The 13 Best-value cities in Europe for budget travelers in 2023
This site – PriceofTravel.com – is perhaps known for our annual publication of our Global Backpacker Index, which compares over 130 destinations around the world and ranks them from cheapest to most expensive. The most popular part of that is our Europe Backpacker Index, which ranks 54 destinations from cheapest to most expensive with much greater detail than our Global list.
If you look at the Europe Backpacker Index linked above you’ll see a long list of cities (from cheapest to most expensive) and obviously the majority of them don’t make this list. Having lived in Europe and visited nearly every corner of the continent a few times, I can tell you that many places are not really worth your time, even if they are shockingly cheap. The list below only contains the absolute highlights and fortunately many of them are still amazingly inexpensive.
Updated for 2023
We did a 2022 version of this list as COVID restrictions were easing and almost everywhere seemed like a bargain, but our 2023 update unfortunately has prices way up in literally every city on the list. We rank them using our Backpacker Index as described above and most of these places are still WAY cheaper than cities in the US, Canada, or Australia, but inflation has hit Europe like most of the rest of the world and things are now reflecting that.
13 Best-value destinations in Europe for 2023 (listed cheapest to most expensive)
1 – Budapest, Hungary (cheapest)
Traditionally, Krakow (see below) is the cheapest entry on this list, but Budapest is even a bit cheaper in 2023 thanks in part to a weak Hungarian currency. When you visit you’d never expect this place to be a cheapskate’s paradise because it’s gorgeous and filled with large and super impressive classical buildings, in addition to the amazing and famous parliament building that you see in most photos.
The Castle Hill sights are worth a good chunk of time, as are the highlights in downtown Pest, across the river. You’ve also got the many spas based around hot-water springs that tend to be very affordable and unique. Some may not like the paprika-heavy local cuisine, but for those who do it tends to be filling and cheap. The trick to getting good value here is to stay and eat most of your meals away from the river, which is mostly lined with high-priced touristy places. And the nightlife in the ‘ruin pubs’ will be as unforgettable as it is affordable.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$38.21/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Budapest
>>>Budapest prices and travel tips
2 – Krakow, Poland
While Kraków may not be the easiest city to reach on a standard Europe tour, it offers great rewards for budget travelers who make the trip. With a compact and richly historic city center, this is a destination that offers the best of classic Europe (castles, towers, palaces, town squares, cathedrals) without the massive crowds you get in Prague and elsewhere, all at prices that are still shockingly low.
Kraków also has a great tourist infrastructure with an abundance of affordable quality hostels and budget hotels, along with cheap bars, cafes, and restaurants. Those looking for a place to relax for a while on a hectic tour of the region will find this to be a fun and budget-friendly stop. Beers for under US$2.50 per pint are hard to find in most of Europe’s top cities, but pretty easy to find here. Don’t forget a half-day visit to nearby Auschwitz while you are here.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$41.03/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Krakow
>>>Krakow prices and travel tips
3 – Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Speaking of hard to reach, Sarajevo is also unfortunately remote, but again, the fact that so few package tourists have found the place means that it’s incredibly cheap and still wonderful. The setting between two mountain ranges means that the city is photogenic from pretty much every angle, and the interesting local architecture only adds to the appeal.
The unusual attraction in Sarajevo is the pedestrian-only historic Old Town and its large Muslim quarter. It’s one of the friendliest and most interesting mixes of people and customs you’ll find anywhere in the world, which helps make it popular with Arabians and other Muslims that are less visible in Europe. The low prices on food and hotels are just a bonus, and alcohol is also cheap and free-flowing, just steps from the central mosque. There is train service to Sarajevo, but the trains are pretty slow. It’s often easier, cheaper, and just as fast to take the long-distance buses from major cities nearby instead.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$47.95/day
>>>Sarajevo prices and weather
4 – Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
If you’ve never heard of Český Krumlov then you aren’t alone. It’s a small town in southern Czech Republic of about 14,000 residents, and it was mostly in ruins after decades of Communist neglect, but it’s been scrubbed and rediscovered by tourists looking for something different. The setting in between a lazy, serpentine river and beneath a 13th Century castle is simply stunning, and everything is within modest walking distance.
