1. Decide how long do you want to travel.
2. Set a budget on expenses, accommodation and activities you want to include in your trip.
3. Plot out the places you want to visit on a huge map! I used mini stickers so that I am able to decide where is my starting and ending point of the entire trip. (Itinerary at the end of this post)
4. I tried calculating if the rail pass will allow me to save, comparing to short flights (which are inexpensive sometimes). But after weeks and weeks of planning, I decided to get a 1month continuous interrail pass which cost £366. People who do not live in Europe will have to get a Eurail global pass, my friends got it for €595. The cost is relatively more expensive than the Interrail pass for people who do not live in EU. So, it is best to do research on the prices for flights, trains, buses or any other mode of transportation that MAY be cheaper than the Eurail pass.
Some links that I use are: SNCF, Ryanair, Easyjet, Megabus, Skyscanner
5. Find the cheapest accommodation! My accommodations are booked on Airbnb, Expedia, Booking.com.
For the itinerary that I've plan, the rail pass is definitely the best deal!
My starting point: London (where I currently live)
I took a night bus to Paris on the 16th June, which cost only £5.25 (Megabus)
Paris, France
Paris, France
Strasbourg, France
Accommodation: £47.25 for 3nights /pp (Airbnb)
France isn't as cheap compared to Eastern Europe! But I manage to keep my budget within €15/day. Fresh baguettes daily for breakfast! I'm missing it now!
Colmar, France
Triberg, Germany
Also known as the Black forest! We did a hike, fed squirrels, and had the original Black forest cake!
Konstanz, Germany
On the train from Basel to Interlaken
Interlaken, SwitzerlandAccommodation: £60 for 3nights/pp (Hostel 8bed dom)
Of all my destinations, Switzerland is the most expensive place. Buses can cost 9CHF per way. We stupidly got the tickets and realised that they didn't even check! Sometimes you really have to take the risk of not paying in order to save some money!
The view outside the hostel (Lakelodge hostel, Iseltwald)
Hanggliding immediately on the first day we arrived! It cost 235CHF for the glide. I paid 280 CHF (£182.40) for photos as well. They are really nice to include an exclusive video for me and my friends! The view is amaze balls. Speechless, I swear the best view I have seen so far!
5hours hike to Mürren
Meiringen, Switzerland
Milan, Italy
Accommodation: £15.60 for 1 night /pp (Hotel)
It is my second time in Milan! I don't recommend you to stay more than 2days because there isn't much things to do in Milan really. Avoid eating at places near tourist attractions, just walk down the streets, you can find cheaper and better places that serves good food at a lower price.
Como, Italy
After visiting Interlaken, I don't really think that Lake Como is impressive! We did not have time to take a ship to Bellagio (little town in Como). I'm sure that it will be lovely there if you are visiting Como!
Florence, Italy
Accommodation: £33.65 for 2nights/pp (Guesthouse)
Florence is definitely my favourite city in Italy! Food is SO MUCH CHEAPER than in Milan! I can get good pasta for €5.50? or cheaper! And you do not need transport to explore Florence! Just WALK your way around.
Pisa, Italy
Cinque Terre, Italy
Didn't have time to explore the 5towns of Cinque terre because of the severe train delays that delayed our journey so much!
Rome, Italy
Accommodation: £14.40 for 1 night/pp (Airbnb)
Rome is considered the most expensive part of Italy. Travelling wise, you are able to get a day ticket for metro which cost less than €5.
Just a day spent in Venice before catching our train to Vienna.
From Venice, we took a water taxi to Burano, which cost €18! IT IS SO EXPENSIVE! But I really wanted to visit Burano so we went ahead and got the tickets! After getting the tickets, we realised that many people just hopped on the boat without paying. *Heartache*
Burano, Italy
Night train to Vienna! We were lucky that we 3 had a cabin for 6 to ourselves! We are able to push and pull the chairs and convert it into a bed! Was so comfy and we only paid £3 for reserving it! We partied and fool around in our cabins! Was so good!
