“Happiness is looking down on your next destination from your plane window.” — Unknown
Traveling to Europe can be a unique and exhilarating experience. From its unique history to its cultural diversity, architectural splendor, scenic landscapes and its vibrant and colorful cities will awe you for life. Europe is known for its rich history, and visiting its cities and landmarks can evoke a sense of awe and wonder. Walking through ancient ruins, exploring medieval castles, or standing in front of iconic historical sites can make you feel connected to the past.
Traveling through different European countries can expose you to a variety of customs, cuisines, and ways of life. It can be both exciting and eye-opening to encounter this cultural tapestry. The grandeur and beauty of European buildings will leave a lasting impression and fill you with a sense of admiration.
Every new country in Europe offers a different culture kick, culinary experience, adventure, traditions, scenic natural and manmade beauty and a varied sense of lifestyle. While it is difficult to say how much a trip to Europe would cost, here is a ballpark of what it is like to travel through Europe for different types of travelers. So for anyone planning a trip to Europe, this article will come in handy. From budget travelers to mid-level spenders to travel splurges, this article will tell you how much you would need to spend to travel around Europe.
Things to know before traveling to Europe
1. Different countries have different budgeting
Some countries in Europe are cheaper than others. If Switzerland is on your bucket list, be ready to spend a lot more than what you'd spend in Turkey or Albania or Romania. These along with Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary and Bulgaria are some of the cheapest countries to travel in Europe. On the other hand, countries like Spain, France, Scandinavia and Switzerland are some of the most expensive countries to travel in Europe. Greece, Czech, Germany and Croatia fall in the mid range in terms of cost of travel.
2. Your style of Travel
This is the biggest deciding factor for travel. Are you a luxury traveler or a budget backpacker strolling across Europe one city at a time? Do you prefer staying in 5-star properties or budget hostels? Would you rather group tours than private tours? While these are the 2 ends of travel types, mid-range travelers lay somewhere in between. They prefer a mix of everything. This is my style of traveling. When I book a trip to Europe, I prefer a good mix of hotels, hostels, street food joints, fancy lounges, and group tours. I enjoy meeting people on the road along with my comfort. I enjoy a bit of city life along with a dash of hidden and quaint unexplored villages.
Average cost of traveling to Europe
Lets jump right to the main point. Here I'll be breaking down the average costs of accommodations, food, attractions and travel around Europe. These costs are just the base approximate charges and will give you a rough idea on how to budget a trip to Europe.
For Budget Travelers
Stay/Accommodation
Budget travelers have a different set of stay options in Europe. From shared dorms in hostels to couch surfing, long-term stays and work exchanges, each of these are budget friendly options. 1 night in a hostel dorm in Europe can cost around 20-30 EUR. For cities like London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Stockholm, the cost can be up to 30 EUR a night. For cheaper cities like Bucharest, Budapest, Warsaw and Sofia, the cost can be as low as 10-15 EUR.
Average food costs
Budget travelers often enjoy exploring the street food of different countries. Some of them even prefer cooking their own meals. Keeping that in mind, the average cost of a meal in a mid-range restaurant is around 20 EUR. Dinners cost more than breakfast and lunch. Street food joints or cheap takeaway spots cost around 10 EUR a meal. So on an average a budget traveler is expected to spend up to 30-40 EUR on food a day.
Local travel in Europe
For budget travelers, it is best to stick to public transport. Every country in Europe has an extensive rail and metro system. If you're staying in the city, most of the attractions will be at walking distance. However, it depends on how much more you wish to explore and venture out. Public transport in Europe is costs somewhere between 2-5 EUR. So, on an average you'd be spending around 10 EUR a day for transport. On some days you'd spend some more. On some others much less.
Attractions
Europe has a long list of free stuff to do and free attractions to enjoy. However, some of the main museums and activities have a set base rate. As an average we can take about 30 EUR a day for attractions.
A quick recap:
1. Stay - 20 EUR per day
2. Food - 30 EUR per day
3. Transport - 10 EUR per day
4. Attractions - 30 EUR per day
This comes to an estimate of 100 EUR a day. This is a close estimate of what a budget traveler is expected to spend in Europe on a daily basis.
For Mid-level budget
Keeping everything above in mind, a mid-level traveler would prefer 3 star hotels in or around the city center, would prefer trying both street food and local restaurants, and would commute via local transport (this is literally the best way to enjoy Europe regardless of your budget). Ideally, I can say a mid-level traveler would have the following spending pattern:
1. Stay - 40 EUR per day
2. Food - 45 EUR per day
3. Transport - 10 EUR per day
4. Attraction - 50 EUR per day
This comes up to an estimate of 150 EUR a day. This is just an estimate and can be a couple of bucks more or less that is totally subjective.
For a luxury traveler
Luxury travelers are a different ball-game altogether. They prefer staying at luxurious villas, 4-5 star hotel chains inclusive of breakfast and eat at fancy lounges and restaurants. They prefer comfort above all and opt for dine out options every night, splurge on fancy cocktails, pre-book every attraction, and don't mind taking a cab or local taxi every once in a while. Ideally, I can assume a luxury traveler would have the following spending pattern:
1. Stay - 150-200 EUR per day
2. Food - 80 EUR per day
3. Transport - 30-40 EUR per day
4. Attraction - 70 EUR per day
This comes up to an estimate of 400 EUR This number is again subjective to type of traveler. It is just a rough estimate of what luxury travel looks like in Europe.
Some tips when traveling to Europe
I have traveled to Europe extensively including both relatively cheap and expensive destinations. Here are some tips I personally recommend to people traveling to Europe.
1. Try to buy the day travel card. Travel cards are a great way to save some money, especially if you have a well planned trip. If you know exactly what you're going to do while in Europe, the best bet it to buy a travel card for at least 2 days. Every city in Europe has a different travel card. The travel card includes local transport, day trips on select rail networks, busses and trams. These cards sometimes even offer discounts on bike and car rentals.
2. Whether you're a budget traveler of a luxury traveler, I would personally recommend to stay outside the main city district. A hotel in the city premises would cost you wayy more than one that is probably 4 stops away from the central station. And here's the secret - the hotels located away from the city center may offer better rooms and views at relatively lower prices.
3. When booking a hotel or villa or hostel, always ALWAYS look for metro access. While every city in Europe has an extensive metro and rail network, it is best to opt for a location that has direct tram, metro or rail service to the central station of the city. This way you can hop on the metro from the airport, and get off at your destination with minimum changes and save up on cab costs as well.
4. Every city in Europe has a city pass. City passes as opposed to travel cards offer all attractions at reduced costs. So if you're someone who never misses a spot, touristy or non-touristy, a city pass will give you access to all major attractions. I recently booked a trip to France, and purchased the Paris City Pass which includes all major attractions, skip-the-line, and several wine, champagne and French desert tastings around zones 1-3 in Paris.
I did the same for Amsterdam which also includes the canal tour and all museums in and around Amsterdam along with ay trips to Geithoorn and Zaanse Schams villages.
5. Keep an eye out for airline offers. A lot of booking websites offer special discounts on separate days of the week. Try to book your tickets on those dates and check for CC points and cashback offers and discounts.
Do you have any other tips for traveling to Europe? Mention in the comments below.
Europe is one of the best travel destinations in the world. It is full of culture, history and eye-candy landscapes. Have you ever been to any European country? Do you think this list does justice to setting a budget for Europe?
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