My family took a trip to England and Germany almost four years ago. 24 days in Europe! We had a blast, touring some of the major sites in each country while also heading off the beaten path. People still ask me how we were able to afford such a long trip. Here are some steps we took to make the trip affordable without losing any of the fun.
Getting there is half the fun, but may be most of your budget
When we began planning the trip, we had no real goals other than spending some time in different parts of Europe. Initially, we considered visiting England, France, and Germany. As we started considering the time limitations and costs of flying into different cities, we scratched France from the itinerary. We discovered that flying into London is relatively inexpensive, especially compared to some other European cities, so that was our first stop. Then we compared cities in Germany to see which provided the least expensive return flights to the US; surprisingly it was Munich.
One key with traveling overseas is to be flexible. Airlines and travel sites provide calendars where you can see different prices for different days. We ended up leaving on a Tuesday and returning on a Friday. And while we had thought of seeing mainly Frankfurt and Berlin, we were happy to add Munich and southern Germany to our trip.
Try to travel in the off-season if you can. My daughter had just graduated from high school and it was summer vacation for her and my son, so we weren’t able to take advantage of this tip. But we still went early in the summer, before the masses in Europe would be on vacation.
Stay as long as you can. Flights are expensive, especially with so many people choosing to travel now. To make it more worthwhile, spend a little longer at your destination if your calendar allows. One of the reasons we spent 24 days is we didn’t know when we might do this again; we wanted to soak as much out of this trip as possible.
Europe is relatively small. Once you’re in Europe, Ryanair and other low-cost airlines are available to whisk you to another country for very little money.
Examine all your lodging options
Airbnb, chain hotels, mom-and-pop inns… we used a combination of these during our time in Europe. It was like two trips in one – we spent time in major cities (London, Berlin, and Munich) for days at a time, so we wanted an apartment with a kitchen. Yet we also spent a week driving around Germany, which meant the key was a clean, safe place to stay with breakfast included. Airbnb’s website provides a wealth of options as do the websites for chain hotels, but don’t be afraid to use Booking.com as well. We found some wonderful inns in Germany that provided many of our best memories.
Save on your meals
I’m not a let’s go find breakfast kind of person. The idea of waking up, taking a shower, then wandering out to find whatever works for breakfast seems like a huge waste of time. (Yes, my family laughs at me.) However, when we were in the cities, we would visit the local grocery stores (Tesco in London, Rewe in Germany) for our needs. This provided daily breakfasts, but occasionally we wanted a lunch or dinner at the flat too. Buying the essentials at grocery stores meant we saved time in the mornings, but also saved money compared to restaurant meals.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much fun grocery shopping overseas can be. It often turned into an adventure, not only trying to find something that the kids would like, but also just seeing the options. Plus, it gave us a chance to walk through neighborhoods and parks as we wound our way to the stores.
This doesn’t mean we only ate in. One of my favorite lunches was our first day in London; we found this small four-table cafe that had incredible homemade baguettes for their sandwiches. We discovered Asian restaurants throughout Germany, but also ate at many different beer gardens. London had everything you could want. Interestingly, I don’t think we had a hamburger or visited a McDonald’s the whole time we were there.
Research local transportation
I never really thought about subway deals until I started researching the cities. However, many offer huge savings if you spend enough time in one area. Often you can save half or more just by purchasing the right deal. This may require some legwork; in London we had to visit a specific train station that was a little out of our way to purchase the weekly pass. However, it was worth it.
Find free experiences to mix in with paid admissions
London is expensive, from the flat we rented to the admissions for various sites. Yet even London offers deals for the cost-conscious traveler. For instance, while we were there the London train system was running a 50% off discount on certain historical sites. In addition to finding deals, we also took advantage of free options like the Sky Garden and Speaker’s Corner, where you can hear people haranguing about various topics of interest.
Berlin and Munich were similar, although much more reasonable even when you had to pay an admission fee. We visited the Pergamon Museum and Panorama in Berlin, but also made sure to see Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. And in Munich one hot day, I wore my bathing suit and jumped in the Isar River. Freezing water, but so refreshing.
Focus on what’s important to you and your family
My son wanted to visit the Porsche museum in Stuttgart. My daughter interestingly enough wanted to see the library there. We always try to work in an amusement park when we travel, so EuropaPark was a required stop. And I think I would have been left by the roadside if we hadn’t gone to the Harry Potter exhibit outside London. Figure out what’s important to you and your traveling companions, and don’t be afraid to spend money on those events while saving on others.
Consider a SIM card
Given the duration of our trip and the fact that I would be driving in Germany, we needed to have at least two cellphones with data. The most economical way to accomplish this was to purchase two SIM cards in London on the day we arrived. Roaming is free in the EU, so the cards we purchased provided coverage in England and Germany. And the price was right – we each received 2GB of data with unlimited texting and calling for 10£ each.
Note: After Brexit, many UK mobile network providers started charging a fee for roaming while in the EU. There are still several SIM cards available for purchase without these charges. Make sure to check before you purchase.
Money for cheap
The world has changed a lot since the first time I went to France with a group from my high school. First off, there are no more francs, and even more important there are ATMs everywhere to provide you with instant cash. In London, you probably won’t need cash since most places take credit cards. However, we immediately visited an ATM upon arrival since we had traveled with no pounds. In Germany though, many places still prefer cash.
Before you leave the US, make sure you have a:
Credit card with PIN code. Add a PIN code to your credit card. We only used this a couple of times, but once was buying Tube tickets at Heathrow and the other was to leave a parking garage in Erfurt in Germany.
ATM card with low or no fees. We actually opened an account with a US bank that provides free worldwide ATM access; you are rebated any fees at any ATM. However, your bank may have an agreement with European banks where you can use your card for free. Find out before you leave.
The most important savings
One of the best ways to save yourself is to build in some free time when you’re traveling. We had a tight schedule on some days, yet other days were blissfully open. Don’t be afraid to take a nap, spend a few hours at a cafe or even jump in a river. Those moments may turn into your most treasured memories.
Photo by Rickietom Schünemann