Is Cheap Travel in Europe Really Cheap?

The simple answer is no. It’s definitely not as cheap as you expect. Let’s break down the realistic financial costs.

Getting to your weekend destination

Flights

This is where you hear some of the biggest lies about cheap travel, that the flights are dirt cheap. They can be, but often aren’t, especially for weekend travel. The cheapest flights I’ve purchased have been €10 - €15, but more often are €30 - €40 per leg, making the average flight budget €60 - €80

Here are some tips:

Flights between big cities that are close, less than an hour flight, you can find good deals on. If you haven’t picked a city to stay in, take this into consideration. Paris, London, and Rome are some of the biggest transport hubs in Europe, so they typically have a bigger selection and more competitive prices. 

You can use third parties like Google Flights or Skyscanner to search for flights, but I find just sticking to the RyanAir or WizzAir websites is best. The other websites will come up with flights that are way too early or late, so they’re not actually great search tools. Most likely, the cheapest flights will always be one of these two airlines, you can look for other airlines if you’re dying to go to a place that the discount airlines don’t fly. 

Trains

Trains are not as cheap as you might expect, and it can be quite difficult to go long distances on rail. Trains from Rome to Florence can be €30 - €60 a leg, and from Rome to Milan, it can be closer to €100. Some rail lines have a discount for young people, so be sure to look that up!

Tips:

You should almost always purchase directly from the country’s rail website to avoid scams. Know the national rail service of the country you’re traveling in, for example in Germany it’s Deutsche Bahn and in Italy it’s Trenitalia. (Literally the country name and train in their language.) Go directly to their website or wait to buy in-person at the station, just make sure you know when you're train leaves!

Long Haul Buses (Flixbus)

I have never ridden a long haul bus. I will not. I have never heard of a good experience coming from a bus ride over 5 hours. You will not be able to sleep on these overnight buses, and arrive at your location exhausted. 

Other transport (Ubers, buses and other incidentals to get around once you arrive) 

Almost everywhere I’ve been you have to pay to use public transport. Be prepared to budget €10 - €15 to use the metro or buses for the weekend. If you like to go out, be prepared to add for Ubers, even if you plan on taking public transport, oftentimes you’ll end up in an Uber. 

Lodging

Another lie is cheap hostels. The cheapest hostels in Europe are about €30, but the average is €40. Splitting an Airbnb with friends is also a great way to stay for cheap, but still plan for about €35 a night. 

Food

This is one of the things that can add up quickly if you aren’t paying attention. I generally try to stick to €5 for breakfast and then €10-€15 for lunch and dinner. Make sure to budget for sweet treats, because you will be getting some! Depending on when you arrive on Friday and leave on Sunday, you might not have to pay for all three meals at your destination. 

If you’re looking to really budget, I highly recommend looking into grocery stores for meals. Oftentimes, there will be premade cold and warm meals that are essentially take-away for cheap! Romanticize your grocery store meal by taking it to a local park for a picnic. 

Activities 

It can be really hard to say no to doing something once you’ve gone to another country to have a great time and unforgettable experience. There will be more expensive trips if you want to do something fun, like a boat tour or a pottery class or a tea ceremony or skiing. There are so many cool activities around the world, and it’s important to have these experiences, while keeping your budget. 

The Idiot Tax

This is what I call spending more money, because you made a mistake. They can come from missing a train and needing to buy a second ticket, or losing track of time, and now needing to Uber to the airport instead of taking public transport. Also, getting scammed on tickets to sites, and needing to rebuy once you’ve arrived. Be prepared to lose out on some cash because you made a mistake, but don't let it ruin your weekend! Don't let a gripe over €20 ruin a €300 trip!

Overall, a general weekend budget for me looks like: 

Flights: €60-€80

Lodging: €60-€80

Food: €70

Activities: €50

Incidentals: €30

A real budget from Cagliari, Sardegna

Flights: €65 for roundtrip

Lodging: €70 (€35 per night and came with free breakfast!)

Food: €70 

Activities: €25 for a printmaking class, €50 for a boat tour

Total: €280

Overall, it is not cheap to feed and house yourself, so at the bare minimum, you’ll be paying €60 - €80 just to live everyday you’re traveling. On the low end, a weekend trip can run you €270, which if you plan on traveling every weekend adds up to about €1,200 a month, for a four month semester that is €4,800. That is only if you’re planning to travel every weekend, but also doesn't include spring break, which can cost a lot if you’re planning to travel all week. Also, don't forget to budget for doing fun things in your home city. 

If you’re on a budget make sure to pick out what is most important to you, and then see where you can save. For example, if you’re visiting a coast and want to take a spendy boat tour, you can look into cheaper lodging or not going into restaurants. Or if there is a 5 star restaurant you need to try, then maybe look into cheaper travel. Pick and choose how you want to budget.

I like to use Sheets to manage my budget for the semester. I put in what I'm estimating flights, lodging and food to cost, and once I book things, I change the numbers to reflect the actual cost. Take a look here, and feel free to make a copy to make your own budget.