PSA: A Budget-Friendly Europe Trip Does Exist—Here's How To Pull It Off

There's something about travel that makes it so easy to talk about—enthusing about places and sights, sprinkling in random albeit funny stories that arise from travelling alone as a college student.

The way to anyone's heart, it seems, is by asking about their travels, à la Colin Bridgerton. 

As someone from a country so far away from Europe—like, 16-hours-by-plane far away—the usual mindset is to go around the continent while you're already there.

A lot of college students, as first-time solo travelers, would usually choose to go to Asian countries. It feels like the safe decision to go somewhere near, culturally similar, and relatively affordable.

But I propose a second option:

Okay, Europe is expensive, unsafe, and the exchange rate rises faster than the ocean levels. 

But Europe is quite unique compared to other continents—you can bundle a myriad of countries into one trip, with the Schengen visa. Obtaining this will grant you access to all countries part of the European Union. (Tip: You can apply via VFS Global. As of this writing, a short-stay Schengen visa—a.k.a. less than 90 days—costs P6,300.)

It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that driving an hour to school is normal, but for many Europeans, the same time could take them to a whole new country(!!). 

Anyway, navigating Europe is beginner-friendly thanks to their extensive public transport system. Trains, metros, buses, trams—they'll take you anywhere, sans the headache and complications that usually come with public transportation. 

But okay, I will admit that Europe isn't necessarily the cheapest place to visit—the stereotype is true… kind of.

While it's true that the Philippine peso is significantly (💀) weaker compared to euros, it's also true that Europe actually holds a lot of affordable options, so much that it can even be done on a student budget!

When travelling around Europe, staying at hostels is often the default, largely because the price difference between hotels and hostels is quite drastic.

Pro tip: Hostel prices sometimes vary depending on the website that lists the property (Hostelworld, Agoda, etc.), so it’s good to cross-reference prices. 

Hostels tend to have the reputation of being dingy and unsafe, but actually, they can be quite cosy, and if you wanted to, it presents all sorts of socializing opportunities as a melting pot of nationalities.

In Thessaloniki, Greece, it was another guest's birthday, and a guy dragged me into the festivities.  A pair of travelling best friends from Germany. A guy from Spain wearing a party hat—the birthday celebrant. Suddenly, you're a group of foreigners chatting as the hours ticked away, the stars shining in the night sky.

So aside from being more affordable, hostels are also just an experience all on their own. 

A vast majority of the capitals, big cities, and even niche towns are connected by train networks, making them relatively easy to visit. 

Most, if not all, trains are pretty comfortable, the toilets are clean, and the views are spectacular—sprawling fields, animals flitting about the blades of grass, the sinking sun painting the skies orange.

Pro tip: The website The Man in Seat61 is a helpful guide to travelling Europe by train. 

Additionally, consider getting a Eurail pass. It comes in different varieties, but for the most part, it grants you unlimited train travel across most of Europe. Depending on your travel plans, a Eurail pass could save you a lot of money on tickets and help you reach more places within a limited amount of time.

You can also consider travelling by bus—sometimes, their prices are even better than train prices. It all depends on your preference!

If land travel isn't up your alley, travelling by plane is your next bet. 

Budget airlines like Ryanair make travelling between countries simpler, and oftentimes, the travel time is a lot shorter compared to its grounded counterparts. 

However, it's still a good practice to compare train and plane prices—sometimes, trains are cheaper, and other times, planes are cheaper. It largely depends on when you book your tickets, too.

A large number of museums and attractions in Europe offer student discounts—a lot even allow you to enter for free if you're under a certain age!

Want to see the Mona Lisa? Good news, you can see that iconic smile for free if you're under 18! Just present a valid ID and they'll let you right in, free of cost.

A handful of museums in Austria, like the Albertina, allow free entry for those under 19, but fret not, while they don't get to enter for free, visitors under 26 get a discount. P.S. The same rings true for a lot of European countries! 🤩

Well, technically, they're not free. They're tip-based, meaning after the tour commenses, it's up to you how much to tip depending on the quality of the guide. 

Still, free walking tours are much cheaper than joining a tour group. They're also fun—you meet up with the guide and other tourists, walk around the city for an hour or two, meet people from other countries, and listen to stories about history and culture. 

You can book these tours on sites like GuruWalk for free. You can peruse the different walking tours they offer—whether you want an overview of the city, a more historical lens to view things, or maybe a food trip! 😋

Pro tip: Do a free walking tour on your first day. It introduces you to the city, and you can get some tips from the guide afterwards.

After a free walking tour, ask your guide for local food spots. Oftentimes, they'll have a list ready, typically sorted by price range.

The Internet also makes it easy to check for restaurant price ranges online and browse the menu beforehand.

However, sit-down meals can be time-consuming and pricey. So, if all else fails, grocery meals are a reliable backup. They're cheap, convenient, and easy, especially with popular chains like SPAR.

As much fun as travelling can be, it can also be quite difficult.

Solo travel can be rocky and challenging sometimes, rife with going the wrong way for 40 minutes after putting in the wrong pin on Google Maps or running like hell to catch a bus after mistiming things.

But it can also be full of the craziest experiences that wouldn't have happened otherwise. 

Meeting strangers, worrying said strangers are bad guys, realizing they're (probably) harmless and taking comfort in being in a public space. Making friends from across the world, collecting them like Pokémon, and asking for their Instagram accounts as a way to remember them.

Getting to see the world, in a way that most people might never get to in their lifetimes.

So, while you still can, book that flight, fly across the ocean, meet new people from all corners of the world, eat food you've never seen before, learn a thing or two about history and culture, and just… live.

It's only life. It'll be over before you know it.