How Much Does It Cost To Travel Europe?

Europe is a hugely popular travel destination. Whether it’s by foot, bus, plane or train, each year travellers flock from across the globe to visit and experience all the wonders of European travel. But how much will a European adventure set you back? How much does it cost to travel Europe?

For me, Europe is a place of romance and intrigue. With such a long, rich history, and such diversity in people, architecture, culture, food and natural beauty, it’s no wonder it’s so popular among travellers.

Money is always a potential disadvantage of travelling, though. And, where Europe isn’t necessarily the cheapest place to explore, the question of cost is probably a big one for travellers heading that direction.

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Europe?

As a result, I thought it might be helpful to write a brief post about the prices involved with Euro-travel. Exactly how much does it cost to travel Europe? Keep reading to find out.

Necessary Cost Considerations

Before I go deeper into the Europe trip costs, there are a few things worth considering:

1) The amount you spend is up to you!

It’s true that some parts of the world are just downright cheaper than others. However, it’s also worth remembering that we have direct control of how much we spend. Wherever you are in the world, there are ways to travel on a budget. Cook more, eat out less, hitchhike, walk – whatever it may be, the travel choices we make overseas have a big impact on expenditure. Generally, if you’re willing to put up with a level of sacrifice, you’re able to keep the cost down.

Of course, the same is true in Europe, so the amount you spend will vary in relation to your particular style of travel. There’s no right or wrong way here: budget or luxury, it’s totally up to individual preference. Just keep in mind that it can have a big impact on how much you spend on the road.

2) Prices vary by country

When people refer to Europe as a travel destination it’s often easy to see it as one uniform location. But, obviously, Europe is a big place with lots of different countries in it (here’s a guide to the best backpack for exploring it!). And each of those individual countries has its own set of prices. The costs in Europe vary by country and some (especially in Eastern Europe) are far cheaper than others.

As a result, accurately costing a trip to Europe is never simple; it relies wholly on where you’re actually planning to visit. A person planning to move from Oslo to Helsinki, then on to London, Paris and Amsterdam, for example, will need much deeper pockets than someone heading to Warsaw, Minsk and Kiev. So, if you’re on a budget, it’s worth looking into the cheaper parts of Europe as a way to extend your trip.

3) Keep currency in mind

Like all travel, the amount of bang you get for your buck is tied to the going exchange rates. For instance, since the whole Brexit debacle happened, there’s never been a better time to visit the UK for someone in the US. The Pound has just been stupendously weak, which makes it far cheaper than in the past!

Likewise, for someone travelling to the US (or even some parts of South East Asia such as Cambodia, where the US dollar is now widely used) from the UK, it’s far more expensive now compared to 20 years ago.

In the same way, it’s now far pricier for a British person to travel around mainland Europe than it was in the past. The pound, though getting better, is not what it was. And this has a massive effect on how far your money goes.

So, depending on where you’re travelling from, make sure to check out the current, relevant exchange rates to really assess how much a trip to Europe will set you back! 

These three factors are important as they make it nearly impossible to give an absolute figure for how much Europe travel costs. As a result, it would be misleading to try! However, what we can do instead is to go through some estimates, as well as some tips for keeping costs down!

The Cost of Travelling in Europe

On to the main subject then: how much does it cost to travel Europe?

Key points if you’re in a rush:

• Europe definitely isn’t the cheapest place to travel!
• Average cost: circa £45-70 per day all in.
• If you’re on a budget, spend longer in Eastern Europe.
• The price fluctuates by location, so make sure you research the countries you plan to visit before arrival and budget accordingly.
• General cost-cutting ideas: supermarket shopping, couch surfing, making use of happy hours, booking transport and accommodation in advance, utilise free activities in cities (museums, art galleries, city tours…).
• Cheapest forms of transport: hitchhiking, car sharing (Blablacar), bus (Eurolines, Flixbus, Megabus), plane (Ryanair, Easyjet, Wizzair; book in advance).
• Accommodation: will eat your money, but Couchsurfing is a good bet & in certain places (e.g. Greece in summer) you could free camp outdoors. Otherwise, hostel dorm rooms are probably the best bet.
• If you’re a student, remember to bring your student card (just make sure it’s an international one) as it can get you discounts!

