Budgets, Prices, & Ways to Save

Last Updated: 5/22/23 | May 22nd, 2023

Europe. Prices vary greatly depending on how far north, east, south or west you travel. After all, Europe is huge with multiple visa zones and multiple currencies.

For 45 EUR, you can get a private room in parts of Greece.

For that same price in Paris, you may get a 16-person dorm room.

You can get delicious and cheap street food in Berlin for under 10 EUR, but even a casual sit-down meal in Austria can cost around 25 EUR and it can easily double that in Norway!

And one of the most asked questions I get is, “How much does it cost to travel to Europe?”

Well, that always depends on where you are going. You can’t paint Europe with a huge brush. It’s a diverse place.

So, today, I want to talk about traveling around Western Europe (think Eurozone countries plus Switzerland and the UK) and how much money you need to visit those destinations.

How Much Do Things Cost?

Here are some general costs for things in Europe, because as I said, prices can vary a lot depending on where you are:

Accommodation – In most Western European countries, expect to pay 25–45 EUR per night for a dorm room and 75-100 EUR for a private double room in a two-star budget hotel. (Though in Greece and Portugal, you can find dorm beds for 15–20 EUR per night and private rooms in budget hotels for 40-55 EUR.)

In England, prices are usually around 20–30 GBP per night for a dorm room and private rooms in two-star hotels and guesthouses for 50-60 GBP.

Food – Food costs vary as widely as accommodation costs. Throughout Western Europe, you can find small shops, street food stalls, or food trucks where you can get sandwiches, gyros, kebabs, slices of pizza, or sausages for between 3-7 EUR. Cheap meals (think a fast food combo meal or takeout from a Chinese restaurant) cost 9–12 EUR, while restaurant meals at casual, traditional eateries cost around 15–25 EUR.

Nicer establishments cost 30 EUR and up. A pint of beer is 2-5 EUR, a glass of wine is 2-7 EUR, a cappuccino is 2-5 EUR, and cocktails range from 6-14 EUR. You can cook your food for a week for around 45-65 EUR.

Transportation – The easiest way to get around Europe is by train, as they connect every major part of Europe and can be cheap if you book them in advance. High-speed trains, though, can easily cost 85-100 EUR or more.

Try to get the regional or slow trains for cheaper prices (slow domestic trains taking 4-6 hours can cost around 25-45 EUR). If you’re going to…