Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe

Europe is not always the cheapest place to travel around. Transportation costs can cause havoc on any budget, especially if you are traveling long distances. The increasing value of the Euro and the decreasing value of the US dollar has made traveling across Europe even more expensive. It’s especially ridiculous in England where they use a pricing method similar to the airlines (book early). Just hoping on a train can be as (or more) expensive than hoping on a flight. It cost me more for a 2 hr train ride than it did to fly to Amsterdam from London. Despite the expensive Euro, high transportation costs, and the general expensiveness of Europe, there are still a few ways to travel around Europe cheaply:

Megabus
MegabusA cheap way to travel get across the United Kingdom as fares can cost as little as one pound. You’ll need to book at least a month in advance on popular routes to get the one pound fare. Even if you don’t scoop up these amazingly cheap deals, you can still travel for a fraction of the cost you can on the National Rail system. Fares rarely top fifteen pounds. Most Megatrains and buses leave from London but you can also get intercity links from many of the country’s main destinations. (As well as major destinations in Wales and Scotland.) It’s simply the best deal around. Travel in the UK is ridiculously expensive and even if you change your plans, you are only losing a pound. This should be your first option for UK travel.

Busabout
BusaboutA hop on/hop off again service similar to the OZ or Kiwi Experience. You can get on and off whenever you like and, once you buy the ticket, you don’t have to worry about transportation the whole way. There is an onboard guide that can help you with accommodation. They’ll help plan events and tours for you too. Busabout is not the cheapest option on the list but for those looking for something different, it is a good way to get around hassle free while knowing you’ll be around other backpackers. What you are really paying for is a scaled down tour and, for the first time traveler, this can be a good option if they don’t feel comfortable yet traveling on their own.

Low Cost Carriers
RyanAirBy far the cheapest option for traveling Europe, these airlines are so prolific that excess capacity and competition help keep fares cheap. You can often find tickets where the fare is just the taxes. Companies like SkyEurope, Transavia, EasyJet, and RyanAir offer flights throughout the continent for dirt cheap. It cost me 20 pounds to fly from London to Amsterdam, 25 euros to fly from Paris to Germany, and 60 euros to go from Stockholm to Amsterdam. Book early and you’ll scoop up the best deals. Remember though: read the fine print as not all airlines offer refunds for cancel flights. Moreover, check what airport they fly into. Many fly into secondary airports to keep costs down but sometimes those airports are so far from the city center, transportation from them can be very expensive.

EuroRail Pass
EurotrainGetting a rail pass is a good option if you are going to be traveling across vast distances. The European rail system is very good and very cheap over short distances. However, when you start boarding night trains across multiple countries, the rail system becomes a bit more expensive. Rail Passes are a great way to save quite a few euros and are a must for anyone looking to take the trains over long distances.

Use these options and you are bound to save money while you travel around Europe! Europe is expensive but there are still cheap ways to get around!



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