Hallstatt, Austria
Vienna, Austria
Accommodation: £31 for 2 nights/pp (Airbnb)
I love Austria, they have the best meat loaf! I can easily get a Meatloaf (with cheese, MYFAVOURITE) with a bun for €2 or less! One meal is easily settled! Fresh bread from the bakery are inexpensive too!
Berlin, Germany
Accommodation: £29 for 2nights/pp (Airbnb)
Night out in Berlin! Went to one of the best clubs in Berlin but nothing beats Zouk Singapore!
Lübenau, Germany
Prague, Czech Republic
Accommodation: £23.50 for 2nights/ pp (Guesthouse)
In Prague, drink beer! it cost £1.50 for a pint! The taste doesn't beat German beer but beer is cheaper than water here. I enjoyed very very much! Food is so much cheaper here compared to Western side of Europe! Love it!
Here comes the highlight of my trip: Skydiving
I paid 5420CZK(£156) for transportation to Sky Centrum, a dive, photos and videos. You will also receive a T-shirt and a certificate after your dive! The best experience ever. It is WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Post by Lynette Tan.
Try beef goulash in Prague!
Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
Budapest, Hungary
Accommodation: £18.50 for 2nights /pp (Airbnb)
What to not love about this country? Beautiful city, langos (fried bread), best night view, and cheap food!! If you are on a budget, Eastern Europe it is!
Lake Balaton, Hungary
On our way from Zagreb to Lesce Bled, we came across fields and fields of sunflowers! Sadly, it was facing the other direction!
Lesce Bled, Slovenia
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Zagreb, Croatia
Accommodation: £25.15 for 2nights/pp (Airbnb)
Managed to booked a place really near the train station and city centre! Cosy little town.
Huge slice of pizza for 10HRK (£1). I love Croatia!
Split, Croatia
Accommodation: £36.70 for 3nights/pp (Airbnb)
Didn't really have time to explore this city because we are all up for Ultra Europe! It was insanely good!! We partied from sunset to sunrise! BEST EVER.
Finally our last night train to Amsterdam! We transited from Split-Zagreb, Zagreb-Munich, Munich-Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Amsterdam. We took a day to travel!! But that is the cheapest way, so YES! We reserved the night couchette from Zagreb to Munich!
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Accommodation: £29.50 for 2nights/pp (Ibis Budget)
Zannse Schans, Netherlands
So, the final day after checking out from Zaandam, we went to Zaanse Schans then headed to Amsterdam Airport to catch a flight back to London.
Cost of flight was £29 by Easyjet!
Itinerary for the trip! *it is just a rough guide, we made changes due to weather or time restriction along the way*
Places I went!
Germany: Berlin, Munich,* Frankfurt*, Triberg, Lübenau
Netherlands: Zaandam, Zaanse schan, Amsterdam
Switzerland: Interlaken, Meiringen
Italy: Milan, Como, La Spezia, Pisa, Florence, Rome, Venice, Burano
Slovenia: Ljubljana, Lesce bled
Austria: Vienna, Hallstatt
Czech Republic: Prague, Cesky Krumlov
Croatia: Zagreb, Split
Hungary: Budapest, Balaton
*Short stopover for meals etc.
65 comments:
Hello! My name is Giulia and I am from Italy! What a great trip you had! I live near Venice and I saw you had to pay too much for the water taxi... Venice is one of the MOST expensive cities in Italy (Rome is cheaper, for some things!) and recently they decided that transportation fares had to be different whether you are a local (Venice resident, I am not considered local either, since I live in a small town 1 hour from there) or a "tourist" (according to them, ANY person who doesn't live IN Venice is a tourist), and many locals hold a monthly or yearly ticket so they do not buy it every day!
I hope you enjoyed your stay in Italy anyways!
Wish you a great day!
Giulia
Hey Lynette! Great post, just wanna ask how much were your meals per day and what did you usually have for breakfast/lunch/dinner as 15 euro seems so little!
Hi Lynette, that was really an amazing trip! I will be going to Italy in the middle of Aug. I have bought my eurail pass. However, most of the trains I'll be taking require reservations. And each reservation will cost me 8 euro. I wonder if you did reserve your seat? Do you know any way I can avoid it to save the cost? Thanks so much!