As lovely as it is, it’s the low prices and good quality that you might remember most. This is a town where you can enjoy a filling meal of local favorites for around US$4, while seated at one of the restaurants directly on the main square. A local beer will be around US$2.00 per half liter almost anywhere in town, so bargain hunters don’t have to scour the back alleys for happy hours. Hotels in the town center start at well under US$50 per night for something that would cost double or triple that in major European cities. As of 2023 there are still no hostels open in Český Krumlov, and that makes the city look more expensive on the Backpacker Index than it really is. In other words, this place is about as cheap as Krakow or Budapest as long as you can find a decent hotel deal.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$48.24/day
>>>Český Krumlov prices and weather
5 – Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius makes the Best Value list here as a placeholder for Riga and Tallinn as well, as all three of the Baltic capitals offer high quality at suspiciously low prices. Tallinn and Riga are both cruise ports so they can feel a bit touristy in places, but Vilnius is landlocked so it feels more authentic and also even a bit cheaper.
The challenge for all three of these cities is that they are hard to reach unless you are on a tour of the area already. If you can find a cheap flight and are looking for a lovely and cheap place to spend a long weekend or even a week, then Vilnuis is worth a look. Great meals for under US$5 and quality local lager for well under US$2 per half pint are pretty much everywhere you look, since there is almost no exploitation of “rich” tourists here, yet.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$55.77/day
6 – Istanbul, Turkey
Absolutely one of the world’s great and historically significant cities, Istanbul had been getting more expensive in recent years, but the Turkish Lira has been in a freefall for years now and it’s back to being cheap. Overflowing with exotic-feeling temples, markets, cathedrals, and other sights, this is a huge metropolis that is changing rapidly and yet it’s still quite unlike the rest of Europe, partly due to the fact that it famously straddles Asia as well.
After a few years of minor turmoil, Turkey seems stable again and they’ve just had an election that was deemed to be fair. Not everyone loves what has been happening, but at least you should be able to visit without worrying about large protests and crackdowns, although it is always wise to keep an eye on the news. The rest of the country is also quite nice and cheaper as well. Antalya is a worthwhile Mediterranean city that it usually out of the spotlight with protests and so forth.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$56.35/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Istanbul
>>>Istanbul prices and travel tips
7 – Athens, Greece
Athens isn’t as cheap as it was in the 1990s, but in its favor it has dramatically cleaned up its act since the Olympics, and it still surrounds a few of the world’s most impressive tourist attractions on the Acropolis. The country had struggled with a financial crisis about 10 years ago, and fortunately that appears to be behind them so tourists are welcome and having a good time.
Also in Athens’ favor is that it’s not difficult to see the main sights in only a few days or even less, and then take the metro down to the port of Piraeus to hop on a ferry to one of its holiday islands. Santorini is the most famous of the nearby Greek islands and the most crowded as well. It’s probably better choosing Rhodes or one of the other islands that doesn’t get overrun with cruiseship crowds. This is a cheap and easy way to inject a bit of culture into a trip that will otherwise be about downing pints on a sunny beach.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$59.30/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Athens
>>>Athens prices and weather
8 – Prague, Czech Republic
It’s definitely true that Prague isn’t nearly as cheap as it used to be, and that it’s also amazingly crowded if you follow the main tourist routes between the top sights, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t continue to be a relative bargain. Hotels in particular seem expensive here, though an abundance of affordable hostels helps a lot, including reasonable private rooms for those who aren’t partial to dorm beds. Choose from our recommended hotels in Prague list for great prices at the highest rated hotels in the city.
The beer, as you’ve certainly heard, is excellent, and it’s consumed by the locals in frightening quantities. Usually at under US$2.50 per pint to this day, the fact that it was US$0.50 per pint 12 years ago doesn’t mean that it’s still not a bargain now. Try to steer away from the tourist restaurants with big English signs out front and you’ll be able to get hearty local meals for very little as well. The public transportation system here is quite good so you can save a good chunk of money by staying away from the tourist center and still be able to cheaply go back and forth in a short time.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$62.94/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Prague
>>>Prague prices and travel tips
9 – Lisbon, Portugal
Upon arriving in Lisbon people are often shocked at how different it is from the large cities in Spain, and also that it’s even a bit cheaper than Madrid and Barcelona as well. This historic port city is stunningly situated on 7 hills (like so many other cities) overlooking the port area, so it’s similar to San Francisco in that there’s interesting contrasts no matter which direction you are looking.
