How to Plan a Month-Long European Adventure Without Draining Your Wallet

For travel lovers, a month-long escape to Europe is a dream, but most of them back down because they think it’s way too expensive. But you’d be surprised!

If you are one of the people who would love to have their dream trip and a chance to explore Europe’s iconic cities, don’t second-guess this decision, because the cost doesn’t have to break the bank. You can have all you want as long as you have the right approach. 

With the following few useful pieces of advice, you can plan your trip according to your budget and have your dream adventure you’ve longed for.

1. Set a (Realistic) Budget

Obviously, the first (and most important) tuning is to determine a budget. Now, people usually think that this determines how much they will spend, but that isn’t the case. You aren’t looking at how much you WILL spend, but rather how much you CAN (or are willing to) spend. You don’t have to burn through the whole budget, as all. Once you’re finished with the trip, you still might have half of it leftover for future spending.

Once you’ve realized this, it’s time to do the budget, finally. Think of travelling cost (return ticket), daily spending limits on food, transport, activities, and accommodation – you have to sleep somewhere after all.

Also, don’t forget extra costs such as insurance, emergency funds, perhaps mobile/internet expenses. The best approach is to put everything on paper first and see where you stand.

Here’s a budget breakdown example:

Expense	Total Cost (in USD)
Accommodation	1200 (40/day x 30 days)
Food	600 (20/day x 30 days)
Transport (local + intercity)	450 (15/day x 30 days)
Activities/Attractions	300 (10/day x 30 days)
Miscellaneous/Other	250

This, of course, is just an example, but those are some key expenses you should calculate.

Sure, your accommodation cost may vary depending on the size of your family, or perhaps you’re travelling alone. Samoe goes for transport. Perhaps you’ll just walk or cycle for the whole month. When it comes to attractions/activities, you don’t have to go somewhere each and every day; at least not somewhere where you’ll have to pay. And ‘others’ is just for good measure, because you never know which unexpected expenses might pop up.

When you write down everything, you can see where you can minimize expenses to save money for something else. Always keep in mind that something can be more expensive at the end, so make sure to set the total near your overall budget, but never to the last dollar.

2. Travel Off-Peak

Travelling outside of peak seasons is amazing if your goal is to save money.

For example, you can travel in spring (April-May) or fall (September-October). But this mostly comes down to whether you’re aiming for a summer destination, or a winter one; if this isn’t a relevant/deciding factor, then just aim for the above-noted months. 

Traveling off-season is also a great option if you want to avoid crowds and have a more peaceful and authentic experience. Ensure you’ve checked all your flying options to find the most affordable flights.

You can always rely on comparison tools such as Skyscanner or Google Flights to find the best deals.

3. Choose Affordable Accommodation

Why would you spend a crazy amount of money on expensive hotels? In the end, that is just the place where you will rest after long walks and sightseeing. If you choose a budget-friendly accommodation option, this is going to leave you more funds for things that really matter on the journey. 

For example, you can visit more museums, pay for one more tour through a historic city, etc. 

Here are some budget-friendly options:

• Hostels – Many of them offer private rooms, but if you aren’t worried about that, staying in hostels is great for meeting fellow travelers, plus it’s very easy on the budget.
• Airbnb (and similar services) – Great for longer stays. Easier to organize. Kitchen access is a bonus.
• House-sitting – You can stay in someone’s home for free in exchange for basic upkeep.
• Couchsurfing – Free stays with local (willing) host; no strings attached.

Also, booking platforms usually offer discounts for longer stays, so you can take advantage of them.

4. Use Budget-Friendly Transport

Traveling between various cities in Europe can be affordable because intercity travel in Europe is efficient and varied.

Transport Options: 

• Eurail/Interrail Pass – Unlimited train travel in various countries.
• Low-cost airlines – Ryanair, EasyJet, and Wizz Air offer cheap flights. 
• Bus – FlixBus and BlaBlaBus operate with an economical connection between major cities. 
• Rideshare – BlaBlaCar lets you share rides with locals. 

When it comes to transport within cities, rely on walking, cycling, or public transport to get around the city. If you’re wondering, “Where can I find a bicycle rental near me?” just pop out your phone and do a quick internet search, and numerous options will appear. 

Cycling, in recent years, has become extremely popular and is the preferred get-around method by many, especially in cities across Europe.

5. Cook Your Own Meals

Eating for a month in fancy restaurants is for those who don’t have a predetermined budget. Since that is not the option for someone with an expenses list and planned spending, you can save a lot by preparing your own meals on the trip.

If you still want to eat out, you can seek out street food, which is always a lot cheaper than dinner in restaurants. When you eat outside, use that as an opportunity to try some local specialties and new tastes. Food that you are used to, you can prepare by yourself.

This is a moment when you can try new things and, again, for a much more affordable price.

Conclusion

A month-long European trip doesn’t have to be just a dream. As you can see, if you have the right approach, you can have everything, but you need to plan in advance for expenses. That doesn’t mean that you should count every dollar for a month, right the contrary. 

Plan your spending thoroughly before the trip, and when you start your adventure, you will not have a headache from expenses. You can simply enjoy your journey and all the beauty that you are about to see.