Giulia Furlanis - Venice is so beautiful but also the most expensive place in Italy! I think there are too many tourist there so they are implementing more cost on transportation! It is nice to be in Italy, love it!
Annoymous1- Hi there! Usually breakfast is settled with a baguette or panini (cost less than 3euros). You can even eat like the locals! Grab a croissant for breakfast (which is maybe just 1euro). Lunch is usually where i spent most of it. I will try to spend 5-7euros on a meal. I don't really order drinks when Im having my meal. (Grab a huge bottle of water from the supermarket which cost like 0.30euros). Dinner usually I'll try out some local street food and stuff which I just grab and go! It is pretty possible to spend 15euros in most European counties except Switzerland (if you eat out everyday). Eastern Europe, I spent lesser than 15euros a day. :)
Annoymous2- Thank you! Usually I go to Bahn.com or eurail app to check for trains. Most trains do require reservation. But there are some different routes from Florence to Venice, which may take longer (1-2hours) that does not require reservations. However, most of the trains in Italy does require reservation unfortunately. Keep so money aside for it! Remember to book in advance because we almost missed a train that was fully booked out! Too many people travelling in Summer. I hope this helps!
Hey Lynette,
I feel that you have done a really good job sharing your traveling experience! However, given your itinerary, it is hardly possible that you really explore each city adequately.
Therefore, this blog post itself is misleading. You can't state you have been to that city, just because you set foot there and covered a few attractions. People who are genuinely interested in traveling will certainly be misled by your itinerary.
Hi there, we really did went to places for a visit. We stayed at a location for maybe 2nights but we took trains out for a day trip and so. If I were to add all the places that I actually just stopped by, there will be so many more than that. If you want to explore each city adequately, I don't think that this itinerary is feasible for you. We only explored places that we are mainly interested in.
Thank you !
Hi Lynette! Awesome blog post. Was wondering where did you get that world map of yours? Been looking for one!
Hi there! I got it from Interrail! I purchased the rail pass, which also includes a rail map.
Hello Lynette:)
I was browsing through your post and it's reallllly helpful! I'll be heading to Europe this coming nov and I have some qns to ask u if u dont mind? Care to leave your email so I can spit my doubts?:D
Hye dear, i just want to say i admire your hot ass so much. Nice blog & information
Hi there! Really love your itinerary! Hope you had a great time there! However, is vegetarian convenient there? Can it be found easily? Or cooking on your own will be better choice? Other than travelling via the trains and buses, are there campervans for rental?
Yeah, my email is lynette_tan2000@hotmail.com
Hui Yu- Hi, I think vegetarian is convenient, definitely not a problem. Cooking will save a lot but for me and my friends, we are usually out the entire day so we didn't have time to head back for a meal and so. Sometimes we will want to catch the night view of the city so 90% time we eat out. I believe train is the most convenient for us because we have rail passes. Thus, it will be 'free' most of the time if we take trains. Most metros ticket are valid 24hours at reasonable prices. Buses or trams are convenient, depending on the location you are residing. Im not too sure about camper vans, haven researched about it, sorry!
*Click save* itinerary for future use and thank you for the budget insights for the cities you've been to!
Been to Paris, UK and Spain back then and Europe definitely calls for more :)
Please show us all those receipts!
Hello, just my 2 cents on the vegetarian bit that Hui Yu mentioned. Honestly speaking, vegetarian options are not difficult UNLESS you're a strict vegetarian (eg. no onions garlic and etc.) in most of the places mentioned :)
Ivan Chan- Yes! Eastern Europe is definitely a must visit!
Annoymous- What kind of receipts?
Hi Lynette.. What a great trip u had. Appreciate if you could share with me your itinerary via email? Many thanks
I agree with you.
Darren- Hi, I do not have the soft copy of the itinerary anymore I'm sorry!
Wonderful experience! Great to have such a extensive trip with a budgeted account.
Nice video of your sky-diving. Amazing! :D
Hopefully one day I can perform the feat you did here. :)
So tell me now why don't I have a good traveling partner like you? Awesome experience!
HI Lynette,
Thanks for sharing your experience and you are so amazing ! You could travel so many places with lowest budget, I felt so admiring :)
Nice photos you have taken !
