Although the perception of overseas travel to Europe as extremely expensive was once true, today, European travel is often much cheaper than traveling in the United States. Growing businesses such as budget airlines and Airbnb make these low prices possible.

Typically, the most expensive part of any trip, whether international or national, is the flight to your destination. While flights to Europe are the most “expensive” portion of travel costs, the price should not deter you. Budget airlines who run primarily international flights between the United States and Europe such as Norwegian, TAP Air Portugal, and WOW airlines consistently offer roundtrip flights for under $500. Often, one way flights on these budget airlines cost only $100-$200, a total round-trip cost of between $200-$400. Thus, the most important travel tip when planning a trip to Europe is to use budget airlines.

Some current listed prices from these airlines include:

Norwegian Airlines

• One way New York- Amsterdam in December, 2018 from $139
• One way New York- London in December, 2018 from $149
• One way New York- Paris in June, 2019 from $214
• One way Orlando- Oslo in June, 2019 from $165

TAP Air Portugal

• One way New York- Madrid in November, 2018 from $199
• One way New York- Barcelona in March, 2019 from $199
• One way New York- Lisbon in March, 2019 from $216

WOW Air

• One way New York- Reykjavik in October, 2018 from $110
• One way Boston- Berlin in November, 2018 from $160
• One way Boston- Brussels in March, 2019 from $160

For Norwegian Airlines flights, consider booking using the Norwegian site, not the American. By booking through the airline’s Norwegian site, you book using the Norwegian currency. Doing this can save you one hundred dollars or more! Although you must deal with the issue of the website being in the Nordic language, it is very easy to translate website pages. To access the Norwegian website, simply change the “/us/” in the site link to “/no/”. The money you save by following this travel tip will definitely be worth the inconveniences.

Budget airlines not only save money on your international travel, but also travel within the continent. Some budget airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet, and Eurowings consistently offer in-continent flights for under $40.

Some current listed offers from these airlines include:

Ryanair

• Amsterdam- Dublin in December, 2018 from $23
• London- Alicante in October, 2018 from $25
• Paris- Vienna in November, 2018 from $11

easyJet

• Rome- Paris in December, 2018 from $34
• Stockholm- London in October, 2018 from $16
• Geneva- Belfast in March, 2019 from $28

Traveling by bus in Europe is also an extremely cost effective, however often forgotten, mode of transportation. I suggest using sites such as GoEuro, GotoBus, and getbybus to book bus rides within the continent. Sites such as these display prices from all bus lines on the date you are traveling.  Traveling by bus also allows you to see the country side and beautiful scenery of Europe which cannot be enjoyed from a plane.

Some current bus ride prices offered on GoEuro include:

• Paris- Amsterdam in October, 2018 from $15
• Rome- Milan in October, 2018 from $19
• London- Edinburgh in October, 2018 from $13

While traveling in Europe, you can also enjoy comfortable, nice accommodations with a local flare without breaking the bank. Companies such as Airbnb and Europe’s numerous hostels make this possible. Staying in Airbnbs and hostels could save you hundreds of dollars without depriving you of experiences or comforts.

With Airbnb, you can choose to either rent an entire home from a local or just a single room. Whatever you choose, Airbnbs are an inexpensive way to stay while also seeing how the locals in that city or country live.

Some current Airbnb prices include:

• Entire apartment in the center of Prague for between $30-$50 a night in June, 2019
• Entire apartment in the center of Budapest for between $30-$50 a night in June, 2019
• Entire apartment in the center of Vienna for between $45-$75 a night in June, 2019

Hostels in Europe are also a great option. Most hostels are centrally located, offer free breakfast, and are extremely well kept. Europe’s hostels typically provide options of staying in either private or dorm style rooms. Often, shared, dorm style rooms are less than $20 a night. By staying in a hostel, you can meet new people and make friends abroad.

While visiting Europe, you can also save money on your activities in your destination. If you are staying in a city, consider purchasing that city’s card. Most cities in Europe have their own card which give you free and unlimited access to all public transportation and major sites. These cards are almost always more cost effective than buying individual entrance tickets to every site you visit and purchasing a new ticket every time you ride a subway or city bus. Not only are these cards cost effective, but they also make your stay hassle free, as you must only make a one-time purchase. Typically, city cards are available for 24, 36, and 72 hour time frames and can be purchased online or at local tourist offices.

While there are many more travel tips for visiting Europe, these are sure to have you saving money. I hope the possibility of affordable travel reignites your European travel dreams. Au revoir! Adios! Ciao!