Another interesting thing about Lisbon is that it’s loaded with fiercely competitive hostels which somehow all rank very high on the various Best Hostels in the World lists. The fact that Lisbon is hard to combine with other cities on a European tour is the main reason why it’s not far more popular. Hotels and food here are also excellent bargains by European standards, and you’ll be impressed at how lovely and organized things are in that price range. The train service from Spain consists of an overnight train from Madrid, so it’s better for most people to fly, or perhaps look into the long distance buses if you are coming from western Spain.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$71.59/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Lisbon
>>>Lisbon prices and travel tips
10 – Berlin, Germany
It’s more than a little surprising that this many years after German reunification, Berlin continues to be more affordable than Munich or Hamburg. The key seems to be the fact that almost half the city used to be East Berlin, and the tens of thousands of communist-era buildings still offer cheaper rents and more flexibility compared to West Berlin. This means that cheap hostels are dotted between weird bars and trendy galleries, with prices that are still influenced by their former incarnations.
Except perhaps for the Brandenberg Gate monument, Berlin lacks famous checklist attractions similar to the Eiffel Tower or Roman Colosseum, but first-time visitors generally love the place anyway. Berlin has an edge and a spirit that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. It’s also very English-language-friendly, more so than the rest of Germany, so you can just speak in English to locals (as long as they are under 60 or so) without having to ask if they speak English or not. It’s similar to Amsterdam and the Scandinavian capitals in that way and it makes visiting and getting around much easier.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$75.49/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Berlin
>>>Berlin prices and travel tips
11 – Bruges, Belgium
Even though it’s firmly in a traditionally expensive corner of the continent, Bruges can actually be quite affordable, and there’s no shortage of old-world charm to go along with that. Thanks to a large number of hostels, this compact Medieval city has room for thousands of backpackers and budget travelers, and as long as you avoid the busiest months of summer you’ll actually have little trouble keeping costs down.
This is another town where all the main sights could be taken in on a 2-day stay, but due to its relative affordability, the relaxed atmosphere, and the large tourist infrastructure, this is a good choice for a chill-out stop on a longer European tour. Bruges looks a lot like Amsterdam because it was also a major trading city during the 17th Century when all of those gorgeous canalside buildings were constructed. Fortunately, Bruges is much cheaper than Amsterdam and much less crowded as well.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$86.99/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Bruges
>>>Bruges prices and weather
12 – Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is new to this “best value” list mainly because the British Pound feel in the wake of the Brexit vote and it continues to be fairly low in 2023. You’ll probably want to start in London (see below), which is also unusually cheap these days, and Edinburgh is the best second stop in Britain for most people.
The center of Edinburgh is compact enough to be able to see most of the sights on food, especially if you are staying near the Royal Mile or nearby in the New Town (which is still very old). This was always a fabulous city, but now that it’s cheaper than it has been in many, many years, it’s also a fabulous bargain within Europe.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$94.93/day
>>>Check hotel deals for Edinburgh
>>>Edinburgh prices and travel tips
13 – London, England
London needs no introduction and we don’t really need to tell you why you should want to come here. The reason it’s now on the “best value in Europe” list is that the currency has dropped since Brexit and in 2023 it’s still quite low by recent historical standards. They have had some inflation as well in recent years (like almost every other country), but at least the place won’t feel insanely expensive like it did in 2015 or so.
Visiting London on a tight budget can be challenging if it’s your first time, but it’s definitely possible if you do a bit of research. Staying in neighborhoods that aren’t packed with other tourists helps because most locals are not rich and the restaurants and pubs have to charge reasonable prices in order to stay open. You can ride the Tube for about £6 per day with an Oyster card as it has a maximum daily charge and the rest of your rides are all free, which helps a lot if you are staying a bit away from the main sights.
- Daily Backpacker Index: US$122.18/day
>>>Check hotel deals for London
>>>London prices and travel tips
London on the cheap list of cities to visit! Really?! You have a few screws loose.
