Dying to go across the pond? As a many-time Eurosummer veteran, I wanted to share some tips and tricks that I have learned the hard way so that you can plan the summer trip of your dreams. When it comes to booking flights, public transportation, places to stay, and even where to go, I have compiled a complete list of my favorite hacks! If you want some ideas on how to stay budget-friendly, safe or even just some help deciding where to go, you’re in the right place!
BOOK YOUR PLANE, GIRL!!!
For flights, I give everyone and anyone who wants to go to Europe/Asia/anywhere this summer the same advice: book the flights NOW!
When my family and I plan our trips, we most often book our flights around December to February, so if you are planning to head across the Atlantic this year, book those flights as soon as humanly possible!
Typically, for a nonstop or one-stop flight to almost any country in Europe, the price tag comes in at about $1,000 there and back. GASP! Although not cheap whatsoever, if you get these flights earlier in the year, you have a higher chance of getting a lower price on them.
Another tip I have is to leave for Europe as soon as you can! Tourist season in most countries begins in mid July, since that is typically when school gets out over there, and the southern countries of Europe are overrun not only with people from all over the world but also European tourists headed towards nicer weather. My advice would be to leave in June or earlier if possible and hit the southern places you want to visit first (Italy, Greece, Southern France, Spain…) because they will be less crowded and the weather will be better. After, head to Scandinavia or Austria or wherever piques your interest up north!
When it comes to actually booking flights, I mostly use Google Flights and then sometimes Kayak or Expedia and look for the cheapest options!
Which brings me to my final word on air travel… EASYJET! Easyjet is the most affordable way to travel within Europe by air, and, although sometimes it seems sketchy, I have never had an issue with it. C’est la vie when you use budget airlines, I guess…
Trainsportation
One of the many amazing things about Europe is the ease and readiness of the majority of public transportation there. In nearly every large city, there are buses, trams, a metro, or other ways to get around, something that often extends to the smaller countryside towns. There are obviously some countries that do it better than others, but it is atypical that any country you are visiting in Europe would have no publicly accessible way to get around.
The main way that I travel around in cities relies on these smaller municipal trams and busses, but when it comes time to go in between cities and countries, my advice is to use Eurail.
Eurail is the same thing as Interrail, something that you may have already heard of, but where Interrail is used by people who have residence in Europe, Eurail is for those of us coming to visit from the outside. Here is how it works: Eurail has multiple different “passes” that you can buy that allow for a different amount of travel days in a period of time. The one that I often use is their 10 travel days in two months, which means that I have ten 24-hour days of travel in two calendar months. This means that as long as you use a travel day, you don’t have to pay for a train ticket. The passes range from $150 to $400, depending on how many days you need, and are good value for trips that go to multiple countries. After you buy your pass, you download the Eurail app and input your trip. Unfortunately, you aren’t done yet! Here is where it gets a little confusing…
Many of the countries that you can use Eurail in require seat reservations as well, meaning that after you have bought the pass, you also need to pay between $2 and $15 to reserve seats on each of the trains that require them. You can discover which ones require reservations by starting to plan your trip early, and by early, I mean NOW! The sooner you get on those seat reservations, the cheaper they typically are.
Once you have all of that squared away and a trip planned, all that you need to do is activate your pass. DO NOT do this until you are ready for the pass to start, meaning that once you hit activate, the pass will begin, and you will have two weeks, a month, or two months (depending on your pass) to use your travel days.
Eurail is really smart if you are planning to visit a lot of countries in the time that you are in Europe, but is less useful for those who want to chill in one or two places the whole time, which is totally a vibe too! In that case, I would rely on public transportation in your chosen city, since most of the time it is not as expensive as traveling across countries. Often, countries will have agreements where if you are staying in the country for a while, you can get transportation half off if you pay a fee. For example, this is called the Halbtax in Switzerland!
My favorite transportationally minded countries are Switzerland (Fun Fact: you can search the train schedules in Switzerland for years in advance and they already have the times scheduled…and the Swiss are NEVER late), England/UK (London and the Eurostar especially), France (specifically the TGV and Eurostar), and The Netherlands! Meanwhile, the Deutscheban stranded me in Frankfurt last summer, and it was NOT fun.
The Hostel Hunt
My last point, that of where to stay, is a tricky one. I am lucky enough to boast of a whole host of friends scattered all across the continent who put up with me for a couple of days every summer, but I know that not everyone is as lucky. When I don’t have the luxury of staying for free with amazing people, I usually stay in hostels. Hostels are often viewed as something scary or sketchy, especially for young women, but I have a few ways to make sure that you find one that is safe and really fun!
Hostels have been some of my favorite places that I have stayed when traveling, partly because they are such an amazing way to meet people, but also because, a lot of the time, they can be found in some of the most amazing locations as well!
I typically find hostels through a site called Hostelworld, on which I check it out and read the reviews. A tip that I learned from a YouTube video I watched a few years back was to use Hostelworld to find cool hostels but to actually book your stay on the website of the actual hostel itself. This way there is no chance of confusion with a third party and you can be sure that you booked with the right place.
Although there is no real way of knowing one hundred percent how a hostel will be until you arrive, I find that Hostelworld is a great resource, and the reviews are accurate. If you are worried about staying in hostels, especially as a gal, I recommend going with a couple of friends the first time, get used to it, and then head out solo once you have a feel of what you are and aren’t comfortable with! Or, often there are options to book a private room in the hostel for a little bit more money, but also more security. Some of my favorite hostels are The Generator in London and Eklo in Paris!
If the hostel life really doesn’t sound like it is for you, I totally get it! Airbnb is also a great option, especially if you are traveling in a group! I find that if you spend the time and really search Airbnb, are flexible with dates, and start early, it can still be affordable to stay in an Airbnb, especially if you cook your own food and tighten up on spending elsewhere!
Well, there you are! This is everything I can think to share about the nuts and bolts of planning your Eurosummer to make sure that a good time is had! As much as we A-types need everything planned out, leave some room in your schedule for random fun and good food! Good luck, and have fun!