. – Attention! Underwater a rock!

Explanation: some unscrupulous airlines (and tourist inattention) turn cheap rest in the cost of just one detail – a generalization of the city of arrival. For example, you see Paris in the ticket, and BVA airport is in brackets – no longer notice. And to cut from this BVA to the capital – about an hour by car for 20 euros (my case)! So turn on the meticulous paranoid and look with a magnifying glass?

Such the view opens when you approach the airport of Barcelona

10. Discounts and promotions for tours and tickets

• Promo codes for tours – a pleasant 1-3% discount on Onlinetours, срабатывающая при переходе по ссылке >>
• Hot tours – flipping through the tape under the same name on Level.Travel
• Charters – allow you to fly to Europe cheaply, literally for pennies (Barcelona for 6000 round-trip? :)). Aggregators are not always them find, therefore, ↓
• Subscription – namely, on our telegram channel @lowcost_expert, where similar actions are periodically published

Cheap to Europe – tips

I can not confine banal arguments about flights / travels / accommodation and therefore I will give more tips on how to spend holidays in Europe cheap.

• Food: yes, look for food in institutions for local, that’s just a question, and their – institutions – how to find? The answer is: the application Tripadvizor – sort by “tasty and inexpensive” (but the additional 12 крутых travel-приложений >>)
• Sights: forget about tolls. excursions and heed the guide on the Free Walking Tour, which is organized in any city in Europe. Airbnb will help here too – in 2018 the site launched the so-called. “Impressions” – residents are satisfied with all sorts of interesting, and you can join for the n-th sum (or for free, using a $ 32 bonus at registration)
• Transport: read about travel cards in advance, they great save your euros (like the T-10 in Barcelona). Can i save by joining a company and renting an inexpensive car (as happened to me in Spain).
• Mobile communication: this, unconditionally, DrimSim – universally beneficial sim card in almost any country (in Europe for sure). Under the link, both you and I will get 7 euros to the account – a kind of win-win

Total: I set out everything that I have in the history of their low-cost tripov, and if you, the reader, have your “European” life hacks, let me know in the comments, be sure to add to the article!