Europe Travel Tips: Average Daily Costs

Based on online research and personal experience, the average Europe trip cost will be between USD$60 and $100 per day. In Eastern Europe expect to spend around two-thirds of that ($40 to $70).

It’s worth re-emphasising how these figures will always be a rough estimate! Remember, the amount to spend is generally up to you.

That said, with those figures in mind, here’s what a 2-week, 4-week and 8-week trip to Europe (not Eastern Europe) could cost.

• 2 weeks (14 days):  $840 – 1400
• 4 weeks (28 days):  $1,680 – 2,800
• 8 weeks (56 days):  $3,360 – 5,600

So, overall, not cheap!

However, it’s always good to have a solid idea of how much something might cost you. From here, you can think about: how much you need to save; a budget for expenses on the road and think about how you might go about cutting costs.

Saving Money When Travelling Around Europe

Let’s turn to how to cut the costs where possible. One of the main expenses for European travel is getting between locations. Here are a few of the best ways to get around as cheaply as possible.

By Bus

Travelling by bus is an increasingly popular form of transport in Europe. With budget services such as Flixbus and Megabus going to a huge number of different cities and countries, it’s well worth checking this method of getting from A to B. Price can be incredibly low. For instance, you can get from London to Paris for $18 on Flixbus. That’s insanely cheap!

Obvious downsides include the time it takes and potential discomfort of being sat for hours in a cramped seat. But the price has to be worth it for budget travellers.

Car Sharing

Car sharing is a great bet for convenient and cheap travel. Essentially, people already driving from point A to point B advertise their journey (on BlaBlaCar, or Facebook groups, for example) and then anyone wanting to take the same route can head to the website, search for the journey and pay for a spare seat at a price set by the driver. The prices are more expensive now than they were in the past, but still far cheaper than most other forms of transport. Also, by cutting down on the number of car journeys, it’s much better for the environment!

Eurail/Interrail

A hugely popular form of transport around Europe is by train, due to the awesome networks that operate between countries and cities, making the daunting prospect of intercontinental travel straightforward. Buying a Eurail pass isn’t necessarily cheap (from what I’ve seen, the cost is usually well over $1,000 for a few weeks), but will definitely save you money in comparison to buying tickets individually.

It’s also meant to be incredibly convenient. Equally, some people just love train travel and see it as a perfect way of getting from one beautiful place to the next! Depending on your ticket, downsides can include only having a set number of days in a particular place before having to get the train, as well as the occasional lack of seats and price ‘adds ons’, for certain journeys in particular countries.

By Plane

In Europe, Ryanair, Wizzair and Easyjet can be a budget traveller’s best friend. Coordinate things in advance and you can get crazily cheap flights. However, prices vary dramatically, so get in early to avoid disappointingly expensive tickets.

Of course, flying obviously isn’t the best for the environment either! But when you’re on a budget, the cheapest option is usually a priority.

Hitchhiking

It might not be to everyone’s liking, but it’s free, so it’s undoubtedly the cheapest form of transport going. It’s true that there’s always a risk involved, but it’s not as high as your mum makes you think it is! Of course, there are horror stories, but generally speaking, hitching is an awesome way of travelling and meeting people along the way.

I hitched through Northern Greece and along the way met a couple of Greek guys who later hosted us for free, showed us around Athens and took us out for a meal!

Time to Wrap Up

So, how much does it cost to travel Europe? Unfortunately, it’s impossible to offer a solid answer to that question! There are simply too many variables to provide a realistic figure. However, one thing I can say is that it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. Equally, I hope the estimates above have helped provide an idea of how much money you’ll need for the trip.

Remember, those figures are meant as a rough guide. Variables such as exchange rates and the style you want to travel will make a big difference. With certain approaches to your trip, you’ll be sure to do it cheaper!

About The Author

Danny Newman is currently writing and travelling his way around the world in a bid to figure out exactly what he’s doing with his life. He’d love you to follow along with his journey over at What’s Danny Doing.