Peter,
I don’t usually respond to trolls, but this article is a list of “best-value” cities in Europe, rather than the cheapest. If you read the entry you’d see that London is the most expensive on that list, but that it’s included because the GBP has fallen so much so it’s now cheaper than it has been in years. Have a great day. -Roger
Hello,
I was hoping to get advice for my first trip to Europe with my husband. We are planning a post-graduation trip 2 years from now in 2019, in which case, I’m aware many things will change (exchange rate, political climate, immigration laws, etc). However, I was hoping to get advice for places to visit. We are flying from LA and staying for approximately one month. On our agenda we have London, Paris, Italy (Rome, can’t decide between Venice or Florence?), and Spain (Madrid, Barcelona). We’re looking to spend 1 week in Paris, 1 week in Italy, and 1 week in Spain which leaves us with one last week. We aren’t looking to spend too much time in London (3 days max) and considering travel time between countries we were wondering if it’s too ambitious to consider Portugal for 2 days or another city/country you recommend to see in 2-3 days? I was hoping to get advice on order of travel (is it cheaper/recommended to fly into London from LAX?), recommended cities in either country I mentioned, best travel method between countries (train, plane) and any general advice overall would be much appreciated!
We are a couple in our 20s and would like to balance some city life with possible beach/nature.
Jessica,
Your plan looks quite good and I think it’s realistic. I recommend spending 3 nights in almost every destination you visit, except for a few smaller places such as Venice, which can be enjoyed in only a day or two. So rather than countries, I think it’s more helpful to plan the timing by cities. London in 3 days should be good, and Paris in 3 or 4 days would also be great. After 4 days or so you’ll have seen all the top sights and you can either just walk around and explore neighborhoods, or you could do day trips for a couple days.
If you want to do one week in Italy I’d recommend 1 night in Venice, 3 nights in Florence, and 3 nights in Rome. They are 2 hours or less from each other by train, with Florence in the middle and very worthwhile on its own. The key to enjoying Venice in one day is to try to stay 24 hours and stay on the main island instead of on the mainland. The evenings and early mornings in Venice are the best because the day-trip crowds aren’t there. Once the day visitors are there, Venice is so crowded that it’s hard to enjoy.
Barcelona and Madrid are great for 3 days each. It’s probably best to fly into one and take the high-speed train in 3 hours to the other, and then fly to your next stop. If you did Barcelona to Madrid you could then take a night train to Lisbon and explore Portugal for 4 to 7 days. It’s a lovely city and country, and it’s very good value as well. Most people skip it because it’s a bit out of the way. I don’t know if it’s worth it just for 2 days, because that’s really just one sightseeing day.
Another excellent choice to add is Amsterdam, which is a bit over 3 hours by train from Paris. Spending 3 nights there would be ideal, and then you can get a cheap flight to your next stop. Or if you want to see something after Paris on your way to Italy you could stop in Nice for a few days and also do day trips to nearby Monaco and Cannes. That way you could then take the train to Venice from Nice, although flying would be faster and probably also cheaper. Speaking of beaches, Cannes has a wonderful sandy beach, but Nice has a gravel beach. Honestly, most of Europe has lousy beaches compared to most other places, except for Spain, Portugal, and Greece. So if you want more beach time you could spend more time in one of those places.
I’m a bit all over the place with my advice. Your trip is still a long way off and you might change your mind, but please feel free to ask again if you have other questions I might help with. -Roger
Hi. My fiance and I are planning a trip for September. We’re thinking 7-10 days…so maybe just visit 2 countries, or base out of 1 country and day trip to 2-3 other places. This will be his 1st Europe trip. I’ve been to Finland, Denmark, Ireland, and Hungary, so don’t want those. Any suggestions? An area that combines history, shopping, good food, possibly a close beach/waterfront, and a few activities just to get us used to the local area. We’re on a modest budget. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!
Daphne,
On a first Europe trip (not counting the small countries you’ve already visited yourself), I can’t help but start by recommending France and/or Italy. There is a reason why those are the two most popular countries for long-haul visitors, and they both hit all of your checklist. It’s true that both of them are in the mid to upper bracket as far as daily expenses, but you get so much for your money in both places (amazing sights and scenery, the arguably the best food in the world etc), and I’d recommend them anyway.
