Most people that study abroad in Europe, they have a few goals, and one of them probably is to travel as much as they can around Europe. This is the case for many, however sometimes money can hold you back from these things. But by budgeting the correct way, and spending your money in the places, traveling almost all weekends of your four months abroad is very tangible. Here are four easy ways to save money on your travels whether it be in Europe or anywhere else!
1. The flight
There is a website called skyscanner.com and it will be a life saver. Basically this website has two options, you can either select your destination city you want to visit, with the dates you are looking to visit, OR (which this option is better) you can type in “anywhere” and sky scanner literally puts in order the cheapest to most expensive flights in each city and country. This was how a lot of flights for students studying abroad were booked. If you know you have three days in any month to travel, put the dates in, and whatever is the cheapest that weekend, that’s where you go! If you book about a month in advance, you can find flights as cheap as $30!
2. Housing
Although the new trend right now is Airbnb, depending on the city, sometimes these can be overpriced, or contain many additional fees that just aren’t worth it. The first recommendation for housing is if you have a friend you can say with in the city, stay with them, it is most likely free, or minimal charged. Plus you get to spend some time with a good friend. Second, we would recommend a hostel. There are hundreds of hostels ranging in price from $10-$30 a night. Even though this may not be the most ideal way to sleep, it is only for more or less 2 or 3 days, and all hostels have Wi-Fi, a bed, and a showers. Plus you get to meet some really cool and interesting people! The third recommendation and this one can be a hit or miss, but couch surfing. I haven’t done this yet but a few friends on a trip I know have and they swore by it. Basically there is an app that lets you register to couch surf. It is 100% free, and you apply (similar to Airbnb) to sleep on these peoples couch. This option is best if you are only going to a city for a night or two. Just remember to be safe, and read the reviews about the client’s house you are staying in.
3. Food
This can be the killer, because you don’t even realize how much money you are actually spending on food. Most of the times, you are traveling to big major touristy cities, and tend to eat where a lot of tourist eat, therefore the food is small portioned and overpriced. Something we learned was take advantage of the grocery store. They have premade meals for half the price of what you would pay at a nice sit down restaurant. Also another recommendation is when traveling to big tourist cities, find where the locals eat and hang there. The prices of food and drinks in that area will also be a few dollars cheaper.
4. Educational/fun activities
Now there is a reason why you came on this trip in the first place, and that was to see the city! And sometimes it’s hard to see the city and actually understand the history about it, without a tour. And sometimes tours and museums can be pricey. BUT sometimes they can be totally free. If you are staying in a hostel, there is a huge chance that there is a free walking tour of the city. Almost all hostels offer it, and they do a pretty good job of showing you the highlights of the city. Another thing to look into is student discounts, and getting in places free with your student visa/student ID. For certain museums and places through certain hours, you can get in free as a student or by showing your student visa. This is very common and will save you tons of money in the end. So before booking anything, look into this!
If you do choose to study abroad, or maybe you just have an interest in travel; keep these things in mind. They will help you maintain a budget, and save more!