Europe holds the prime position for individuals seeking travel, offering numerous budget-friendly and exceptionally picturesque destinations.
A user asked the forum, “A least expensive way to spend a week in Europe.”
More information was added by the original poster, “ It might sound weird. I’m coming up with ideas and wanted some insight on whether this plan makes sense.
So I’m from New York and will go to England this weekend. I’ll finish my responsibilities on Monday; I still need to plan my return trip. I’m done with work till December, and I don’t have Thanksgiving plans this year.
Also, I have a ‘Free’ course (minus taxes and fees) that I probably won’t use as it expires at the end of the year’s end, and a transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to New York leaves on the 20th of November.
I have thought about hanging out in Europe for a week and taking the cruise back home.
Now, I’m not looking to make this some dream vacation. I’m a single guy who doesn’t drink or party; I need a place to sleep every night.
This plan will cost more than just flying straight back to New York, but if I attempted this, what could be the most cost-effective way to spend those seven days in between while working my way from England to Spain?”
Let’s see what people have to say.
GET A BUDGET AIRLINE
“Get a budget airline flight from England to Eastern Europe for the week and another flight back west to Barcelona.
Not precisely working your way there, but if you can find some low-cost flights, it will be much cheaper than train hopping your way more directly.”
TAKE FLIXBUS
“Get out of England as soon as possible; Spain is much cheaper than England. Eastern Europe is even cheaper than Spain. You could take a cheap flight to Eastern Europe, stay there for a week, and take a cheap flight to Barcelona. Or take a cheap flight to Barcelona immediately.
Unfortunately, trains are often more expensive than flying, but you could take Flixbus if you want to travel around and see multiple destinations.”
FIND THE CHEAPEST FLIGHT AND ACCOMMODATION
“Find the cheapest flight from London to Barcelona for those six days. Go to Hostel World and booking.com and find the cheapest accommodation in both places, which has decent public transport connectivity to the airports with the cheapest flights.
If your goal is surviving on the least amount of money, this should be your first two steps. Traveling to more places will cost more.”
VISIT PORTUGAL AND SPAIN
“You should go to Portugal and Spain. You can use Flixbus in night schedules to save money on the hotel. You can easily find 10€ tickets from Lisbon to Madrid.”
VISIT EASTERN EUROPE
“Go visit Eastern Europe, especially the Baltics. It can’t get cheaper than Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, N. Macedonia, and Moldova.
Get a cheap, low-cost flight to any of those and enjoy drinking rakija/rachis/rakia.”
CHECKOUT WORKAWAY.COM
“Workaway.com. They will hook you up with free lodging and meals for a couple of hours a day with other world travelers.”
VISIT WESTERN EUROPE
“Portugal & Czech Republic are very cheap if you want to stay in ‘western’ Europe. The Balkan countries are cheap, too.”
STAY AT HOSTELS
“Stay at hostels. I usually use the Hostelworld app to check out the different hostels. If you don’t want to stay in a dormitory with other people, there are private room options in different hostels.”
EXPLORE THE ENDLESS OPTIONS
“Europe has endless options. What interests you the most? Frankly, Spain and Portugal are among my favorites. I could spend a week bouncing around there. There is food, lodging, and activities to fit any budget.
I also love Greece and Italy. Being November, I’d head south for sure.”
BUDAPEST HAS CHEAP FLIGHTS
“Budapest has cheap flights, relatively cheap overall, and good times as well.”
FLY TO VALENCIA
“Fly to somewhere like Valencia in Spain. It is much cheaper and has better weather. Look for cheap flights to Spain from Manchester. Should be easy to get a flight for £50.”
CONSIDER A COUNTRY YOU FIND INTERESTING
“As many have said, the cheapest will be flying somewhere cheaper than England, hanging out there, and then flying (or potentially taking the train) to Barcelona. But given you don’t drink, the price differences will be manageable, especially if you stay in a dormitory.
Yeah, you will pay $15 for a hostel bed in Tirana, $20 in Lisbon, and $25-35 in Milan, and yeah, food and attractions will vary, too, but we’re not talking massive amounts of money.
Even though you’re not looking for a dream vacation, you’re still looking for a break, and you should consider whether you find Albania, Poland, Portugal, Italy, or another country the most interesting.”
FLY TO PRAGUE, VIENNA, BARCELONA
“I’ll hop on a flight to Prague. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. There are tons of culture, architecture, good food, and friendly people. Plus, it’s cheap. A common expression there is that beer is more affordable than water, and it’s true!
I’d spend three nights there, then get a train or bus to Vienna. Vienna is also inexpensive, beautiful, and full of culture. You can walk around the palace gardens and see Sigmund Freud’s old house/office; their zoo is excellent.
I’d then hop on a flight back to the United Kingdom or Barcelona. Transportation via a budget airline from the United Kingdom to Prague is cheap, like from Vienna back. The bus or train between Prague and Vienna is also affordable. You can do all three for 100 bucks or less. Accommodations are cheap, and so is the food. There’s lots of free things to do on foot.”
HEAD TO BARCELONA
“Honestly, I’d head to Barcelona and stay there. You might want to loop in France, like Paris, by train, but I’d prefer to have the whole week in Barcelona.”
TAKE TRAINS
“Manchester – London – Paris – Barcelona, take trains and stay in hostels.”
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.