If you wanted to do something a bit cheaper you could go to, say, Split, Croatia, and also visit Dubrovnik and Sarajevo. It would be really nice, and maybe it would be as much as US$50 cheaper per person on hotels, food, and attractions. But if you are already spending so much on a flight to get there and you might not get back to Europe in the coming few years, I really think you should go for it and try to do Italy and/or France on your modest budget.
Here is my article with suggested itineraries for France and Italy. It will answer most of your questions.
If you can manage to do a 10-day trip, I’d recommend flying into Paris and spending 3 nights there. Then take a cheap flight from Paris to Venice (or nearby Treviso), for one night, and then a train to Florence for 3 nights and then a train to Rome for 3 nights. That is pretty much the best possible 10-day first trip to Europe that anyone can do, and it can be done on a reasonable budget if you plan well.
One nice thing working in your favor is that September is a great month for this because it is still plenty warm, even to swim in the sea, but the crowds of July and August have thinned out so hotel prices are also down a bit. As always, let me know if you have any questions. -Roger
Hi there,
I am really enquiring on behalf of my 18 year old son and his friends, who upon completing their final exams of school want to take a trip together. They want to go somewhere in Europe that is reasonably priced but not the usual sun resort with nightclubs and lots of drinking. My daughter wenton a similar trip last year to Budapest with 6 friends and rented an apartment and they had a great time, he doesn’t want to choose the same place for whatever reason but would like something that wasn’t too hectic and good value as their budget is tight. I am anxious about border controls and travelling in Europe now for various reasons and due to developments in Europe over the past 12 – 18mths, so would really like him to choose well, he will be travelling from Dublin.
Terri,
I can see why Budapest was a good choice for a city holiday, as it combines great culture and plenty of activities with modest prices. The other cities that would be in that same category would be Prague, Krakow, and even Berlin. From a price standpoint, Krakow is the cheapest, Prague is in the middle, and Berlin is more expensive, yet still very good value.
Similar to Budapest, you can get by pretty easily speaking English alone in all of those, although it’s obviously nice to give a bit of the language at least a try.
If they wanted something on the sea but still isn’t a typical generic sunshine resort I’d consider Split, Croatia. It’s gorgeous, very interesting, and apartment rentals are quite reasonable. There are also beaches nearby, but it’s not like the places they want to avoid.
None of those cities is in an immigration hot spot at the moment, so I don’t think there would be any problems. Budapest was having issues and those seem to have calmed down, but those others are all quite calm these days. I hope this helps. If they were looking for something else, let me know and I’ll have another try. -Roger
Hi,
My husband, 1 yr old daughter and I plan to visit Europe in mid-October for around 2 weeks. We would like to visit Vatican, Rome, Venice and maybe Tuscany or other cities in Italy and some cities in Switzerland. Do you have any other recommendations, considering that we will be travelling with a child? Our main goal is to visit Vatican, experience autumn hopefully and some snow. This would be our first out-of-country trip and we will be travelling from UAE.
Thanks!
April,
I think your plan sounds quite good, and not overly ambitious. Visiting Vatican City will take most of a day, where you’ll visit the Vatican Museum (the Sistine Chapel is near the end of the one-way tour of the museum) and then St. Peter’s next door. It’s obviously near the center of Rome, so it’ll just be one of the 3 or 4 days you spend there.
After that you’ll want to stop in Florence for at least 2 nights, and maybe longer. It’s the largest city in Tuscany and it’s also filled with worthwhile sights. You can stay longer and do day trips to some other nearby cities including Pisa or Siena, or to some of the famous hill towns. Or you might spend a night or two in one of the hill towns in order to get more out of the visit.
Then you can spend a day or two in Venice. It’s quite small and always incredibly crowded so you really wouldn’t want to spend more than two days there.
After that you can take a train to Switzerland, where you’ll finally have a chance to see some snow. My article on where to stay in Switzerland should be helpful.
I don’t really think traveling with a small child should be a problem. Europe is very family oriented so all of the trains and other transport options are suited to travel like this. And the people in Italy will probably fawn over your child as they are trying to help, so it should work out well. Let me know if you have other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I wish to travel to central Europe this July along with my husband & daughter on a modest budget.I would like to visit Budapest, Prague,Vienna,Salzburg, Graz, & a couple of places in Switzerland all within 15 days.Could you please advise me the best way to go about it..We are a couple in our late fifties with severe knee & back problems unable to walk long distance. . We both will be travelling from India & my daughter would be joining us from London.
