There is no one way to travel within Europe. European cities are well connected with each other. You can choose to travel across Europe by train, buses, flights or car. Believe it or not, how you travel between different European destinations would impact your Europe trip itinerary. If planned and booked on time, intercity travel in Europe can be cheap and convenient.
Two aspects that would determine your mode of transport across Europe are travel budget and travel time.
Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you choose the best way to travel across Europe on a budget:
Europe by train
In our experience, trains are the most convenient way to see Europe. The continent has the most extensive rail networks in the world.
Here are some things you need to know before using trains in Europe:
- Most trains pick and drop you from city centre to city centre, which is a big plus
- Train ticket pricing increases manifold close to departure date, so booking early would save you lot of money
- You might find lower pricing for non peak train timings. We travelled from Madrid to Barcelona by a 6 AM train for 32 Euros per person. The ticket pricing at other timings during the day began at 70 Euros and went as high as 140 Euros per person
- There is no restriction on luggage when you travel in Europe by train, which is again a big plus
- When covering longer distances in Europe, trains might not be the cheapest and most convenient mode of travel. In such a case do check for budget airlines and overnight sleeper trains between cities (can save on accommodation cost)
Europe by bus
Don’t rule out buses in Europe! They are cheap and comfortable. The only thing to keep in mind is that most of the big bus terminals are located in the outskirts of cities. Smaller towns within Europe are better connected via buses compared to trains and flights.
Many buses in Europe come with Wi-Fi, washrooms, electrical outlets and onboard snacks for purchase. BusBud, Flixbus, and MegaBus are names of few popular bus operators in Europe.
We ended up visiting Bratislava (Slovakia) only because we found a bus ticket from Vienna airport to Bratislava for just 1 Euro per person.
Pro Travel Tip : To get the lowest fare for inter-city train or bus tickets in Europe, book as soon as the operator opens bookings for your travel dates. Most travel operators open ticket bookings between 30 to 90 days in advance. Most of the operators now have English websites and booking directly would save you money.
Travel Europe through budget airlines
Budget airlines are the cheapest and fastest way to travel long distances within Europe. We choose to fly within Europe only in scenarios where either we are able to save considerable amount of travel time or the cities don’t have a suitable train or bus connections. There are many budget airlines operating in Europe like, Ryan Airways, Easy Jet, Vueling, and Wow Air.
Low cost airlines in Europe give unbelievable deals on flight tickets which makes flights as tempting option. But be careful as flying on a budget airline in Europe could be tricky and in the end prove to be not so budget friendly. The reason being, they charge you for things you can’t even imagine. For instance, if you forgot to do an online check-in, Ryan Airways charges an airport check-in fees of 55 Euros per passenger. So, if you are booking a budget airline in Europe read their terms and conditions.
Baggage is another big issue with European budget airlines. Unless you are a light traveler flights would turn out to be expensive in Europe.
Looking for cheap flight tickets to Europe? Read : Tips and tricks to book cheap flight tickets to Europe.
Travel across Europe by car
If you are a traveller who either wants a flexible itinerary or wants to visit smaller towns then consider renting a car in Europe. Also, if you are travelling as a family or in a group of 3 or more then renting a car might turn out to be more economical.
If you are planning to rent a car in Europe then keep the following points in mind:
- Most hotels (even 5 star hotels) in Europe charge you a per day parking fee
- Historic centres were not designed for cars and finding a parking is a hassle
- If you are planning to drop your rental car at a location different from your pickup location, then do take into account additional drop fees charged by car rental companies
We would personally not recommend renting a car in Europe for your first Euro trip. It would turn out to be more of a pain than convenience. Read our guide to plan your first Euro trip in 8 easy steps.
Another new way to plan your Europe travel is using a ride share services like Bla Bla Car or Gumtree. We have not experienced it yet but have heard many good stories from travellers who have used these services. It works when you are flexible with your Europe trip itinerary. The basic concept here is, say a person is travelling from city A to B. He has extra space in the car and wants to reduce his travel cost. He agrees to share the ride with others for small amount of money. It is not only a cheap way to travel within Europe but also great for conversations with locals.