Thumbs up for such great experience in life you have gone through.
Hi Lynette,
Wow! I just got back from solo Europe trip too: Northern Europe and the Baltic. 30 days, 8 countries, 26 cities with €1500 �� my accommodation only with airbnb and i used bus, train, ferry and budget flight. The result is i met many wonderful local friends. You know what, i think we should share more about our stories!
Daphne- Im always looking for travel partners!!
Lynn Wei- Thank you so much!
little_snowdrop- Wow, that sounds really awesome! I'm just saving up to travel solo now! Cant wait to gain wonderful experience like you! Do tell me if you have any recommendations on where should I head to!
Hello Lynette. The pictures were great. What kind of camera are you using, or is any of your friend a pro photographer? The trip itself was great, but to get that kind of pictures, it was amazing.
Hey Lynnette ,
Could you share more detail about your trip..like which B&B you stay and transport.Where should i go.
This is my email:chadwick3466@hotmail.com
Thanks
Hi Lynnette,
Love your post! Backpacking is my dream and I'm planning to do it next year! If you could kindly advice which B&B you stay and the transport it would be awesome!
Also, did you pre-book for sky diving at Czech? Would love to know more about this!
My email is izchua@hotmail.com
cheers!
Isaac
Amazing! I would like to go on an adventure like this. Too bad, I can't take so many days of leave to tour around. I hope to visit Europe soon.
Aida-Thankyou! most of my pictures are taken by my camera Samsung EX2F. Some wide angle shots are from Gopro. None of my friends are photographers!
Chadwick- where will you be going? I will do a detail post if I have time!
Issac- Thank you! For BNBs, i usually filter from the cheapest and the most convenient etc. depending on the size of your group travelling, the amount spend on accommodation makes a lot of difference. Yes I did prebook my skydiving in Prague! http://en.skycentrum.cz
Alvin- You definitely should!
Hi Lynette!
Great travel and pictures and blog everything!
Can I ask, are you a student or working adult? You are not taking everything with you in one single travel backpack is it?
Thank you for this post!
Hi Lynette,
Thumbs up for ur awesome trip. Great tips & guidance on how to travel within budget. I'm definetlly planning a road trip soon. Thank youuuu so much! ����
Cheryl- Thank you! Yes we all packed up for a month travelling, I brought a cabin size luggage and a haversack while both my friends backpack. I travel light so we wash our clothes every few days.
Jivita- Thank you! Yes you should :)
Hi Lynette,
Thanks for your reply. appreciate it.
i wish to going to
-Italy
-France
-Nertherland
-Switzerland
-Germany
But i only have 2-3 week travel times.
Thanks
Chadwick.
Chadwick- In switzerland i stayed in Lakelodge hostel. In netherlands i stayed in ibis budget. Germany, france and italy are mostly from Airbnb
Hope this helps!
Hello lynette, would like to check with you,how many days you spent in Triberg? I'm planning a day trip to there on August. How long does it required to reach the waterfall from my accommodation(assume my accommodation is nearby the waterfall), is is challenging and far? is a day trip is enough to cover Triberg and the waterfall itself?
I have read through your blog, the picture you have taken is really nice, especially Triberg, it attracted me, if i didnt read your blog, didnt know one of the places to visit in Germany is Triberg.
Very inspirational traveling tips and picture. ;-)
While it is inspiring you traveled to so many places, it is misleading when you put 33 cities, considering some are TOWNS. Also, £2500 is crazy expensive for someone who is traveling around Europe with a starting point in London. Not very impressive and I would not consider this a guide by any means
skybluekk- I went for a day from Strasbourg. You can take a train to Triberg and it is a 15min walk to the waterfall. From the waterfall, you can hike up to other parts in the Black forest. Triberg has many cafes that sells really good blackforest cake. You should try it when you're there!
Hey! Your blog is amazing and it's really informative for people who plan to travel around Europe. I'd love it if you could share with us some shopping destinations around London. Anyways, good job with your blog and keep it up :)
Anonymous- Hi there, what kind of shopping areas are you keen? For luxury, it will be Selfridges and Harrods. For cheaper ones are like Primark. Topshop and urban outfitters are some of my favourite! I get student discount here so it is so much cheaper than in Singapore.