Tawgori,
I’ll be happy to try to help. But first off, if you only have 15 days then I’d recommend visiting only 5 cities. Staying 3 nights in each place is enough time to see all of the major highlights without spending half your holiday on trains or in train stations.
Budapest, Prague, Vienna, and Salzburg are all great choices. Graz isn’t known as much of a tourist city so unless you have something specific to see there, I’d probably skip it in favor of Vienna and Salzburg.
Please have a look at my article about places to visit in Switzerland. Long story short, you probably want to consider the Interlaken area for the best Alps views and activities, or Lucerne for lake activities and other great views. However, Switzerland is very expensive, even compared to the other cities on your list.
For most travelers it’s best going between cities on trains, and the scenery in the area you are going to is very worthwhile. The train fares are pretty reasonable if you buy them at least a month or two in advance. The walking thing might be a small problem though. If you take taxis to and from the train station to your hotel, or book hotels a very short walk from the train stations, you should be okay. Of course, coming from India you know that you might have to walk 200 or 300 meters just to reach your carriage on the train. As long as you can do that, you’ll be fine, and it’ll be less walking that you’d do in airports.
Once you are in each city there will be a hop-on, hop-off bus (in Salzburg it’s the Sound of Music bus tour), which will allow you to see the main sights from the top deck without walking. You can hop off and see the things that interest you most. The buses usually average around €20 for a day, which isn’t cheap, but you do see a lot in a short time.
So I’ll be happy to help you more with this once you decide in 5 cities to visit. You might also consider Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic because it’s close to the others on your list, it’s quite inexpensive, and it’s lovely.
Whichever cities you choose, you’ll want to book trains between them as soon as possible for the lowest prices. Let me know if you have other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger
I am planning to go to europe – 1st stop is london to Iceland to France- lourder, paris, Italy – rome, venice milan padre pio in san giovanni and also the czech republic -prague sometime October this year. My flight back to my home country is in milan.
I am not sure if I should first visit prague after paris or go first to rome and take a train to prague or maybe from milan or venice I should got to prague belfore I fly out of milan back to my country.
please suggest the best possible itineray for this trip.
Your immediate response will be highly appreciated.
thanks.
LEI,
This is a bit confusing but I’ll be happy to try to help. Prague isn’t very close to any other city on your list, so I think you might want to fly there from one of your stops and then fly out again to another city. For example, you could fly from Paris to Prague and then from Prague to Rome. If you buy your plane tickets in the next few months they should be quite cheap (and probably cheaper than a train).
So you could do London – Iceland – Paris – Prague – Rome, and then take cheap trains to Venice and Milan or anywhere else in Italy. Those flights will all be cheap if you buy them soon, and the trains within Italy will be cheap if you book 3 months in advance as well. Hopefully this helps. Let me know if I missed something or you have another question. -Roger
Helló I need an advise. My husband and I will like to visit Egypt and Israel for 2 weeks in may do u think is safe to now.
Jannina,
That’s a tough question to answer and it seems to change frequently. I’d go to Israel right now, but I’m not sure about some parts of Egypt. Good luck with whatever you decide. -Roger
hello everyone, i have like a week reading a lot of helpful blogs and entries about traveling across europe. i’ve never been in europe, im from venezuela, right now i’m living in miami. im 24, and i’ll get married by 02/2016. my girlfriend and i were thinking to spend maybe 3-4 weeks to travel to europe. We have some places in mind that we would like to visit, germany (dortmund, munich, berlin), spain (barcelon, madrid), swiss alps, maybe amsterdam, and paris. to be honest i would like to visit every corner at europe, but my savings aren’t eternal.
i was thinking to buy the eurail select pass. i hope you can make some recomendations, like i said i never been at europe so i accept every helpful comments you can do about train/fly or hostel/hotel even adding/replace/avoid places. thanks a lot!!
Angel,
I’ll be happy to help with detailed advice to more specific questions, so feel free to ask. And I’m originally from Los Angeles, but I’m also living in (Midtown) Miami at the moment.
