Archive for the ‘Travelling In Europe’ Category

With the amount of cheap budget airlines operating throughout Europe, it seems to be the easy option just to jump on a plane whenever you are in the continent. Sometimes however, flying may not be an option. Whether you are an eco traveller, you’re scared of flying, you can’t find the route that you want, or you’re booking last minute and all the cheap flights are taken, there will be times when you may look for an alternative to flying in Europe. Here are my top tips for travelling through Europe without flying, that won’t cost you a fortune!

Use country specific websites

Everybody knows that booking online usually means getting a cheaper fare. However, depending on what website you book from can also mean you make a huge saving! One website I use a lot when booking trains through Europe is www.hispeed.nl. If you are travelling from Amsterdam or anywhere in the Netherlands, you will find really cheap fares on this site. I just booked a night train from Amsterdam to Prague one week before departure, and it only cost me 48 euro return. Amsterdam is also a main transport hub in Europe, so being able to book cheap fares from here can really save you a lot of money. Even if you are not travelling from Holland, by sticking to either national rail websites, or websites aimed specifically for that country, you will save a lot of money. The only thing to watch out for is that in some cases you have to pick the tickets up from the station when you get there, as they don’t always send you your ticket by email, and will only post it to you if you have an address in that country.

Long Distance Coach

Eurolines offer consistently cheap bus services around most places in Europe, particularly Western Europe. Travel by bus is definitely not the most comfortable for long journeys, and it usually takes the longest too, but it is cheap. I’ll be travelling by Eurolines bus to get from London to Amsterdam twice in the next month. For an open return, booked only a few weeks in advance, it cost me 40 GBP, however you could definitely get that a lot cheaper if you book set return journeys or single fares. Coming from the UK, this is definitely the cheapest option to get to mainland Europe out with a fight.

Car Share

If you already have a car while you are based in Europe, then one of the cheapest and most flexible forms of travel is of course the car share. If you are looking to buy a cheap second hand car in Europe, Gumtree is a great place to look. Alternatively, you can hire a car if it’s just for a one off journey, or something very short term. Hertz is the main car rental company in Europe, but a quick Google search will also provide you with other options. If you are doing a car share, try get as many people to travel with you as there are seats. That way your transport costs are reduced to as much as is possible.

EuRail Pass

Many people travelling Europe get a EuRail Pass. Personally, I have found so far that booking trips point to point has been cheaper, but in most incidences I have been travelling shorter distances across Europe. Where you may find good value in the EuRail pass is if you are travelling lots of long distances, as this is where you see the value. You may also find there is a saving when buying country passes for countries such as Italy. The EuRail pass also probably suits those travellers who like to plan their trip well in advance, as there is less leeway than with just booking you point to point ticket when you get to a country.

Avoid the UK

Above and beyond anything, if you are looking to travel Europe without flying cheaply, then avoid the UK like the plague! As I said, Eurolines do cheap buses, but if you don’t feel like travelling for hours on a bus, then the UK is an extortionate place to travel from. Euro Star trains into Europe usually cost around £150 for a single, in my experience. When I tried to book a ferry to Amsterdam recently one month in advance, it was going to cost £150 for a single fare too. Travel by train within the UK is also extortionate, with a journey from Edinburgh to London going to cost me around £120 for a single journey booked one month prior to departure. When you consider my journey from Amsterdam to Prague was only 48 euro for a return, booked much closer to departure then you really see how much the UK is not for the budget traveller.

Travelling on a budget in Europe is definitely plausible, even in some of the more expensive Western European countries. Obviously, booking in advance will reduce your costs greatly, but following the above tips should help you save some money.