5 Places In Europe You Can Travel On A Backpacking Budget Right Now

‘I love to travel’, we’ve all said that but really think about your last trip out of India, how much did you really explore, how long ago was it? Was it just about sight seeing or way more than that?

I bet most of these questions are making you want to do a trip right! Well we’re here to make the trip as cheap as you can manage without going into the grey area of sleazy. So if you’re next trip is to Greece, Italy, Spain, Hungary-Austria or France, then you might want to stick around.

P.S: All the calculations are for two people based on the March 2016 conversion rate of Rupee for a trip in June.

 

1. Greece

Days: 8

How to get to the city from the airport: X95 Bus.

Which Islands to stay in: Athens (3days), Santorini (3 days), Mykonos (2days)

How to travel between Islands:

Athens (Piraeus port) – Santorini (Thira): Bluestar Ferry will cost Rs 3100 (travel time: 8 hours), while a flight with Ryanair will cost Rs 2500 if booked immediately (travel time: 50minutes). Check Skyscanner before you start booking.

Santorini – Mykonos: Hellenic Seaways Ferry will cost you Rs 5000 (travel time: 2hrs 30minutes). Flight is too expensive for life.

How to travel within the Islands:

Athens: Get a 3 day travel pass for Rs 1500. It includes a round trip to the airport so no extra spending. You can pick it up at the airport metro station. It’s inclusive of metro as well as buses. Life = sort.

Santorini: Rent a scooter at Rs 2100 per person between you two for three days or take the bus.

Mykonos: You can get a day bus pass at only Rs 80 and a night pass at Rs 150.

Accommodation: 
Where to stay in Athens: Cost Rs 750 per person per night.

Need to know: Very close to the city centre with good reviews. Treat this at the centre for all your day trips.

Where to stay in Santorini: Cost Rs 1,300 per person per night.

Need to know: You can see the panoramic view of the ocean from the listing and it’s very romantic.

Where to stay in Mykonos: Cost Rs 3000 per person per night.

Need to know: Mykonos is the party place in Greece and it’s going to be the costliest.

Day Trips: Paros (famous for watersports) and Milos (best beaches). Use the ferries, it’s easier and cheaper.

Recommended Tours:

Hop on Hop off tour (Athens): Rs 1400 for 24 hours.  Important sites: The Parthenon and The Acropolis

Food Tour (Athens): Rs 3800

Wine Tour (Santorini)  Rs 6500. Worth every penny if you love wine

Exploring Santorini: I’d suggest giving walking tours a miss and instead exploring on your own. The one thing you really need to see is the Oia Sunset.

Exploring Mykonos: Just chill by the ocean.

Other Recommendations:

Restaurants : Spondi (Athens), Selene (Santorini), M-eating (Mykonos).

Dishes : Gyro, Slouvaki, Kebabs and Loukoumades

Bars: Brettos Bar (Athens), Hasapiko (Santorini).

Partying in Mykonos: Tropicana Beach Bar in Paradise Beach, Scandinavian Bar, downtown Mykonos and Kalua Beach Bar in Paraga Beach.

 

2. Italy

Days: 12

How to get to the city from the airport: Get a Terravision Shuttle Bus at Rs 675.

Which cities to visit: Rome(4days), Florence (2days), Naples(3days) and Venice (3days).

How to travel between cities: Get a train, the earlier you book, the cheaper it is. Right now you can even buy tickets for Rs 1500 from Rome to Florence.

How to travel within the city:

Rome: It’s cheaper to buy tickets as you go for the metro/ trams and buses.

Florence: Same as Rome.

Venice: Get a 3 day pass for Rs 3000 at the Vaporetto counter at Piazzale Roma, it works for Vaporetto (Boat) as well as buses.

Accommodation:

Where to stay in Rome: Cost Rs 1100 per person per night.

Need to know: It has an amazing terrace, it’s about 20 minutes from Termini (Rome city centre)

Where to stay in Florence: Cost Rs 1200 per person per night.

Need to know: It’s walking distance from Santa Maria Novella (Centre of Florence)

Where to stay in Naples: Cost Rs 1000 per person per night

Need to know: Use as a base for day trip to Amalfi and Isle of Capri.

Where to stay in Venice: Cost Rs 2200 per person per night.

Need to know: It’s really expensive to stay on the Venice Island, it’s recommended to stay on mainland and commute, since the travel is pretty cheap.

Day Trips: Assisi, Orvieto(Rome), Cinque Terre ( Florence), Amalfi, Isle of Capri (Naples)

Recommended Tours:

Hop On Hop Off Tours (Rome): Rs 2100 for a day. It covers Colosseum and St Peter’s Basilica.