For now, a Eurail Select Pass sounds perfect for what you have in mind. They are ideal for people staying at least 3 weeks and who want to visit different corners of Europe on the same trip. The absolute cheapest way to do this would be to book all of your train journeys at least two months in advance. The early fares are usually surprisingly cheap, but they are non-refundable and non-changeable. If you want to kind of make plans a bit as you go then a Eurail Pass will be ideal because you can pretty much just head to a train station and hop aboard. In some cases you’ll need to buy a seat reservation (usually around €5 each), but in February you’ll be able to buy those just an hour or two before you want to leave. And in many cases (particularly in the north) you don’t need seat reservations as long as you leave after about 9:30am or so.
Even if you want to make plans as you go, I’d still highly recommend putting together at least a start itinerary so you’ll know about how many train rides you’ll be taking. My recommendation is to stay 3 nights in most cities, or perhaps 4 nights in Paris because it’s so loaded with great sights. You could do as many as 9 or 10 total cities that way, but I’d probably aim for 7 or 8 in 3 to 4 weeks. Once you have your main stops listed and prioritized, it’s easier to see which Eurail Pass makes the most sense for it.
The places on your list are all very worthwhile, except for Dortmund, which isn’t really a tourist city. You might also consider adding Prague, Vienna, and/or Salzburg. In the Swiss Alps you’ll want to visit the area above Interlaken.
Generally speaking, February is a very slow month for tourism in Europe (and also fairly cold, of course), so it should be pretty easy to get good deals at hotels, even with little notice. However, another bit of advice I’ll give you is that it’s best to book a hotel online before you arrive in a new city. So let’s say you are in Berlin and heading to Amsterdam the following day. Go online and research available Amsterdam hotels and book one before you arrive. European cities are much easier to deal with if you can go directly to your hotel from the train station, rather than trying to walk around and book something on foot. The TripAdvisor reviews are accurate and helpful for Europe, and on a trip like this it’s usually wise to find a hotel that is within walking distance of the main train station. There are always some fairly cheap options near train stations, and it makes moving from city to city much easier that way. You’ll discover that booking.com almost always has the best rates, and their reviews are helpful and reliable as well.
Let me know if you have more questions and I’ll be happy to try to help. -Roger
Hi Roger! Thanks for your quickly reply and your helpful tips. Right now im started my papeleo to fully to kendall.
I was thinking the same a out how many days in each city, so 3 nights its perfect. About the train, i was reading about the eurail select pass si i could choose 4 countries (maybe france, germany, swiss, spain, i dont know if its the best choice if i choose yo visit prague, Salzburg and Vienna (good recommendation by the Way). I’ve read that the train in spain could be a bit cheaper than other cities.
February sounds excellent. I’ve no problem with cold weather, and its great to catch some discounts for hotel and transportation.
I was thinking in dortmund because im huge fan Of Dortmund soccer team, so just visiting signal iduna park would be enough for me xD at dortmund.
I have another big question, how do you do to flight to europe? Flight to spain? Or to london?
Do you think that 3 weeks could be enough for visiting (Ámsterdam, dortmund, Berlín, prague, vienna, Múnich, Swiss alps, París, Barcelona and Madrid)? Maybe taking just one day at dortmund, or taking Some night trauma could help? I ordered the cities ok that way buy maybe its not the best decision.
Excuse all my questions xD, im so noob about that, im trying to read all i can and ask all the questions i have to try to maximize and use the money i’ve saved the best way possible.
Thanks again Roger!!
Everything here is wrong from what i know.
First, the budget isn’t right, you absolutely don’t need $50 a day for all the city in the east.
I’m living in Greece for 1 year, i also used to live in Lisbon and i can tell you Portugal is more expensive than Greece to visit or to stay, the rent and the hostel in peculiar.
Laurent,
I always appreciate constructive criticism, but it’s more helpful if it’s specific. These lists and indexes are all backed up with detailed price information if you click through to the city pages. And the totals are for a hostel bed and cheap meals at restaurants. So if you see actual numbers that are wrong, please let us know. Also, I hope you realize that Greece has become cheaper in the past year, and these lists are only updated once per year, so next year the totals should reflect some of what you mention. Thank you. -Roger