A lot of people think that travel has to be expensive, but that just isn’t true. Let’s take a look at a breakdown of how you could take a trip to Europe for only $1,000.
Flights
Many people think that flights are going to kill a budget trip to Europe, or anywhere. But it’s possible to employ a few strategies to save money on flights. The way to save the most money is to use miles. Delta, American, and United all charge 60,000 miles round trip to fly in economy between the U.S. and Europe. It’s possible to earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening by signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. These Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to United which will get you almost all the way to a roundtrip ticket to Europe. Expect taxes and fees to be less than $100 for a round-trip ticket.
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If you have a slightly bigger budget to work with, it may be worth it to spend some time looking for deals on flights. The Flight Deal and Fare Deal Alert are two fantastic places to start. It’s not impossible to find flights to Europe for less than $500 round-trip if you are willing to be flexible on dates, location, and routing.
Total Cost Per Person: $90
Lodging
Lodging costs really add up, especially if you think you need to stay in a hotel every night. Airbnb and Hostelworld to the rescue! Looking at a week in Prague at the beginning of August, there are private rooms available on Airbnb for two guests as low as $22 per night and close to the city center. Plus there are beds available in dorm rooms in decently rated hostels for as low as 7 euros per night. There are dorms available as low as 4 euros per night but not in hostels I would consider staying in. Let’s assume that you’re looking to take a 14-day trip with one other person (therefore Airbnb prices and the price for two dorm beds is comparable), and you intend to stay in Central and Eastern Europe where prices should be comparable to these (approximately $10 per night, per person).
Total Cost Per Person: $140
Food
Again, eating out can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Skip the fancy restaurants that you have to dress up for so you can save a few bucks. Buying food at the grocery store for your breakfast should keep breakfasts under $2 each. For lunch, grab a quick meal like a doner kebab or something in a similar price range. It should be easy to find a meal for lunch under $6. For dinner, stick with casual restaurants. Before you head out on your trip, look up some guides for eating good, cheap food in a city. Here’s an example I found after a quick Google search for cheap meals in Prague. In Central and Eastern Europe you should be able to find dinner for around $10 per day. Let’s say that all-in you’re looking at $25 per day for food.
Total Cost Per Person: $350
Transportation
Transportation is generally pretty easy in Europe. There are good train and bus networks, as well as ride-sharing services like Bla Bla Car. The Man in Seat 61 is the best train resource out there and Rome2Rio is a good resource for comparing transportation options. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air might even make flying within reach depending on how far you are looking to travel and how much time you want to spend in transit. Let’s assume that you are looking to visit three different cities on your two-week trip ($40 per transit) as well as have a bit of a budget for public transit within the city ($40).
Total Cost Per Person: $160
Activities
Of all of these categories, activities is quite possibly the one that will vary the most between different people. Some people will never spend a dime on activities — it’s just not their thing. With all of the gorgeous streets, buildings, canals, etc. in Europe, you might just want to wander around outside and take in the sites or sit in the park and do some people watching. On the other side of the spectrum, there are a ton of museums, attractions, and tours you can book, and making it easy to spend $1,000 just on activities during a two-week trip. If you spent $260 per person on activities you would still be able to make a budget of $1,000 for a two-week trip. Of course, maybe you would prefer to spend that $260 on a nicer meal or some good wine instead — it’s up to you!
Total Cost Per Person: $260
It’s totally possible to take a two week trip to Europe for $1,000 per person, even including flights. It’s going to mean making use of some frequent flyer miles, looking for free activities, and less expensive meals and lodging, but it would still be a lovely trip.
What’s your best budget trip?
[Image via Getty]