Walking Tour in Venice: Rs 1700.

Chianti Wine Tour (Florence): Rs 3800

Assisi and Orvieto Tour: Rs 6200

Cinqueterre: Rs 6700

Exploring Florence: It’s better to go on your own, the sights you must see are the Uffizi Gallery, the Vasari Corridor, Michelangelo Piazza, Pitti Palace, the Palazzo Vecchio and most importantly Medici Villa (You cannot miss this one).

Exploring Naples: So it’s basically just going to be a place you keep your bags but the one thing you must see is an Opera in Teatro San Carlo only at Rs1800. So you get to have an experience of a lifetime in the best theatre ever.

Other Recommendations

Restaurants to visit: Antico Arco (Rome), Pizzeria da Michele (Naples), Aurelio (Florence), Da Fiore (Venice)

Dishes: Risotto in Rome, Pizza in Naples and Gelato everywhere.

Bars: Freni E Frizioni (Rome), Red Garter (Florence), Via Paladino (you’ll find alot of bars spilling with students, Naples) and Venice is all about sprawling out on your butt and drinking at just about any bridge that deems fit.

 

3. Spain

Days: 12

How to get to the city from the airport: Take a metro from T2 or T4 for 5 euros and ride it to Nuevos Ministerios Metro station (Madrid

Which cities to visit: Barcelona(4days), San Sebastian(2days), Madrid (3days), Seville (3days)

How to travel between cities: Use Renfe to book within the country travel and don’t buy a pass, it’s not worth it and you’re going to end up paying way too much. Incase the Renfe website crashes, use this.

Approximate cost of train from Barcelona to San Sebastian is Rs 2100.

How to travel within the city: Use the metro/subway/ buses. Stir clear of the Barcelona card, it’s not worth it.

Accommodation:

Where to stay in Barcelona: Cost Rs 785 per person per night.

Need to know: It’s 30 minutes from Plaza Catalunya, but there is a direct metro close by and the room is kickass.

Where to stay in Madrid: Cost Rs 550 per person per night

Need to know: It’s in the heart of the city and the hostel feel is written all over it!

Where to stay in San Sebastian: Cost Rs 1150 per person per night

Need to know: It’s close to the beach, which is the whole point of San Sebastian and it’s walking distance from the centre of the city, no you can minimize the transport cost.

Where to stay in Seville: Cost Rs 850 per person per night

Need to know: It has an AC, a heater and internet, what else do you need in life. Oh did I mention it’s right in the middle of the city?

Day Trips: Toledo, Granada, Malaga.

Recommended Tours:

Hop On Hop Off for Barcelona and Madrid

Exploring San Sebastian and Seville: Take a walking tour of San Sebastian, use your days to laze on the beach instead. Be sure to visit the Alcazar Palace which was the Water Garden in Game of Thrones!

Toledo Half Day Tour (Madrid): Rs 4100

Avila and Segovia Day Trip (Madrid): Rs 5800

Day Trip to Cordoba (Seville): Rs 5400

Day trip to Granada (Seville): Rs 8000

Three countries in one go: France, Andorra and Spain (Barcelona) (Barcelona): Rs 9800

Montserrat and La Sagrada Familia (Barcelona): Rs 4600

Girona and Costa Brava (Barcelona): Rs 6800

Other Recommendations

Restaurants: Cinc Sentits (Barcelona), Santceloni (Madrid), Restaurante Arzak (San Sebastian), Bodega Santa Cruz (Seville).

Dishes: Tortilla Espanola, Tapas, Gazpacho, Crema Catalana in Barcelona

Bars: Bar Mingus (Barcelona), Balmoral (Madrid), Ondara 16 Bis (San Sebastian), Los Coloniales (Seville)

Festivals in June: San Juan in Andalucia.

 

4. France

Days: 12

How to get to the city from the airport: Take bus number 350 or 351 to the centre of the city, it will cost you about Rs 450.

Which cities to visit: Paris (4days), Blois(Loire Valley)(2days), Nice(3days), Strasbourg(3days)

How to travel between cities: Use the TGV train services, booking opens 90 days prior to date of travelling, be sure to book as soon as possible.

As of now a 5 and a half hour train from Paris to Nice costs about Rs 2200

How to travel within the city

Paris: Buy 10 tickets at a go, to save money. Usually it costs around Rs 140 for a one way ticket.

Blois: It’s ideal to rent a car from Blois, it will come upto Rs 4300 for the hatchback for 2 days and the petrol prices are Rs 76 approximately for a litre.