Hello Lynette. Could you offer some tips as to how you managed to get a bus from London to Paris for only £5.25? I went on the Megabus website and the price was £25 for the nightbus. Thank you.
Hi Lynette! Thanks for sharing! The pictures are pretty. I went for a one month trip to Europe during June-July too. Check my website too! dayre.me/wenqiz starting from 10 Aug post. :)
Yee- Hey! I got it when Megabus was having sale. Sometimes you can even get £0.50 tickets to Paris! Just have to lookout all the time for deals. I booked 2months in advance before departing! Try to look into every date, sometimes a day makes a lot of difference in price wise.
Wen Qi- Awesome!! Ill check it out ;)
Hi Lynette! I love your blog~ I'm interested in how the Eurail pass actually work, especially the reservation part. Did you reserve all the seats for every train you took? May I know what is the approximate/average cost of the reservation fee for each train?
Looking forward to your reply~ thank you!
Hi there! I did not make reservation for all trains. You can check on Eurail website if reservation is needed. Most of the time, I only make reservation if it is compulsory. Italy reservations are usually 10euros per reservation. Other parts of Europe are usually 3euros
Hi Lynette! Read that you got the Interrail pass. I thought only EU citizens can purchase that pass. So does it apply to foreign students who have been living in the EU for more than 6 months? Thanks very much!
@Arnos Chong Yes you are eligible for interrail pass if you have a valid student visa that will be able to prove that you have been living in the EU for >6months. Cheers :)
Thanks Lynette!
Lynette,
That's some incredible feat. Were you using the Eurail Global Pass for student?
I did the same thing last year and went to 15 cities in 22 days.
Anyway, here's a good reason to travel to Europe AGAIN!
http://www.moneydigest.sg/why-you-should-be-planning-a-trip-to-europe-now/
It is very informative post, thanks for sharing....
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Hey!
I am also from Singapore, on exchange in the UK and planning to go Europe over my 3 weeks Easter break :) May I know how did you get to Hallstatt? I am traveling from Innisbruck, but can't seem to find a way!
Hi Lynette, i bookmarked your travel blog since last year before i come to study in UK. i knew from your blog of the difference of interrrail and eurorail. however, i read different thing from different website. one states interrail is only available for eu citizen which the other, as what you mentioned in the blog, whoever staying in UK for more than 6months in the past would be eliglible for using the pass.
does the rule change? can i still purchase the interrail pass (i came to study in UK since last year september and plan to travel during the summer). i tried to email the interrail pass website but got no reply.
appreciate much for help thank you very much=>
Not sure if you've answered this before and I'm sorry to ask again if you did but when's the best time to travel to Europe? I love how comfy you look with the clothes you were wearing. I have been thinking and planning on going for my big EUtrip but I honestly don't know where to begin on the planning. I end up searching other things and I couldn't stay focused on what was going on. I don't know where to begin and my travel planner is in such big mess!
THANK YOU :*
xx Andrea
Hi Lynette really like your post. I try looking at your transport price for referent but is not clear can you sent me a copy if it? Also would like to ask the eurorail you got was for 10 days within 2 month correct? Mean that some of the trip you used train and some you used bus correct? Can you let me know which area you used train. Also what time train at night you usually take? Most of the train you need to have reservation? Reservation price? How do we male reservation. Thanks really appreciate your help. this is my email address rynaleewc@gmail.com
lol. i would be able to go to as many places if i were travelling from london too.
This is just gorgeous !*love* it all as the messages, the pictures and the quality of the writing. Thanks !
Wow! ur post is amazing.
Hi lynette.. what a wonderful journey.
I will visit Europe next month. Could you give me some tips?
This is great. I read this post and enjoyed a lot. Its too much informative and I want to keep it bookmark for future use. Thanks.
Backpack Europe
This article was INCREDIBLY helpful! My fiance and I are considering a honeymoon in Italy and exploring everything -- this provided great things to consider and keep in mind. Thanks!
how to plan a trip to Italy
I have no words for how much I love this post. And your blog . Everything I've read.
France honeymoon
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