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Last week, we took you to one of our favorite spots in the world, the Skellig Islands. After writing the post, we had one of our readers write in and ask how they could see all of the incredible places we’ve been on a teacher’s salary. While neither of us are teachers, I did a quick search on average teacher’s salary both in our area and across the US and let me assure you, it can be done! And if you are a dual income household, even easier. Most of our travel has been in periods where we have been self-employed and making well below the national average salary. Weeeeeell below. So how can you travel Europe on a budget?
For the record, this is not a post on how to bring in some extra cash or how to work abroad to cover your expenses. There are some great articles on those topics and I have been curating a Pinterest board for some of those ideas that you can find here. This is a real life couple, making a below average income, working to earn and save to make our greatest dreams come true by traveling Europe on a budget.
- Make it a priority. This one stings a little bit. I once heard someone say that dieting means giving up what you want right now for what you really want. Read that again – giving up what you want right now for what you really want. The principle applies in budgeting as well. In our life, travel is a priority. For us, that means we moved to a less expensive home, drive older cars, cut out unnecessary spending like cable expenses, and stick to a budget that allows us some savings. Is there anything in your monthly budget that might be holding you back from pursuing your dreams?
- Plan ahead. In our family, travel takes a good deal of saving. We don’t have extra income just sitting around waiting to be spent. The majority of our trips require about a year’s worth of planning. This works to help you in a couple of ways. The first is that you have time to put in on the research end. Nothing is a last minute scramble allowing you to make wise financial choices. The second – you don’t have to book everything all at once. Accommodations, flights, cars, excursions, etc. can all be spread out to hit your bank account at different times.
- Travel in the off season. This is one advantage that we definitely have over teachers (sorry for that). While they have the perk of having some time off in the summer when it’s beautiful, so does the rest of the world. This is often the peak season for travel (depending on your location) and the beautiful weather will cost you. If we have the opportunity to see Europe on our tight budget, you will find us there in March, April, October or November. We love the lack of tourists for photos, have saved up to half off peak-season rates, and don’t mind some wellies and umbrellas on our trip.
- Save on accommodations. We have stayed in some beautiful hotels, rented homes, and stayed in one unfortunate hostel. If you are young and backpacking through Europe and don’t mind sharing a room with 10 strangers, go for the hostel – amazing on the savings. This is not my idea of a good time – especially since cleanliness and quiet are top on my priority list when finding a place to sleep at night. Take all of that time early in your trip to find rooms that fit your needs. That being said, just because you are staying at a beautiful hotel doesn’t mean you can’t go for a cheaper room. On our last European adventure, we stayed at a gorgeous manor house converted into a hotel. The most expensive rooms were stunning but $700 a night. We stayed in the converted stable block on the property for under $100 and still had access to the common areas, restaurants, gardens, and pool & spa.
- Save on flights. Booking flights feels a little bit like playing the lottery to me, but keep an eye on prices and book when you feel like they are at a low. We’ve used sites like Cheapoair and Kayak, have had our travel agent watch for us, and have booked through the airline directly with good results on each. Do a quick search to see which days to fly are best for pricing and how far in advance you should book to save the most.
- Skip a meal. My husband and I feel differently on whether or not food is part of the experience. For me, I’m just as happy with overseas fast food as anything. It saves money and you have extra time to fit more sightseeing in. Aaron wants it to be part of his cultural experience. One thing that we do agree on – we never spend time or money on lunch. If you want to see Europe in your tight budget, book a room that includes breakfast, pack some snacks (or do a quick grocery run) to get you through your day, and then enjoy your dinner after an amazing day of sightseeing. Once we have seen and photographed everything we wanted for the day, we alternate nights picking the restaurant. We’ve enjoyed Pizza Hut with a view of Edinburgh Castle, McDonalds in downtown Paris, and a KFC next to a gorgeous cathedral. Splurging every other night a little bit on dinner doesn’t hurt so much when you’ve chosen to save on other meals.
- Use public transport. This applies the world over. Train, metro, bus, rental car… do your research ahead of time and travel like the locals do. This is admittedly a weak point from me, having always lived in a pretty rural area where public transportation isn’t an option. That first day always makes me a little nervous. That being said, there are sooooo many resources out there today that can tell you how to get from point A to point B. A little research can go a long way even if it may be a challenge at first. You’ll get acclimated in no time and will be happy with the money you saved.
- Know before you go. Know the area you are going to be traveling to and what you’d like to see there. Do they offer a pass that covers multiple attractions? Do they offer a discount if you book online? This will not only save you money, but will help you jump to the front of the line when you don’t have to purchase tickets.
- Buy insurance. I know this seems counterproductive when you are wanting to save money, but this is one thing we don’t ever leave home without. It has saved us on more than one occasion and we’ve never had a major medical incident to date. This can cover anything from delayed flights, lost baggage, and even lost camera gear. Eh hem (clears throat).
- Travel for two? My last tip for you might be a little harder for some than others, but how many people are going on this adventure of a lifetime? If you are creating a budget for Europe, a flight for two across the pond is going to be a considerable savings off of a family of four traveling. That being said, grabbing a few friends and splitting a house rental might be a way to offer up some savings as well. Consider the number in your party and how to make it work best for your budget.
I hope this gives you some practical, usable ideas for how this kind of a trip can work for you. Researching, saving, budgeting, and then making wise financial decisions in country has allowed us to cross off some of our top destinations on our travel list and we are continuing to dream as we plan our first trip overseas as a family of four.
What about you? Have some incredible insights on how to save money while traveling? We are always up for hearing new ideas and would love to hear from you!