Nice: You can take the tram everywhere for Rs 135 a ticket.

Strasbourg: The one place you can rent a bicycle and enjoy the views. It would cost you about Rs 375 a day.

Accommodation:

Where to stay in Paris: Cost Rs 1600 per person per night

Need to know: It’s located in a popular area buzzing with bars, entertainment and nightlife. It’s a 30 minute metro ride to the Eiffel Tower.

Where to stay in Nice: Cost Rs 850 per person per night

Need to know: Great reviews, it’s the cheapest and nicest accommodations in Nice.

Where to stay in Blois: Cost Rs 1300 per person per night

Need to know: It has easy access to the Loire Valley. When you’re there be sure to go wine tasting all over Loire! It really helps that the house is so goddamn cute.

Where to stay in Strasbourg: Cost Rs 1150 per person per night

Need to know: Close to the central railway station and best base for exploring Alsace!

Day Trips: Saint Michael Island, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Giverny, Cannes, Monaco, Alsace

Recommended Tours:

Day trip to Giverny and Versailles (Paris): Rs 7500

Day trip to Mont Saint Michel (Paris): Rs 9300

Day trip to Monaco and Eze (Nice): Rs 7200

Wine Tour in Alsace: Rs 5700.

Other Recommendations: 

Restaurants: Monsieur Bleu (Paris), Chez Palmyre (Nice), La Grolle (Blois), L’Ancienne Douane (Strasbourg)

Dishes: Pin Au Chocolat, chocolate, cheese, wine, macarons, falafel

Bars: Pop In (Paris), High Club (Nice), Le Clipper (Blois), Académie de la Bière (Strasbourg)

 

5. Austria and Hungary

Days: 10

How to get to the city from the airport: Get Bus No 2 to the main city at Rs 150.

Which cities to visit: Vienna(3days),  Salzburg(2days), Budapest (3days), Eger (2days)

How to travel between countries: 

A train from Salzburg to Vienna would cost about Rs 5000.

A train between Vienna and Budapest right now costs Rs 4100.

How to travel within the city:

Vienna: It’s best to get a 72 hour VOR ticket which you can use for all means for transport, except airport travel. It would cost Rs 1300.

Salzburg: It can be a bit pricey, so expect anywhere upto Rs210 for a single trip! It’s cheaper to purchase tickets at the bus stop rather than get it from the driver.

Remember once you enter Hungary, use only Hungarian Forint also referred to as HUF. 

Budapest and Egers: A single journey ticket on their local transport will cost you Rs 80. So avoid passes. But it would make much more sense to rent a car from the airport and use that all through your 5 days in Hungary. It would cost you Rs 4100 per person for 5 days and the fuel prices are Rs 73 a litre.

Accommodation: 

Where to stay in Salzburg: Cost Rs 950 per person per night

Need to know: Great reviews and walking distance from the city centre.

Where to stay in Vienna: Cost Rs 1200 per person per night

Need to know: Centrally located and the reviews tell a great story.

Where to stay in Budapest: Cost Rs 780 per person per night

Need to know: Amazing view and great location.

Where to stay in Egers: Cost Rs 420 per person per day

Need to know: Cheapest of cheap!!

Day trips: Hallstatt, Danube Valley, Bratislava, Bavarian Mountains (all in Austria)

Recommended Tours: 

Bavarian Mountains, Salt Mines and Eagles Nest (Salzburg): Rs 7500

Bratislava day trip (Vienna): Rs 3400.

Day trip to Prague (Vienna): Rs 8900.

Godollo Palace and Traditional Farm Trip with Horse Show and Carriage Ride (Budapest): Rs 4000

Other Recommendations

Restaurants: Right side of the Salzach River has the cheapest eats (Salzburg), Tunnel (Vienna), Oktogon Bisztró (Budapest), Feherszarvas Vadasztanya (Eger)

Dishes: Weiner Schnitzel and Frankfurter (Austria), Paprika Csirke and Langos (Hungary).

Attractions: Beer gardens in Austria!

Bars: Loos American Bar (Vienna), Murphy’s Law Irish Pub (Salzburg), Caesar Beer-house (Budapest), Brancs Coffee and Wine Garden (Eger).

Just remember the best way to save money:

Eat at food stalls as much as possible.

Book all tickets Flight as well as intercity trains way in advance.

P.S: Note down your embassy’s address for each place well in advance.

This is the one chance to go backpacking the real, honest, cheapest way, so stop contemplating and started planning. It’s an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

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